Since people depend on media heavily nowadays, all the information and knowledge about this world is perceived through false images and stereotypes. Media has injected the idea of stereotyping or categorizing people in teenager’s minds. Our campaign's goal is to promote awareness against stereotyping, especially in Egypt. Our awareness campaign targets people who are above the age of 18.
This magazine illustrates a certain topic under the umbrella of stereotyping, which is sexism, in other words, gender discrimination. This act is intensively done in Egypt. The culture has adopted the idea of sexism, and how each gender should act in a certain way that would be expected and accepted by the people. Sexism, in Egypt, is applied in almost all the social levels of society, the low class and the high class. Belonging to the high class does not make the people more open, as the culture forces some stereotypes to be imprinted in our generation’s heads.
One thing that the magazine will focus on is ‘Male Dominance’. Males in Egypt think that they have more power over most of the things more than women. The culture categorizes women as to stay at home, raise the kids, and not necessarily get an education. Moreover, media always views women as respectable and innocent, while men as players. It views women as fragile and helpless, whereas the men as authoritative and potent. Media also views women as mainly sexual objects, especially in the recent movies. Furthermore, the AUC Digital Archive and Research Repository mentions that Egyptian movies stereotype unmarried or single women as spinsters or, in Arabic, ‘Awanes’. This kind of stereotyping is used nowhere but in Egypt. Egyptian movies view women who are above the age of 25 and are still unmarried as abnormal; they are not fully accepted in the society. Media in Egypt depicts women as the inferior level of society, while men as the superior. Media also always view women to get beaten, humiliated, and oppressed.
Another thing that our magazine will tackle is how media sets some social norms that women are not expected to break. In Egypt, women are not expected to be seen smoking, even in the high-class level of society. Smoking is accepted and allowed mainly for men, but never for women. Even among families, they may allow their son to smoke at a certain age, but will never expect their daughter to do so. Another social norm that categorizes men and women is how media may view girls who take off their ‘Hijabs’ as obscene and disrespectful.
Our magazine will rely on some sources that support the claim that media promotes the idea of stereotypes and spread it widely among populations.
First, we will mention the book “I Killed Scheherazade” by the Lebanese writer Joumana Haddad. In this book, Haddad demonstrates her disapproval of the weakness that is found in many women because of the stereotypes that the society applies on them. She symbolizes each and every aspect that contributed in constructing all the stereotypes that are applicable on Arab women by Scheherazade, and that she will get rid of these stereotypes and social norms by killing her.
Second, we decided to talk a little bit about the article ‘AUC Soccer Champion Shatters Gender Stereotypes’, which is about our colleague, Farida Salem, who broke all the social norms and gender discrimination that do not encourage girls to play sports, especially soccer. Farida Salem is a good example of those who are not afraid to break the norm and shine.
Third, we will also discuss the huge stereotype that is extensively spread in Egypt, Spinsterhood of women, through the article ‘ Egypt “Spinsters” Fight Against Stereotypes and Discrimination’ and with reference to the Egyptian movie 'Benten Men Misr' or ' Two Egyptian Girls'. In the article, Youma Moukhtar decides on creating a group of women to fight the negative use of the word ‘A’nes’, which means unmarried, even though its literal Arabic meaning is different. While the movie illustrates how girls who are above the age of 25 and yet not married suffer from the stereotyping by society and especially men.
Last but not least, our magazine will show how gender role is highly depicted in Egyptian movies that are produced by El Sobky, such as ‘Habiby Na2emaan’ or ' My Love is Sleeping", which limits over-weighted girls from getting liked by men.
Finally, Our video will present girls breaking some social norms that are widely spread and produced by the media; these social norms are accepted by men but not by women in Egypt.
Our aim is to deliver awareness messages to those who stereotype people through gender, and to those who accept being stereotyped or discriminated. After reading the magazine, you will hopefully be fully aware of the meaning of the term 'Sexism', in Egypt, and its various applications. Therefore, one should be able to eliminate stereotyping and refuse its application on them. Moreover, people should know the difference between what is wrong and what is right by questioning and not by blindly following , so that media or any other source would not directly influence society’s attitude and morals.
This magazine illustrates a certain topic under the umbrella of stereotyping, which is sexism, in other words, gender discrimination. This act is intensively done in Egypt. The culture has adopted the idea of sexism, and how each gender should act in a certain way that would be expected and accepted by the people. Sexism, in Egypt, is applied in almost all the social levels of society, the low class and the high class. Belonging to the high class does not make the people more open, as the culture forces some stereotypes to be imprinted in our generation’s heads.
One thing that the magazine will focus on is ‘Male Dominance’. Males in Egypt think that they have more power over most of the things more than women. The culture categorizes women as to stay at home, raise the kids, and not necessarily get an education. Moreover, media always views women as respectable and innocent, while men as players. It views women as fragile and helpless, whereas the men as authoritative and potent. Media also views women as mainly sexual objects, especially in the recent movies. Furthermore, the AUC Digital Archive and Research Repository mentions that Egyptian movies stereotype unmarried or single women as spinsters or, in Arabic, ‘Awanes’. This kind of stereotyping is used nowhere but in Egypt. Egyptian movies view women who are above the age of 25 and are still unmarried as abnormal; they are not fully accepted in the society. Media in Egypt depicts women as the inferior level of society, while men as the superior. Media also always view women to get beaten, humiliated, and oppressed.
Another thing that our magazine will tackle is how media sets some social norms that women are not expected to break. In Egypt, women are not expected to be seen smoking, even in the high-class level of society. Smoking is accepted and allowed mainly for men, but never for women. Even among families, they may allow their son to smoke at a certain age, but will never expect their daughter to do so. Another social norm that categorizes men and women is how media may view girls who take off their ‘Hijabs’ as obscene and disrespectful.
Our magazine will rely on some sources that support the claim that media promotes the idea of stereotypes and spread it widely among populations.
First, we will mention the book “I Killed Scheherazade” by the Lebanese writer Joumana Haddad. In this book, Haddad demonstrates her disapproval of the weakness that is found in many women because of the stereotypes that the society applies on them. She symbolizes each and every aspect that contributed in constructing all the stereotypes that are applicable on Arab women by Scheherazade, and that she will get rid of these stereotypes and social norms by killing her.
Second, we decided to talk a little bit about the article ‘AUC Soccer Champion Shatters Gender Stereotypes’, which is about our colleague, Farida Salem, who broke all the social norms and gender discrimination that do not encourage girls to play sports, especially soccer. Farida Salem is a good example of those who are not afraid to break the norm and shine.
Third, we will also discuss the huge stereotype that is extensively spread in Egypt, Spinsterhood of women, through the article ‘ Egypt “Spinsters” Fight Against Stereotypes and Discrimination’ and with reference to the Egyptian movie 'Benten Men Misr' or ' Two Egyptian Girls'. In the article, Youma Moukhtar decides on creating a group of women to fight the negative use of the word ‘A’nes’, which means unmarried, even though its literal Arabic meaning is different. While the movie illustrates how girls who are above the age of 25 and yet not married suffer from the stereotyping by society and especially men.
Last but not least, our magazine will show how gender role is highly depicted in Egyptian movies that are produced by El Sobky, such as ‘Habiby Na2emaan’ or ' My Love is Sleeping", which limits over-weighted girls from getting liked by men.
Finally, Our video will present girls breaking some social norms that are widely spread and produced by the media; these social norms are accepted by men but not by women in Egypt.
Our aim is to deliver awareness messages to those who stereotype people through gender, and to those who accept being stereotyped or discriminated. After reading the magazine, you will hopefully be fully aware of the meaning of the term 'Sexism', in Egypt, and its various applications. Therefore, one should be able to eliminate stereotyping and refuse its application on them. Moreover, people should know the difference between what is wrong and what is right by questioning and not by blindly following , so that media or any other source would not directly influence society’s attitude and morals.