Equality is humanity's Holy Grail, the cornerstone of most value systems, but we have yet to reap all of its rewards. Sure, our society has tremendously evolved for the better during the last, say, 100 years, but a long journey is still ahead, and the vast array of double standards that still divide people to this day highlight this perfectly.

The double standard definition states that it is a rule or a principle applied to different people or groups. The most prominent case of double standard examples to this day come from gender equality. What's usually okay for men, is not acceptable when done by women. Starting with beach attire and ending with lady bosses, society finds unnecessary ways to chime in about what's wrong and what's right.

Bored Panda has compiled a list of insightful illustrations that uncover the uncomfortable truth behind some everyday life situations, and it's (mildly) disturbing how accurate they are. Judging by these images, it's clear that sometimes terms like 'gender equality' are reduced to no more than a catchphrase. Scroll down to see the proof for yourself, and vote for your favorites.

#1

Double Standards

Double Standards

David Horsey Report

RELATED:
    #2

    Clothing Standards

    Clothing Standards

    beiibis Report

    Carris Butcher
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I get fake geek girl all the time! I wear big glasses, I dress differently and I do occasionally play games. People I know say I'm trying to be a fake geek girl or gamer girl and I have no idea what they mean. I'm not trying to be anything I'm just comfy this way! I'm glad it's not just me who experiences this

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    #3

    Body Image Standards

    Body Image Standards

    Scott Metzger Report

    Zori the degu
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Woman's face though: "I live among idiots. Honestly, do you think that I want your f***ing opinion?"

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    #4

    Boys vs. Girls

    Boys vs. Girls

    Archie Comics Report

    #5

    Double Standards

    Double Standards

    Anna Maria Jung Report

    #6

    Work Rules

    Work Rules

    Sunny Street Report

    #7

    Fakes And Posers

    Fakes And Posers

    radrangy Report

    #8

    Body Standards

    Body Standards

    AlexandraDal Report

    #9

    Double Standards For Parents

    Double Standards For Parents

    Chaunie Brusie Report

    Zori the degu
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's really annoying. I only have an experience as a passer-by or a witness but I can say some people indeed are narrow-minded enough to act like that.

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    #10

    Double Standards On Emotions

    Double Standards On Emotions

    Robot Hugs Report

    Anna Thouvenin
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Double standards both ways in one comic. Finally <3

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    #11

    Body Positivity

    Body Positivity

    beiibis Report

    Liliana V
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The fact that they are both eating the same thing in the same portion size just really makes this extra sad.

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    #12

    Generalization

    Generalization

    xkcd Report

    Eglė Liubinaitė
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    F*k this stereotype, I'm the best at math in my class :p

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    #13

    Leadership Strategies

    Leadership Strategies

    thecooperreview Report

    Anna Thouvenin
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That reminds me of the man who made the experience of signing all his emails by a female name for a week to talk about gender inequality in doing business. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-happened-when-a-man-signed-work-emails-using-a-female-name-for-a-week_us_58c2ce53e4b054a0ea6a4066

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    #14

    Makeup vs. Natural

    Makeup vs. Natural

    Kate Ordie Comics Report

    Anna Thouvenin
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So damn true. One time I overheard my coworkers talking and these two guys were discussing about "girls who put makeup are so insecure, it's like they couldn't even go out without makeup if their life depended on it". Then another day in the same week, I was so tired I decided not to put makeup. The very same guy saying this was like "omg what happened to your face?". Yeah no wonder why women are "so insecure"...

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    #15

    Gender Equality

    Gender Equality

    shortpacked Report

    #16

    Shameless Girls

    Shameless Girls

    Brown Paperbag Report

    Jade B
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Can I just say that I love the art style of this one? <3

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    #17

    Double Standards

    Double Standards

    For Better Or For Worse Report

    coffee zombie
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Women don't get round, they get curvy in all the right places. And that's sexy af.

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    #18

    Gender Equality

    Gender Equality

    Matt Bors Report

    Ivana
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This election just wrecked me, all hope was lost.

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    #19

    Girls vs. Boys

    Girls vs. Boys

    Immer Report

    Ja Legge
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's true. Girls get bashed if she slept with a guy then that guy spreads a rumor abt them. Guy gets cheered on and a girl gets bashed.

    Ivana
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Women are taught to bash each other. I remember the older women in my family always had something negative to say about every woman that crossed their way. My mother always felt the need to comment on stranger's clothing and appearance and my grandmother informed me when I was in college that a degree wasn't worth as much as learning how to keep a home. When I was a teenager I remember my mother commenting on a larger woman heading into a store in front of us about how someone with her body should never wear tight pants. I just got sick of it and asked her why the hell she cared about what a stranger looked like. Also, I was taught to be pretty and sexy, the women in my family bragged about the attention I got from men, but if a different girl got attention it was because she was a s**t. Took me a long time to grow out of that hypocritical teachings.

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    Jay Fox
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If a girl has sex with multiple she's a s**t, but if a guy knocks up multiple girls he's still a man. :D great job society

    Reland McClure
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I hope one day women start putting notches on their bedposts & hi-fiving each other over conquests! Just because a woman enjoys sex & has different partners doesn't give anyone the right to make her an outcast. Sadly this is all too real.

    Jetches
    Community Member
    7 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why are guys being cheered for explicit fornication in the first place? This comic seems to imply that if a girl partakes in this it should be considered perfectly fine

    i 8 pi
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Another double standard: when a guy sleeps with a lot of girls he gets called a "player". On the other hand, when a girl sleeps with a lot of guys she gets called a "s**t". Again, THIS MAKES NO SENSE!

    Samuel Zhao
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The guy doen’t appear to want to the in the situation

    Bernard Beckett
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If a man sleeps with different women he is a player but if a women sleeps with different me she is a whore aka prostitute

    TheMsLollidella
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Honestly ....idk any girl who bashes someone another girl for sleeping around ? I don't think anyone cares. It's more surprising to hear ur a virgin than anything lol

    Ritsu Suzuya
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    should have slept with a nice guy instead of a jock

    Jena Troelsgaard
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I can caption this if anyone needs it. "Women lose something, sleeping with a man. Men gain something."

    The Dude
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They outlined the major problem here, and that's the good part: The other (probably jealous...wait double standard?) women

    Andrew Guo
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    all these male bashing comments on this page gets me cracking when anyone talks about gender "equality" might as well make it gender privilege.

    Hayley Lightcap
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    But the top comment is literally saying that women attack other women

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    Jenn Jackson
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Kjorn- that's what you took from this. Smdh

    Khandi Owens
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Moral of the story.......? Girls should just say no. Let him marry you first. WAIT until you are old enough to get married. What's the hurry! My mother always told me to NEVER let a man or boy make a fool out of you. And I never have.

    Emma Perkins
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    At least where I go to college in the states, we're pretty cool with sexual freedom. As long as people are responsible and consenting, we're cool with it!

    Peter Griffin
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well it’s the girls friends fault not the guys fault, they’re most likely his friends, just because she doesn’t have any friends it’s viewed as sexist

    Ritsu Suzuya
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    f****n whore shouldnt have slept with a asshole

    Sofia Murat
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And unless you want a bunch of down votes you shouldn't have called someone a "whore".

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    Skure
    Community Member
    8 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Only important pic is the first one... Who cares what others say... If it was "good night", there is nothing more to add....

    Pobin Rice
    Community Member
    8 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    So it's girls being c***s???

    Silver Jaiden
    Community Member
    8 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    this is an adolescent highschool problem. at least people grow up and this is much less an issue

    Nguyen Kien
    Community Member
    8 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    I have read some one talk about this before and I like that way. Girl is very attractive to men, she can easily seduce a lot of guy. For a girl it easy, but for a guy it need more work. To able to sleep with some one, he need to be attractive, have money, body, or charisma enough. So it obvious it is this way.

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    #20

    Double Standards On Young Girls

    Double Standards On Young Girls

    deadeyedplasticdesktoy Report

    Daria B
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you're a true pro-life, instead of blaming a stranger, do something towards building a society where abortion is not needed. Same goes for (extremist) pro-choicers - instead of hating on some women's decisions, let's do something towards building society where abortion is not something a womam does because "she had no other choice".

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    #21

    Double Standards On Bodies

    Double Standards On Bodies

    kendrawcandraw Report

    Captain Planet
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think only women have a problem with this. I can't imagine guy's really finding this a big deal. XD Also on the beach people sunbathe topless as well so. As far as armpit hair. Well you're free to do it. But people are also free to not find you attractive then. But there are all kinds of things people find attractive and not attractive so I don't really see a problem.

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    #22

    Shallow vs. Desperate

    Shallow vs. Desperate

    Razzy Report

    Helen Burgess
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    very well done! and the girl in the second instance doesn't even get a speech-bubble, let alone a date!

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    #24

    Girls vs. Boys

    Girls vs. Boys

    Brown Paperbag Report

    Kristin
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why are people like that?! When boys get laid everyone is proud! When girls get it they get punished!

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    See Also on Bored Panda
    #25

    Society's Take On Men

    Society's Take On Men

    Rasenth Report

    Michel M. Prins
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The second one will always be an idiotic statement, for both male and female. I hear it a lot, yet don't understand why it's a race to get intimate with another person. It's a personal experience and (can be) something special, on top of that: It's none of another's business, and if those think it is, they're the ones leading a sad life. Sure, the term "Lucky at cards, unlucky in love" is on it's place in this regard, but luck can switch lanes now and then.

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    #26

    Dad Bod vs. Mom Bod

    Dad Bod vs. Mom Bod

    howbabycomic Report

    Sheila Stamey
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Have we totally forgotten how milf went ? Not that that was great but, seriously ? Which one do we pick? Can we just be who we are, male, female, or however, and just be happy? The insecurity is mind blowing to me, on behalf of the observer!

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    #27

    Sexual Harassment

    Sexual Harassment

    Razzy Report

    Andrew Petrykowski
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How is this a relevant comparison? How about comparing the reaction you get as a male when telling someone about being a victim of sexual assault.

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    #28

    Things You Can Only Do With Boys

    Things You Can Only Do With Boys

    Last Place Comics Report

    Anna Thouvenin
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To be fair, the vagina is the inside part. So...

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    #29

    Double Standards

    Double Standards

    Scott Adams Report

    coffee zombie
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I dont agree that only weak men show emotion. It's nice to see a man who has emotions instead of trying to act like they are made of stone, with no feelings.

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    #30

    Appearance Standards

    Appearance Standards

    John Lydgate Report

    Zori the degu
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm more like the right half. And I'm fine.

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    #31

    Comic Book Characters

    Comic Book Characters

    mcginty and sharpley Report

    Kori K. Warriner
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Honestly, I have a problem with either gender of superhero being displayed in a sexual manner.

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    #32

    Sexualizing Bodies

    Sexualizing Bodies

    Jago Dibuja Report

    Stille20
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think they over sexualize super heroes, but there is a difference. The male characters are being portrayed as strong, the women as sexual. If female super heros looked more like Serena Williams or Kerri Walsh it would be different.

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    #33

    Equality

    Equality

    Cyanide and Happiness Report

    Ivana
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We were playing around, play fighting when I kicked my husband in the balls. It wasn't on purpose and I instantly felt horrible as he spent about 5 minutes in pain on the floor. The worst he got me was an elbow to the nose that caused a nose bleed, and one where he slammed my back into the thermostat. Literally last week my husband asked "Why don't we wrestle anymore" and all that flashed through my head. I don't like the idea of women hitting men any more than a man hitting a woman. The only fighting I am okay with is play fighting.

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    #34

    Double Standards

    Double Standards

    megacynics Report

    See Also on Bored Panda
    #35

    Problem Solving

    Problem Solving

    Razzy Report

    Anna Thouvenin
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't agree with this one. Men get a lot of pressure on their bodies, as much as women. There is not a single person I met who said that they should "accept themselves" as a way to solve their problems (with getting laid). On the same note, any magazine cover will show that makeup is not a way to solve problems, or there wouldn't be 254 pages of the "new amazing diet already used by 45 stars that will make you lose weight before you even realize it". And we also have countless articles on "accept yourself and screw who doesn't, you don't need them anyway"...

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    #36

    Acceptable vs. Unacceptable

    Acceptable vs. Unacceptable

    Justin Hubbell Report

    Anna Thouvenin
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As someone who hate body hair, both are unacceptable. But I don't care about what they do as long as I don't have to touch them :p

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    #37

    Double Standards

    Double Standards

    mamaiscomic Report

    Zori the degu
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    But really, what's their purpose from evolutionary point of view?

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    #38

    Men And Women

    Men And Women

    Everyday feminism Report

    Eglė Liubinaitė
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I kinda like emotional boys more, like, atleast they aren't like those "badass" shitsacks like others. Also, expressing emotions is actually good for own body.

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    #39

    Standards For Dressing

    Standards For Dressing

    John Lydgate Report

    Luc Mailloux
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wait... what is this trying to say, even? What I gather is that people will judge you regardless of how you look. Surprise!

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    #40

    Double Standards In The Workplace

    Double Standards In The Workplace

    Daisy Bernard Report

    Amanda Sango Hibbs
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is why I like the medical field. Everyone dresses the same

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    #41

    The Smiley Face Double Standard

    The Smiley Face Double Standard

    endlessorigami Report

    #42

    Double Standards In Relationships

    Double Standards In Relationships

    John Lydgate Report

    Pasca Mouse
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I hate it when people are like " Looks likes someones on there period." it's so annoying

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    #43

    Girl Power

    Girl Power

    Le Rage Comics Report

    sunnyrei82
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    women like that are the ones who make people think wrong about feminism. And, because many people are soooo closed minded, they think every single woman who wants equity are like that.

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    #44

    Double Standards

    Double Standards

    spaceavalanche Report

    Daria B
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some people really don't get it that it's not same....

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    See Also on Bored Panda
    #45

    Gender Equality

    Gender Equality

    Pablo Stanley Report

    Silvia
    Community Member
    8 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No. Any statistics on the subject will show that women do not get paid equally for the same job, with the same qualifications and experience.

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    #46

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