1. List a few gender stereotypes that you come across commonly around you.
Ans:
1. The most widespread gender stereotype is that of a woman as a housewife, cook or
mother. Her work is not valued because it does not generate income for the family.
2. men are the breadwinners and women are the caretakers.
3. Unmarried girls are placed under the protection of their father or brother and after
marriage, under their husband's protection.
2. What do you understand by gender inequality?
Ans:
1. Gender inequality implies the discrimination between males and females
2. Such inequality exists in terms of non appreciation of women's unpaid job, household
work and paid jobs.
3.
3. Name a few social reformers who worked for the upliftment of women in India. Also
mention the reforms introduced by them.
Ans:
1. Social reformers of the nineteenth century like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar
Chandra Vidyasagar and Dayanand Saraswati introduced reforms for the upliftment
of women.
2. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was instrumental in abolishing sati
3. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was responsible for the legislation of Widow Remarriage
Act in 1856
4. Dayanand Saraswati opened a number of schools and colleges to promote education
for girls.
4. How are gender roles identified in a family?
Ans: From the very beginning, boys and girls are treated differently within most Indian
families.
1. parents are more protective about girls and their movements are watched and
checked. They are discouraged to have an active social life.
2. Girls are expected to help out with the housework, while going to the local market
and buying vegetables, grocery, etc., is the task of boys.
3. The birth of son is treated with joy than birth of a girl.
5. How can the issue of gender stereotypes be tackled at an individual level?
Ans:
1. By Speaking out about your own experiences.
2. Calling out discrimination in the media and advertising
3. Supporting other campaigners
Long question answers
1.Why do you think the games boys and girls play are different? What do these games tell
you?
Ans:
1. Society makes clear distinctions between boys and girls from a very early age.
2. For example, we tend to buy blue clothes and toys for boys and pink for girls.
Another common example is to give boys toys like cars, balls, blocks etc. while girls
are given dolls, kitchen set, doctor set, etc.
3. These are typical examples of gender stereotypes.
4. Gender is thus a social construct defining the socially and culturally prescribed roles
that men or boys and women or girls have to follow.
2. Housework is meant for women. Do you agree? Support your answers with explanations.
Ans:
1. No,we do Not agree as the statement is subject to gender stereotypes.
2. Household chores have no gender and Having mastered these skills will benefit both
women and men
3. It's important to show that there’s no such thing as men’s work or women’s work—it’s
all just work!”
3. Women are physically weaker hence they should be paid less. What is the statement
trying to say? Elaborate.
Ans: the statement implies that
1. The availability of opportunities for the career progressions of women continues to be
negatively affected by gender stereotypes.
2. Despite many policies to increase gender equality in recent decades, gender
discrimination based on gender stereotypes continues to exist.
4. How does gender inequality manifest itself in terms of schooling and education?
Ans:
1. The literacy rate in India for men and women is 82 per cent and 65 per cent
respectively.
2. This shows discrimination between girls and boys when ut comes to schooling.
3. Traditionally, educating girls was not given the same priority as boys as it was
assumed that girls would only take care of the house and would not work.
4. It is so embedded in our society that we practise it without being conscious of it and
also moves to school.
5. What steps has the government taken to reduce gender inequality in India?
Ans:
1. Indian Constitution provides equal opportunities to everyone, male or female, without
discrimination.
2. State governments have initiated many schemes to encourage parents to send their
daughters to schools by way of giving cash incentives and other benefits.
3. To encourage women to step out of their homes and work, anganwadis have been
set up across the country
4. To reduce harassment of women at work, the government has introduced the
formation of Sexual Harassment Committee in all the organisations, public as well as
private.
