Gender Awareness in Our Families

 My family consists of 12 children. I happen to be number 12, the youngest of 6 girls and 6 boys. My sisters grew up and established their families, meanwhile, some of my brothers grew up in the household. My brothers were ruthless, they treated me as one of the brothers. Although it made me mad most of the time, it taught me to have a “thicker skin” than most girls. It wasn’t until I was 12 years old that kids at school would make comments like, “you are such a boy” because I was more comfortable with playing whatever game it was at the time with the boys. Now that I am 23, there are times when I do question my femininity. Taking a mental note of my close friendships, I have more men in my inner circle. Is that because I grew it with 5 brothers? Or could it have a deeper psychological explanation? 


We live in a society, where people thrive off labels, such as tomboy & girly. The term gender had changed over time. Gender: either of the two sexes (male and female), especially when considered with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones. The term is also used more broadly to denote a range of identities that do not correspond to established ideas of male and female. Humans have created gender norms: social principles that govern the behaviors of girls and boys. This leads to gender roles. Have you heard someone say, “household chores are for girls”? Can there be a way to change this perspective? I suggest we address children at a young age. Perhaps before gender norms are established. Parents can engage in discussions about their true identities. We are to be like God. We are children of God despite what the current world is teaching us. We can also address homophobia and intolerance for bullying. We can talk to family/friends about being more compassionate and seeking resources for our families.

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