These days, with the rise of feminist movements in China, it seems that the relationship between gender and occupation has been weakened; no one will say that a female cannot become a physicist or a biologist now. However, some hidden gender stereotypes are still deeply rooted among the people, and that has huge effects, especially on girls.

A friend of mine, a girl who is really talented in science, was preparing for a biology competition. It’s a team competition, and her partner was a boy who was also good at biology and in the same class as she. Their parents and teachers were both supportive, and no one stopped my friend from participating in the competition. Everything seemed alright until I asked their parents about their thoughts on the results of the competition. I thought they would think both of the children had unquestionable abilities and would win first place. However, they said that although they thought the team was powerful, they did not expect them to get the top prize because there were quite a lot of groups composed of two boys. I was shocked and asked why they thought so. They just said, “Girls are less creative than boys, but they are more diligent and steadfast, so they can get a prize, whereas the top prize always belongs to boys!”

Actually, we all know that there is little or no difference in creativity between men and women, and countless research has also proved so. But this statement is still popular among people, especially the older generation. Those people not only believe this point and spare no effort to spread it, but also try to persuade their daughters, or other girls nearby, that they are less creative than boys and can never get to the top. Similarly, girls in careers related to science and engineering are considered to be down-to-earth but never top-notch. This is called the “glass ceiling” effect.

Under such circumstances, girls are told at a young age that if they choose to study physics, biology, and other “boy subjects,” they can do well, but never be the best. Society allows girls to enter the field of science, but believes and encourages them to be workers and boys to be leaders. So when it is the time to choose a major, a girl who loves science will hesitate to choose what she wants and think, “I’d better choose liberal arts, or I can never be the best because there are lots of boys competing, and they are more creative than me.” When she graduates, she will likely choose a stable career path so that she can make use of her “diligent” nature. Lots of girls have believed that they were born less talented than boys when it comes to innovation and creation, and have therefore lost their courage to compete with boys.

If you asked me, “Does your society encourage boys?,” I would say yes, but if you asked “Does your society encourage girls equally?,” my answer would be no. Society cannot be changed in a short period of time. The only thing we can do is persevere. No matter how people around you mislead you or deny your talent, don’t give up on your dream; go for it and prove to them that girls can be the best!