What is the difference between sexism and gender inequality

Sexism also affects people who were not assigned female at birth but who express themselves in a way that people perceive as feminine. This includes trans and gender-expansive individuals. It is possible to be sexist toward men. However, because men possess more power and status in most countries, the harm that they experience is usually an indirect result of sexism toward women.

For example, if a person believes that women are weaker than men, they may feel that they have to be strong or tough at all times — even if this means risking their health or participating in violence. Sexism begins with prejudices. A prejudice is a bias against a person or group of people. It is often based on myths, stereotypes, and generalizations that a person learns from others. Biases about sex and gender can be explicit, something that a person is aware that they have.

And they can be implicit, in which case, a person is not consciously aware of their biases. This includes the stereotype that women are naturally better at looking after children than men — or that men are naturally better at math or science. Gender determinism also causes prejudice against transgender people.

This is because people who believe that gender is determined solely by biology may not understand how being transgender is possible or refuse to accept that it is. This is known as cissexism.

Learn more about cissexism and transphobia. Prejudice based on sex or gender can have different forms. Some are more obvious and easier to identify, while others are more subtle. Types of sexism include:. Sexism can also occur alongside other forms of oppression, such as racism or ableism, affecting people who belong to more than one marginalized group. Learn more about the types of sexism, with examples, here.

Sexist beliefs can lead to discrimination. Discrimination is prejudice in action, and it occurs whenever a person or group treats others unfairly based on an aspect of their identity. Discrimination does not have to be obvious or intentional to be damaging. Smaller acts of discrimination can have a cumulative effect on mental and physical health.

These acts are known as microaggressions. One location where gender discrimination occurs is the workplace. Gender discrimination also occurs in healthcare. In a study , more women doctors than men said that their gender had negatively affected their careers, limiting the level of respect that they felt they received.

Learn about the effects of gender discrimination on health. Sexual harassment is sexualized mistreatment. Often, these comments are tinged with aggression. Sexual harassment can take place anywhere, including workplaces, public restrooms, and between friends and family members. Unlike flattery or flirting, which happens between consenting adults, sexual harassment is often one-sided, and it exploits an uneven power dynamic.

This is what makes it threatening. Sexual harassment is also common in workplaces, particularly among women who work for tips, who work in male-dominated fields, or who do not have permanent legal immigration status. Sexual harassment can make people feel uncomfortable, scared, and even traumatized. Even if a person does not feel physically threatened at the time, it may cause or reinforce a fear of walking alone, wearing certain clothes, or being sexually assaulted.

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Latest Key Figures. Latest Financial Press Releases and Reports. Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. Share Information. Specialty Products. Catalogs, Flyers and Price Lists. Open Access. Open Access for Authors. Open Access and Research Funding. Policies can contribute to inequality—and some countries have insured some measure of equality by mandating that some number of seats in the legislature be reserved for women. But this study suggests that if the goal is increased equality, individual attitudes have to change.

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For more information, please see our Community Guidelines. For a copy of the research article and access to other null research findings, please contact: - The Yale psychology professor has been appointed to an influential group charged with directly advising the president and the White House on science, technology, and innovation.

Psychological science can help.