It is important to question the impact of sexual stereotypes on the advancement of women’s right to equality, one of the fundamental civic values of Quebec. This reflection is particularly important in the context where the Government of Quebec must soon finalize the Culture and Citizenship of Quebec program which will be offered to all students from 2023.
Here, then, to provide food for thought, is a brief reminder of the impact of sexual stereotypes on women and the elements used to define gender (social construction), followed by a questioning of certain current practices that could harm the achievement de facto equality between the sexes.
Sexual stereotypes
Stereotypes are generally defined as ready-made ideas and caricatured images that lock people into a role that does not necessarily suit them and prevent them from revealing their true nature. When people are assigned specific characteristics and roles based on their gender, this is called gender stereotyping.
For the Council for the Status of Women (CSF), sexual stereotypes contribute to the persistence of inequalities between the sexes and constitute an obstacle to people’s individual and social development. They create socio-cultural pressures that encourage many women to move towards professions associated with the “feminine gender” (human relations, education, care) and with limited liability.
In doing so, these stereotypes participate in the reproduction of an unequal society between the sexes, a society that limits the full realization of women and men who do not adhere to sexual stereotypes.
However, progress is clearly still required for real equality between the sexes. Strategies to combat sexual stereotypes aiming to raise awareness of the limits imposed on women and men by the social division of the sexes are therefore still needed to achieve this equality.
gender identification
Gender is generally said to be masculine, feminine or non-binary. It refers, among other things, to “how a person presents their gender through their body language, aesthetic choices, or accessories (e.g., clothing, hairstyle, and makeup) that may have been traditionally associated with a particular gender. to use Statistics Canada’s formula.
Gender has no intrinsic existence. It is defined according to the social and historical context in which it evolves, which includes social representations and practices of unequal gender relations. Gender stereotypes are therefore also regularly used to define gender.
Current issue
The dichotomous representation of sexual models contributes to an unequal society between women and men, in addition to creating confusion. For example, a young boy who is attracted to dolls and make-up might question his gender rather than accepting that all the choices are possible for him to achieve his full potential.
We must, of course, respect and welcome people who express themselves and identify with a gender different from their sex. Hence the importance of having added this prohibited ground of discrimination to the Quebec and Canadian charters of human rights.
The challenge today, however, is to counter sexual stereotypes, which undermine women’s right to equality, in a context where they serve to identify and express gender. Our girls and boys must understand that all social choices are possible for them, regardless of the stereotypes still present in society. This awareness can and must be done through the Culture and Citizenship of Quebec program currently under development.