Traditional Gender Roles Bad for Society ?

"Stereotypes about gender can cause unequal and unfair treatment because of a person's gender. This is called sexism" (Gender and Gender Identity). Traditional gender roles have caused a huge effect on today's society. "In American culture, masculine roles have traditionally been associated with strength, aggression, dominance, while feminine roles have traditionally been associated with passivity, nurturing, and subordination" (Gender and Sociology). We have categorized and divided the roles between men and women on what they should and should not do. This is extremely wrong! This has an effect on this generation, the generations before us, and the next generations. Now, based on the traditional gender roles, women are expected to stay home and be a house wife, while the male goes out and provides for the family.
"The term "gender role" refers to society's concept of how men and women are expected to act and behave. Gender roles are based on norms, or standards, created by society"(Gender and Sociology).

 Society has created these standards, or norms, that make men and women behave a certain way. They believe that women and men have to act a certain way and dress a certain way. In reality, we are our own person and we live our own life. People should not dictate what is right and what is wrong. If people want to act or dress a certain way, who are you to tell them they cannot? Who are you to tell them how to think? This comes from respect. People lack respect in this society and they expect to be respected. You need to treat people the way you want to be treated. We need to respect the decisions people make for themselves because their choices do not affect your life. "The socialization process in which children learn these gender roles begins at birth. Today, our society is quick to outfit male infants in blue and girls in pink... It is interesting to note that these color associations with gender have not always been what they are today... pink was actually more associated with boys, while blue was more associated with girls..." (Gender and Sociology). Everything is not always what it seems. The root of this comes from implementing these "gender roles" at the beginning of birth. This is based on how society wants you to act, not personal preferences. The problem with this is that the children then grow up being dependent and not being able to make their own decisions because in society it is viewed as wrong. "Children learn at a young age that there are distinct expectations for them based on their assigned gender" (Gender and Sociology).
They say don't judge a book by its cover, but that is exactly what we are doing. "Gender roles shape individual behavior not only by dictating how people of each gender should behave, but also by giving rise to penalties for people who don't conform to the norms" (Gender and Sociology).  We are judging people based on their gender and basically telling them how to act, dress, or talk because they need to "fit in" with society. Truth to the matter is, we are all unique individuals who were born to shine. We were meant to stand out and be different. Children are being limited to certain things and being cheated out of experiences because of society. If children are not allowed to make their own decisions, they grow up being dependent on other people and try to fit in. However, if we allow these children to shine as human beings and allow them to make their own decisions, they become their own person. They are more of an individual and also are independent. They will not depend on other people or society and will make decisions based on personal preferences. We need to allow people, not only children, to be able to express themselves freely. Because at the end of they day, their happiness has nothing to do with your happiness. Do what makes you happy, not because it is what society expects. This are the consequences of dividing roles between men and women. Anybody can do anything as long as they put their mind to it. Gender has nothing to do with it, it is all mental.

  EMPOWERED WOMEN 

                “Women are entitled to live with dignity and with freedom from want and fear” (United Nations Population Fund). Women have always been inferior to men since the stone ages. Men have been seen as the dominant figures and typically are the ones placed in power. However, men and women are both

equal. There have been recent improvements in allowing women to strive and be in place of power. When I say “power,” I am stressing the fact of women having the same opportunities given to men. There needs to be gender equality. Even though, over the years, women have been given more rights and opportunities, there needs to be significantly more. Men are not superior to women. We are both equal human beings who deserve to be treated with the same respect and have the same rights. “Investing in gender equality and women’s empowerment can unlock human potential on a transformational scale” (USAID). 

                “Gender equality is also a precondition for advancing development and reducing poverty: Empowered women contribute to the health and productivity of whole families and communities, and they improve prospects for the next generation” (United Nations Population Fund). Women can have an extreme impact on when given the opportunity to shine. According to an online article, “When women participate in civil society and politics, governments are more open, democratic and responsive to citizens. When women are at the negotiating table, peace agreements are more inclusive and durable. And simply by empowering women farmers with the same access to land, new technologies and capital as men, we can increase crop yields by as much as 30 percent helping to feed a growing population” (USAID). How amazing! Women have so much potential and have a ton to offer. However, women are being limited and are not allowed the opportunity to have an impact on society, government, business, etc. When women are denied the opportunities given to men, they have no other option but to fail. “Lack of an education severely restricts a woman’s access to information and opportunities. Conversely, increasing women’s and girls’ educational attainment benefits both individuals and future generations” (United Nations Population Fund).

We need to come together and form unity between men and women. When men and women are allowed to work together, the results produced can be extraordinary. The solution to this problem is to allow women to participate more fully and equally in the society. Failure only breeds success and when women are given the opportunity to showcase their talents and skills, there is no other option but success. Women and men are more productive and efficient when working together. It is like walking with one leg (the one leg being male dominant), there may be some progress, but to reach your full potential, you need both legs to be productive and efficient.