The role of an individual in society has been influenced by stereotypes developed to create “appropriate” behavior for both genders. Children understand gender roles definition as early as age four. Although many hear the world stereotyped behavior, it’s not always clear what that implies. The false belief many individuals have about a group of people because of their gender is referred to as stereotypes.
Discover different ways on how to raise independent girls without gender stereotypes.
“Last weekend, my husband needed to get some spare parts from the hardware store two streets away. He was feeling rather down and decided to ask our son to do it. On a second thought, he asked our 14 year old daughter to go get the parts and gave her the cash she needed.”
You’d be surprised just how misrepresented women are in the media, especially in kid’s entertainment. With the feminism movement in full swing, you would think that there will be many mainstream entertainment supporting women. However, there is still a glaring misrepresentation of women in entertainment, even ones that we show our kids.
Being a young girl in a society that expects you to fit into a pre-existing concept of gender roles can be challenging. Do you remember when you were little and had the courage of a thousand knights and the bravery of a thousand princesses? But not long after, you were introduced to a world that expects you to grow up fast and meet the expectations of the gender stereotypes that are expected from you according to the views of a society that has lost its sense of what a girl should be. Girls are strong and beautiful, but they are also more than that. Brave girls become independent girls. But as a parent, how can you help your little girl flourish into a strong independent woman?
Stereotyped behavior is common among both genders. Stereotypes are caused by a host of factors such as cultural and environmental factors. To eliminate these behaviors and promote gender equality between both genders, parents need to work hard.
In a world filled with several gender stereotypes, norms, and biases, it is common to see children grow up adopting gender roles that are rarely fair to their sexes, regardless of which. However, the girls tend to be on the opposing end of this as it affects their independence. Gender roles and gender stereotypes make it challenging to raise independent girls.
Women in leadership roles are severely lacking as men are taught, at a very young age, that they are supposed to lead. Meanwhile, women are taught to be obedient. To curb this harmful stereotype, girl leadership is something that should be promoted more often to achieve true equality.
