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Essay / Gender and Gender Stereotypes - 1475
Sexism is alive and well in the courtrooms, even though there are so many women in the justice system, the problem still exists. In the past, it was difficult for women to work as prosecutors because they were primarily assigned to juvenile cases, drafting appeals, or assisting trial lawyers. It is well known that female prosecutors face sexism from defense attorneys, experts and judges. Nicknames such as “little lady”, “young woman”, “lady lawyer” were labels given to female prosecutors. Additionally, some female prosecutors have been accused of dressing inappropriately in court, false accusations aimed at distracting from the trial. Sexism in the criminal justice system exists just like any other profession, women have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously and do the same job as their male counterparts. Bias against female prosecutors impacts their clients, their cases, and their causes. A case could be lost or won simply because of sexual bias. In the media, female prosecutor characters are stereotyped as employees working in tight costumes to expose their bodies. Their characters are generally caustic and vindictive and show the difficulties women face in balancing their work and personal lives. Many themes are addressed in the female prosecutor characters, such as: personal/professional