A woman walks into the corporate building, strapped in a pair of heels, dressed in an outfit that brings out her best self—never mind that she might as well be the CEO of the company, she’ll almost immediately be met by lingering eyes doubting how she ever managed to climb up the corporate ladder. Because with THAT outfit? Surely she would’ve tripped and fallen by now, right? Owning a million-dollar company and red lip liner can’t possibly go hand in hand after all. However, you rarely see the same darting eyes questioning how John from HR didn’t slip in his loafers and excess hair gel. Because come on now, how could those two EVER be comparable? One is clearly trying to look polished and feel empowered at work. The other is, well… a woman!
Growing up in a world where liking the color pink is an immediate indication of weakness, or wearing heels to work defines your competency, femininity has been used as a curse for as long as we can remember. For decades, it has been portrayed as incompatible with intellect, ambition, and leadership. The same society that praises a man for wearing a suit, working out, and grooming his appearance shames a woman for something as simple as wearing a hint of pink. These double standards are so deeply etched into our lives that the very foundation of professionalism is built upon looking down on women in touch with their feminine side.
While the issue of stigmatizing womanhood stems from deep-rooted internalized misogyny, several factors contribute to the global reach, one of the most important ones being the media and entertainment industry. Characters like Elle Woods in Legally Blonde are immediately written off as unintelligent due to her pink wardrobe and bubbly personality. Even after she repeatedly proves her capability, audiences often miss the film’s central message and continue to reinforce the very stereotypes it set out to challenge. Similarly, characters like Harley Quinn lose the depth of their storylines at the hands of oversexualised feminine traits and are merely seen as a symbol of fantasy rather than the complex individuals they were originally made out to be. There is no doubt that the “dumb blonde” and hyper-feminine tropes have shaped the image of women worldwide and have placed a permanent question mark on their potential. To fully understand the need to reject such media, we also need to acknowledge the effect it has on young minds. These stereotypes don’t just exist in movies or sitcoms, they seep into classrooms, boardrooms, and everyday interactions. The fight against this bias doesn’t start when a woman is turned away from a job for wearing acrylic nails—it starts much earlier, in subtle moments when a pre-schooler is laughed at for picking up a pink crayon.
Another very common way of berating womanhood in modern times emerges from the rise of social media influencers whose content is primarily centered around mockery and performative misogyny. These creators often ridicule feminine traits like emotional vulnerability, fashion choices, or speech patterns under the disguise of humor, relatable content, or “keeping it real.” What seems like harmless entertainment subtly reinforces the idea that femininity is laughable, shallow, or inferior, further strengthening harmful stereotypes in the minds of millions.
Women all across the globe single-handedly run their own businesses, juggle motherhood, fulfill their duties as respectful citizens, and so much more, but those conditioned to doubt them draw the line at the slightest expression of femininity. If we explore this from a sociological viewpoint, the association of femininity with weakness stems from historically determined patriarchal structures, and power dynamics that position masculinity as the dominant norm. From early childhood, young minds are conditioned to believe that feminine roles are not only inferior but are also something to get a laugh out of. Whether it’s the giggling cheerleader trope in teen dramas or the emotional woman dismissed in workplace settings, these portrayals teach us that femininity is unserious and unworthy of respect. Over time, this conditioning shapes societal expectations, leading many to equate strength with masculinity and to undervalue the potential women hold.
Dismantling the stigmas around femininity isn’t just about personal empowerment—it’s about creating a more equitable and inclusive society. When we continue to ridicule or undervalue feminine traits, we reinforce a system that limits everyone, not just women. Only by abolishing these stereotypes can we build a world where strength is not measured by how well one conforms to masculinity, but by how authentically one shows up.
To conclude in the true words of Barbie’s monologue, “ It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful and so smart, and it kills me that you don’t think you’re good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong. You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can’t ask for money because that’s crass. You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean. You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas. You’re supposed to love being a mother but don’t talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman, but also always be looking out for other people….I’m just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us. And if all of that is also true for a doll just representing women, then I don’t even know.”
– Ayyat Faisal