While the women’s rights movement has delivered much since the days of the Suffragettes of the United States and the Famous Five of Canada, women are still being scrutinized primarily on their physical appeal and sexuality.
Female politicians such as Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton are criticized not on their views of the healthcare situation in America or on plans for revitalizing the American education system but for their “ridiculous” outfits and “feminine/masculine” mannerisms. It’s a no-win situation for women regardless of social or political status.
Perceptions of the female gender need to be changed drastically. Today’s ideal North American female is stereotyped as glamorous, independent, and sexually aggressive in the likes of Katy Perry, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga. While these women should be applauded for their successes in the music industry, it is clear that their hypersexual personas are a large, underlying cause for their fame.
Why is it that women are looked upon as objects of sexuality and beautification rather than as actual human beings? One answer is found, of course, in the media, the ever-present giant of information. From the news to the Internet, media shapes— and shifts— our ideas of gender perception and roles. According to Statistics Canada, as of 2009, 96.5 per cent of Canadians under the age of 34 years use the Internet for personal, non-business purposes, thus making media an enormous agent of socialization for youth. In addition, the average youth spends about 10 hours per day exposed to any kind of media.
It should definitely be a large concern as to what kind of ideas about gender norms are soaked up by the minds of the future.
Yet unfortunately, mainstream media seems to emphasize negative takes on women rather than positive representations. Advertisements, music videos, movies, etc. all feature this hyper-sexualized ideal of a woman that is entirely unachievable for women and girls, and culturally destructive for both genders. Boys need to regard girls as equals and complements to the male gender; girls need to grow up with the wisdom that what they do matters more than how they look.
Furthermore, women are vastly underrepresented in the inner workings of the media industry.
According to the Women’s Media Center, as of 2011, females comprise less than half of leadership roles in the newsroom, and yet there are consistently more female journalism graduates from 1990-2010 than male. It is clear that the desire to work the media circuit has not diminished in women, and still, males dominate the upper-management positions in the industry.
An enormous cultural overhaul needs to take place in the media: in its content, in its methods, and in its workers.
Show audiences the likes of kickass modern-day Madame Curies, Nellie McClungs, and Cleopatras—put away the buxom, scantily clad Lara Crofts and Xena, Warrior Princesses. Women should be known not solely for their appearances but rather more for their intellect, their accomplishments, and their potential, just like their male counterparts.
