Objectification of women: a culture that needs to die

Among the ways of objectifying women are the hypersexualization and trivialization of their intellect. Female objectification can cause different types of violence in everyday life, both at work and at home. Follow the article to understand this subject that requires reflexive urgency.

What is woman objectification?

The objectification of women is socially structured in a culture that sees women as objects, whether of beauty or pleasure, destined for male consumption, explains Deborah Vieira, a PhD student in Communication at UFJF. “This system also fits women into certain standards of ‘perfection’ and tries to erase our feelings, desires and even our consciousness and cognitive abilities”, completes the researcher who studies the feminist flags raised by the deputies.

History of woman objectification

The doctoral student explains that the process of objectification of women is a historical construction. “Something that goes back centuries, a legacy of patriarchy and the sexual division of labor, in which men had a certain “dominion” over women, wives and daughters, being responsible for the family support while women were responsible for the home environment”.

Examples of woman objectification

The objectification of women is rooted in society, which means that many aggressions go unnoticed or are not recognized as violent. Certainly, most women (if not all) have already faced a situation of objectification. Below, check out some examples:

Advertising

Historically, advertising has contributed a lot to the objectification of women. For example, “beer advertisements, which always featured a female, semi-nude body, were totally focused on attracting the attention of consumers, something that has been changing in recent years due to criticism”, explains Deborah.

Sport

Deborah explains that, in sport, female objectification “goes from the framing of the cameras to the uniform intended for them, often smaller and closer to the body, compared to that of male athletes”.

Policy

For centuries, and even today, politics has been a very sexist environment. When occupying this space, many women suffer from insults, even from the president, they are called stupid, silenced, judged by their appearance, among other forms of violence. The doctoral student also emphasizes that: “first ladies are used as “accessories” to the image of their husbands, yet they are not seen as individual and active political beings”.

Beauty pattern

Socially constructed and propagated by the media, the perfect standard of beauty is exclusionary, objectifying, elitist and violent. “The implications of this culture of objectification are many and poses both psychological problems, such as body image distortion, and health problems, such as bulimia and anorexia. Many women, dissatisfied with their bodies, try to achieve a “standard” of beauty imposed as a path to success, happiness and acceptance”, explains the researcher.

rape culture

Yes, the objectification of women goes a long way! According to Deborah, this triggers “other problems as serious as rape culture, sexual harassment and violence against women. The man feels he is the “owner” of the female body and actions, imposing what he wants through violence”.

The woman becomes an object in several everyday situations. Is this happening to you at work or at home? Know that you are not alone. Enough objectification! It’s time to build a support network and say no to silencing. Here are some ways to combat this violence.

How to fight female objectification?

The objectification of women is everywhere, so it is important to know how to recognize and denounce it. Discover some essential ways to gradually overthrow this sexist and oppressive culture:

1. Education: in the words of the researcher, “I believe that one of the ways to break with the objectification of women is through education. A critical education that makes everyone rethink and re-signify the social roles imposed and “naturalized” as belonging to “men” and “women”, a binary system that excludes other diverse ways of being. We are all beings endowed with characteristics, ideas and wills of our own. I believe that through education we can create a more just society, less sexist, sexist and misogynist, capable of recognizing these forms of oppression and fighting them.”
2. Identify situations: to fight, it is necessary to recognize oppression and the oppressor. In addition, it is important “to alert other women, the victims and even those who are the source of the problem, so that this situation does not go unnoticed”, explains Deborah.
3. Awareness: as the researcher points out, it is important that there is a process of awareness about objectification, its history and, mainly, its social, psychological and physical implications for women. “This must happen from childhood to prevent objectification from being reproduced in the future. This process should also be carried out with adults, in the present, trying to break the cycle.”
4. Participate: Active participation in society is of utmost importance. Look for spaces where you can talk about your experiences and discoveries with other women. Spaces where you feel comfortable sharing and listening. This all makes you stronger and capable of big changes.
5. Assuming responsibilities: “It is important that each person assumes their responsibility as a social being and fights for the awareness of others around them, whether at school, at work, at home or in the neighborhood. This identification and awareness movement also has to come from us”, concludes Deborah.

Woman is not object! And objectification is not just a joke or a joke in the circle of friends. Increasingly, women are breaking down the barriers of machismo, putting the issue on the agenda and seeking their rights.

Videos and reports on the objectification of women

Several women share their experiences regarding female objectification, from philosophical fields to pop culture.

Objectification of woman, philosophy explains

In this video, Lia Freitas talks about the objectification of women and quotes several thinkers, including the philosopher Simone de Beauvoir, who contributed a lot to the feminist movement.

being a woman is vulgar

In this video, Ellora reflects on why only women are considered vulgar.

Objectification of women in culture

The channel Tempero Drag makes a critical, historical and political reflection on how women are represented in culture. Check out!

Being a woman is having a thousand fears

In this short documentary, which was the TCC of journalist Anna Luiza Main, several women open up to talk about sexist attitudes they face daily.

The objectification of women is a problem rooted in society. With this practice, other forms of violence materialize. So read also about rape culture.