Sexism
From Encyclopedia of Sex and Sexuality
Discrimination or disapproval directed at people because of their sex is called “sexism,” just as discrimination against people because of their race is called “racism.” Usually sexism is based on the belief that a person’s sex, whether male or female, would interfere with their performance of certain social roles, such as an occupation or a position of importance in a corporation or a profession or a church.
Thus, gatekeepers—the people who hold power in a society or an institution—often believe that women or men cannot and should not do certain work because their sex gives them incapacities that make them unable to perform as expected or because others in the society would be angry or uncomfortable at finding them in certain jobs. Women have encountered sexism when denied jobs as construction workers or stockbrokers or when excluded from military service or promotion to jobs as supervisors or executives. Men have encountered sexism when school directors refused to hire them as nursery school teachers or airlines excluded them from jobs as flight attendants.
