We Need to End Gender Stereotypes
Stereotypes against people of different genders are prevalent in the world today. Whether they are subtle or deliberate, they bring some people down and uplift others. Constantly saying one gender is better at something than another gender provides this sense that some people are not fit to do tasks simply because of their gender.
Growing up, children in their developing stage experience stereotypes repeatedly. They are then expected to behave in certain ways, including behaving in ways they do not wish to do. Studies done by The Fawcett Society show that 45% of people say they witnessed gender stereotyping firsthand growing up, with 51% of people affected saying it constrained their career choices and 44% saying it harmed their personal relationships. Despite some women having the skills and passion to work in male-dominated jobs, they were rejected due to predetermined bias against women in these workplaces.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Noun_Gender_Neutral_13777.svg#/media/File:Noun_Gender_Neutral_13777.svg
Those women who are accepted into predominantly male workplaces suffer from constant sexism and harassment. According to a Pew Research Center survey, 18% of women say there are more men than women in their workplace. Some people having the desire to work in workplaces dominated by their gender because it makes them feel more comfortable is understandable, however, if it was not for the sexual harassment in workplaces then this would not have been so common. Up to 49% of women working in male-dominated workplaces say sexual harassment is a problem and 32% of women working in female-dominated workplaces say the same, according to a Pew Research Center survey. This stops young women from wanting to work in a field they enjoy purely because of how they would be treated by co-workers.
“Gender stereotypes harm everyone. They do no good and the continuation of them will only gradually increase these horrible statistics. ”
The reason for all the sexism against men and favoritism towards men in certain workplaces stems from gender stereotypes. It has been proven that in many fields women can keep up with men despite many people employed in those jobs being men. Outside of the workplace, there are subtle stereotypes against men and women, like mental health stigmas. It is said that women are overdramatic, and men should not show their emotions. This usually stems from influences growing up as a father figure might have told a boy that showing emotion does no good and he should not be sensitive towards trivial matters. Showing emotions was seen as a “female trait”.
Suicide is the twelfth leading cause of death in America and approximately 80% of these acts are committed by men, according to CDC suicide data statistics. Because of the stigma that men should not show feelings, they don’t get seek and obtain proper mental health care. They do not see therapists, they do not find solutions, and for the most part, they go on with their lives by living through their pains.
Gender stereotypes harm everyone. They do no good and the continuation of them will only gradually increase these horrible statistics. Women lose jobs and are seen as less valuable than men, while men try to act like they do not need proper help, harming themselves and others. Statistics support the notion that some people are better than others at certain tasks, however, that is because these stereotypes prevent people from getting experience in work fields or getting the help they need. By restricting the perpetuation of these stereotypes, more opportunities will arise, and the world will be more equal.