Gender bias is all around us. It can be subtle, like calling a grown woman a “girl” or it can be obvious such as sexually harassing someone on the basis of their gender. Regardless of the form it takes, gender bias plays a crucial role in forming the way we perceive gendered roles and responsibilities. The media that we consume plays a critical role in either reinforcing or addressing these biases. So what exactly is it?
gender bias
noun
noun: gender bias
- inclination towards or prejudice against one gender.
As a leading not-for-profit provider of contraception and abortion services, we often see gender bias as it relates to the traditional role of women, particularly when it comes to sex and preventing unplanned pregnancy.
But gender bias is BIG and we see it every day. In order to address gender bias, we first need to learn how to recognise it and then call it out. Sometimes it can be hard to have conversations about issues as big as gender bias. This is why MSI Australia has developed #GenderBiasBingo.
#GenderBiasBingo
You can play #GenderBiasBingo as instructed on the back of the card, but you can also use it to help identify some of the problematic representations you might see in the media. If you’re watching a sports program and the commentators are all men, you just got #GenderBiasBingo. If you’re enjoying the latest blockbuster and notice that the hero needs to rescue a woman, post your #GenderBiasBingo online. See an ad for cleaning products aimed solely at ‘mums’? #GenderBiasBingo. Tag actors, producers, studios, and networks to let them know that this isn’t entertaining; it’s limiting. Shout your #GenderBiasBingo each and every time and help hold the media accountable for fair and equal representation.
Click the images below for a printable PDF version of our Gender Bias Bingo card, with instructions.
