If you've never experienced gender discrimination, does that mean it doesn't exist?

Question

I see people give the reason why gender discrimination can't exist is because they personally haven't experienced it. Are these people so lucky, or so privileged, or in denial, or lack empathy, that they can't see even one instance of unfairness, for just one person because of their gender?

Is this way of thinking similar as the thinking of people who say they have never experienced racism, or don't see any racism or don't see what the big deal is about racism?

If someone hasn't experienced gender discrimination, does that mean it doesn't exist? How can someone think their personal experience is exactly the same as millions of others?

Answer 1

Haha, I agree 100%. There are people who will say it doesn't exist just because they've never seen it or had it happen to them. The important thing to note, I think, is that gender discrimination can be against both males and females. The same way racism can be against any color of skin. It's sad that people don't want to accept that it happens or want to blame those who have said it's happened to them.

Answer 2

If you've never experienced gender discrimination, does that mean it doesn't exist? I see people give the reason why gender discrimination can't exist is because they personally haven't experienced it. Are these people so lucky, or so privileged, or in denial, or lack empathy, that they can't see even one instance of unfairness, for just one person because of their gender?

No just because you haven't experienced gender discrimination doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. However, just because others percieve that they have doesn't mean that they are automatically right either. There are any number of reasons why someone wouldn't see gender discrimination. Some of these you mentioned, but to be fair I'll add one: perhaps discrimination, at least of the most insidious kind, doesn't exist in the society you happen to be living in.

Is this way of thinking similar as the thinking of people who say they have never experienced racism, or don't see any racism or don't see what the big deal is about racism?

Maybe or perhaps what they are saying is more like 'quit playing the same old victim card everytime and actually try and do something with your life before you start blaming others for failures that occur'. It's so easy to say that when you fail it's somebody else's fault. But life is such a complicated web of experiences and trials that nobody can ever be certain, except for in a few cases, that they didn't get ahead because of discrimination. There are plenty of other reasons why people don't get ahead in life. To focus on one of them and one of them alone is to do a disservice to society, people, and the truth.

If someone hasn't experienced gender discrimination, does that mean it doesn't exist? How can someone think their personal experience is exactly the same as millions of others?

No it doesn't prove that gender discrimination doesn't exist simply because someone hasn't experienced it. Likewise it doesn't mean that it does exist simply because someone percieves that it does exist. Perception is how we as human beings see the world. We are not passive observers in this world. We actively construct our memories and interpretations of the situations we get into and as such we cannot just simply trust our own experiences to be gospel truth. Indeed to take one's own personal "experiences" of discrimination and project them onto society as a whole is the same error that those whom you talk about in your question commit. What it all boils down to is who has the correct view of reality, those who say that discrimination doesn't exist in the societies in which they reside or those who say that it does (i.e. who's the real madman)?

Answer 3

You said: "I see people give the reason why gender discrimination can't exist is because they personally haven't experienced it. Are these people so lucky, or so privileged, or in denial, or lack empathy, that they can't see even one instance of unfairness, for just one person because of their gender?"

My answer: All of the above especially the part about denial and lacking empathy. And I would add that some people are so lacking in historical perspective that they don't understand that the rights they enjoy (and were hard won) can just as easily be lost.

On the other hand---and to be fair to the good guys on this site---I have seen a few younger girls "cry the feminine wolf call" over the stupidest things. This is the exception, though, not the rule.

Answer 4

I am sure thousands of people per year die from starvation too. Has it ever entered your head that you could die from starvation? Not too likely. I would never say that discrimination of any kind is dead. However, it is not the massive problem which some people make it out to be. Everytime you fail at something (man or woman) 90% of the fault for that failure is on you. In today's world with the laws written as they are, "discrimination" is an excuse not an epidemic. Some people have made a good living off of crying "discrimination" in the face of failure. When ideological movements become win/lose, us or them propositions, the truth suffers. The feminism movement trumps up rape numbers, wage gap numbers and domestic violence numbers. Conversely, the anti-feminist movement sandbags those numbers. To answer your question, of course discrimination exists. However, perpetuating it as some boogy man which is the ultimate reason for any woman's failure is more harmful even than ignoring it. It is insulting to those people who prove any stereotypes wrong instead of crying "discrimination." Also, for women of my generation (I'm 25), discrimination is an old fairytale. This generation of women has been given every advantage and I am personally insulted everytime I hear one of them whining about "discrimination."

Answer 5

Of course it may well exist, outside of that person's personal experience. However, they may be arguing that other forms of discrimination are more prevalent or more of a problem lately, which is certainly debatable. Also, when it comes to specific questions of discrimination, personal experience may indeed be helpful.

I enjoyed reading the book "Domestic tranquility", by a female lawyer/housewife who went to college and law school in the early 50's. She found no real gender discrimination present at that time, and found a lot of support for her choices from the faculty. However, she noted that Jewish students still faced heavy discrimination at her University. So that sort of anecdotal evidence can be helpful or interesting.

In my personal expereince, most upper-middle class Liberals are the ones who see discrimination everywhere, and most working class folks see *poverty* as the main source of frustration in their lives. The idea that only people lacking empathy or life experience don't see discrimination everywhere does not reflect what I've seen at all. Perhaps some folks find other problems more central to their own lives - this does not mean that other problems of discrimination don't exist, of course.

Answer 6

This is an interesting point. I am someone that hasn't really experienced anything (unless you count my parents saying 'No let your husband move that heavy thing instead').

I would say that in my life, gender discrimination doesn't exist (I am in England) but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist elsewhere.

I only say that gender difference doesn't exist, as i beliueve it's only what society says is feminine masculine etc.

I wouldn't say it's about luck though, because I haven't, maybe it's just different here in London, England that we don't have this sort of thing but like racism just because it doesn't happen to me, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Answer 7

yes gender discrimination do exist in all part of the world expecailly among the Afircans. which is not too good. There are probably as many individual reasons for gender-based discrimination as there are individuals who practise it. The root causes can be traced to culture, which is the quality in every society that shapes the way ‘things are done’ and the understanding of why this should be so. Expectations about attributes and behaviours appropriate to women and men and about the relations between women and men—in other words, gender—are shaped by culture.

In most societies there are clear patterns of “women's work” and “men's work”, both in the household and in the wider community, and cultural explanations of why this should be so. The patterns and the explanations differ among societies and change over time.

While gender relations may vary from society to society, the general pattern is that women have less personal autonomy, fewer resources at their disposal, and limited influence over the decision-making processes that shape their societies and their own lives.

In practice, gender equality simply means that both men and women can exercise their rights and realize their full human potential, regardless of their gender.

Gender-based discrimination means that girls and women do not have the same opportunities as boys and men for education, meaningful careers, political influence, and economic advancement. Also, when women and men perform the same tasks for pay, women are often paid less and receive fewer benefits from their work than men. Even in industrialized and developed countries like Canada, women earn an average of 77 percent of what men earn. In developing countries, this drops to 73 percent.

everywhere, even in countries like Canada that have legislation opposing it or which support international agreements in favour of gender equality.Most of the world community supports in principle several agreements that guarantee gender equality:


the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted on December 10, 1948, states that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights…”
the 1993 Vienna World Conference on Human Rights focused on gender inequality and stated clearly that women’s rights are human rights, and
the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, adopted in 1979, defines discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for action to end such discrimination

Talk to your parents, teachers, and friends about how things are different for boys and girls, men and women. Organize a class debate on the issue.
Talk to your grandmothers and ask them how their lives have changed since they were girls. Or ask them what changes they would have liked to see.
Express yourself on the issue. Write an article for your school paper or write a letter to the editor of your local daily or weekly newspaper.
Organize a fundraising drive to help support a local shelter for abused women and their children. Or contribute to one of the organizations

Answer 8

Some people may honestly believe that "I've never been discriminated against or been oppressed because of some prejudice so how is it possible?". They confuse their personal experience with the general reality for everyone else. They are simply not too bright or mature and I don't pay much attention to their views on anything.

But I think that At Least as many people say that because they don't want to admit it. Either they are benefitting from the sutuation of injustise and don't want that to change or they fear they will lose if there is change.

Maybe they don't want to admit it that there is an injustice because they might feel responsible and that they should maybe Do Something about it.

In any case they are all either fools or cowards or worse.

Answer 9

Ive never been struck by lightning either It exists too but not everyone will be hit by it. I mean if you have a gender (which is everyone) you can be discriminated against. I don't know what third world country you people live in but I don't get felt up everyday on the street or told what to do on a daily basis. Yes I know a lot of people do experience racism and sexism but that isn't a huge percent of people.

Answer 10

What a great question! These people live in a state of blissful ignorance. And as others have correctly observed, are totally lacking in the empathy department. Everything is about THEM, they know it all - and don't you dare to suggest otherwise.

Most are young, and lacking in life experience. What I can't get over is how these kids & cranks try to re-write history. For them, 30 years ago or 300 years ago; it's all the same thing. It's just amazing to me...

edit:
Their horizon is very limited. They fail to recognise that sexism is deeply rooted in culture and is systemic (as is racism). It is possible that in their young lives they have never felt discriminated against; they take this 'information' and try to extrapolate their 'findings' onto the bigger picture- and they are of course dead wrong but they simply don't know any better.