Citation:

Namrata Gurung. "Fighting Gender Stereotypes and Development in Nepal" International Research Journal of Economics and Management Studies, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 14-18, 2024.

Abstract:

Gender is a loaded terminology both as a theory and practice. Gender is a criticized terminology by different feminist theorists. Gender identity is not confined to a binary ( girl/ woman/man/ boy), nor is it static. It can be changeable. Thinking about gender transcends the study of politics, law, society, and culture. Gender roles first originated from the Victorian era, which comprised most of the 15th century. It was strongly opinionated with strong ideas regarding the roles of each gender in society, such as men were expected to appear in public and women to guard their homes. Gender discrimination has been deeply rooted in the society. Gender stereotypes and biases are built from very early childhood, from playing with toys to choosing specific jobs. Specifically speaking of Nepali society, where patriarchal society still is persistent gender. Men’s mindsets are designed, whether consciously or unconsciously, to preserve the patriarchal social order. Part of the discrimination is because of women themselves. They follow the social norms and traditions as part of their lives. It is a challenge for women to beat the gender stereotype and break the boundaries in this deep-rooted patriarchal society. Around 25 percent of the women hold leadership around the world indicating unequivocally that men are preferred over women when it comes to executive hiring and salary. Since it is deeply rooted in society and an individual’s mind since they were born, education is the key to fighting gender stereotypes. It is not only school education. It is also parental education and awareness so that they are taught that men and women are the same and achieve the same. Right now, we are in the mid-era, where more female children are getting an education than male children, according to the census data for 2022. That has broken all ends of gender stereotypes and bias. But still, there are several holes to be filled because it is deeply rooted and has got strong grip on the patriarchal society. Education and awareness are the only ways to fight gender stereotypes. Even in the digital world, men are more powerful than women. Technology is the new power today. Technology is one of the male-divided occupations. So, females are less likely to indulge in this area. Deep-rooted and systemic, males’s dominance over women is acknowledged by both men and women globally. But the norms and the behaviors will change. Dominations and discrimination will end with time and awareness.

References:

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Keywords:

Gender, Stereotype, Patriarchal, Discrimination, Feminist.