This week in our course we discussed the topic of sexism and it's impact and prevalence in our society. Our society objectifies women and degrades them all the time through media, popular culture, and even our language.
During a child's education they are bound to get some form of physical education course. I remember taking P.E. courses since elementary school and playing games like dodge ball, volleyball, and badminton. When a boy performs poorly on a certain task in comparison to other boys, it wouldn't be uncommon to hear something along the lines of "you throw like a girl" or "you run like a girl." The same goes for girls. When a girl performs "poorly" they are told they "hit like a girl." Why have we associated being a girl with being weak and inferior?
Sexism prevents us from achieving our full potential as human beings. Using the phrase "like a girl" further empowers the patriarchal society and oppresses women. Girls should not feel ashamed for running like a girl, throwing like a girl, or fighting like a girl. GIRLS ARE GIRLS and should not need to be boys!
I encourage you to check out this video that I found very inspiring and further discusses this topic of doing things "Like a Girl:" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs
This particular video is an ad from Always. They are doing a campaign called #LikeAGirl where they are pushing to change the way women are portrayed in society.
I grew up with three brothers and was always compared with them. I have never been a stellar athlete or competitor and would often hear this phrase from my brothers and their friends. I think it is quite sad that our society sees acting like a girl as a bad thing. This image needs to be changed so girls can grow up in a society where their skills, abilities, and the way they do things are not viewed as weak.
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