Beyond Gender

Women have been raised to believe that they should always sacrifice their goals and ambitions to everyone else's. When one member of the family must work so that their partner can continue their education--it is usually the woman who sacrifices her education to put her husband through school. When the man is offered a better job opportunity that requires a move, how often does the woman sacrice her career in order to allow her husband to advance his career? Women, who do not sacrifice their goals and ambitions are considered selfish. Women have been accultured with this attitude of self-sacrifice. We have been raised to believe that women
and women's rights are not as important as every other issue. It is more noble for women to work on peace, healthcare, poverty, racism, environment and numerous other issues.
If you don't believe that sexism still exists--turn on your TV. Who is cooking and serving dinner? Who is vacuming, cleaning the toilet, mopping the floor and dusting the furniture? Who are the mechanics, the plumbers, the bankers, the secretaries, and the nurses? Who is playing with dolls and who is playing with trucks? Not only are the sexist stereotypes still out there, but (as we saw in the primary) the expression of sexist attitudes is socially accceptable. There are no repercussions and no one feels guilty for putting women down. Why is it that we can accept the oppression of women in other countries by calling it cultural differences. If the majority of another country oppresses another ethic or religious group, it is wrong. It is not a cultural choice--it is oppression! Why is it a cultural choice to oppress women?
Many women have decided that they are beyond gender. Isn't that just a new excuse for self sacrifice? All women are affected sexism. Try being beyond gender, when your promotion goes to the less experienced man. We cannot be beyond gender in a world that regards us as second class citizens.