Why 'empowered' women shouldn't attack women who love traditional gender roles

There seems to be an assumption that all women should first shake off the "shackles" of traditional gender roles and then decide if they actually want to stay in these roles.

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However, this is unrealistic at best and unethical at worst as individual choice and consent are disregarded.

So what should women consider before attacking fellow women who abide by traditional gender roles?

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All change takes time

But most importantly, it takes a few people at a time or at all. Not all women feel the same way despite the "evidence of damage" from some traditions. Women who seek to upset tradition shouldn't feel "betrayed" by those who love and abide by tradition. There is also a sort of moral superiority when "traditional" women suffer at the hands of the gender roles that fellow women attack them with as if to say they deserve it for sticking to them.

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Why 'empowered' women shouldn't attack women who love traditional gender roles/Pexels Pulse

Guilt, shame and fear

Many traditions have mental and emotional control over individual behaviour and experience. Trying to change some of these traditions, such as gender roles, can come with a lot of guilt and shame, even for women who want to upset the gender roles. This requires a lot of help to remove which very few women and people in general can access.

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Choice

Some women genuinely love being traditional women even with the challenges that come with it. Refusing to accept this fact has nothing to do with the woman who loves being traditional, rather it has everything to do with you who wants her to "be different". And that is just hypocritical since "forced conformity" is what tradition is about.

Losing identity

Some women have formed their values and identities around gender roles. Changing this would mean an individual crisis trying to discover who they are without their values. While some women can and have done this, it doesn't mean every woman can and should do it. And most importantly, there is nothing wrong with having these values and identities tied to tradition.

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Why 'empowered' women shouldn't attack women who love traditional gender roles/Pexels Pulse

Learning independence

Women who attack women who love traditional gender roles tend not to have a replacement for these roles. Freedom, independence, doing whatever you want, equality, and chasing your dreams, are simply not enough most times to convince someone to leave their security and comfort. This kind of thinking ignores women who are independent even in traditional gender roles, those who do thrive!

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Final thoughts

Some women love and thrive in traditional gender roles and they don't need saving. There are many factors that can make it hard for women to leave their roles but it is a personal decision and experience to change.