by Sandra Hambleton

Created on: July 28, 2007   Last Updated: September 04, 2009

Who suffers more? Sexism is almost another form of racism. It happens to both women and men. Suffering isn't a contest,and having suffered does not automatically imbue one with moral superiority. We are all capable of causing suffering. White guys seem to get blamed for all discrimination. That in itself is discrimination. When we oppose racism or sexism, we are asking others to look beyond stereotypes. Yet some of us will gladly stereotype white men. We do this precisely because they are white and they are men.

Still, this question is intriguing enough that I feel compelled to give an opinion.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono's song, "Woman is the N-, of the world" comes to mind. I can't even bring my self to spell out the "N" word in the song title, because I know the true ugliness of that word. I have heard it spoken with real hatred. Racism is the lowest form of ignorance, fear and intolerance there is. It is hard to separate from sexism. You're born black, white, brown, and male or female. Isn't that pretty much the same- being discriminated against for an inherent characteristic that does not in truth indicate our value as a member of society?

The reason I feel that sexism against women is currently causing more suffering in this world is because of its social acceptance. At least the majority of us will accept the fact that the amount of pigment in your skin has no bearing on the amount of merit in your character.

The media portrayal of females in almost any role is largely based on appearance alone. Media seems to convey a message that a woman's value is limited to or dependent upon her looks. A woman's body is used to sell any number of products not designed specifically to enhance a woman's quality of life. Too many people still deny the existence of, or minimize the harmful effects of sexism. I notice women do this as often as men.

Those that deny the impact of gender discrimination must not pay close attention to the real news stories that occasionally show up in between celebrity studded sound-bites and, infotainment peddled ad naseum on mainstream airwaves.

People who think sexism is not a big deal must be distracted when yet another report of a child gone missing, raped, or dead appears. Not always, but more often than not, that child is female. Many people must not be aware that rape as an act of war is a hideously common occurrence in every country that experiences war. They must be oblivious to what happens to baby girls in countries where baby boys

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