How do gender roles, stereotypes, and sexism shape domestic violence?
Rigid gender roles and stereotypes mean such fixed beliefs and assumptions which determine that men and women are naturally suited to different tasks and responsibilities or have likes, dislikes, desires, interests, and abilities that aren’t based on their personalities but their gender. Examples include:
- Assuming women will only do the household tasks
- Viewing men as the primary breadwinner, and women as the primary home keeper/child career.
- Thinking men are ‘naturally’ more violent or driven by uncontrollable sexual urges.
Gender roles are implanted in our brains right after we are born. This implanting is done by our family, friends, advertisements, and the media. So, children naturally take up the limited and stereotyped gender roles and identities. These gender norms become internalized as part of the natural order of their lives. For instance, it is generally believed that men should not cry, instead should be dominant and tough which generally means that boys and men shouldn’t show emotions or demonstrate abilities to play comforting roles. On the other hand, it is believed that women should be nurturing, ‘lady-like or sexually appealing means women and girls are often pressurized to behave in specific ways to meet society’s expectations.
Stereotypes are at the core of discrimination. Stereotypes are very harmful because they result in violations of basic human rights and fundamental freedom. Men’s and women’s potential to develop their abilities, pursue their professional careers are all affected by such stereotypes. Stereotypes can be explicitly hostile (e.g. women are unreasonable, feeble, etc.) or can appear harmless (e.g. women are nurturing, social, etc.), but encourage discriminatory ideas. With respect to violence against women, it is stereotypes and beliefs about what women should or should not do that often place blame on the victim in a rape, rather than maintaining the focus on the perpetrator and holding him accountable for the crime he has committed.
Gender role expectations of women and men are a major contributor to domestic violence. Gender roles are not only different but produce unequal outcomes, with men positioned as dominant and women positioned as subordinate in family, social and cultural life. This occurs through expectations that women will:
- be concerned only about their family and catering to others even at the expense of their wellbeing
- be pleasing in physical appearance, and accept others’ judgments about their appearance without question.
- avoid conflict and accept responsibility for mending any conflicts
- have few ambitions outside of romance, family, and caring, and to prioritize the needs of others over their ambitions
- support the social and economic advancement of men
Assumptions and expectations of men which largely contribute to the widespread domestic violence include:
- using aggression towards women, children, and other men to have their needs and wants met, and to fulfill their ambitions
- dominating over others
- acting as the ‘head of the household’, making major decisions and controlling the household finances
- being sexually aggressive, and dominating sexual interactions
- demonstrating leadership in public and social life
- Controlling and disciplining the sexuality of women and girls close to them in order to ‘protect’ them from other men