Girls are still being devalued, and are still viewed as less important than men even though it's 2016. We live in a world where women are still less likely to pursue STEM careers, are more likely to be apologetic, are put into this box of the "perfect girl," have to defend themselves during the night, are deemed the "crazy ex-girlfriend" and are branded if they identify as a feminist.
1. Apologetic
We're expected to apologize when we don't have interest in a guy. In society, girls are made to feel eerily thankful when a guy asks us out because, "Wow, this special human asked me out- I have this weird need to attempt to reciprocate something that might not even be there." If we don't explicitly apologize or be kind to them if we turn them down, there might be darker, worse consequences that might occur. Girls have the chance of being killed by guys who view themselves as being 'friend zoned,' a term that originated from a "Friends" episode discussing the disgustingly sexist Ross Geller.
2. The Perfect Girl
Sexy, fierce, cute, polite and constantly put together. Those are things girls are conditioned to believe we have to be. We're expected to be a perfect breed in a pool of what's usually mediocrity. The likelihood of a well-dressed man is slim when compared to the likelihood of a well-dressed woman.
3. Defense
We have to know how to defend ourselves, and we fear the night because the opposite gender might decide to attack us if we're not careful. Sometimes, even if we are careful, they still manage to hurt us. Additionally, if a woman does know how to defend themselves, they are still sometimes reduced to just being "a woman," which is an absurd thing to consider an insult.
4.Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
The guy is rarely referred to as being weird and crazy after a breakup. After a breakup, the girl is sometimes referred to as being over emotional and is blamed for the breakup because she was 'crazy,' even if it's not her fault or even if she's being completely rational. This definition is usually used when men want to feel better about themselves after a breakup happens.
5. Feminism
We're branded for being a crazy feminist if we identify with feminist ideologies because for some reason, it's brand new information that women deserve rights just as men do. There's also what's considered 'white feminism' where women of colors' issues are pushed aside for other issues. Additionally, individuals such as Tina Fey and Taylor Swift are considered revolutionary when they don't seem to be understanding the fundamental issues of racism and how intersectional feminism is more inclusive.
6. Work Force
According to the National Girls Collaborative Project, while "...women receive over half of bachelor’s degrees awarded in the biological sciences, "...women receive over half of bachelor’s degrees awarded in the biological sciences, they receive far fewer in the computer sciences (18.2 percent), engineering (19.2 percent), physics (19.1 percent), and mathematics and statistics (43.1 percent) (NSF, Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering, 2015).(NSF, Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering, 2015)." Many women also take STEM classes, but either do not pursue STEM jobs after graduating or end their STEM track there.
