When one reads Melinda Gates’ book The Moment of Light: How Empowering Women Changes the World, there are several ideas that come to mind regarding gender roles and portrayal of women in the media. Gender roles are socially constructed. Therefore, children as part of the larger society develop gender roles based on the type of socialization they go through. The media, especially television and radio have played a major role in the past shaping gender roles and expectations. According to Ward & Grower (2020), modern media expose youth to distorted depictions of gender norms, and youth consume these media for a long time every day considering that they are almost always glued to their televisions. However, after reading Melinda Gates’ book, the view of modern media and the way it shapes gender roles changes. Melinda Gates’ book is what any feminist would want. As the co-chair Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Melinda’s mission statement towards helping the needy has been clear: “if anyone wants to invest and lift the society, they should invest in women.” The message is also well communicated in the book.
According to Melinda, women play an important role in the society and with the 21 st century comes even more roles for women as they are needed to shape the discourse of humanity in different ways. Therefore, instead of only focusing on the way media types such as television shows shape gender roles and expectations in a negative manner, it is also important focusing on the ways books with great messages like Melinda’s shape women’s expectations and also push them to explore their abilities and utilize their potentials. Gender roles have changed in the 21 st century as depicted in Melinda’s book. Societies cannot address serious issues associated with inequality if they continue ignoring women. Women have lagged behind for so long as they were assigned awkward gender roles in a society that was patriarchal and sexist.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
In the past, gender roles that existed in the society were easily advanced through television shows. Gender stereotypes existed shaping how women were supposed to talk, act, and behave in the society. Most of the gender stereotypes would qualify for sexism. In the past, gender was understood differently according to different societies by specific roles and responsibilities often conditioned buy social norms through access to resources and control, and cultural norms. The norms were also replicated in the media since the media is a replica or reflection of the society. The media advanced gender roles that depicted hypermasculinity and a weak female that was supposed to remain caged in a male dominated male world. After the era, the media tried to present the image of an empowered woman. However, the image is distorted and often presents a situation where women are competing with men. Therefore, instead of gender roles changing from a situation where women are suppressed to a situation where women can actively air their voice in the society, the situation has shifted to a new era where women are seen as competitors to men.
It is only after reading inspiring and well developed books like Melinda Gates’ The Moment of Light that one clearly understands the changing gender roles and the right direction that the world should take in empowering men and women. In the book, Melinda identifies several issues affecting the society. She notes that the health of societies cannot be achieved through any form of empowerment that tries to alienate women. In fact, she states that the most comprehensive form of empowerment that can be done on any society should be done by empowering women. If women are empowered, it would be way easier achieving other goals as a nation and society. An analysis of Melinda Gates’ book reveals that she has a new construction of gender roles which has already taken shape in the society or is taking shape in the near future. The new gender roles entail a highly empowered woman who is not competing with men but soaring high to achieve her individual goals and that of the society. The presentation o gender roles in Melinda’s book is already taking shape. Women have broken the barriers that caged them in the past to ensure that they succeed where their predecessors failed. For example, in the United States education system, educational programs that were traditionally male-dominated currently record as many women as men. These include engineering and technology related programs. After reading Melinda’s book as a youth, there is a renewed approach towards gender roles. The reader is prompted to rethink the way gender roles should shape the society and the role each gender should play.
Melinda Gates’ book presents gender roles in a synergic model where women should actively engage in activities that achieve the health of societies in all facets. Unlike traditional media that tried to cage women in gender roles that controlled their growth, Melinda’s book as an example of the right feminist books shows how women and men should compliment each other while achieving the expanded goals in the society. Melinda identifies several barriers that needs to be addressed. One area is the rising cases of domestic violence in the United States and elsewhere in the world. Melinda views that as a major hindrance to the journey that has been progressing for years to achieve gender equality and equity. Therefore, gender roles construction through books like Melinda’s achieves a highly dynamic society that is ready to use synergy to address the challenges facing its members.
References
Gates, M. (2019). The Moment of Light: How Empowering Women Changes the World. Flarion Books.
Ward, M. & Grower, P. (2020). Media and the development of gender role stereotypes. Annual Review of Developmental Psychology, 2, 177-199. https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev-devpsych-051120-010630
