Gender Roles: Redefining Gender Stereotypes

What are gender roles? Gender roles are a preconceived set of ideas whereby men and women are arbitrarily assigned certain roles determined by their gender. It causes unequal and unfair treatment in most cases because of a person’s gender.

Although massive progress has been made towards gender equality, women are still held back because of their gender. Gender relations remain unbalanced to a great extent. Women are still held back in many areas— limiting their education no matter how promising they may be, hindering their freedom and barring their civil rights. Gender stereotypes dictate that women need to learn certain things starting from learning how to cook, to cleaning the house and keeping the house clean.

            So how do we unleash the full potential of women? In order to ensure gender equality, we need to ponder seriously as to why women are discriminated in the first place. The issue which really needs addressing is the gender norms. A deeply engrained gender stereotype is the elephant in the room. There are certain roles prescribed for women which limit their full potential. When a society tries to define women based on predefined stereotypical beliefs, it hinders her ability to fulfil her goals and ambitions.

            We are still stuck in a lot of old habits which are outdated and not really of any use. We should give an effort to break gender-specific roles and stop adhering to outdated ones. For example, if women can cook, there is can’t be any argument why men can’t cook or clean the house. When men can cook, they are often looked upon with a deep sense of admiration, as if it is some kind of chivalry. Wow! On the other hand, if a woman can’t cook, she is often advised to learn it before stepping into a married life.

            Although gender stereotypes are rigid, they are not static. Men can take it as a challenge and an opportunity in breaking down gender stereotypes and ensure that women get the freedom and respect they deserve. The assumption that women are good at certain things and women should stick to certain areas all supported by stereotypical norms is massively misconstrued.

Gender roles are actually reinforced by so many factors mainly based on the environment in which a person grows up. Right from a very young age, children learn gender roles. Usually, the family is the first place where children learn gender roles starting from the clothes they wear to the toys they play with. Children tend to follow behaviours and manners that are praised and rewarded and they often shun certain roles without actually realising whether it is really true or not.

It is also often noticed on social media that most hysterically unhinged girls-loathing trolls are people who are clueless about the world outside Nagaland. They post about women partying or women wearing skimpy clothes to prove that girls who move out of Nagaland are spoilt girls. Such people seem to attract a special kind of self-righteous, hypocritical and often woefully ill-informed insanity. If we can’t respect women and generalise everything, we will be the authors of our won sisters’ downfall.

Why is gender stereotypes mapped out? Does it do any good? Is it holding back women? Why is there a notion that women should be in the kitchen and should learn the art of cooking? Why do people frown when women say that they can’t cook?

We are subconsciously dictated by stereotypical gender norms which hinders the progress of women. Parents and teachers should be very conscious about gender norms and make a conscious effort not to be dictated by it. Women should have a clean slate of options in their minds about their career options and not choose the options dictated by gender norms. This I believe can help women in fulfilling their dreams and ambitions to the fullest.

            Some parents prefer their daughters to stop their studies after their graduations and think about getting married and settling down. By doing so, they are only telling their daughters that they can only reach half the distance in the race to their dreams. The more these stereotypical norms dictate our society, the more the girls will feel that their destiny is decided for them. They will try and form themselves into the perfect model that fits with society so they can blend in and survive by going with the flow.

            There is no denying the fact that both genders have stereotypes, but the glaring issue is, women seem to have the heavier burden. We need to encourage girls from a very young age and teach them that they can achieve just as much or more than boys. They should be taught not to be dictated and be defeated by gender stereotypes. No girls should be forced to conform to society’s ideals and hinder their rights and freedom.

            Men and women are different and have contradistinctive qualities and attributes, and that’s something which we should revere and hold in respect. Respecting each other can help bridge gender inequalities and provide some sort of balance. Women will be able to bring out something great and also fulfil their dreams only when they are free from the bondage of gender stereotypical norms

            But what I want to honestly profess here is that we need to closely align ourselves with the Biblical principles. Ephesians 5:21 says, Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. The key to a fruitful relationship is submission— the obvious demonstration of true submission is the submission the Son showed to the Father. Submission by the heart alone is not possible without the obedience to divinely ordained authority.

            Subjecting one’s self to another does not mean to be oppressed by others. It is the understanding and the desire to get along with one another.  Submission doesn’t mean a husband should treat his wife according to his own whims and desires. It is about two people who are totally equal in the eyes of God. There is not a single shred of the inferiority of one over the other.

            Whatever role we may be in, we should always consider it as an opportunity to love and serve one another. A husband and a wife or a boy and a girl are equal in the eyes of God. Regardless of the positions, we find ourselves in, we should be ushered by a deep abiding concern and understanding for one another, for the greatest gift of all is love—Agape.

            Okay, I will stop from here because I can smell my curry burning in the kitchen.