As history has progressed, so has the advancement of women’s rights. From previously being unable to vote, attend university, have financial independence, or own private property, women in Western societies now share the same fundamental rights as men under the law.
Women can now vote, attend university, have credit cards or property in their names, among many other fundamental rights previously denied. However, the granting of these rights does not mark the obsolescence of feminism.
I say that feminism is not outdated because many hindrances to true gender equality remain, one of them being how women’s roles are approached in academia. Seeing as women were both historically barred from accessing education and shunned from participation in public discourse, women’s thoughts have been suppressed for centuries. As a result, an excessive majority of the foundational content for our many varied fields of study comes strictly from the male-perspective. We have never been able to learn about the world via the perspective of the women who lived in the past, only men. This marks a historical erasure of half of the world’s understanding of life, historical developments, and beyond.
Now, this discussion is not meant to discredit the fundamental contributions of men to academia. Rather, it is to shed light on how much knowledge has been lost throughout the course of history as a result of systemic sexism. We are missing half the picture.
Not to mention, this lack of symmetry between women’s representation in fundamental courses leads to women understanding the world from men’s perspective, while the opposite does not necessarily hold true. Hence, there is a huge discrepancy in how much women understand men versus how much men understand women.
Academia is stuck in the past, or at the very least, in a male-dominated present. For this reason, it is of utmost importance to study contemporary thinkers in an inclusive manner. Historically foundational theory is vital to academia. However, it is just as vital that we make more room for the perspectives that may be just as rudimentary or fundamental but that have not yet had a chance to thrive.
It is impossible to paint an accurate picture of the world and gain a holistic understanding of it without incorporating all perspectives. It is impossible to advance in our fields of study without a balance of historical, foundational knowledge and contemporary theories and research.
Validating women’s place in academia requires finally treating their work with the intrinsic value it brings. As mentioned, without the presence of women’s perspectives, it is impossible to ever fully comprehend anything. Hence, the continued oppression women face in the academic community goes against the very nature of academia, which functions with the goal of maximizing knowledge and understanding.
According to the University Post – the University of Copenhagen’s independent news media outlet – a survey report conducted by VIVE and the Ministry of Higher Education and Science of Denmark found that “More than one in three female PhD students had experienced at least one verbal act that objectifies, excludes, or degrades them on the basis of their gender.” This demonstrates how sexism is still prevalent in academic spaces, even in countries that are well ranked in terms of gender equality.
It should be the goal of every student, professor, and university to expand their grasp on knowledge by including a multitude more perspectives. It is time that academia catches up with society.
For feminism to come to an end, women’s studies must become integral to education. This starts with history classes: women are half of history, but their stories are not told. Instead, the stories of the many wars waged by men throughout human history are the priority of our history classes. I do not believe that their importance would be diminished by the inclusion of more stories.
For feminism to come to an end, women’s disadvantages in accessing associate and full professorship must cease. According to a study conducted by Applied Economics, it takes women 8.5 more years than men to be named Associate Professor, and 6.1 more years for Full Professorship. Additionally, researchers should aim to eradicate the gender citation gap. Amongst researchers, women are less likely to be cited than their male colleagues. This impacts young academics studying under women as well, seeing as their collaborative work will not be cited as much.
This is not particularly an issue of conscious bias. According to Forbes, there are many stereotypes that associate science to men, and “research has also found that people are more likely to remember things consistent with stereotypes.” This unfortunately leads men to often overlook their female colleagues and their contributions.
Research published in American Psychologist on the gender citation gap stated that “Citations play a large role in crucial career decisions, such as hiring and tenure status, and continue to affect a researcher’s prestige over the course of their career.” Another paper published in the Canadian Review of Sociology addresses “women’s disadvantages in career progression as the root causes for the gender citation gap.”
While the issues that women currently face may not be perpetuated on purpose by men or even women themselves, it is important to spark discussion about these issues in order to prevent their unnoticed continuation.
It is true that “not all men” have explicit negative biases about women, but a majority of men remain unaware of the systems still in place that subject women to disproportionate challenges. Yes, “not all men”, but many have been complacent in overlooking women’s value in academia and beyond. And, until the many underlying biases that uphold men’s privilege while subjugating women are exposed and addressed, feminism is not over.
Until men accept to learn about what they have refused to for centuries, until our education systems face women’s half of the story both in history and today, feminism will not be outdated. Because without these things, women remain unseen by the other half of humanity, by the men with whom we share a world, legal order, history, and a society. Without these changes, men and women will continue misunderstanding each other for endless generations to come.
Featured image provided by MOBiDYS Canada.
