Some people propose female-only competitions as a way to benefit
women. However, the psychological effects of such contests are
sometimes negative.
One female
undergraduate wrote:
I [disagree] with the suggestion that they have different contests for boys and girls. I believe this has a negative effect. My high school was big on ``top boy'' and ``top girl''. I think it is from traditions like that I got the idea (now mostly eradicated) that I would be smarter if I were male. Until recently, I couldn't stand not being the top girl in a category (i.e., being beaten by a girl), but I didn't mind a guy's beating me. The award categories seem to imply that females can't compete with males. Wouldn't people find having separate competitions for whites and blacks offensive, particularly if the blacks weren't allowed to enter the white contest?It should be mentioned, however, that some women believe that the contests are worthwhile by providing rewards and encouragement to highly-achieving females. Thus, no consensus can be said to exist on the issue.