Gender Roles Around the World

Gender roles, which are learned traits that determine how women and men behave based on their societal and cultural norms, is a prevalent concept all around the world. There are those who believe that biology is a major contributor in how people act in accordance to their sex, what physically sets them apart. However influential biology may be, cultural factors are the most important in determining how women and men should behave. Evidence of such influence is portrayed across the globe, and even though there is a potential for similarity, many defining aspects of gender roles in different cultures are very distinctive.
The gender roles that divide women and men in the United States has changed over the course of its history, providing women with more equal rights. As more women join the workforce, they have voiced their rights, and in response, women are experiencing more equal opportunities and privileges as men. Nevertheless, women are still not treated equally compared to men. Many women are not receiving the same pay grade as their male counterparts, and some are still prone to encounter sexual harassment at work. In addition, with the growing number of working women in the workforce leads to the question of their success at parenting, and the possibility of the father assuming the role of raising the children. Journalist Katherine Lewis’ article “Gender Roles Change at Work and Home” reviews the results of the rising number of women in the workplace. Studies have shown that women who partake in jobs similar to men do not struggle with raising children properly. Fathers are also spending more time with their children, “almost two hours more than the 1977 average of 2.4 hours” (Lewis). Perhaps it is becoming more acceptable for men to help the women in the household, as that responsibility is diffused between fathers and mothers.

My mother, brother and me at Disneyland.

Here I am wearing very feminine clothes, and

my brother typically boyish.

Of course, the American culture has an immense role in how people assume their respective gender identity. As children grow up, they receive cues on how to “appropriately” act as a girl or boy from their parents. It is well established that men are the masculine type, meaning they are supposed to be independent and robust. The girls are treated more delicately, and their safety and well-being are more carefully protected. From a young age, girls are constantly hugged and given compliments on dress, whereas the boys are left to explore on their own and rewarded for participating in more athletic endeavors. As the children grow up, they encounter gender roles from their peers, as a boy could be taunted and excluded for acting in a feminine manner. 

Gender roles are not as clearly defined as they once were in China. They are now combining gender roles for their children, a possible result from the one-child policy. Perhaps this leads the parents to raise a more well-rounded child to ensure his or her success. Some parents are teaching daughters to be independent and to pursue their dreams in a firm manner uncharacteristic of femininity, while others who gave birth to sons do not let them participate in athletic activities from fear of serious injury. All of these aspects can be a result of a growing sense of equality between men and women.

The nation is now accepting a more similar gender role for males and females. In response to this new concept, men and women are dressing and behaving similarly. A major contributor to the positive change in women’s status is the addition of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Women, where “Women enjoy equal rights with men in all spheres of life, political, economic, cultural and social, including family life.” The new law also reinforces that women should receive equal pay compared to the men. In addition, women have more rights concerning marriage, which, compared to many other cultures, is a right from which many women are excluded. There is a higher percentage of women in the workforce than even the worldwide percentage, and many are holding higher-ranking positions than ever before. The government itself is working to improve women’s education and literacy.

Almost in stark contrast, women suffer a great deal of inequality in Islam. Although the Qu’ran promotes the equality between men and women, scholars have interpreted its messages to suggest that men hold a higher ranking over women. Once example from the Qu’ran that scholars use to defend men’s power is that they are labeled as a woman’s “guardian.” They interpret this as men holding more authority over women, and they should be safeguarded. In turn, women are to be taken care of and should therefore be thankful and obedient to the husband. They should stay at home with the family while the man is the breadwinner. While One main dissimilarity between China’s new revolution and Islam’s culture is the iniquitous treatment of women in relation to marriage. Women of Islam possess almost no power in deciding who they want to marry, obtaining a divorce and holding custody rights of their children.


Women in Chile seemed to have gained more equality in many aspects over the years. They are able to get a better education and can be a part of the workforce. Also, while many men still believe that women should listen to their husbands, there are those who think otherwise. In a national survey, only a little above half the men who participated agreed that women obey their husband. Given the traditional view that women should comply with her husband’s commands, the number of men who oppose it is relatively high. Those who are part of the lower working-class still attain to the more traditional views; however, those who are more well-off are starting to break away from the conventional mold. They believe that women should indeed have jobs, and that men should participate in household activities to help the women who work.

The Arapesh tribe of New Guinea

There are cases that in more primitive societies, gender roles are not as clear-cut as many people in more developed areas are used to. In fact, some of the roles are reversed in these cultures. Most of the societies in New Guinea exhibit the belief that women are inferior to men, and it is the men who lead the communities as they hold more power in decision-making. They also are responsible for hunting and protecting the tribe, while the women stay at home and take care of the grounds and the children. There are communities that do not adhere to typical gender roles; a few of these tribes are the Arapesh, Mundugumor, Tchambuli, and Sambia. The Arapesh perceive both men and women to have feminine characteristics. They are both emotionally sensitive and passive. Both the father and the mother take care of the children. In contrast, the Mundugumore assign masculine traits to both sexes. Men and women are seen to have tough and aggressive personalities.
Even more peculiar, the Tchambuli tribe “reverses” the gender roles, where the women are more masculine and the men are feminine, as they enjoy styling their hair and clothes. The women control the internal affairs of the communities, including the infrastructure and the economy. The last tribe, Sambia, introduces the idea of having a third sex, which pertains to those who are born with both sets of genitals. The distinction between sec and gender is crucial in understanding how the tribe handles assigning gender roles. Although they recognize three sexes, there are still only two genders. It is the parents’ decision to raise the child of the “third sex” as a male or female. The gender roles themselves are not unique to that of the rest of New Guinea. They hold an initiation ceremony for the men, and after this ceremony is completed, they hold more power in the community, especially compared to the women of the same age.

All around the world, gender roles are not as consistent as one might have assumed. In some cases, gender roles are blurred and more evenly distributed between men and women. In other examples, the roles are completely reversed, where women are celebrated for their “masculinity” and the men for showing “feminine” traits. Culture has a big position in determining a society’s gender roles.