1.5 Who does gender stereotyping affect?
Gender stereotyping does not only negatively affect women and girls. Boys’ experiences of gender stereotypes can be harmful in a number of ways including through being taught to suppress emotions, pressure to appear “manly” and strong and to choose subjects and careers in line with stereotypes rather than their interests and potential. There also remains stigma associated with males taking on caring roles, which can create further barriers to boys choosing ‘non-traditional’ subjects and complying with societal expectations informed by stereotypes. Those who identify as gender non-binary or transgender may experience additional layers of social pressure, discrimination and harm as a result of not conforming to stereotypes associated with gender. In short, gender stereotyping negatively affects everyone by limiting expression, development and progression based on assumptions and rigid cultural norms.
Gender stereotypes in school
One of the harms of gender stereotyping is that children learn these cultural norms from a very young age, starting as soon as they are born. This shapes the interests and opportunities pursued by children and often extends to “gender policing” in schools by other children based on stereotypes of what girls and boys should be like.
For instance, while the most comprehensive recent studies show no gender differences in maths ability or any difference in interest in science at a young age, stereotypes about gender and math or science are prevalent across society. Multiple studies show that parents and teachers hold strong stereotypes about gender, maths and science.
1.4 What is gender stereotyping?