Sexism starts early, according to study

GIRL GUIDES SURVEY

TORONTO • Canadian teenagers begin noticing genderbased inequality early on, with girls feeling the effects especially acutely in sports and in cyberspace, a new survey suggests. The online survey of teens aged 12 to 17 indicates that girls are far more likely than boys to say they have been victimized by sexism. According to the Ipsos survey of 1,203 teens commissioned by the Girl Guides of Canada, 35 per cent of girls reported discrimination against them because of their gender, compared to 21 per cent of boys. “I have felt that my opinions aren’t often taken as seriously because I am not a boy,” one respondent is quoted as saying. The survey finds teens begin noticing gender inequality for the first time at around 11 years of age on average. Just over half of girls reported noticing the discrimination between the ages of 10 and 13. “Regrettably, many young people notice inequality in their lives before they are even a teenager,” Girl Guides says in a report on the survey’s findings. “It is crucial that we keep pushing to understand and name the problem so that we can solve it together.” The survey also finds almost all the teens surveyed said they believed in equal rights for women and men, and were of the view people should be judged on competency, not gender. At the same time, about twothirds of respondents said discrimination exists, and a significant number appear to hold unhelpful stereotypes. For example, one quarter agreed that boys are more capable than girls of learning math and science, playing sports, or taking on leadership roles.