Sexism against women still a problem

Although the landscape for women’s rights has changed drastically since the 1920s, complete equality for women is still a dream in the eyes of many that has yet to be realized.

Senior Shireen Kaul is aware of this century-old problem that is still very much present.

“People think that women aren’t able to do their jobs as well as men, and they still get paid less for doing the same jobs as men do,” Kaul said.

Kaul’s claim is not without justification. According to the National Committee on Pay Equity, women were paid 77 percent of what their male counterparts received for completing the same job during 2012.

Like Kaul, English teacher Amy Keys acknowledges that women are not always treated fairly when searching for a job.

“In high schools, you may have noticed that administrative positions are far more frequently filled by men than by women, and yet, teaching is an occupation heavily dominated by women,” Keys said. “It might make one wonder why the positions that are the best paid and garner the most authority or respect have traditionally been staffed by men, and not women. Why has this not changed substantially over time?”

Sexism against women in society is an issue that is still very prevalent in today’s society; however, Keys notes that steps have definitely been made in the right direction to standardize chances for men and women.

“Girls have far more opportunities now than they did when I was in high school,” Keys said. “I see more girls excelling in math, science, computer science, and engineering, and while girls are still underrepresented proportionally, we’re seeing huge growth there — especially at Saratoga High.”

According to Kaul, although the standard sexist stereotypes do exist in the minds of people around the globe, they are not seen as much today as compared to years past.

“People think that women should be at home, cleaning, cooking and taking care of the kids. Not as much anymore, but I think there is still some of that,” Kaul said.

Growing up with an older brother, Kaul has personally experienced a form of sexism.

“Once my dad let [my brother] and his friends drive down to LA, but he didn’t let me and friends do the same because he said that we are girls and that it wouldn’t be safe,” Kaul said. “ I was not happy about that.”

  Keys also has personal experience with gender stereotypes from her time in high school; she recalls a tradition in which the freshman girls were expected to become “little sisters” of older male athletes, rather than partaking in sports themselves.

“The ‘little sisters’ were expected to bake cookies for and decorate the lockers of male athletes on game days,” Keys said. “It was a ritual that institutionalized the image of girls as domestic servants, catering to boys’ every need, instead of asserting their own needs.”

In the end, Keys is happy about the progress society has made, but wishes that the women of the past were able to experience the same things that the women are experiencing today.

“I wish that the girls who did that then could have fast-forwarded to 2013 at Saratoga High, where cheerleaders cheer at both boys and girls’ games, and where girl athletes make cookies for other girl athletes,” said Keys. “Now if only we could get the boys making cookies for the girls, we’d really have arrived.”