“What Is The Dumbest Thing You Have Been Told Is Not Manly Or Not Feminine?” (62 Answers)

The idea that boys wear blue and girls wear pink is about more than just clothing. Putting kids into boxes based on their gender can have far-reaching consequences that go way beyond their future fashion choices.

"If we impose rigid ideas of masculinity and femininity on children, we limit their potential and actually cause real harm in later life," says Eva Pemberton from Birmingham City University School of Education and Social Work.

Pemberton is an author and researcher who specializes in child development, with a specific focus on the negative impacts and implications of childhood gender stereotyping. The expert warns that gender stereotypes can impact not only career choices, but also contribute towards poor mental health in young people, and allow a culture of toxic masculinity and violence against women to go unchecked.

It's a sentiment echoed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The agency's experts have previously warned that specific beliefs about masculinity may encourage boys and men to smoke, take certain other health risks, misuse alcohol or substances, and not seek help or health care.

"Such gender norms also contribute to boys and men perpetrating violence – as well as being subjected to violence themselves," notes WHO, adding that rigid gender norms also negatively affect those with diverse gender identities. These people are often subject to violence, stigma and discrimination, including in healthcare settings.

Nowadays, more and more young people are choosing to identify differently to the gender assigned to them at birth. Many of them already face a struggle fitting in or feeling accepted. Gender stereotyping and discrimination can make life even more difficult for them, and in turn, negatively affect their mental health.

As Pemberton explains, children’s attitudes towards gender are fully formed by the age of seven.

"From an early age, they latch onto stereotypes as a way to categorise and make sense of the world," says the expert. "Their social need to belong and fit in with their ascribed gender - along with the constant ways gender roles are reinforced to them throughout society - can be difficult for parents and caregivers to challenge, even with the best intentions."

Experts warn that we all hold unconscious biases, and many of us may be guilty of gender stereotyping without even realizing it. Unconscious bias happens when our subconscious makes assumptions about people based on their background or perceived background, explains a report released by the Institute of Physics (IOP).

That report goes on to note that we can be unconsciously influenced by a stereotype even if we do not rationally subscribe to it. This is because our brains have to process huge amounts of information every second. "In order to avoid being overwhelmed, our brains have to make assumptions based on previous experience and find patterns to speed up decision making," say IOP's experts.

Awareness and introspection are key to combatting our own unconscious biases, and thus doing away with harmful gender stereotypes.

"Even just creating awareness of the issue and working towards challenging stereotypes in whichever arena of life they arise, we can all make a positive contribution to tackling gender inequalities in later life," says Pemberton.

But retailers, marketers and the media need to come on board too...

Too often, toys, clothing, books and films are divided into "for boys" and "for girls." This is sending the wrong message to children.

“When all of the marketing consistently revolves around gender, it teaches our kids to look at the opposite... as a different species, because in order to market gendered toys, you have to point out the difference and not the similarities,” warns Melissa Atkins Wardy, author of Redefining Girlie.