What's Gender Got to Do With Grammar?

As I began reading through the material for Linguistics, I have to admit that I have never considered the gender implications that exist. In the article What's Gender Got to Do With Grammar by Suzanne Romaine, she describes her observations about the gender biases within several different languages. I thought it was very interesting when she discussed the gender biases in the French language in regards to positions that used to be predominately held by men. It is mind-boggling to think that there is no possible way to refer to a female professor in French without being grammatically incorrect. It is far more difficult to deny that gender has much to do with grammar when one considers this example. In order to explain, one would be obligated to rectify the inconsistency in their grammar. It would be impossible not to notice.

It was even more saddening to me that in German, a "maiden" is actually a gender-neutral term. It seems that, at one point, females were considered on the same level as property or material goods.

The other thing I was interested in was the idea that weather patterns are generally described in female or feminine terms. This has always bothered me, so I am glad that I have finally heard someone bring it up. I detest the generalization that all women are likened to violent hurricanes or something of that sort. This is most likely because as a child, my extended family found it humorous to call me "the hurricane", but it is very obvious that nature and weather patterns are often described with stereotypes of female behavior.

I also thought the idea that the gender biases that exist in regards to land and territory possibly have much to do with the fact that women were once viewed as something to be conquered or broken.