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Are men chauvinists?

By Ruhanie Perera and Laila Nasry

Men are God's gift to the world. Men can do this. Men can do that. What would women do without men? Geez! Yes people, we are talking about male chauvinism. Are men actually male chauvinist pigs (MCPs)? Here the men defend themselves, while the women voice their views.

Shanaka Amarasinghe (21)

Men are not male chauvinist pigs, but there are times when men tend to appreciate women's beauty in a way women don't like. This leads to them being called chauvinists. These remarks are made in good humour, women just interpret them wrong. I don't think all men should be judged on someone's personal experience. Although my automatic reaction would be to defend the sex, I would just ignore it if I were called a male chauvinist pig. Of course, our culture is such, there is this feeling that women are inferior. This is a small manifestation of chauvinism.

Devaka Seneviratne (20)

I don't think most men are male chauvinist pigs. There may be some who are, but it's not really fair to brand the whole of "mankind'. Some women form this opinion because of a personal experience, others just "catch it". Obviously, I would defend my sex but if it's just an attack on me I wouldn't bother. I've got better things to do than worry about what women think of me.

Ishraq Wahab (19)

I don't think men are male chauvinist pigs. There are two ways of seeing a male chauvinist — the dominant male and any male who shows a spark of attitude towards a woman. Often this attitude is misread by women. Half the women who accuse men of being MCPs don't even know the meaning of the word. Our society functions in a way in which it is always a question of breaking the ice when men and women mix. People handle it differently. Some do stupid things. Some guys act macho and that's what triggers the women's anger. That's why women call men male chauvinist pigs. I've been called an MCP in situations when I'm competing with the opposite sex, because I dominate. It doesn't bother me, it's really the fault of the other person.

Dulan Samarasekere (25)

Men are definitely not male chauvinist pigs. I feel that men are considerate towards women's feelings. Women on the other hand take it the wrong way. When a guy tries to be helpful, women read it differently and think men are being patronising. On occasions when a few people have called me an MCP, I ask them to define it and what I did to make them think like that. It helps me not to repeat the same mistake again.

Naazima Kamardeen (23)

I think a large percentage of men are MCPs, even if they don't like to admit it. A male chauvinist, in my opinion, is someone who has ideas about masculinity that are outdated. That really puts me off because then they come with pre-conceived notions (like 'men are superior'), they are blind to everything else. I believe that everyone should be accepted as an individual, but that does not happen when they are blinded by certain attitudes. It's quite difficult to get on with people who don't accept you as an individual. I have friends who are male chauvinist pigs and it can get difficult.

Sonali Wickrematunga (22)

A male chauvinist pig thinks no end of himself. It's a person with a huge ego, who doesn't care about women. He thinks he's it, but in reality he is not so. I ignore such people. Bad enough they think no end of themselves, give them some attention and there wouldn't be a way of getting rid of them. Turning a blind eye is the best. I've called loads of guys "MCPs". They don't take it very well and act in a typical MCP manner.

Marissa Jansz (23)

I feel that a male chauvinist pig is one who places men above women, someone who believes in gender roles. What really bugs me is the "she's really good for a girl" attitude. I get angry because that attitude is archaic and does not apply to modern society. I think there are many MCPs around, but a large percentage of them cover this up very well. I've called loads of men 'chauvinists'.

Most of them strive to defend themselves, while others give reasons to justify why they are so.

Chanel Hussain (20)

I think there are quite a few men who are male chauvinist pigs. It is the percentage of men who think they know better than women and have this "women are inferior' attitude. I think that is unacceptable. It is also very hard to get along with such men, because they are not willing to listen to what a woman has to say. I've never called a man an MCP, but I know one when I see one.

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