It's not going to be easy to change something prevalent for such a long time now. But, we must start somewhere and it is never too late to try, the earlier we educate children not to create these stereotypes the better.
Stereotypes will not disappear completely, it’s like washing your shoes after you step in the muck. No matter how much you wash your shoes after the muck is dried there will still be some dirt left behind, overtime it may come off.
Here are some ways we can begin to change these stereotypes,
Start small
A change will occur only when we accept that these stereotypes are harmful. We should speak more carefully around young kids as they learn quickly, how women talk about other women, how men talk about other men and so on.
Not only this but toys and colours are often stereotyped with gender too if a young boy is seen with a doll he may be teased. The colour blue is often associated with a boy and pink with a girl. If we see a boy wearing a shade of pink he is deemed ‘feminine.’
When it comes to respecting, we must learn to respect everyone and not just a certain gender(or elders). Stereotypes have become a part of our life and it may be difficult for some to even notice they are stereotyping.
Encourage each other
There are many women out there in powerful positions who hold their own. It is easy to say be more confident and push yourself more, but this is a lot harder when people around you are prejudiced.
Instead of being envious of someone else’s successes, we can look at their success as motivation and their failure as a lesson.
Let’s avoid these stereotypes when we can. Giving credit where it is due to anyone will help them do better at work; Allowing students to explore what they like will help them find themselves.
As for young girls, they can be athletic and take part in any sports if they like and continue studying mathematics and science if they are interested in it. As for boys, they do not have to take science and become engineers and doctors
Smart comebacks can go a long way
Often people say offensive things, they may not do so intentionally but it is said none the less. In times like this instead of getting angry at the remark, one can simply give a smart comeback. However, this does not always come naturally, it may take a while but sooner or later it will be more spontaneous.
When you give a smart comeback it turns the situation around and shows that you can handle negativity.
Be who you want to be
Our family members are the first people we socialize with, they teach us the norms of society. We will often hear these common lines said to girls “sit like a lady” “talk like a girl” “behave properly” and for boys “man up” “don’t cry like that, only girls cry.”
With media portraying a slim figure for girls and six-pack abs for guys it can be difficult to ‘be yourself’ if you don’t fit these stereotypes. Boys can be emotionally vulnerable if they want to and girls can be dominant and assertive if they want to.
As I said earlier this process will take times to change and by starting now and being aware of what we say we can make a difference.
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