Is the inequality of the sexes really a current issue? In today’s progressive society, especially in the United States, men and women are treated equally, aren’t they?

The above questions are prevalent in the mindsets of my peers and fellow citizens. Conversely, many are strong supporters of both the word and the ideology behind feminism. As both sides are entitles to their opinions, we must turn to the facts of the status quo to examine and respond to questions like those above. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, in her We Should All be Feminists, explores the word feminism, its definition, and provides current-day examples of derogation of women in order to urge her audience to shed their preconceived notions of feminism to see it in a new light. Sadly, Adichie’s examples are unconvincing to some of her readers. Through exploring deprecating sentiment against women in the present in relation to appearance, marriage, and power, we can augment Adichie’s argument that feminism is real and prevalent, and that it must be addressed now.

Body image and physical attractiveness are of utmost importance both in present day society and in the past. While men are pressured with advertisements and campaigns to be appealing, the pressure lies predominantly on women in virtually every realm of popular culture and the media today.

“All over the world, there are so many magazine articles and books telling women what to do, how to be and not to be, in order to attract or please men. There are far fewer guides for men about pleasing women," Adichie said.

From Carls Jr. ads to Top 40 hits, we are constantly bombarded with commentary and standards regarding female beauty. Not only do we tell women what to do and how to be, but also we chastise them for not meeting unrealistic expectations. Popular culture and societal standards have dictated that an attractive woman is one with small thighs, large breasts, and a passive attitude. Hillary Clinton, one of the most talked-about women today, has been accused of having none of these “attractive” attributes.

While many mock the appearance of popular male businessmen and politicians such as Donald Trump, the accusations directed toward Clinton have been unending and cruel to an extent none of her male counterparts have experienced. One example of this is the infamous Kentucky Fried Chicken ‘Hillary Special’ that offers “2 fat thighs with small breast & left wing”. This derision suggests not only strong opposition to Hillary’s political views, but it also degrades her to nothing more than her physical features. Women in power are accused by the choices they make and almost more importantly by the way they present themselves; Clinton is chastised because of her body type as often as she is about her political views.

Credit: republicanmarket.com

Marriage, like body image, is sometimes used to define women and limit their potential, presenting them with tasks such as serving husbands or appearing attractive in order to impress others. While this idea is less progressive and there are certainly many women today who chose to remain unmarried, it is still a concept used to empower men. Marriage is a mutual bond, agreement, and partnership with shared ideals and, especially in our age, shared control over different realms such as cooking, cleaning, or paying bills. The concept of marriage, though, is more often related to women than it is to men. “This is a threat – the destruction of a marriage, the possibility of not having a marriage at all – that in our society is much more likely to be used against a woman than against a man,” comments Adichie. Adichie’s observation can be likened to the notion that women ought to aspire to marriage whereas men should aspire to professional success. That is to say that a woman’s greatest achievement in life is marriage, and anything more is solely man’s realm. Donald Trump advocated in support of this ideology when he retweeted “If Hillary Clinton can’t satisfy her husband what makes her think she can satisfy America?” Trump’s support of this outdated perspective shows that sexism in today’s society remains stuck in archaic standards and thoughts. These must be put to rest if women are to have equal opportunity and respect as their male colleagues.

Credit: twitter

Power in the professional realm has always been more difficult for women to achieve than for men. As Hillary Clinton has gained more support and opposition, she’s gained publicity and popularity. As she’s climbed higher in the political sphere, she’s contended with fewer and fewer women. “The late Kenyan Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai put it simply and well when she said, ‘The higher you go, the fewer women there are,’” (Adichie). Many people within our society feel discomfort when women hold positions of power because societal standards have dictated for many years that we place women in their respective boxes: their duties reside in the home and with the children. As Clinton has raised her status as a political figure, she’s been rightfully accused of her mistakes, but often to a greater extent than would have been received by a man in her same position. Katie Massa Kennedy of the Huffington Post articulated that Clinton “is singularly delineated as ‘bought by Wall Street’ — even with former Democratic nominees Al Gore and John Kerry receiving millions in campaign contributions from the so-called ‘big banks’ during their presidential runs”. This, I believe, is partly due to the general discomfort many feel with Clinton’s position of power, and while the accusations are often justified, they may be exaggerated due simply to what is known as “soft sexism."

This ever-present devaluation of Hillary, and so many other women in professional fields, seems unending as many individuals and groups latch onto her mistakes and use degrading commentary. “Republicans launched their dubious investigation into a ‘corrupt,’ ‘manipulative’ and ‘dirty’ Hillary Clinton’s use of a personal email server while Secretary of State — regardless of Colin Powell implementing the same practice during his tenure,” Katie Massa Kennedy continues. These investigations serve not only to uncover and discover the truth behind scandal, but also as an opportunity to use puerile methods of name-calling – a seemingly tried and true approach to presidential campaigning – in order to display soft sexist opposition to Clinton as a candidate and a woman in a powerful political position.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie draws from her experience with sexism and feminism mainly in Nigeria, showing her audience that, despite common belief, sexism is still quite prevalent in the modern age. With fewer experiences within the United States noted in her short essay, We Should All be Feminists, Adichie fell short in convincing some of my peers of the reality of sexism and relevance of feminism in the status quo. Hillary Clinton’s struggle with both blatant and soft sexism serves as a reminder that even within our seemingly progressive nation, we face anti-feminist and misogynistic sentiment on a daily basis.

Powerful women are a perceived threat to people today, and many seek to judge and degrade Clinton solely on the basis of their discomfort with a woman’s success at such a high level. Many have a mindset that “… for a woman to have reached the upper echelons of power in her field, she could only have done so through depravity and deception. Her success is undeserved, and she is therefore unworthy,” (Kennedy, Huffington Post). This perspective is a reflection of the wider response toward women across our nation who seek to break the barriers and standards set by society and the media to fulfill positions as wives or beautiful objects of desire. Hillary Clinton is just one example of multitudes, demonstrating that Adichie’s observations hold true, and that we must advocate for the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes if we are to advance as a culture.