The idea that men suffer from sexism is usually a discussion that rarely finds life on the lips of individuals in society, especially African society.
The belief is that men can't be the leading and powerful force of the patriarchy and also suffer in that same structure. Society has built up an image of men that most men don't really identify with. They are accused of being constant beneficiaries of the patriarchy, and because of this, men's issues are usually discarded and quickly dismissed; in fact, some people get hostile at the sound of a male cry, saying that they "suck it up" and move on with life.
In Part 1 of this series, we discussed what Benevolent sexism was and its impact on women. In this part, we want to take a more unusual route, a road rarely crossed, that is, how sexism affects men.
Women being affected by sexism is well researched and documented, and one can't deny the importance of such efforts. But on the other side, there is a more silent conversation on the impact of sexism and its ideas on the male counterparts in society. This is partly because a section of the adversary against sexism has taken it's war not just with the institutions that have promoted and executed sexist acts, but also with the idea that "all men," in some way or another, are responsible for the oppression faced by women.
The problem that arises from this view is blindness. It's a world where oppression is defined by some simple indicators that in no way encompass the vast and complex nature of life.
Sexism affects men, but for a number of reasons, there is little to no discussion of the impact it has on them. Men are identified as strong and resilient, and their identity has been built around those labels, so to complain about being a man is to be less of a man. An idea that harms men.
To conclude, it would be good to highlight that both men and women suffer from sexism, and to ignore the suffering of one side is to keep sexism alive in our society. As a society, there's a need for compassion and healing.
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