Abolishing Gender Role Expectations

Till late 90s it was very common in many parts of the world that the society had different expectations for an individual who has just set foot in this world on the basis of their gender. Even today, in many parts of the world the society has set a number of norms or rules which they expect to be followed by a person throughout their life depending on the gender they are born with.

It sounds crazy when you realise that the society has already decided how you should live your life even before you were born. But it’s our life and only we can decide what norms we are going to follow and which ones are going in the trashcan around the corner. If I am born a male doesn’t mean I have to show a masculine identity to the world or doesn’t mean I have to wear a particular set of clothes that the society has called ‘normal’. I am the one to decide my definition of my ‘normal’. Similarly if I was born a girl doesn’t mean I should be good at household work or I should be accommodating and emotional. It is the right of every human Being to speak up for themselves.

Gender roles in society means how we’re expected to act, speak, dress, groom, and conduct ourselves based upon our assigned sex. Gender stereotypes are harmful because they don’t allow people to fully express themselves and their emotions. In the world values survey, responders were asked if they thought that wage work should be restricted to only men in the case of shortage in jobs: in Iceland the proportion that agreed with the proposition was 3.6%; while in Egypt it was 94.9%.?

With the world moving towards gender equality, it is equally important to abolish these gender role expectations. Because it’s not your obligation or moral duty towards anyone to live a life by their rules. but it is your responsibility to live a happy life where you have all the freedom to decide what type of person you want to be and what purpose you want to serve. Because at the end, your happiness and self fulfilment is what matters the most.