About the current increase in women's movements to fight for equal rights, in addition to the scandals over gender violence against womenIn areas such as sports or cinema that are making news at the moment, we have seen that in the dialogues a term is used that not all of us fully understand: micromachismo.
Well then, we'll tell you what micromachismo is and how it affects us women in our fight for equal rights and in our empowerment process.
What is micromachismo?
We speak of micromachismo when we refer to all those attitudes, thoughts and sexist manifestations of machismo that are subtle (for what we call them micro) and that are fully accepted and integrated by society.
It is very dangerous because, unlike the great displays of machismo we know, we are so used to these attitudes that it is difficult for us to be alerted when they happen and they can go unnoticed.
Before continuing, it is normal that we are used to using the term “machismo” but that we do not know exactly what it is about. Well, machismo is a term derived from the word macho and encompasses all those attitudes, beliefs, values and ways of interacting in which it is determined that men are naturally superior to women. It is an arrogant and proud attitude of men for which women are subjected and discriminated against
It is possible that micromachismos are the incipient and latent source, which is there but we do not always see it, of gender violence against women. This is because our society as we know it and live today, is made up of a heteropatriarchal system in absolutely all its aspects. This means that we are part of a society that is dominated by men and in which women play a secondary role.
The way in which our language is configured, how we are educated, the roles we fulfill, prejudices, the way in which we relate between men and women and even among women themselves, are some examples where we see manifestations of micromachismo.
Some examples from day to day
So that you can begin to identify them, we name a few examples of this form of sexism so that you are aware of them and do not allow keep happening.You will see that after these few examples, you yourself will begin to discover many other micromachismos that surround you in your day to day.
For example, a form of micromachismo within the home is when your boy does fewer tasks or stops doing certain others if you don't ask him to, because it becomes evident that, consciously or unconsciously, the tasks in the house are considered more feminine and not egalitarian. It is the same way when we give a girl a doll as a gift, assuming that this is what girls like.
Occurs when in the media it is men who talk about politics and women talk about entertainment. Or when after social events, we discuss the ideas of men, but we only talk about how well or badly dressed the women were. Also an example are all those types in which women are objectified or, conversely, when girls only star as fragile princesses.
It is micromachismo when in a social gathering in which the majority are women, we talk about "everyone" by the mere presence of a man, or when we address only men to talk about the results of the yesterday's football Also when we get together with friends and listen more carefully to what men say than what women say.
Other common examples are when we say a woman is “unladylike”, when we let guys out later than a girls, when we instill in the women around us that they should always be aware of their appearance, or when we make comments like “drunk women look terrible” or this cup is for “ladies”.
In the workplace there are also various micromachismos; from the biggest ones in which high positions are only given to men, to those moments in which it is better not to say something about your work to a woman because you are sensitive and emotional.It also happens when women are awarded things for smiling or because they are pretty; or when we consider that there is a particular way in which a woman should behave.
Do only men promote this attitude?
Sadly, micromachismo is so established and accepted in society that it is not only men who do it. Many times we are the same women who promulgate these forms of inequality among ourselves
As you could see in the previous examples, there are situations in which we women are the ones who put ourselves in a lower position than men, such as when we criticize the way they dress or our friends behave.
Many of these attitudes have been transferred by our mothers and our grandmothers to us, but remember that the world is changing.We are changing it! So it is important that you become aware of the micromachismo to which you are exposed and the micromachismo that you yourself promote.
Start with what you can do, how to leave prejudices and eliminate everything that leaves you in a sexist position from yourself . Love the women around you and all together let's take back