Girls are taught at a young age to dress a certain way and not to worry about work because most likely they will find a man who will take care of them. Women are supposed to cook, clean, and take care of the kids. I mean really that’s all they’re good for, right? Girls should never take on the role of leadership.

“Society makes women feel they have to act a certain way,” Marcos Garibaldo, a computer engineering major, states when explaining how his sisters do not live up to their gender roles.

Let’s talk about boys. They are supposed to be into cars, pay for dates and never show emotion. Men are strong and work to provide.

“TV expands and makes [gender roles and stereotypes] mainstream like how a man goes to work and women cook and clean,” Jorge Lopez, a mathematics major, states.

There are no questions asked, and the cycle continues to where it is us who create these gender roles and stereotypes that men and women are expected to live up to. Constantly, men and women are being judged or feeling less than a woman when not acting accordingly.

The problem is there is no clear understanding of what it means to be a man or a woman. These roles and stereotypes need to be put to an end. Wear what you want, do what you want, say and think what you want. Express yourself freely without second guessing yourself.

“I think we try to make it different than it was before, like how in history, there have been changes where now women can vote but it’s still not enough. Men are stereotypically stronger but women like Serena Williams show us that [women] can do the same if not more,” Mary Sarkies, who is majoring in music and criminal justice, states.

However that’s not always the case, too often women are seen as weak.

“I feel [men and women] are not equal. Girls have to be cautious of their surroundings while guys do not. I just feel girls get treated less than guys,” Briseyda Torres, human biology major, adds.
I personally am very involved in the Philosophy for Children Program where I discuss ‘big ideas’ with children. Coincidentally, my past session was about breaking stereotypes. I held up many flashcards such as “It is okay for a boy to wear pink,” “It is okay for a girl to play football,” “It is okay for a dad to be the stay-at-home parent,” and “It is okay for a boy to be a cheerleader.”

For the most part, the children, aged 5 to 7 years old, thought there were no problems with the above claims. Children come to learn later in life to believe the opposite.

If you think there is a problem with the above claims, it is important to come to the realization that both men and women deserve more. It is important to be able to express yourself and live for yourself rather than to uphold a version of yourself that is untrue. It is unacceptable to feel as though you have to hide a part of who you are in order to make society at peace for abiding the social norms created wrongfully so by society.

“You cannot change the way you are, just act how you want. We are innate. You should just do whatever you want rather than altering your [identity],” Michael Akroush, philosophy and public administration major states.