What is Gender Roles and Stereotypes?
Gender roles are socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women. Gender stereotypes are oversimplified and often negative beliefs about the characteristics of individuals based on their gender.
Historical Background
Historically, gender roles have been deeply entrenched in most societies, often rooted in patriarchal structures, division of labor, cultural norms, and religious beliefs. In India, post-independence legal reforms aimed to address gender inequality, but social change in challenging ingrained stereotypes has been slower.