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Gender Stereotypes mean to make generalized assumptions about certain genders and to view certain roles being attached to certain genders. A few examples of this can be views such as “Women are bad drivers,” or “crying is weak and feminine,” and even “Fighting is masculine.” Gender stereotyping emerges from centuries of gender roles and patriarchy, it has created a mindset today which is completely male centric and often insulting to women.
Through popular discourse, we can see that the stereotypes about women generally label them as weak, submissive, homemaker and delicate. Men on the other hand are seen as tough, intelligent, powerful, and trustworthy. Adding to that, the assumptions and roles of women are seen as secondary and inferior to men, their ‘traits’ seen as laughable. This is the reason any man showing these traits or so- called weaknesses is labeled as a woman and laughed off. This emasculation of men is derogatory not only to them but to other women as well.
Misogyny is basically any practice that adds to the degradation of the image of a woman. In the above examples, we have seen how certain traits are seen as feminine and labelled off as unnecessary and weak. This thinking of attaching certain roles and meanings to being “feminine” and the hatred towards anything described as that, has made generations together blind to the inherent sexism in these thoughts and practices. It can only be hoped, that though education one can debunk these age old ingrained myths created due to patriarchy and rise above.