[In]validating Perspectives

During this discussion with my 9th grade World History class, I wanted my students to discuss ancient gender dynamics. I posed the question, “Were women more empowered in Ancient Rome or Han China?” I thought discussing this topic through the lens of ancient history would let us cover enduring themes about gender in a less charged or tense way. I asked my students, “How do you think women's lives have changed from the past?” I was hoping that students would compare specific evidence we learned to issues of the present. One student commented and said, “Well, in the past women had no power and could not make their own decisions, but today that is very different. You know, today, women always win divorce cases and the law is on their side. Men now have less power. So, yeah, it’s very different today.” I was very surprised by the specifics of his answer. I know his parents just went through a bad divorce and I assume he was recalling memories from that experience, but I do not agree that women now have more power than men in the eyes of the law. While I wanted students to incorporate their lived experiences in the discussion, I was not prepared for this answer. I did not know how to respond to what I think was an inappropriate, sexist comment without invalidating this student’s perspective and potentially harming our teacher-student relationship.