Written by Riddhima Sen
Gender stereotypes are certain rules that one must abide by if they belong to a particular gender. Now, gender refers to the biological identity of an individual.
It can be alternatively said that gender has a sociological approach to it. The society associates a person with regard to their biological identity which again depends on the genitalia one is born with and as recorded by the hospital, right after birth.
When a child is born at the hospital, the cloth in which the child is wrapped in determines the gender of the child born – pink indicates that the child is a girl, and blue indicates that the child is a boy. Gender stereotypes exist for people belonging to the third gender community too.
Although transgenders are a part of society, they have a stereotypical image of being troublemakers notorious for their profession. The stereotype limits them to mere outsiders of the society, not empowered individuals.
Shri Gauri Sawant, however, broke the stereotype by becoming the first activist to become a teacher and social worker.
As for the gender stereotypes related to men and women, women are typically supposed to be meek and well-behaved. On the contrary, men are supposed to be masculine. The idea of masculinity varies across nations though.
In the colonial context of the country, the idea of the typical man changed over time. As for women, they are supposed to be absolutely calm in times of chaos and turmoil. They are supposed to get married when they come of age. Men are supposed to be rational, hard-hearted, and not emotional at all.
The very orthodox idea of the rational and the emotional being at loggerheads during the Romantic Age came into play again. They could not express themselves freely, by using their emotions. Thus, stereotypes need to be broken.