Common Gender Stereotypes Young Girls Face in Today’s World
Common gender stereotypes that face young girls in today’s world
Gender stereotypes have found a way of shapeshifting from a blatant categorization of the female role in society to an unspoken yet powerful current that young girls face today. Messages from the media, combined with societal expectations that encourage girls to prioritize beauty, romantic relationships, and emotional caregiving, are so deeply embedded in society that we sometimes forget how these expectations negatively impact the development of young girls.
Marketing
Marketing plays a large role in the expectations for girls to prioritize beauty. Companies like Sephora and Target have makeup marketing strategies specifically meant for “tweens.”At an even younger scale, FAO Schwartz and Mattel make toy-style makeup sets appropriate for girls as young as 3 years old. Marketing makeup in a way that's friendly to young girls reinforces the idea that appearance shapes how society values girls, judging them on the surface rather than on what they are actually capable of achieving.
Female Characters in Media
The portrayal of female characters across media, prioritizing romantic relationships, is a common trope that seems unavoidable in the plots of most TV shows and movies. Studies reveal that approximately 65% to 66% of female characters in films are depicted in romantic relationships, compared to 54% of male characters, who are more often shown as career-focused. Media shapes how we perceive reality. If young girls are exposed to these sorts of gender roles at such a young age, they will be led to believe that pursuing romantic relationships is a defining trait of femininity.
Emotional Regulation
Emotional regulation is another common disparity between young girls and boys. In school settings, female students are often praised for being nurturing and helpful, while male students are more likely to be recognized for leadership, independence, or achievement. Conversely, girls are often criticized for acting aggressively, assertively, and dominantly, while boys acting in that same manner are seen as “boys just being boys.” The difference in the way boys and girls are expected to behave emotionally at a young age plays a large role in how they think they need to act as adults.
What Can We Do to Change This?
As an organization, Girls Geared for Greatness seeks to address common gender disparities affecting girls, empowering them to develop healthier perceptions of their potential and role in society. It is important to target these issues facing young girls specifically because the way children are raised has a direct psychological impact on the way they behave as teens and adults.
