Gender stereotypes have existed in our society since the time unknown and they continue to flourish even in today’s modern world—which is shameful, to say the least. These gender stereotypes can be about anything and everything, and the worst part is, they influence the young minds as well. That makes one wonder, do gender stereotypes play a role in the kind of professions we choose?
The answer is certainly yes. Whether we want to believe it or not, accept it or not, we are constantly influenced by the kind of expectations the society places on us. And the society likes to indulge in gender stereotypes the most. From making comments like “Boys should be engineers, and girls should be doctors” to constant irrelevant nagging disguised as advice like “girls should do a job that gives them more time to spend at home and take care of their family”—the society never stops itself from throwing unsolicited opinions.
So yes, whether we realise it or not, there is a constant pressure on us to choose a profession that has the potential of somehow making us socially acceptable. This definitely makes it apparent that choosing a profession in such a society has not really been a “choice” but rather just a series of decisions based on expectations we are constantly put through.