Once upon a time . . . well, we all know how the story goes. The beautiful princess awaits the strong, fearless prince that will save her and whisk her away into a happily ever after. These are the messages about how females should act that little girls pick up on as they grow up in society. Young girls begin to understand what is expected of them and what their roles should be in terms of how society defines gender. Authors have acknowledged this growing trend as well. Colette Dowling wrote in her book, The Cinderella Complex, that, “Like Cinderella, women today are still waiting for something external to transform their lives.” Dowling means that women are expected to be the more dependent and passive gender. Does this sentiment hold true today?
I thought it might be interesting to talk to a few high school girls to see how they would feel about the issue. I asked them their opinions on women’s gender roles in society, and if they felt pressure to act a certain way simply because they were female.
Sophomore Shayla Lugo answered candidly, “Women are expected to be the prettier gender. We [women] go through all this work, trying to look our best, getting our hair done, doing our makeup, to please society.” Ammy Pena, sophomore, seemed to feel the same way. She explains, “If I’m eating at a restaurant, I feel like I have to sit a certain way because I’m a girl. If I’m at a party, I feel like I have to dance a certain way or dress in a particular manner to please family, friends, and society.” Sophomore Jessica Scirocco shares, “I think it’s really unfair. We’re living in a world where woman are more degraded than men.”
Other high school girls do not share this sentiment, however. Sophomore Kiana Moore, when asked if she feels pressure to behave in a particular way because of her gender, answered, “No, not at all. I do what I like and don’t think that anyone should tell me not to. If I want to play football, let me play football.” Christina Dube, junior, expressed, “I don’t feel that women are pressured. . . I just act how I act.”
Others, like senior Erica Millbrook, believe that there are still remnants of inequality and different expectations for woman but believe that this knowledge should not affect them as individuals. In her words, “There is definitely gender inequality out there, but it definitely doesn’t mean [anyone should feel] pressure to act in a certain way.”
These answers reflect the different ways that women today feel the effects of society’s expectations of women. Some feel strongly about the issue of unfair expectations for women, while some maintain that they are affected very little or not at all by these expectations. However, it remains clear that those expectations are present and that the goal of gender equality is still an elusive goal our society should continue to work towards.