Women in School Debate: Knowing your Worth
Overcoming gender stereotypes in debate
I have done public forum debate in high school for three years and counting. When I first entered the world of debate, gender stereotypes were one of the first things in my mind.
Debate is offered at my school as early as freshman year. I attended a debate camp the summer before 9th grade, and it was apparent right from the start that there was a gender gap. There were 3 girls at the camp, including me, and about 12–15 boys. The three of us girls became friends and sat at the same table together.
To say I was shocked that there were more boys would be a lie. Looking back, I realize how defeating is that I expected there to be more boys at a debate camp. Even before joining debate officially, I was well aware of the gender stereotypes in the debate world.
After joining debate I become more aware of its gender gap. Most of the teams I see debating are either boy-boy teams, and in some cases boy-girl teams. I’ve also noticed with boy-girl teams that the boy dominates with a loud voice and arrogance to their opponents and his partner. I don’t see girl-girl teams that often, but I am thankful to be a part of one.
My best friend and I have debated as a girl-girl team in debate for the three years we’ve debated. We were the only all girl team from our school to attend National Qualifiers.
Now I love debating with my friend of course. But I’ve noticed a few things about our experiences debating as an all girl team in an environment that seems to value the male opinion more.
Whenever we debate an all boy team the two boys are often relaxed once they realize they are debating two girls. On the other hand, when my friend and I see that we are debating two boys we get more nervous. Normally when we debate two boys they assume that we won’t debate as well as them and you can tell in the way they talk to us and ask us questions. They treat us a lot nicer than they do when they debate two boys, as if to tone down their voice when speaking to women.
It’s very demeaning. However, nothing feels better than beating two boys who think they were better than us from the start. I love empowering myself alongside other women in debate and discussing inequities towards women in the debate world. I’ve heard countless stories from my friends who had the judges tell them they were “standing incorrectly” or “dressing inappropriately” because they were wearing a skirt.
Something I’ve learned though is that men are not the only people at debate tournaments that fall into gender stereotypes. I too have found myself guilty of becoming a little more relaxed when I see we are debating two girls rather than two boys because the girls are “less scary”. I noticed this a few times, and realized how even gender stereotypes that are inflicted on me are also used by me when I see or debate certain opponents.
With these moments, and many more to name, I learned a few things about realizing my worth in high school debate. I think debate also has a lot of real world applications so I hope the lessons I’ve learned from debate and public speaking can also be helpful to real life.
The first thing I’ve learned is speaking louder does not mean you’re speaking “better”. I can’t count the number of times my friend and I have debated all boy teams who essentially scream at the judges and talk at speeds I didn’t even know were humanly possible. However, I’ve noticed that sometimes people raise their voices and get more aggressive when they start to feel themselves losing an argument. To all my girl debaters and public speakers, just because a man may be raising his voice doesn’t mean you should back down in fear. Take this as an opportunity to use your knowledge and confidence to get your argument across as clearly as you can. I can guarantee you they are not as confident as they sound.
The second thing I’ve learned is there’s not one way to get your argument across. So many boys in our debate program have tried to tell my partner and I how to write our cases and how to present our arguments. But even without them, my friend and I have done just as well if not better than some of the boys who make it their “job” to teach the rest of us how to debate. Know your worth and your strengths! Just because you tell your stories differently or present your arguments with a different structure than someone doesn’t mean you will not get your point across. If you focus on your strengths too, you probably will speak ever better than your opponent who is attempting to fit a mold of what a “perfect debater” is.
The third thing I’ve learned is fear people for their intelligence not their gender or race. Gender and race are completely intersected in debate as most people deem Asian and Indian boys as the best debaters. However, it is important for everyone to work on themselves to not judge anyone based on parts of their identity they can’t control. It’s OK to fear people in debate. But fear them because they’ve had the highest speaker points at the past few tournaments and have consistently placed in the top 3, not because it’s an all-boy team. I feel that when you do this, other people will begin to respect you for the same reasons.
Becoming aware of your worth as a female in predominantly male environments can be difficult. However, I recommend finding your close circle. In debate, I’ve found my group of both boys and girls that all support one another for our debate skill. This allows me to achieve the confidence that I and so many others girls deserve. Find your circle, and find yourself. Channel your inner confidence and go take on the world!
And if you still find some struggle, just tell yourself what I tell myself: “I’m not good at debate, for a girl. I am just good at debate.”
Thanks for reading!
Rashmi
