Hunters And Gatherers

In sixth grade, my social studies class was learning about Paleolithic times. We were doing an activity that made us simulate what times were like back in the caveman era.

The teacher (a man in his sixties) instructed the girls to pick up some pencils around the room, to represent gathering - and what females had to do in that time, and to represent that that job was easy.

He then instructed the boys to find oranges skillfully hidden around the room, and told them to peel them in one piece. He told them that back then, men were stronger and more important than females, and also told us that that's why men take the harder jobs these days, and that's also why men are stronger in the modern age.

The boys in that class made fun of the girls in my class, including me, for being "weak". The boys who could find and peel the orange also made fun of the boys who couldn't, calling them "a girl" as an insult.

In gym class in third grade, the gym teacher made the boys do normal push-ups, (the classic plank-position, pushing move) and girls do, "girly pushups" (girls used their knees instead of their feet to support themselves, making it easier). Some boys said that they wanted to do "girly pushups" and some girls said that they could do normal pushups. The boys were told, "no, these pushups are for you because you have more muscles than the girls, therefore you are stronger and should do the harder ones." The girls were told, "Don't show off to impress the boys."

In tenth grade, a girl I distantly knew was pushed into a bathroom by her boyfriend, but without her consent, and was sexually assaulted. She punched him in the face and kicked him in the privates, than ran to the office and told the principal. The school authorities interrogated the boy, and he got the same punishment, (advisory detention for four weeks) as the girl because (as he said) "I'm her boyfriend, and she never said not to. She was also sitting in a sexy position, so how was it my fault?" The girl had detention also, because "she was wearing something that was against the school dress code policy, and violence will not be tolerated at our high school."

In eighth grade, on my bus there was a conversation going about if one of us (14 year olds) got pregnant, would we keep the baby? The male 40 year old bus driver said that at that age we should not get and abortion regardless of rape.

In second grade, a girl I was friends with was dress coded for wearing off-the-shoulder straps in front of a male teacher.

Throughout our childhood, we are taught that men are stronger, and have more authority, as well as not being able to control themselves in the face of women. Yes, it is more likely for a man to be stronger than a woman, but that is generalizing. All students should be taught to their strengths and weaknesses regardless of gender. As for sexual abuse, it should NEVER be tolerated. I don't care if it was her boyfriend, she did not give consent and that was not okay. (I know this story because I was her partner in science class, and she slipped the entire thing to me.) And eight year old should not have to cover her shoulders to avoid an adult teacher. Sexism comes in many subtle forms, and it should not be looked over, especially at a young age.