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Gender Roles in Marriage

Charlie S
Here are some useful information about the modern and traditional gender roles in marriage and family. So, keep reading to update your knowledge on this topic ...
Gender roles in marriage refer to the tasks done by males and females in everyday life. For many years, the roles remained the same and no changes were accepted in them, due to pressure from the society. However, over the years, we have definitely seen changes in the gender roles due to the drastic change in the way of thinking and perceiving things.
Advancement of the society is also a major contributing factor to the changing gender roles. Before we understand why gender roles should change with the passage of time, let us first acquaint ourselves with the traditional roles that were played out.

Traditional Roles in a Marriage

Several years ago, even in developed countries, the roles of women and men in family were predefined. Women had the responsibility of looking after the home and children, while the men shouldered the responsibilities of earning money for running the household, purchasing things, etc.
Women did all the household chores such as cleaning, cooking, and managing the monthly budget.
Most of the time, people would accept these roles without making any kind of debate or discussion, as they were considered the norms and rules of the society. Generally, any changes made in the roles were not appreciated.
The disadvantage of this system was many men and women could not explore the hidden talent and abilities in them. Because of this system, many people could not achieve progress and prosperity, which they could have achieved otherwise. Often, men would receive first preference in education, while women were never encouraged to join educational institutions.
However, with time, these gender roles changed gradually with women gaining more importance in the job market. With the changing times, women began to take up home as well as corporate responsibilities, which was a sign of progress.
Looking at their talent, more and more employers started giving opportunities to women employees, hence making them financially stable. This reduced their dependence on the male members of the family.
Gender discrimination, though a very rampant issue, is now being recognized as a problem and measures are being taken to deal with it. Over the years, it has been observed that men too have started handling the tasks which were initially undertaken only by women. The changing gender roles have contributed to the overall progress of the society.
However, this entire process was very time-consuming and it took years for people to change their attitude. Developments were fast in the European nations which were technologically advanced and had plenty of job opportunities.
The industrial revolution in these nations also contributed to generating equal opportunities for men and women. Though the Asian nations lagged behind initially, there has been a trend reversal over the past few years.

Why Gender Roles Should Change

Gender roles in marriage should change, so as to help people use their abilities for their progress. This will ultimately be good for the whole family. The change in the roles will also help in establishing equality between men and women.
If women are permitted to work, the standard of living of the family can be maintained despite the rising inflation. To add to this, the exposure which they get will be helpful for them to educate and train their children.
The changing gender roles in marriage can cause some problems such as security issues for women. However, by enforcing strict laws, governments would be able to provide the necessary protection to its citizens, which would ultimately pave the way for success.