Delgado 1

Arela Delgado

Professor Tubbs

English 1301

10/13/20

Gender Roles and the Damage They Cause Draft

Dresses are for girls; sports are for boys. These statements are largely seen as hard facts

of life, but why? Who created these boxes to put is in, and why are they do so much damage?

These gender roles are often seen as more beneficial to men, and harmful to women, and in many

ways, they are equally damaging to both, and must be ended.

Growing up women are pushed to occupations such as nursing, and teaching, both

admirable jobs, however women are capable of so much more. When women do push themselves

into male dominant fields such as STEM, they must work twice as hard to constantly prove their

worth in ways men don’t have to. Men have the advantage in the occupational department. As

children men are pushed to be anything they want. Doctors, astronauts, politicians, nothing is out

of reach. Once they do enter these fields promotion is easy, men in power give men more power.

They have this culture of “boys only club” that makes them feel superior to women, and

therefore are less likely to promote women. The last issue women face that men are fortunate

enough to ignore is the pressing tick of our biological clocks. Women must focus of settling

down and having children in their late twenty's early thirties and are looked down upon in

society if they put their career before their children. Men, on the other hand are encouraged to

put careers before family and can continue to do so until their forties and fifties, without any

consequences.
 Delgado 2

As a female, you are raised to feel your emotions. It is always acceptable for a woman to

cry; some would say it is expected. Now this seems condescending at first but overall, it is

healthy. From a young age, women learn how to process their emotions, we feel our hurt, move

on, and grow stronger. Unfortunately, from a young age, men are told that “crying is for girls”

which is somehow supposed to be an insult. The issue is, little boys take this misogyny and use it

as motivation to internalize and suppress their emotions. As they grow into adults they never

learn how to cope and deal with emotions. This leads them to feelings of anger and a constant

internal struggle of feeling “weak” like a woman. Females are often considered objectively more

suitable parents, due to their gentle nature. In custody battles the mother is usually more likely to

have full custody over the dad. This may not mean the woman necessarily deserves it, it just

means that the court sees women better fit to raise a child.

Men and women have certain roles in society that are both advantageous and damaging.

The only way for both men and women to be equal is to acknowledge that the patriarchy is

damaging to everyone, and must be destroyed.

*I plan to add statistics about mental health differences between men and women, and job

statistics. *