Stereotyping is a common thought process adopted by people knowingly or unknowingly; and people fall victim to it willingly or unwillingly. We harbour the unjust belief that a community's traits can be determined by the behaviour of its few members; like Asians ace math, Muslims are related to Osama and the French eat nothing but snails . Sadly, these beliefs are self-fulfilling prophecies for behaviour.
I am an Indian and a girl. For me, these details are just facts but for the society I live in, these tags govern my Do's and Do Not's. A prevalent stereotype in my region is that women are weaker than men. For their own protection, they should not be given the liberty to use public transport unaccompanied, step out in the night or indulge in activities that require rigourous physical labour or public interaction. I have never shared this opinion and tried my best to defy it, but I could not help falling prey to this typecasting. The bias of everyone around me started to adulterate my psyche and I, originally a strong believer of gender-equality, spent my pre-teens questioning my abilities and shying away from competing with boys.
It took me a few years to realize where I had landed and to shake these labels off my head . Today, I am a confident young girl who makes her own decisions and does not fear commuting by buses, attending late-night parties and standing up to anyone who undermines my capabilities. My outlook towards the world has also changed. I have learnt not to categorize people. A person's ethnicity or gender will never control my perception of him or her. I will meet people with an open mind and base my relationships on truths rather than on prejudiced notions.
I am an Indian and a girl. For me, these details are just facts but for the society I live in, these tags govern my Do's and Do Not's. A prevalent stereotype in my region is that women are weaker than men. For their own protection, they should not be given the liberty to use public transport unaccompanied, step out in the night or indulge in activities that require rigourous physical labour or public interaction. I have never shared this opinion and tried my best to defy it, but I could not help falling prey to this typecasting. The bias of everyone around me started to adulterate my psyche and I, originally a strong believer of gender-equality, spent my pre-teens questioning my abilities and shying away from competing with boys.
It took me a few years to realize where I had landed and to shake these labels off my head . Today, I am a confident young girl who makes her own decisions and does not fear commuting by buses, attending late-night parties and standing up to anyone who undermines my capabilities. My outlook towards the world has also changed. I have learnt not to categorize people. A person's ethnicity or gender will never control my perception of him or her. I will meet people with an open mind and base my relationships on truths rather than on prejudiced notions.
