‘Expectations lead to typecasting of women’

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) Tagging and typecasting of women is a repercussion of the way society expects women to be, said publisher and feminist thinker Urvashi Butalia at a discussion on gender sensitization here.

"Tagging and typecasting owes to the way people expect you to be," she said at the fifth edition of "She Speaks", an event for gender equality, organised by Aambra Foundation at the India Habitat Centre on Wednesday.

"People often surprisingly ask me about me being a feminist. They ask me why I didn't get married. I put up with them by saying that I do not carry those horns or at best, I laugh at them," Butalia said.

Bulbul Dhar James, professor at Jamia Milia Islamia, said socialization and patriarchy are responsible to a certain degree in typecasting. "In process of hunting for role models, there is a multiplier effect that we lose on our originality and identity."

"Exploitation exists everywhere and the other side too needs to be examined. Gendering of space also requires analysis. The line of demarcation between choices and compulsion is significant to be thought over," she said.

Bureaucrat Garima Gupta narrated the stereotypes attached in depiction of a women officer.

"People never talk about tagging and typecasting. It happens everywhere -- from educational institutions to cinemas. Even today, I face remarks that no women has risen to the post of Cabinet Secretary - then why should she work hard?" she said.

Amrinder Bajaj, a doctor, said: "Right from being raised as spineless dolls, to sacrifices for dowry, depiction as (an object for the) pleasure of men, acceptance of male might... are many things that go along. Women are however much sharper as a human species."

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