Evolving Gender Roles in The Western Grasslands of Cameroon: Women’s New World Order - Its Genesis

Abstract

Various reformist groups, like modern social liberals and feminist movements, are forcefully leading efforts to change certain aspects of prevailing gender roles that they think and believe are oppressive and sexist. Women’s rights of abortion, rights of divorce with gainful claims, rights to own property, and counting, are deeply influenced by secularism and progressivism...

Gender stereotypes influence conventional feminine occupations. These stereotypes include the fact that women have a caring nature, have skills at household-related work, have greater manual dexterity than men, are more honest than men, have a more attractive physical appearance. Occupational roles associated with their feminine stereotypes consist of, among others: midwife, nurse, salesperson, teacher, accountant, data entry clerk, cashier, receptionist, housemaid, cook, social worker. All these create gender segregation which breeds gender inequality and gender pay gap which is not favourable to women. Feminisation of the above occupations limits lucrative employment opportunities for women.