Pink Or Blue: Let’s Do Away With This And 5 Such Gender-Biased Stereotypes
Image: Shutterstock
Pink for girls and Blue for boys! For ages, we’ve been following this silly rule! So much so that we even teach our kids the same. Even worse, in this day and age where women cricketers are wearing blue and men are flaunting pink jerseys on the field, we have regressively boring baby showers on the same old blue-pink boy-girl theme! C’mon people, what’s wrong with all of us? Isn’t it time we did away with such gender-biased stereotypes and taught ourselves a lesson in equality? Here are five such gender stereotypes that the society can safely do away with:
1. Girls Love To Shop
Until they drop! Which literally means the poor guys do not have any sense of grooming or style. Whereas all that girls can think of to keep themselves engaged is splurging in shopping! Blah! Men too, if not more, equally like to indulge in shopping and grooming. Gone are the days when a random pedicure made Chandler (of FRIENDS) the butt of jokes. Because some amount of self-love and grooming is universal.
2. Real Boys Don’t Cry
Yeah, because they are robots, not human, you see! Not only little boys, but even teens and men are advised not to cry under any circumstances. Worse still, not to cry like a woman. Because crying, they are told, is a sign of weakness. So, what is a sign of strength? Whether it’s a man or woman, expressing your emotions is a human trait. It does not make anyone weak or less of a man or woman. On the contrary, coming to terms with your emotions and feelings takes a lot of courage.
3. Girls Shouldn’t Stay Out At Nights
Blame it on Cinderella! Looks like our elders took her story really seriously. They think a girl’s ride will turn into a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight. And why is safety a prerogative only for girls after dark? Either way, it leaves the poor boys out. With sexual predators of all kinds increasingly becoming a threat to both girls and boys nowadays, it is silly to hang on to this stereotype. What’s important is to teach our children how to be safe and alert no matter where they are – during the day or at night!
4. Boys Can’t Cook
And will die of hunger if women in their homes do not feed them?? This belief is simply an extension of the stereotype where women are expected to take care of the household whereas men are supposed to be the breadwinners. With a lot of families now having both men and women working and contributing to the household financially, it only makes sense to have an equal division of household chores too. And it’s best to inculcate this habit in your children from a very young age. Doing your own household chores, including cooking, also makes one independent. This experience comes in handy when your kids step out of the family fold to live on their own, either for studies, work, or starting out their own family.
5. A Male Doctor; A Female Nurse
Ever wondered why we need to call the nurse ‘sister’? What’s wrong when a girl aspires to be a doctor or a boy wishes to become a chef? There has been an increasing number of job roles that women have taken over from men and vice versa. Yet, we continue to react with surprise when we see a woman supervisor or a male nurse. It’s high time that we change our mind-sets not only at home but at workplaces too. Let’s start giving the due respect to the person holding the office or position irrespective of the gender he/she belongs to.
Over the years, the human race has made mind-blowing progress in many fields with both men and women being equal contributors. It’s time we do away with such silly gender-biased mindsets in the interest of our future generations. From now on, let your sons wear that pretty pink shirt and your girls don blue hats!
Have you too come across any such gender bias which you think should be dumped? Do share your thoughts with us.
