Do gender stereotypes play a role in the professions we choose? Yes, it does!
It’s the 21st century still, we see people being told to do things as per society’s wishes. Gender stereotypes are the reason for it. Gender stereotypes are present in every household we might name it as something else but it is there and we are ignoring it. It is present among us in so many ways like the concept that a man is supposed to work outside and be a breadwinner for the family while a woman should work inside and take care of the household.
In a household when a boy is born, he is given toys like cars, balls, cricket sets, etc. As he grows up, he is expected to take an interest only in sports or careers like engineering, piloting, finance, etc. It is in the mindset of society that God has made males for these solid tasks. However, when a girl is born, the first toys she gets is either a doll or a kitchen set, she is likely to behave “like a girl” and only focus on learning how to cook or clean which sets a base that when she grows up all she has to do is work in the kitchen, take care of her family and do household chores. Even if a girl is allowed to work outside it is limited to a certain parameter. She is stated to pursue teaching, nursing or to work in an environment where there is hardly any encounter with males. She is considered “too emotional and sensitive” for hard work. This nature of our society has confined our capabilities. When a boy wants to pursue fashion, it’s called a girl’s profession and he’s judged for it. Similarly, when a girl wants to become a pilot, she’s being mocked and told to dream within limits. Why does a person have to kill their passion because of these gender stereotypes? It is high time that we all work together to make this world equal for all genders. None better or less than the other. Let people choose their desired paths.