Women

Although we say that the world has come a long way in terms of gender equality, sexism and discrimination, the literary stereotype of being a “good” woman is being sustained by underlying sources. No matter what we do, the world will remain sexist until these sources are eradicated, since this literary stereotype affects men equally as much as women.

The term “nice guy” is used for males who are kind, caring and courteous. These men grow up treating women a certain way because they think it is a methodological way to develop a relationship with women. It’s also used by other males with a more negative connotation – as an insult – to non-masculine, sensitive men.

These nice guys attempt to fulfill traditional patriarchal roles, such as paying for things, holding open doors or offering a coat in the rain. A male is socialized to believe these are the things that he should do; the underlying expectation is that by fulfilling his role, he will have a successful life and become a financially independent man who appeals to women.

Obviously, this is not always the case, since women are not always “good”. This is because the male expects the female to “owe” them for their niceness, but in more cases than Hollywood portrays, women become resentful for feeling like they owe the other party for their niceness, especially once they get pushy.

It turns into a cycle of bitterness where men become confused and disheartened when women reject them even though they think they are doing what’s right. Women want to prove they are entitled to the same opportunities as men. It seems ridiculous to suggest that if someone opens the door for you, it’s because they think they are superior. But then why are women paid less if they are equally as “superior”? This is a generic stereotype within a workplace – men opening the doors for women, women being paid less, the occasional sexual harassment.

Currently, the portrayal of women as submissive and pure has eased off a bit in most Western countries. Women are not required to accept something a guy offers, exceptions made at gunpoint. Most people have heard of the saying “nice guys finish last”. Because guys make a “sacrifice”, are girls expected to reciprocate?

The “finish last” implies otherwise. Recent studies confirm that most guys feel they are not treated accordingly for being nice. Women are equally tired of being treated as if they are shallow. Some countries still rely heavily on patriarchal systems, and even Western countries like the United States are still relatively patriarchal. Women are paid less and don’t receive paid leave for having a baby, while men get paid for going on a holiday.

In Europe, sexism is engrained in human language. English speakers may find that having genders for arbitrary objects (like spoon, and house, and wash-bottle) is nonsensical, but English is actually the peculiar minority. This leads us to a curious web feature.

A couple of research students from Cambridge University concluded that online translators, such as Google Translate, are sexist. Most recently, a Ma ̄ori academic tested how gender-based sentences are translated to English. In Maori, “ia” is a gender neutral pronoun used to refer to any person. But Google Translate decides whether “ia” should translate to“he” or “she” based on the scenario. For situations involving crying, cooking, sewing and kitchen, “she” is used. For situations involving building, eating, working and intelligence, “he” is used. How are we to combat the dominance of white, middle-aged men in the digital technology industry, since it is clear that sexism exists not just in the physical world, but in the digital world as well?

The effects of women being portrayed as “good” are hidden in nooks and crannies which prove tricky to resolve. The world is inevitably unequal, but when do we draw the line? People draw inspiration from the environment around them, and the future generation is increasingly reliant on digital technology. Perhaps more women in the media force might just be a start.