Matriarchal societies often appear as beacons of gender equality, heralded for their stark departure from patriarchal norms. Bronx Science, for example, predominantly has female student leadership, with student government, senior council, and club boards primarily composed of women. Yet, beneath the surface, a subtler reality unveils itself – one where the subtle impacts of the patriarchy still persist, lurking in the corners of every classroom.
At first glance, the matriarchal ethos seems to offer a sanctuary from traditional gender roles. Women hold positions of power, make decisions, and are regarded for their roles. However, a closer examination reveals that when you dig deeper, many patriarchal structures still remain at the core of the system.
While women may hold formal leadership roles, power dynamics within the community usually remain skewed. Patriarchal norms are so deeply entrenched in society that they generally continue to dictate familial and workplace hierarchies, giving men control over important aspects of life such as finances and property ownership. In such situations, women are usually relegated to secondary roles, so their voices still remain marginalized.
Cultural norms reflect these issues by promoting expectations of gender norms and perpetuating a stereotypical perception of masculinity and femininity. Men are expected to be assertive, while women are expected to embody qualities of nurturing and submissiveness. In an academic and work space, this is evidenced by the male flight in biology. As more women are beginning to pursue biology and medicine, there is an increasing reputation for biology being a “soft-science” or easier STEM subject. As demographics shift and biology becomes more female dominant, biology and the jobs associated with it are seen as being feminine. These beliefs uphold the patriarchy and perpetuate inequalities even within a matriarchy; raising the question of whether or not a matriarchy truly exists.
In essence, the persistence of patriarchy in matriarchal societies is a reminder of the complexity and struggles of dismantling gender-based hierarchies. True equality not only requires the redistribution of power but also a significant shift in cultural attitudes and social structures. Pritika Patel ’24 and Malena Galletto ’24 created the The Bronx Science Gender Equity Board to address those very problems. Both Patel and Galletto are making concerted efforts to challenge the patriarchal paradigms and create a possibility of real gender equity. It was on a late-night Zoom call that Patel and Galletto, conceived the idea, having been frustrated after encountering numerous incidents of microaggression in their very own AP Physics I class.
Galletto: The guys sitting next to me told me to transfer out. Sometimes, when I get a question wrong, the guys at my table say “That’s so Women in STEM of you”. In advanced STEM classes, such as AP Physics, AP Calculus, AP Computer Science, we see lots of male domination. There are usually less girls in higher level physics and computer science classes, which also create a lot of room for microaggressions in classrooms that often gets overlooked. Pritika and I could probably name dozens of incidents.
When both Patel and Galletto felt isolated in male-dominated classes, GEB offered a welcoming environment where they felt free to express their opinions without fear of judgment. This experience instilled within them the importance of fostering inclusive spaces. Witnessing the profound impact GEB had on their peers made them realize its tangible role in people’s lives. Through open and transparent discussions about their experience with sexism in academic spaces, they gained valuable insights into gender disparities, empowering them with the knowledge necessary to drive change within their community. They understood that by sharing their collective experiences, they weren’t just contributing to a broader conversation about equity within their school but cultivating the resilience to embrace their identity without apology.
Galletto: Being in a school like Bronx Science – although incredibly diverse – can often lead us to think that issues such as gender disparities are rarer than they actually are. GEB highlights the often un-highlighted or overlooked gender-based gaps at our school and works on addressing them.
Patel: Gender disparities can oftentimes be subtle and difficult to identify. They can be something as simple as a female student having to take on more work to compensate for underperforming peers in a group project or being tasked with secretarial duties such as taking notes or making aesthetic slideshows.
Despite working with such sensitive and difficult material, both Patel and Galletto have found invaluable satisfaction in the work they have done with GEB.
Patel: My favorite thing about GEB is the impact we are able to have. GEB has provided me with the space to actually achieve the changes I want to see in Bronx Science. It is also refreshing to be able to ‘flip the script’ with teachers, delivering presentations and advising them on strategies to implement in the classroom.
Galletto: One of my favorite moments was after our first presentation to the entire staff. We were all pretty nervous before and during the presentation and so having multiple teachers come up to us to congratulate us on a job well done was extremely reassuring. Teachers stayed back 20-30 minutes after our presentation ended to talk more about it and share related anecdotes from their own experiences.
The simple act of teachers listening to the urgent words of students such as Patel and Galletto is enough to usher in a new, more inclusive future for Bronx Science. However, the imminent need to spark change never burns out.
As Galletto and Patel are both graduating, current junior Liza Greenberg ’25 is planning on carrying their torch next year.
Greenberg: It’s been really interesting to be the only junior on the board this year. I think in some ways I bring a different perspective in the group, of someone whose friends and classmates are really trying to decide what classes they will take next year. I definitely will miss the seniors, but for the future, I plan on continuing with GEB next year and leading and collaborating with a new team of seniors and juniors. I think we plan to keep the board small so it is easier to meet and distribute work. We have discussed a few different methods of deciding the members for next year, but it isn’t something we have begun doing yet.
Patel: I think GEB’s future is certainly bright. While I am sad I will be leaving soon, I know that GEB will be in good hands for next year. I hope that the next GEB members will be able to continue expanding on the work we did this year with more targeted best practices presentations. I also hope that next year, we can focus on tackling enrollment issues across all advanced STEM classes. While this year we mainly focused on AP Physics C, there are gender enrollment issues in courses such as App Development and Game Theory as well.
As Patel and Galletto cement GEB’s legacy at Bronx Science, both students and teachers are eager to see their extensive impacts. Whether it’s improving the inclusivity of class discussions or increasing the number of gender minority students in advanced Physics classes, GEB is on its way to being a pillar of Bronx Science history.
Galletto: The guys sitting next to me told me to transfer out. Sometimes, when I get a question wrong, the guys at my table say “That’s so Women in STEM of you”. In advanced STEM classes, such as AP Physics, AP Calculus, AP Computer Science, we see lots of male domination. There are usually less girls in higher level physics and computer science classes, which also create a lot of room for microaggressions in classrooms that often gets overlooked. Pritika and I could probably name dozens of incidents.