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Explain institutionalized gender roles to girls from "summary" of Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
When you speak to girls about institutionalized gender roles, make it clear that these roles are not innate. They are not a natural order of things. They are not ordained by any deity. They are artificial. They are made by human beings, and they can be unmade. Explain to girls that gender roles are about power. They are about keeping girls in a subordinate position. They are about maintaining a status quo that benefits men. Girls should understand that these roles limit their potential. They restrict their choices. They confine them to narrow boxes of what society deems appropriate for their gender. Encourage girls to question these roles. Challenge them to think critically about why certain behaviors are expected of them based on their gender. Urge them to reject these limitations. Help girls recognize the ways in which institutionalized gender roles are perpetuated. Show them how these roles are reinforced by the media, by religion, by education, by family. Teach them to be aware of the subtle messages that tell them how they should look, how they should behave, how they should aspire to be. Empower girls to resist these messages. Encourage girls to imagine a world where gender roles do not exist. A world where they are free to be whoever they want to be. A world where their worth is not determined by their adherence to prescribed gender norms. Help them envision a society where equality reigns, where opportunities are truly equal for all genders. And inspire them to work towards creating that world. Girls need to know that they have the power to challenge and change the status quo. They have the agency to redefine gender roles for themselves and for future generations. Encourage them to speak out against injustices. Support them in their efforts to dismantle oppressive systems. And remind them that they are capable of shaping a more just and equitable world for all.
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