My friend, will you move inside! Nonsense girl, very rude! This type cannot even stay in a Man’s house; talk less of seeing a husband to marry!

The perplexity that gripped me on this day was unlike any other. I had boarded a bus going to work on a rainy morning in Lagos when a female passenger on the bus got into an altercation with me. Her reason? What audacity did I have to tell a ‘male’ passenger where to sit? On top of my money? I didn’t want to take the inner front seat closest to the driver, so I was about to exit the bus for some seconds to allow the male passenger to take the middle seat when she blurted that out.

One would think women should support and encourage fellow women, but that’s not always the case. From our Mothers who make snide comments about how too much success can keep men away, causing us to remain single for a long time, to our female colleagues who would willfully vote to have a male boss rather than a female boss. These biases against the female gender have been embedded into us since time immemorial.

Why does gender bias exist in societies?

Biases are prejudice displayed toward one gender over the other. A study by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reveals that 90% of people globally are biased against women. 90%! 

One fundamental reason for bias against the female gender is how we as humans are wired. Biases are intrinsically part of human nature. Our brains are lazy; we act on previously gathered information to make decisions rather than processing new information and making peculiar and unique choices. What we see growing up, what we hear, what is obtainable in our immediate environment; those things affect how we make decisions and live our lives as adults. Most times, we don’t question structures or standards. We assume it must be correct for it to have been that way all of our lives.

For example, a young girl growing up who is used to seeing male engineers and male pilots would most likely conclude that those roles belong to men only. A boy child who only ever sees women doing domestic chores would most likely agree to the school of thought that the only place a woman should rule is her ‘kitchen’. 

A friend told me she and three other females were not allowed into a Lounge because there was no male amongst them. After all, “A group made up of women going to a Lounge will only hook up with men or steal people’s husbands.”

How do we break the female gender bias as a society? 

Breaking the bias goes beyond putting up an excellent ‘Happy International Women’s Day’ flier or hosting an event to celebrate women in tech. Biases are more deeply embedded than we think. Thus, we must adopt an intentional approach to tackling discrimination against the female gender.

One crucial way to do this would be to question everything and actively work to unlearn others. They say ‘‘A woman cannot be too wealthy’’; ask Why?, “A woman cannot be a mechanic”. Why? “A woman must be married by the age of 30” Why?! 

Question everything you have known to be true about how society sees a woman.

Slow down and make measured decisions. Before you nominate a male figure to lead the construction team, pause, reflect and make sure you are awarding that position based on merit, not favouring a particular gender.

Speak up where and when you see biases against women. Don’t be silent at your office, religious gathering or home; always speak up. Educate and inform.

Raise more awareness about the subject – female gender bias. Here is an excellent place to share all the lovely women’s day fliers. Attend events and learn more about how to tackle the female gender bias issue. Share your own gender bias stories to educate others on female gender bias.

Michelle Obama once said, “No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contribution of half its citizens.”

Breaking the female gender bias is smart economics for societies and the nation. If we can equip women and give them equal opportunities as men, we will build flourishing communities. 

References 

https://www.undp.org/press-releases/almost-90-menwomen-globally-are-biased-against-women

https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/what-does-gender-bias-look-like-in-real-life/