Summary

The article discusses the systemic underappreciation and disregard for women's voices in various societal spheres, exploring the impact of gender on perception and the misconception of inherent biological differences in intelligence and behavior.

Abstract

The article titled "Why Woman Appear Humble Even When They Shouldn’t" delves into the prevalent issue of women being overlooked and undervalued, particularly when they speak up with ideas or solutions. It contrasts experiences in Nigeria with those in the United States, highlighting a persistent gender bias that silences women, even in professional settings such as tech companies and aviation. Despite women offering valid contributions, their ideas are often attributed to male colleagues who repeat them. The piece also touches on the socialization of gender roles from birth, influencing behavior and skills, and the entrenched societal belief in male superiority, which is often rationalized by pseudo-scientific claims about brain size and structure. The article argues that these deeply rooted social constructs overshadow the reality that individual brains and abilities vary widely and are not determined by gender. The author encourages a shift in perspective towards recognizing each person's unique capabilities beyond gender labels and advocates for this realization as a crucial step towards achieving equality.

Opinions

The author criticizes the societal expectation for women to remain humble and silent, suggesting that women's speech is often disregarded or devalued compared to men's.
The article emphasizes that women's contributions, especially in male-dominated fields, are frequently ignored or belittled, leading to a lack of recognition and advancement opportunities.
There is a pointed critique of the gender stereotypes instilled from a very young age, which dictate what is considered "masculine" or "feminine" behavior.
The author expresses frustration and anger at being dismissed or overlooked due to gender, indicating a personal connection to the issue.
The article challenges the biological determinism that suggests men are naturally more capable or intelligent due to brain size or structure, citing scientific evidence that refutes such claims.
It is suggested that the problem of misogyny is deeply embedded in social structures and perpetuated by media portrayals that enforce gender roles and expectations.
The author advocates for the acceptance of each individual's unique brain and abilities, regardless of gender, as a fundamental principle for achieving societal equality.

Why Woman Appear Humble Even When They Shouldn’t

Men don’t see it this way. The irony: women probably aren’t talking enough.

“Shut up! Women don’t talk when are talking”

This was a phrase I repeatedly heard from my elders during family meetings. With time I accepted this behavior as normal.

I wasn’t surprised that this attitude existed, after I moved to the States, but it wasn’t intensively used as it was in Nigeria.

When women speak out — to promote positive ideas or solutions — their voices go unheard.

When I worked in a male-dominated industry as a data entry specialist at a tech company, my manager did not listen to my input on an issue with making a video presentation.

I repeated myself over and over again and was completely ignored as if I was not present in the room. Until a man on my team repeated exactly what I had said.

He was praised and applauded for coming up with a solution. But then he pointed out that the idea was mine and that he merely spoke up because no one was taking my advice. The manager didn’t like that the guy had referred to me, a woman, as the original idea contributor.

My girlfriend is a female aircraft mechanic and works on mid-size private jets. She’s the one I talk to when I hit my car because she’s so damn smart.

Her senior manager called her fish brain during an in-job training because she had offered a suggestion on a technical problem the pilots complained of.

I’ve seen my female coworkers treated worse by male customers, and the managers did nothing. Rather they were blamed for pissing off the customers.

Many men are socialized to believe a man’s word over that of a woman, especially when it comes to stereotypical men’s topics.

I can’t stand such men. It makes me so damn mad when I’m brushed off or ignored because of my gender. I pretty much just walk away and actively avoid such men.

Is biology behind misogyny

Misogyny is a psychological technique aimed at controlling women and legally or socially excluding women from full citizenship.

In some cases, misogyny rewards women for accepting an inferior status.

Subtle clues about “masculine” and “feminine” behavior from birth, shape our behavior and skills.

We are taught that men should act manly, while women should be ladylike.

Two women gave birth at the same in a hospital. One had a baby boy named Ahmed, and the other had a baby girl, Maira.

As they were talking, a nurse interrupted them with two screaming babies. The nurse handed the first woman a “blue-wrapped boy, Ahmed” with approval — he had “a pair of creaking lungs.”

The second woman had a daughter, Maira, who cried as loudly as the boy, Ahmed. “She’s the loudest of them all — not very ladylike,” the nurse said.

And just like that, a newly born girl experiences her first misogyny lecture.

This story made me wonder whether the differences between male and female brains have anything to do with women being treated as inferior.

One of the oldest claims is that women have smaller brains, which has been taken as evidence of intellectual inferiority.

While it’s true that women’s brains are about 10% smaller on average, there are several problems with this assumption.

Then there’s the fact that the overall overlap in the distribution of male and female brains is huge despite the difference in average size. Therefore, we have women with big brains and men with small brains.

It should be noted that Einstein’s brain was smaller than that of the average man. In general, many studies show almost no difference between men and women intelligence or behavioral characteristics. Yet the allegations in the media persist.

Despite decades of research, it has been very difficult to reliably identify significant hard-wired differences in male and female brain structure.

The problem with misogyny is socially rooted

There’s a lot more to social media and ads creative that make a very clear list of what it’s like to be a man or what it’s like to be a woman.

If we believe that there are deep and fundamental differences between the brains of men and women and that the owners of those brains, therefore, have access to different skills, temperaments, or personalities, that will certainly affect how we perceive ourselves, man or woman.

It will also affect how we feel about others and their potential.

Ultimately, we must accept that each of us has a unique brain — and a single label like our gender cannot define our abilities.

Understanding that every brain is different and not necessarily based on the gender of the brain owner is a very important step towards equality.

If you would like to get updated with stories like this in your inbox, subscribe to my newsletter. You might want to become a premium member, for as low as $5 you get the chance to read unlimited stories on Medium. Check out more of my relationship stories here.