In chapter 1, we talked about how everyday practices influence how we perceive gender. Here is an example from Nepal that demonstrates health consequences too. In Nepal, gendered norms call for men to have the first pick of and more of the family’s food, if they wish to do so. Children typically eat from their mother’s plates. So, both children and women are often chronically malnourished. Read more about it here.
Gender Watch
“When you know better you do better.” ― Maya Angelou
It’s interesting to see the differences in gender roles within cultures. I was raised to believe that the man of the family was to provide for the members; making sure that they are comfortable and fed. I know that some cultures hold males to be the dominant family member but to go as far as not allowing women and children to get enough food to stay healthy is disheartening. I can’t really say what I would do personally since I was not raised in that culture; however; I do have a similar situation that I experienced in my culture. The first time I ever had dinner with my fiancé’s parents made me feel a little perplexed. As we passed around our plates I noticed that his mom put more food and bigger portions of food on his and his dad’s plate. After we had eaten our food, I noticed there was some leftovers and waited patiently to get some. However his mom passed out the leftovers to only my fiancé and his dad, I did not get any. I was raised by just my mom and was always able to eat more if I was hungry. I had never experienced such a situation where the males were put first and I was not allowed to eat more.
I know my situation was not as severe but it allowed me to put theirs into perspective. It also allowed me to reflect on the consequences of staying within the gender norm. The article made a good point about how “nutrition education for mothers and children has to start with men,” because they are the decision makers in that culture. It is up to them to change the situation for their wives, sisters, and children. If the males of Nepal are able to break away from the norm of their culture it may just save more lives than they know. We all can help to change this by just communicating about it because “through communication, we can identify and challenge current cultural views that constrain individuals and create inequities” (Wood, 10). And I think that is just amazing.
Wood, J. T. (2013). Gendered lives: Communication, gender, and culture (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.