Why People Don’t See Gender Inequality

Why do we need to promote girls in STEAM. I mean, they can just join if they want to, right? There are so many opportunities available - I mean girls even get their OWN organizations and competitions! There really isn’t a need to push for females to get involved in STEAM when they aren’t at a disadvantage. What adversity could a girl with an interest in STEAM and no particular socioeconomic problems, face in a first world country?

Why are you still fighting for gender equality?

Believe it or not, these are some of the questions that a lot of guys ask me during my time dabbling in STEAM activities. And I get it. In fact, 4 years ago, 88% of men in corporate America, almost 30,000 employees, thought women had the same opportunities as men. To most guys, NOTHING seems wrong because from their viewpoint, girls are given the exact same opportunities as guys are in their communities. For example, in places like Troy Michigan, girls can still join all of the STEAM clubs and events that a guy can join. So where is the “adversity?”

This problem stems from the fact that this particular kind of adversity isn’t visible to the eye. It’s psychological - caused by social norms, stereotypes and bias. Even if we take a look at the other unhealthy social norms in our society, the psychological component is quite clear in all of them. For example, different types of social groups are subject to being “prime suspects” of wrongdoing, associated with low intelligence, or even low social status. And these are just a few examples of bias-forming stereotypes caused by social norms.

With all the gender equality organizations and movements that have occurred, discrimination and bias has in a sort of way, mutated. Now it lurks where people can’t see it or point it out even if they do notice it. Pertaining to the particular girls in STEAM situation, with us females not being able to blatantly point out that we are being given less opportunity and treated unfairly because of their gender, we face the issue of not being able to call others out on their wrongdoing. There isn't always someone we can reach out to for help - young girls need to learn how to face these situations. And that is where these women empowerment organizations come in. They arm women with the skills and mindset to face adversity of all kinds and still be successful with their endeavours.

So yes, there's a NEED for these organizations, there's a NEED for the support and empowerment of females, and there's a NEED for gender equality.

We have to stop believing this misinformation that gender equality has "already been achieved" and that fighting for gender equality is just for women who are “taking advantage of being female." In fact, in my personal life, a lot of people have commented that I was only given certain opportunities and positions, not due to my skill set, but BECAUSE I was a female. While this was highly offensive, I was more concerned about how they didn’t see the struggle that women face to get to where they are. It’s not all about what is visible to the eye, achievement comes in all forms, and that includes the smaller battles that people fight on a daily basis.

I understand that it’s hard for people to relate to what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes. And that’s where awareness comes in. We can stop people from being discriminatory or acting upon misconception, just by providing them with knowledge about the issue. By spreading awareness of the less-noticeable, smaller yet consistent adversity that women face, we can really drive positive social change towards a world with real equality.