Gender stereotypes have been so engraved in our society for decades that people find it very difficult to grasp the idea that it can actually be very harmful. Gender stereotypes make their place in every part of our daily life too. They shape the way people perceive themselves and their attitude towards others. For example, toxic masculinity, which tells men that they should not cry or show vulnerability because otherwise they will be “weak like girls” or “too emotional”. Similarly, there is apparently something wrong with a woman who doesn’t want children and women are supposed to be caregivers, and good wives who devote their lives to taking care of their families.
This creates a lot of pressure on the genders to be a certain way that society deems acceptable and if we don’t conform to these stereotypes that society has set for us, we are labelled as outcasts. But in recent years, gender stereotypes have become a vital talking point, and people all over the world have begun to disobey these constructs. Products like toys, clothing, makeup, etc. do not belong to any specific gender.
Gender stereotypes put people in a box and do not allow them to fully express themselves. It is harmful as it can create a lifelong cycle of inequality, can harm people’s mental health starting from a young age and they can also be used as a form of exercising power. Breaking gender stereotypes means everybody should be given the freedom to dress, act and behave in a way that makes them happy without receiving criticism for simply being themselves.
If we deconstruct what we know about gender stereotypes, it is just a set of beliefs that has been created by human beings. They don’t necessarily represent a reality but are actually rooted in fiction.