Biased media follows gender stereotypes

With such development in technology, people in this golden age depend on media to a great extent. It not only influences an individual's thoughts but have its effect on global society.

If we have a closer look at our society we find that those days are not long gone and no doubt, there is still oppression present for women by men and these men in power subsequently control the means i.e., media. A precise look at T.V. shows, children's toys and advertisements reveal that they marginalize and objectify women as merely being involved in household, incapable of competing and deceitful. Media also enrolls in it, how an ideal women should look like, through its adverts it creates a mold, which may be a women with extensively slim figure, and one who doesn't fit into it is forced to adjust one's appearance.

In 1995, T.V. Shows like, FRIENDS were broadcasted in Fiji, and study reveals that in merely 3 years from then over 11.9% of women were over the toilet bowl and bulimia, all because they wanted to look like those thin figured characters, it was not a choice for them but an only option. Also today, when half of the time child is awake he's introduced to the social world through media, it is high time to critically keep an eye on the depiction of gender in media. Media has its freedom and it is wrong to control free speech by any means, and in a country like ours where media has the freedom to produce anything without even the interference of government, we can't do anything except to censor what is being published.

"In mainstream media, stereotyping is a standard way of characterizing people." Though there are leading women but in media they are shown in a more bitter way than the male. For example, in BREAKING BAD, a woman's adulterous affair is shown to be bad and immoral whereas her husband being a drug dealer wins sympathy as he's working for his family.

Similarly while walking through a children's toy store we find in the boys' section full of superhero figures, while in the girls' section we see kitchen sets, odd-shaped barbies.

Moreover, the boys' toys are made more complicated and for girls' they are simply painted pink, just to show that boys are intellectually stronger than their counterparts, which is yet another stereotype that media follows. Also in comic books, which is a source of entertainment and is accessible to most of the public, we mostly have male superheroes if by chance we strike one or two lady figures their pictorial representation is done in such a way that they are shown sexually being over girly (over curves), same is the case with barbies.

This female inferiority becomes a source of cultural understanding for those who believe only on media for their connection to outside world and they find it absolutely right.

Possible solutions for it can be- firstly, a male should be from very childhood be educated about respecting women and that they are not someone who need to submit always. Next, workshops should be held in order to educate children maybe in fourth or fifth grade about puberty, color, different sexual orientations and sex, so they do not abide by wrong means and treat each other in a wrong way. Next, women need to unify to speak out about them being suppressed by the media representatives, social media can play a good role to fight back.

The media by whosoever it is controlled, brings out a figure of women as being weak, a commodity, an incompetent one. Media is setting an unacceptable appearance for women. It is also leading to the acceptability of women being inferior. Accurate positioning of women, women fighting back, and proper education may combat the following of gender stereotypes by media.

Posted By: Shivani Dalakoti, brand ambassador "MY VOTE FOR a BETTER INDIA" social initiative by "Pickyouropinion.com".

Gender Construct

The one social idea that never fails to make me feel physically ill is the concept of 'Gender Construct', primarily because it is the root cause of a number of other problems the society currently faces. Gender Construct, is basically the construction of roles for both genders by the society and the truth that these roles are what is generally considered ideal or appropriate behavior for a person of that specific gender. 

The gravity of such ideas that are constantly sprouting in our current 'developing' times is growing stronger by the day. It limits not only us, as individuals; our choices, beliefs, actions.. But our environment as a whole. Being a part of the world around us, these beliefs about a particular style of living and the ideas of 'wrong and right' further thrust us down the huge dark pit of ignorance, making us mere submissive of a culture as vulnerable as the hearts in our chests.

See a father traveling with his new born in a public transport, instantly you place the male figure into the 'amicable' group in your head. Why? As if to take care of the child is a favor? Further, looking at the baby. Hey, it wears all blue, definitely a boy. A closer look, and you see sparkling studs on the ears. Interesting, a girl after all. It is important to realize that Gender Construct is not just limited to our interpretations and expectations of a person's appearance. A woman must be graceful, soft spoken. A man needs to be loud. How can he even think of crying? Breaking down? Since when are futile emotions like regret and fear a part of a man's life? 

The question I ask is simple: Why not?

It is because of these limitations that we create in our head that problems like rape, homophobia have come up so strong in recent times. 'She wears so little, she invites it'. Does she? In current times when we boast of freedom and expressive living, such mentalities are nothing but an annoying hurdle. How is it that we believe we have the right to limit a person's choices, to have the audacity to tell them what to do when it concerns no one but themselves? 

Who are we to say a woman stays at home and 'makes a sandwich' while the man gets her the bread for it? Who are we to make someone feel uncomfortable about who they choose to fall in love with or the kind of job they opt for? To combat this problem, we need to look at ourselves before we start to point at others. It's as simple as that. This isn't a traffic jam you're trying to avoid, or the killing of cats you feel strongly against. It's us. We are the problem. I can't continue to rant about education and free spirited acceptance, but does that really help? It's the belief that needs to be changed, only then do we have any hope with the believer.

Posted By: Hiba Beg, brand ambassador "MY VOTE FOR a BETTER INDIA" social initiative by "Pickyouropinion.com".