“Since the girl knew that the world did not give women the same dignity that gave to all men, just by being women. I wanted to change it because it is simply not fair”. With these words it has started Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a prestigious writer, a nigerian based in the united States, the encounter gender stereotypes are to break them, organized on Monday by THE COUNTRY in the House of the Reader of Slaughterhouse in Madrid to analyze the validity of these corsets and propose solutions in the different areas. The author of the best seller we should All be feminists, and How to educate feminism has emphasized the absurdity of machismo: “to Refuse to include half of the society, it is just stupid”.
Adichie has used the event, focused on analyzing the stereotypes that affect both men and women in any environment, labour, academic, educational, or family, and sponsored by Santander – Generation 81 and counts with the collaboration of Nissan and Llorente and Cuenca, to vindicate the plurality among women feminists. “I have spoken with women from all over the world, chinese, Latin american, Korean… and there are universal themes that affect us all the same: we grow up in the guilt from which we want to do something for ourselves and not for others.” In his opinion, is necessary to a “process of unlearning” continuous. “I don’t think I said anything new to the world, simply articulé what many are feeling”.
In 2019, no country has achieved gender equality effectively, according to the report Count and Tell the tale of Ideas LLYC. If you approach the magnifying glass icon to the gender gap overall, Spain is advancing significantly and is placed at number 29 in the ranking of global gender equality, prepared by the World Economic Forum (2018). The united states is ranked number 51 and Brazil 95. However, there is still a long way to go. Also in the field of communication. In Spain, the presence of women in the traditional media does not reach the 30%, according to the Global Monitoring of Media (GMMP). Moreover, they only represent 9% of the sources consulted by the journalists.
After the talk by Chimamanda, Pilar Alvarez, a correspondent of the gender of THE COUNTRY, has talked with Alicia G. Montano, editor of Equality of TVE, on how to deal with gender-based violence and feminism in their respective media. Alvarez has pointed out that feminism is ever more present both in media and in the conversations of the readers. “The public is increasingly demanding with the vocabulary that we use and how we have the news. And this compels us to rethink everyday our work,” he said. Both have expressed their concern with the discourses of the extreme right and how to have the power to make an impression on the society. “It is worrying that associating terms like feminazi to the movement of equality,” said Montano.
But, when does it begin to be constructed stereotypes of gender? Marina Subirats, professor emeritus of Sociology of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, ensures that are acquired from the first three or four years. “We have worked quite a lot in day care centers and toward the three years are able to identify their gender, not their sex. That means that it is a girl know because you have long hair or play with dolls. Not because he has vulva. When they grow up, follow the stereotype.” Also, has underlined the lack of gender training in the faculty. “Without a gender perspective in the education is as if we create pieces as deficient, which then goes to have that to deconstruct”. Alfredo Hernando, psychologist and founder of escuela21.org he added: “The boys and girls, before be, they are people. And should be able to decide who they are without having molds taxes”.
advertising is a sector that has a pending issue with the canons of the woman. This has been discussed Inés de León, writer and publicist, and Mónica Moro, directora general creativa McCann Spain. “It is important to stop sexualizar to women in advertising”, has mentioned Of a Lion. “We have to move forward for that then that cale in the society. Before it was unthinkable to see a woman with big sizes on the websites of the big brands of clothes, and now is increasingly naturalized”. On the other hand, Moro has pointed out that “advertising for women” has a double-edged sword: “There are times that advertisers think that painting a screwdriver rosa, are already making a product for women”. This term is known as “rate rose”; the excuse for the brands to sell more expensive certain products by the simple fact of roses and go for women. “Make pens, razors, or tools roses are shortcuts for selling a wrong,” said Moro.
Isabel Pardo de Vera, president of ADIF and ADIF High Speed, and the engineer of Roads, Channels and Ports and Olga María Abad Paris, director of the Office of credit Santander Bank, know very well what is the leadership and the imposter syndrome -the perception that the goals achieved are the result of luck or chance, and not of merit; more common among women. “I still sometimes I feel like the oddball of the bank,” said Abbot, the mother of three children. “When I joined the department, she was the only woman and I noticed that my presence did not generate a climate of trust with my colleagues. I had to work more hours than the rest to justify my position.”
The low visibility of women in positions of power is an example hot of the disparities that still persist. The data from the last ranking of the leaders, the best scores published by MERCO Spain visibilizan the gender gap in the business sector. Although three out of every ten managers are women, only 23 % listed among the one hundred leaders more highly valued. Ana Patricia Botín, chairwoman of banco Santander is in the number two position and the next woman on the list, drops to tenth place: Maria Dolores Treviño, chief executive of Bankinter.
“we’re in an emergency situation,” said Pardo de Vera, who, in addition, it has shown its concern about the policies of reconciliation of work and family. “There are many women who are forced to give up his career for being a mother. In men just see it.”
The referents of Edurne Pasaban, mountaineer and first to climb all 14 eight-thousanders, and Vero Boquete, the former captain of the Spanish selection of football, were always male. In sport, as in so many other areas, men remain the protagonists. Today they are the referents. “It is a great responsibility but also a great joy”, has Passed by with excitement when recalling how he met a couple called his daughter Edurne, in his honor. Vero Boquete has put the focus on the collective responsibility. “For to go far, you need people on your side. Who needs to be more involved? As in sport, the federations, public institutions and the media. We have to push into a real engagement”.
feminism is not just a thing of women. The movement for equality has revolutionized everything, including the masculinity. Daniel Sanchez Arevalo, film director, is happy with the paradigm shift: “Before, for me masculinity was all he had to do with ‘throw eggs’. Until my psychologist told me that if it was to always put the testicles in front, ran the danger of losing them. Fortunately, that concept of masculinity is increasingly banished. This change makes us not other men, but better men,” settled the filmmaker.
