Lavinia Pascariu
Good Intentions, 2023
The societal expectations and norms placed on women to conform to specific roles, behaviours, and appearances, manifest in various forms. There is a pressure to conform to traditional gender role, beauty standards, to meet expectations in terms of relationships, family, and career. Women who do not meet the expectations of these roles may be stigmatized and face negative social consequences.
The pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards, perpetuated by the media, advertising, and popular culture, can significantly impact their self-esteem and body image, leading many women to feel inadequate and insecure about their appearance. Women still feel the pressure to prioritise their roles as wives and mothers over their careers, or to choose between having a family and pursuing professional goals. When they do, they are often treated differently at a workplace to their male colleagues. To create a more inclusive and equitable world for women, and anyone who is not conforming to homogenous gender pressures, society should do more to educate about the harms of gender stereotypes which requires courage, determination and undoing of normalised habits and behaviours. By leading by example, we can inspire others to do the same.
