Between stereotypes and reality

«Women are the weaker sex!» – this notion, which has been widespread for centuries, can be traced back, among others, to the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In the 18th century, in Emile, or On Education, he propagated the inferiority of women—physically, socially, and morally. In doing so, he and many others throughout history cemented societal role models: women as devoted wives and mothers, and men as breadwinners and shapers of public life. What may sound like a good deal to some—after all, it stabilized power and labor relations over long periods of time—limits others’ opportunities, diminishes their worth, and fuels fears.

Is that okay with us?

«For centuries, what we as a society consider right and wrong has been shaped largely by men», says Namoonga Mweemba.Together with Paula Groß and Paula Gutseel, she is in the twelfth grade at the Freie Waldorfschule Leipzig. The three of them are deeply engaged with feminism and organized a workshop on the topic at their school in March of this year. They want to draw more attention to gender equality and raise awareness of the issue among their peers. «I’m glad to be a woman, and I can identify with that», says Namoonga. «But I want to figure out what that means to me, free from prejudice.»

Paula Groß also thinks it’s a shame that the distinction between male and female is so prevalent in society: «Whether you have an X or a Y chromosome says nothing about your personality.» For Paula Gutseel, the fight for equality is sometimes a double-edged sword: «On the one hand, I want to break through these stereotypes. On the other hand, though, I find it difficult because I feel that I’m already very privileged in this country and in my own circle.» Nevertheless, she believes: «Just because things are worse elsewhere doesn’t mean that everything is already perfect here.»

Multiple burdens and unpaid work

When Emilia Müller heard about the global women’s strike at the beginning of the year, she knew right away: «I’m in—above all, out of solidarity with women worldwide.» Emilia is the mother of three sons, a Waldorf teacher, and has been actively involved in parent involvement at the school for years. The multiple burdens women face are a particularly important issue for her. «Many women take on numerous roles and try to do justice to all of them—which often leads to burnout.» She believes there is a lack of a fair division of household and caregiving responsibilities, especially in families where both parents work.

Money is also a crucial factor. Not only should social professions—in which women predominate—be significantly better paid, but women who choose to take time off from work to care for their children also deserve monetary recognition for their work. After all, one partner can only work full-time because someone else is managing the day-to-day family life. For Emilia, this requires a joint bank account and, above all, a genuine awareness that at least 50 percent of the earned income also belongs to the non-working partner in the relationship. «The fact that the children are lovingly cared for every day, that the home is kept clean, or that the parents are adequately cared for, is also crucial for the working partner. Because only when all these tasks are well taken care of within a family can the working partner—often the man—pursue his career accordingly.»

Stereotypes in everyday life

Women shoulder a great deal of responsibility in our society. At the same time, women’s dedication is often taken for granted. Paula, Namoonga, and Paula experience this in their everyday lives as well. «For example, when it comes to clearing the table in our family, the women automatically get up, while the men stay seated», says Paula Gutseel.

They observe similar patterns at school as well: «At the eurythmy recital we had recently, our teacher just naturally assumed that we would help the boys get dressed and put on their makeup», Namoonga reports. «But they’re perfectly capable of taking care of their costumes and whatever else on their own.» In this context, the young women were also frustrated by the lack of engagement on the part of their male classmates when it came to the stage performance. «Certain boys didn’t really participate at all; they just coasted along in our wake, and yet they still received better grades», says Paula Groß. Even in group projects, girls often take on the responsibility while boys comfortably let themselves be carried along.

Namoonga sees this as a result of socialization: «We women simply grow up feeling responsible for so many things.» Paula Gutseel adds: «Boys are also often less affected by social inequalities and therefore feel less pressure to stand up for anything.»

Appreciation for foundational work

Emilia also observes an imbalance among the teaching staff: While women are more likely to teach in the lower grades, men are disproportionately represented in the upper grades. She sees this as a reflection of society: «In the lower grades, it’s about providing care. I have to work much more closely with parents and take the students’ needs into account.» These are aspects that often receive less recognition than performance-based learning in the upper grades. In her view, there could certainly be more gender diversity here—and not just for the sake of equality. «Above all, it’s about valuing the foundational work done in the lower grades. That’s the foundation for what can then develop on top of it», says the teacher. «It’s not just women who should be doing this work. It’s a shortcoming—especially for the children—if male colleagues aren’t also involved.»

However, appreciation for this work must also be reflected financially. Emilia also believes that the profession of early childhood educator should actually require a college degree, to make it clear that this is a meaningful field. «What we instill in the early years lays the foundation for a person’s life. That should be taken very seriously and recognized.» [Editor's note: This statement needs to be seen in the context of the German education system.]

Prospects for living together

Are women the weaker sex? This notion has long been disproved. Even though we still live in a world where principles traditionally associated with masculinity—such as assertiveness, competition, control, and efficiency—promise a successful life, it is becoming increasingly clear that without a strong feminine counterbalance, these principles cause considerable harm. That is why it is not about women outdoing men using the same methods. Rather, the goal is to recognize the qualities traditionally associated with femininity—such as empathy, connection, intuition, and creating space—as equally valuable, and to embody them naturally.

«Equality does not mean that women want to be better than men», emphasizes Paula Gutseel. Emilia, too, understands equality as going beyond biology: «We don’t need men and women in the sense of assigned roles, but rather in the sense of what we associate with masculine and feminine energy. This can be interpreted in different ways and experienced differently by people of different biological sexes.»

An important step toward empowering women is the revival of sisterhood—that is, solidarity, connection, and mutual support among women. The goal is to overcome isolation and competition. Events such as the women’s strike on March 9th bring women’s concerns to light and provide a space for dialogue. At the same time, we also need men who stand up for the feminine and connect with it. Then, perhaps someday, we will no longer speak of matriarchy or patriarchy, but will instead live in a cooperative harmony—a harmoniarchy.