“Dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourself in a way that others might not see you” – Kamala Harris

Gender stereotypes shape the beliefs about our own and other’s abilities.

In a world where gender stereotypes hold women back in the workplace and causes them to question their own abilities, Kamala Harris, the First Black Woman, and First South Asian Woman elected Vice President of the United States has acknowledged women as the backbone of the democracy in her victory speech.

According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), “a gender stereotype is a generalised view or preconception about attributes, or characteristics that are or ought to be possessed by women and men or the roles that are or should be performed by men and women.”

Gender stereotype is harmful when it limits the capacity of women and men to develop their personal attributes or professional skills and to take decisions about their lives. Most times, men are characterised to have the major traits such as achievement-orientation, inclination to take charge and competence while women are known to have the traits such as emotional sensitivity, deference and affiliation tendencies.

It should be noted gender stereotypes affect girls around the world regardless of their country’s development. The characteristics listed in the previous paragraph are bound to make the society believe that women are the “weaker vessel” and the reasons women should not lead in the society.

However, Kamala Harris in her speech has stated the indefatigable work of women who demand change within the modern day politics. According to her, “women who fought and sacrificed so much for quality and liberty and justice for all, including the Black women who are often too often overlooked, but so often prove they are the backbone of our democracy.”

Read more: https://virtuedigest.com/kamala-harris-victory-speech-a-clarion-call-to-end-gender-stereotypes/?swcfpc=1

hmmm this woman