imcsap.org – The second activity of IMCS Asia Pacific Women Empowerment and Gender Equity Commission, to celebrate International Women’s Day 2023, was the Women Empowerment Talk; WE Talk about Gender Stereotypes. The session was held on March 22, 2023, from 7 PM – 8.30 PM Manila Time virtually facilitated by Ms. Anggi Wedo, a member of the Women Empowerment and Gender Equility Commission. 

One of the challenges for youth to improve their capacity is the stereotype of the gender, such as the inability to express themselves or to show up and participate with the same contributions as others. And this still happens in homes, communities, and colleges in every country. Therefore, as the student movement, it is important to invite and encourage our student leaders, young women, and men, to share their experiences and thoughts regarding gender stereotypes. 

Some common stereotypes in the Asian context based on their sharing:

• Women are expected to be slim and have white skin, straight hair, black hair, and big eyes, while men are expected to have tall bodies and muscular, sharp noses. 
• Men wear pants, and women wear dresses, skirts, high heels, and make-up.
• Women are often expected to be accommodating, gentle, fussy, emotional, and subordinate, while men are usually expected to be self-confident, aggressive, rude, more powerful, and logical.
• Women care for the children, cook, and clean the home, while men care for finances and work as a mechanic. 
• Some people quickly assume that teachers and nurses are women and that pilots, doctors, and engineers are men.
• Women should not be late to get married, while Men have no problem with that. More aged, more financially stable.

And these are some facts about the gender stereotypes, that have been shared by the facilitator: 

• More than 700 million women worldwide are married off each year before they reach their 18th birthday, while one in every three women experiences physical violence by their intimate partners. 
• Women are also paid significantly lower wages than men.
• The lack of improvement in women’s socioeconomic status is the persistent male-female gap in educational opportunities and social and gender norms, which interfere with the ability of girls and women to take advantage of the opportunities in many developing countries. 
• We know from our research that boys and young men who experienced these inequitable norms and learned them at home (see their parents) are more likely to use violence against a female partner and are less likely to support gender equality overall.”

By the end of the discussion, there are commitments from participants to challenge the gender stereotypes, such as: 

• Be you. Be the best version of yourself
• Not judging others gives them freedom. Celebrate being different. 
• Surround yourself with people who make you comfortable. Those who celebrate who you are rather than putting you down. All about finding the comfort zone