Gender Stereotyping: Through a Feminist’s Lens

Gender stereotyping can be considered as an age-old customary practise of assigning an individual- obligations and roles, in order for them to fit in the generalized prejudicial conception of their gender. Gender is constructed by the society in order to vindicate the allocation of the sexes into the human-made social norms and forced upon individuals through parents, teachers, the media, religion, and so on. Equality amongst the genders has been a core objective enshrined by many but yet, years later, we live in a world filled with ignorance and stereotypes.

The preconceptions about the genders impact all the individuals since it results in the society, limiting them with stereotypes and punishing them if they violate the traditional social conduct. These constrict the women’s decision-making ability for their marriage, family service, divorce, choice of profession, building a business etc. Despite the similar performances of girls and boys in mathematics and science at school, less women decide to build a career in the male-dominated fields which is a consequence of existence of several hurdles in the paths of women. The stereotyping of gender is considered as one of those hurdles. The lack of women in male-dominated and high-paying industries of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is a real-life proof to the lack of opportunities in the way of women. When women counter their stereotype and disturb these expectations of society, their ambition is often mistaken for arrogance. Men are restricted from asking for help or be vulnerable and often face humiliation and ignorance when they challenge this notion. The prevalence of these gender norms not only contribute to boys and men engaging in violence but also them being subjected to violence themselves. They can also have implications on their mental health. These stereotypes can negatively affect people with diverse gender identities, who often face violence and stigma throughout their lives.

Gender stereotypes are omnipresent, and almost all the individuals are subject to them. We can begin the end of this prejudice by firstly, exposing our own brains to images that contradict society’s stereotypes and our unconscious biases. Understanding that violence is never okay, no matter who initiates it, is an essential part of stopping it. Lastly, it is important to know that “any gender stereotype begins at home, and an ideal bias-free parenting is required to fuel the change.”

Author - Manasvi Khanna