Vanshika dedha
- 1. GENDER AND EDUCATION women stereotypes in india Name : vanshika Enrollment no.: A4614 319066 Programme: B.EL.ED 4
- 2. GENDER STEREOTYPING THAT WOMEN FACE A stereotype is a widely accepted judgment or bias about a person or group — even though it’s overly simplified and not always accurate. Stereotypes about gender can cause unequal and unfair treatment because of a person’s gender. This is called sexism. There are various kinds of women stereotypes in our society, some of them are: • Personality traits — For example, women are often expected to be accommodating and emotional, while men are usually expected to be self-confident and aggressive. • Domestic behaviors — For example, some people expect that women will take care of the children, cook, and clean the home, while men take care of finances, work on the car, and do the home repairs. • Occupations — Some people are quick to assume that teachers and nurses are women, and that pilots, doctors, and engineers are men. • Physical appearance — For example, women are expected to be thin and graceful, while men are expected to be tall and muscular. Men and women are also expected to dress and groom in ways that are stereotypical to their gender (men wearing pants and short hairstyles, women wearing dresses and make-up.
- 3. A stereotype is a widely accepted judgment or bias about a person or group — even though it’s overly simplified and not always accurate. Stereotypes about gender can cause unequal and unfair treatment because of a person’s gender. This is called sexism. There are various kinds of women stereotypes in our society, some of them are: • Personality traits — For example, women are often expected to be accommodating and emotional, while men are usually expected to be self-confident and aggressive. • Domestic behaviors — For example, some people expect that women will take care of the children, cook, and clean the home, while men take care of finances, work on the car, and do the home repairs. • Occupations — Some people are quick to assume that teachers and nurses are women, and that pilots, doctors, and engineers are men. • Physical appearance — For example, women are expected to be thin and graceful, while men are expected to be tall and muscular. Men and women are also expected to dress and groom in ways that are stereotypical to their gender (men wearing pants and short hairstyles, women wearing dresses and make-up.
- 4. The ideal female is perhaps seen as warm, emotional, kind, polite, sensitive, friendly, fashionable, gentle, soft and is the follower. In urban contexts, these gender expectations and stereotypes could be more subtle and indirect. There maybe several women who are naturally extroverted, brave and tough and they are bombarded by our society for not being gentle & submissive. Girls are restricted more to stay at home and bring their friend at home, due to the biological changes they go through. Girls are constantly taunted for their dressing habits, acne problems, or weight problems during this point in time. The girls are taught to preserve their “purity” or their character might get distorted, and they would be valued less.
- 5. GENDER STEREOTYPING FOR WOMEN IN INDIA India, the country where we worship Goddess Durga and Kali for the protection from evils, the same country with an average of 2,39,000 excess female dies each year under the age of five owing to neglect due to gender discrimination. Girls in India are considered to be an economic burden in India. Despite the Pre- Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act,1994, India is the country with the highest female Foeticides in the world due to the concepts of “Dowry”. Girls are made to learn that “her husband’s house” is the place where she belongs. Whereas boys are told that they need to feed their ageing parents, they need to build a house and earn money so that a “beautiful” woman can marry him. In family gathering, the females ought to serve food to men, while males ought to have “talks” about the economy and the important household decisions of the household. When a child sees his father beating his mother, they set an example for their child, that men are mean to dominate, while females are bound to surrender.
- 6. Many times, especially if you are driving in India, you must have heard “Gaadi ladki chala rhi hogi!”. The stereotype associated with women as a poor driver was broken by a report by Delhi traffic police authority, claiming that women drivers cause less than 2% of fatal road mishaps in accidents. Only 12 fatal accidents in Delhi were caused by women drivers against 724 by men. According to a survey of 6500 women across the world, it was found that Indian women are the most stressed in the world today. 87% of the Indian women felt stressed all the time. Owing to male patriarchy society, the females aren’t given the opportunity to express their feelings. Even if she does, she is considered weak and is generally neglected. Parents, relatives, friends taunt and bully their girl child for the way she looks as soon as she turns barely 11 or 12. The stress that the girl goes through with all the pressure to look as the society wants her to look is immense. This makes the girl more vulnerable to suicidal thought and feels like an attack on her self esteem. When a girl smokes or drinks, their family members advise her to quit it, since it can ruin her character, while if a boy smokes or drinks, the parents or relatives give remarks like “that it is just a phase, let him enjoy his teenage life”.
- 7. HOW CAN WE OVERCOME FROM THESE STEREOTYPING IN OUR SOCIETY • The right to take important household decisions should be given, without any discrimination. The duty to serve food, the duty to wash clothes, or prepare food, go to the office, should be based on equality as well. Parents must never tell their daughters to come back home at 8 while allowing boys to stay up all night at their friend’s place. All these petty instances have a great influence on the mentality of a person at this sensitive phase. • To change their mindsets women should do these three things:- Learn and Educate themselves- By learning and educating themselves, women will understand their current situation, what is right or wrong, what should they do to get themselves freedom and right to achieve their dream, etc. Move confidently into male-dominated areas and speak up-Stereotypes won’t disappear unless people understand they are harmful. Women in male-dominated environments can help raise awareness. Prepare to react-Women should anticipate and prepare to react to inappropriate or discriminating comments. While such questions or comments were acceptable in the past, it is our role today to make sure they will no longer be tolerated. Those perpetuating gender stereotypes should bear the consequences of such behaviour.
- 8. Measures taken to remove these women stereotypes in india • Many Indian laws have put women in a higher position and have given women more rights than men. Some of the examples are The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976; The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961; The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956; The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961; The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971; The Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987; The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.; The Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994; The Sexual Harassment of Women at Work Place (Prevention, Protection and) Act, 2013. • An amendment in The Hindu Succession Act in the year 2005, was a major head forward toward gender equality. This amendment conferred the equal rights of Hindu women to inherit the interstate property. • Section 497, the Indian Penal Code, 1860 was abolished, which treated women as the property that a man possesses. According to this law, if a man has sexual intercourse with the married woman, without the consent of her husband, he is charged for adultery. Also, it did not give the right to women to sue her husband indulged in adultery. But now, adultery can form a basis of divorce, but it cannot be penalised. • Introduction of POCSO Act (The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012), was crucial legislation, protecting the child, be it male or female, against sexual offences.