How do you start an essay about sexism?

Answer 1

There are many ways to do this. As a writer, your goal should be to get the reader interested in the issue. You don't want to lecture or scold, but you do want to find a way to demonstrate what sexism is, and then discuss why it's a problem, concluding with your views on what needs to be done about it. One technique for starting the essay might be to catch the reader's attention: you might provide an example of something sexist, like a joke that makes fun of qualities women supposedly have, or a magazine advertisement from the old days that portrays women stereotypically. You could then explain what people used to believe, and why the joke or advertisement is sexist; this lets you continue with a discussion of how things have changed (and what changed them).

Another way is to briefly tell the story of someone who was the victim of sexism back in the old days-- there are many women who were denied a chance to go to college, or denied equal pay, or even treated like property by their husband or father. Abigail Adams asked her husband to "remember the ladies" when creating the laws for the new United States, but the Founders did not even give women the right to vote, and married women had few if any legal rights, even in the United States in those days. There are also victims of sexism in modern times. A good example is a Pakistani girl named Malala, who was shot by the Taliban just for trying to go to school and for advocating for education for girls. You can explore why some countries still deny women and girls equal rights, and then look at some advocacy groups that are trying to bring about change.