Year: 2022

Subject: English A
Candidate Number:
Candidate Name: Mia Lee Ling.
Title of the Project (Sub-Topic): The Negative Effects of Traditional Gender Stereotypes.
Name of Teacher: L. Ramdeen
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PLAN OF INVESTIGATION 2
PIECES OF STIMULI 3
Source 1 3
Source 2 4
Source 3 5
REFLECTIONS 8
Entry 1 8
Entry 2 9
Entry 3 10
THE GROUP REPORT 11
PIECES OF STIMULI USED FOR THE GROUP REPORT 12
Pieces 1 12
Pieces 2 14
Pieces 3 17
PLAN FOR THE ORAL PRESENTATION 18
ORAL PRESENTATION 19

1
 PLAN OF INVESTIGATION

The theme of this SBA is Women and Feminism and the subtopic chosen is 'Negative Effects
of Traditional Gender Roles.' The subtopic was selected because in society this was a
common issue affecting individuals which still exists to this modern-day. The expected
benefits as an English student are to develop my summary writing, comprehensive and
editing skills. Summary writing will be used in the reflections, report, and oral presentation
but persuasive writing and standard English will be used for the oral presentation. The
artefacts to be used are newspaper articles, reliable websites, and poems sourced from
websites, newspapers, and textbooks.

2
 PIECES OF STIMULI

SOURCE 1

Title: Boys & Girls.

Author: Jared Amato.

Boys & Girls

Why is it that
From the day they’re born
Boys are given toys
Like matchbox trucks,
Power Rangers, and
G.I. Joes?
While girls are told to play with dolls
And Barbies that don’t t even come
In their colour or size?

Why is it that
We tell boys to “be tough” and “don’t cry”
While we make girls believe that
To be happy,
They need a guy?

Why is it that
Boys have to “man up”
While girls have to worry about
Strangers trying to say “wassup”

Why is it that boys are cool

When they mess around
While girls who do the same
Get looked at with frowns?

Why?

By Jared Amato.

3
 SOURCE 2

Title: Gender Stereotypes and Their Effect on Young People

Author: The Institute of Physics.
URL: https://www.iop.org/sites/default/files/2019-07/IGB-gender-stereotypes.pdf

4
 SOURCE 3

Title: Women and Men Smash Stereotypes.

Author: Melania Waithe.
URL: https://newsday.co.tt/2019/03/28/women-and-men-smash-stereotypes/

Extract.
“Some of the most vulnerable women in our society are those who are battling addiction and
for one reason or another are unable or willing to access our rehabilitation programme,” said
Hulsie Bhaggan.

Bhaggan, clinical director of New Life Ministries Rehabilitation Centre, was speaking during
a panel discussion recently, hosted by Shell Trinidad and Tobago Limited to commemorate
International Women’s Day (March 8). More men are seeking help in her programme than
women, she said, which was concerning, but the women who do come are more motivated to
stay clean. She said more needed to be done to encourage the women in vulnerable situations
to get help.

Bhaggan was joined on the panel by acting CEO of Trinidad and Tobago Television Lisa
Wickham, and Shell employees; Eugene Okpere, chief operating officer, Kelly De Bique,
operations manager, Lana Cordy, engineer and interventions team lead, and Petula Gunness,
maintenance, reliability and turnaround manager.

In addition to discussing the challenges of women who are at risk in the community, the panel
also discussed the experiences of women in business and the corporate sector.

Shell human resources manager Stacey Patel-Kissoon said while the company was making
significant strides in achieving gender balance and work/life balance for all employees,
continuing the conversation was critical.

“Women comprise 40 percent of our leadership. That’s something that we take great pride in.
We are also seeing more and more women join the company at the graduate level. This is
significant in an industry that was traditionally considered the domain of men. It’s an exciting
time for us and our focus is to create and nurture an environment where the talents and
capabilities of both men and women can grow.”

During the panel discussion, Bhaggan, a former MP for Chaguanas, said growing up in a
household with brothers, she never felt limited in what she was “supposed to do” as a girl.
Women, she said, should never have to apologize for their choices, whether they want a
family or not. She referenced her own decision to opt for a life of service and said she was
quite fulfilled.

5
Wickham, who has spent most of her life in the public glare as a television presenter and film
producer, and now at the helm of TTT, expressed surprise that even with the strides women
have made in business and in the corporate sector, not enough companies were creating safe
spaces for women to work while caring for their children.

“With the number of women in the workplace, companies need to structure themselves
around how women exist. I was surprised recently to learn how few companies actually
provide breastfeeding and childcare facilities for their female staff.”

Speaking to a diverse audience of male and female Shell employees, Wickham challenged
younger women to think more deliberately about the kinds of companies they want to work
for. Seek out those companies that appreciate the multiple responsibilities and roles that
women play and are willing to support their development, she said.

The Shell employees on the panel shared their experiences of striving for balance in their
own careers, where they encountered challenges, and where they have received support.

“Early in my career, a manager told me. ‘I don’t think women should be engineers.’ I had just
got on the rig and in my mind, I was like. ‘Well. I’m here. so you have to deal with me.’ But
the truth is as a young professional that’s difficult to deal with,” recalled Cordy.

The environment has greatly changed now, Cordy said, but there is work still to do to change
those persisting mindsets and assumptions about the roles of men and women in the
workplace.

Shell VP and country chair Derek Hudson also reminded the audience that while progress has
been made it was as recent as 2010 that a female employee was told she couldn’t stay
offshore overnight because there was no accommodation for women.

“That was not even a policy of the company, but simply one person’s assumption of what
should obtain. These are the assumptions that we have to work on,” he said.

Shell operations manager Kelly De Bique, who has been in the business for more than 12
years, shared his own experience with bias. “My name is Kelly, which people assume is a
woman’s name. I remember being just out of university and applying for jobs in the sector
and receiving about 15 rejection letters. Some of them even replied to me as ‘Miss Kelly De
Bique.’ It was only when I sent out applications again and made sure to indicate I was Mr. De
Bique, the very first one I sent out, I got an interview. That shocked me,” he said.

6
De Bique acknowledged that TT was a much more liberal society in terms of the roles of
women and men in the workplace, as compared to some other countries where he had
worked.

Each of the speakers encouraged the women in the room to not be daunted by the stereotypes
they might encounter and called on the audience to challenge their own inherent gender
biases.

The IWD panel discussion was hosted by Shell’s Balanced Network team, a diverse group of
Shell employees who promote employee engagement and development activities across the
organization during the year.

7
 REFLECTIONS

Entry 1

Prior to conducting research for the SBA, my belief was that gender stereotypes were a
generalized preconception about attributes or characteristics performed by men and women. I
learned that the poem, 'Boys and Girls,' indicated gender stereotypes are intentionally or
unintentionally taught to children at a tender age.

The second article, 'Gender Stereotypes and Their Effect on Young People,' enlightened me
on the negative effects of gender stereotypes and the impact they have on others. I learned
gender stereotypes mold self-perception, attitudes to relationships, and influence participation
in the work world.

My final article was, ‘Women and men smash Gender Stereotypes.’ This article has informed
me that various companies have learned and adapted to having women in the workplace.
However, I am more aware that there is still work to do to change those negative, persisting
mindsets and assumptions about the roles men and women play in their respective
workplaces.

8
 Entry 2

“Boys …” by Jared Amato is a poem that uses rhymes throughout the four stanzas. Examples
of rhymes are ‘We tell boys to “be tough” and “don’t cry”’ and ‘To be happy, they need a
guy?’These rhymes help with the rhythm and give the poem a musical quality thus, it is
easier to read.

‘Gender …’ by the Institute of Physics consists of literal language, written in a

problem-solution pattern. Moreover ‘We need more female physics teachers’ preceded by 'A
teacher’s gender does not have a large influence on the subject.’ The Institute of Physics
identifies common misconceptions and provides solutions to correct that behavior.

‘Women …,’ by Melania Waithe was a formal report composed of reported speech. Similarly
‘De Bique acknowledged that TT was a much more liberal …’ The reported speech can
easily be perceived and creates distance between the utterance and the reader's perception of
it.

9
 Entry 3

This SBA has helped me to understand and appreciate the challenges people face in the battle
for equality by attempting to eliminate traditional gender stereotypes. I learned that gender
stereotypes are intentionally taught to children from a tender age to know their place as men
and women.

In a school environment, gender stereotypes can affect a young person's classroom

experience, academic performance, subject choice, and well-being. My experience working
in a group was quite beneficial, there were no problems getting work done efficiently and
effectively. In terms of collaboration, meetings were suited to everyone’s schedules all from
the comfort of our homes.

Working together has enhanced our cooperation, time management, and leadership skills.
Resources were readily available since the internet was at one's disposal which significantly
aided inefficiency. Lastly, as a student of English, conducting this SBA has improved my
summary writing, proofreading, and editing skills.

10
 THE GROUP REPORT

Our SBA’s theme was ‘Feminism’ and the subtopics chosen were: ‘The Effects of Domestic
Violence on Victims’, ‘The Negative Effects of Traditional Gender Stereotypes’, ‘An
Examination of Feminism in the 21st Century’, ‘Double Standards Across Genders’, and ‘The
Effects of PTSD on Female Sexual Assault Victims’. Significant research was completed by
each group member. We then assembled to discuss our research, share views and develop a
better understanding of feminism. In total, fifteen artefacts were collected. Artefacts were not
hard to source as feminism is a trending topic in the 21st century. Ultimately, three artefacts
were chosen and agreed upon by all group members.

Firstly, the blog, ‘Stop Telling Girls and Women to Cover Up: This is My Body’ by Samantha
Baker (2020), portrayed society’s toxic sexualization of women’s and girls’ bodies. It
highlighted the fact that in everyday life, women are told what to wear which limits
self-expression. Secondly, the article, ‘Women and Men Smash Stereotypes’ by Melania
Waithe (2019), presented an interview with Mr. De Bique, giving a synopsis of his experience
with bias. Mr. De Bique stated that since “Kelly '' was his name, he often got rejected due to
the assumption that he was a woman. Thirdly, the comic strip illustrated by Rebecca Cohen
(2015), consisted of stereotypical views on feminism.

In terms of collaboration, meetings were suited to everyone’s schedules as they were held
twice a week via Google Meet. The report was written on a shared Google document so
everyone could edit at their convenience. Tasks were divided among group members and
included summarising, editing, and proofreading. In conclusion, working together also
enhanced our editing, proofreading, time management, leadership, and delegation skills.
Additionally, knowing this information about our respective sub-topics, we can now
appropriately suggest and share thoughts on these issues.

11
 PIECES OF STIMULI USED FOR THE GROUP REPORT

Piece 1

URL: https://sheroserevolution.com/samanthabaker/stop-telling-girls-to-cover-up/

I was 12 when I first learned about being a distraction to the boys.

It was 26 degrees out in September, and my best friend and I were talking about how, “of
course I’ll wear shorts out when it’s this hot.” A female teacher stopped my friend and me,
and put us against the wall to measure our shorts. She told us we were distracting and needed
to change. I was 12 and hadn’t even started shaving my legs yet. I didn’t understand why I
would distract anyone with the hot weather outside; and I’d made the shorts myself from a
pair of old jeans I didn’t like.

I never wore them again.

That same year in gym class, I wore a tank top, but I forgot my sports bra. I was sitting in a
circle doing stretches with my co-ed gym class when my gym teacher told me my bra was
showing; and that the entire year I’d been wearing revealing clothing and needed to cover up.
The boys and girls all laughed at me, and I was given a shirt from the lost and found.

The rest of the year, I wore an old pair of men’s basketball shorts and one of my dad’s shirts;
because I was so afraid of the embarrassment of my body being on display.
I was 13 when I was made fun of for wearing “granny” panties; the girls told me the boys
wouldn’t like me if I didn’t wear a thong. I forced my mom to take me to get a pair because I
was ashamed boys wouldn’t like me.

That same year, a boy from my class told the disabled boy, “grab her ass.” The her was me.
He came up from behind and tried to pull my jeans down. I was humiliated, and the boy
continued with his hands while I ran until I made it to the women’s washroom. I left school
early that day and told my parents I didn’t feel well.

On PJ day at school that same year, I wore my dad’s shirt that I always wear to bed. It was
labeled with a hockey brand, “sofa.” All day, the boys and girls, told me I was a sofa; I was
left confused and wondered what it meant. Finally, a boy from my class told me it meant,
“hot body ugly face,” and that I was “sexualizing myself to impress the boys.”

I went outside at recess and cried and didn’t go back to class. I hid in the gym locker room
for the rest of the day until the final bell.

12
When I was almost 15, I got called a s*** for wearing shorts and a tank top. That evening, I
was asked to send explicit photos of my body because, “that’s what s*** do.” I was labelled
as nothing but a s*** for the next year, and a rumour was spread about me going down on a
boy I didn’t even know. Nobody listened when I said it wasn’t true.

I was a s***; the boy, a legend.

When I was 16, I was groped at a party for the first time. He came up behind me and grabbed
my bottom so hard that I had a bruise the next day. My boyfriend, at the time, blamed it on
me. He said I shouldn’t wear leggings anymore, and asked why I didn’t push him off me.

He blamed me for the assault on my body.

When I was 17, my guy best friend kept forcing himself on to me at a party; even after I told
him to stop, because I have a boyfriend. He followed me around until I was in the bathroom
with the door locked, calling my designated driver to get me out of there. I was so terrified
that my boyfriend would break up with me.

I didn’t tell anyone.

My entire teenage life has consisted of being told what to do with my body.
Too prude, too slutty, too try-hard, not trying hard enough, too revealing, not revealing
enough.

I thought that I needed to cover up around the boys from such a young age because they
couldn’t control themselves.

How is the sick sexualisation of my body going to teach a boy anything?

We are taught to protect ourselves from rape, while men are not taught that they should not
rape. We fear rejecting a man because he could kill us, we fear getting catcalls in the street,
we fear assault, we fear walking alone at night, we fear men, we fear not being able to defend
ourselves because we’re weaker.

All too often, we are sent the message that we are the problem, but I think it’s time we start to
address the real problem: the toxic culture known as the sexualisation of women and girls’
bodies.

It wasn’t until I was 19 that I learned to defend myself when I’m told to cover up.

13
I’ve been hiding in my own skin all of my life, and I finally decided that my body is not an
object. I choose to wear revealing clothing because it makes me feel good, not because I want
the satisfaction of the male gaze.

Stop telling girls and women to cover up.

14
 Piece 2

“Some of the most vulnerable women in our society are those who are battling addiction and
for one reason or another are unable or willing to access our rehabilitation programme,” said
Hulsie Bhaggan.

Bhaggan, clinical director of New Life Ministries Rehabilitation Centre, was speaking during
a panel discussion recently, hosted by Shell Trinidad and Tobago Limited to commemorate
International Women’s Day (March 8). More men are seeking help in her programme than
women, she said, which was concerning, but the women who do come are more motivated to
stay clean. She said more needed to be done to encourage the women in vulnerable situations
to get help.

Bhaggan was joined on the panel by acting CEO of Trinidad and Tobago Television Lisa
Wickham, and Shell employees; Eugene Okpere, chief operating officer, Kelly De Bique,
operations manager, Lana Cordy, engineer and interventions team lead, and Petula Gunness,
maintenance, reliability and turnaround manager.

In addition to discussing the challenges of women who are at risk in the community, the panel
also discussed the experiences of women in business and the corporate sector.

Shell human resources manager Stacey Patel-Kissoon said while the company was making
significant strides in achieving gender balance and work/life balance for all employees,
continuing the conversation was critical.

“Women comprise 40 percent of our leadership. That’s something that we take great pride in.
We are also seeing more and more women join the company at the graduate level. This is
significant in an industry that was traditionally considered the domain of men. It’s an exciting
time for us and our focus is to create and nurture an environment where the talents and
capabilities of both men and women can grow.”

During the panel discussion, Bhaggan, a former MP for Chaguanas, said growing up in a
household with brothers, she never felt limited in what she was “supposed to do” as a girl.
Women, she said, should never have to apologise for their choices, whether they want a
family or not. She referenced her own decision to opt for a life of service, and said she was
quite fulfilled.

15
Wickham, who has spent most of her life in the public glare as a television presenter and film
producer, and now at the helm of TTT, expressed surprise that even with the strides women
have made in business and in the corporate sector, not enough companies were creating safe
spaces for women to work while caring for their children.

“With the number of women in the workplace, companies need to structure themselves
around how women exist. I was surprised recently to learn how few companies actually
provide breastfeeding and childcare facilities for their female staff.”

Speaking to a diverse audience of male and female Shell employees, Wickham challenged
younger women to think more deliberately about the kinds of companies they want to work
for. Seek out those companies that appreciate the multiple responsibilities and roles that
women play and are willing to support their development, she said.

The Shell employees on the panel shared their experiences of striving for balance in their
own careers, where they encountered challenges and where they have received support.

“Early in my career a manager told me. ‘I don’t think women should be engineers.’ I had just
got on the rig and in my mind, I was like. ‘Well. I’m here. so you have to deal with me.’ But
the truth is as a young professional that’s difficult to deal with,” recalled Cordy.

The environment has greatly changed now, Cordy said, but there is work still to do to change
those persisting mindsets and assumptions about the roles of men and women in the
workplace.

Shell VP and country chair Derek Hudson also reminded the audience that while progress has
been made it was as recent as 2010 that a female employee was told she couldn’t stay
offshore overnight because there was no accommodation for women.

“That was not even a policy of the company, but simply one person’s assumption of what
should obtain. These are the assumptions that we have to work on,” he said.

Shell operations manager Kelly De Bique, who has been in the business for more than 12
years, shared his own experience with bias. “My name is Kelly, which people assume is a
woman’s name. I remember being just out of university and applying for jobs in the sector
and receiving about 15 rejection letters. Some of them even replied to me as ‘Miss Kelly De
Bique.’ It was only when I sent out applications again and made sure to indicate I was Mr De
Bique, the very first one I sent out, I got an interview. That shocked me,” he said.
De Bique acknowledged that TT was a much more liberal society in terms of the roles of
women and men in the workplace, as compared to some other countries where he had
worked.

16
Each of the speakers encouraged the women in the room to not be daunted by the stereotypes
they might encounter and called on the audience to challenge their own inherent gender
biases.

The IWD panel discussion was hosted by Shell’s Balanced Network team, a diverse group of
Shell employees who promote employee engagement and development activities across the
organisation during the year.

17
Piece 3

18
 PLAN FOR ORAL PRESENTATION

My name is Mia Lee Ling and I will be presenting a speech on the Negative Effects of
Gender Stereotypes. My sources selected were “The Negative Effects of Gender
Stereotypes,” “Men can Transform Gender Stereotypes and Inequality,” and “About Gender
Inequality.” They were an article, blog, and poem respectively. These sources have helped me
realize the negative effects of gender stereotypes and I have broadened my previous
knowledge of this topic. Many believe that equality between men and women has already
been achieved. However, it is still an ongoing battle where there is still work to do to change
those negative mindsets about the roles men and women play in the world. My presentation
shall be carried out in Standard English because it is the most efficient and effective way of
relaying the information gathered.

19
 ORAL PRESENTATION.

My name is Mia Lee Ling and I will be presenting a speech on the Negative Effects of
Gender Stereotypes. My sources selected were “The Negative Effects of Gender
Stereotypes,” “Men can Transform Gender Stereotypes and Inequality,” and “About Gender
Inequality.” They were an article, blog, and poem respectively. These sources have helped me
realize the negative effects of gender stereotypes and I have broadened my previous
knowledge of this topic. Many believe that equality between men and women has already
been achieved. However, it is still an ongoing battle where there is still work to do to change
those negative mindsets about the roles men and women play in the world. My presentation
shall be carried out in Standard English because it is the most efficient and effective way of
relaying the information gathered.

Gender equality is about challenging social norms and gender stereotypes that limit women's
and girls' prospects while confining men and boys to specific roles. At the heart of this
agenda is the restructuring of power relations, including the reshaping of masculinity and
traditional perceptions of manhood. It entails males questioning and opposing power
dynamics through their actions and words, as well as accepting responsibility for change. It
also implies women must shoulder the costs of progress. The following excerpt, derived from
the poem "About Gender Inequality," addresses the issue of gender inequality and the societal
misogyny that prevails in today's day and age.

“As society tells her, she is a woman, and that is her role.t
Where she wishes to stomp, she stands on her tiptoes.
Where she wishes to thrash, she glides across the floor.
A puppet bound by the hands of society, pushing, pushing
To free herself, to change what being a woman means,”

Males were known as important, fearless leaders, while females were viewed as housewives,
mothers, and damsels in distress. Women were forced to be eloquent, beautiful, and to
constantly obey their male counterparts' statements, robbing them of their independence.
Moreover, the poem explores actual gender equality, saying that, despite their differences,
persons of all genders are simply humans who deserve the same rights and liberties.

It is very well-acknowledged that inequities and power imbalances are influenced by cultural
and societal expectations concerning masculinity. We must turn this into a constructive force.
In a negative setting, this is associated with violence against women, creates negative
self-perception, attitudes toward relationships, and has an effect on work engagement. They
might have an impact on a pupil's classroom experience, academic success, topic choice, and
well-being in a school setting. Assumptions about boys and girls may be intentional or
unconscious, but they can lead to students being treated differently or being offered various
opportunities based on their gender.

20
Gender stereotyping is the product of our collective unconscious biases. When our
subconscious creates assumptions about someone based on their background or imagined
background, this is known as unconscious stereotyping. Unconscious biases exist in
everyone. Even if someone does not cognitively adhere to a stereotype, one can be
unconsciously impacted by it. However, becoming conscious of our biases and attempting to
overcome them is a vital step in combating gender stereotypes' damaging effects.

Finally, instilling in young boys and girls the values of justice, dignity, and gender equality
should accelerate the achievement of gender equality. In teaching gender equality to our
young and upcoming generation of students, this means that boys and girls will have the
opportunity to reach their full potential and contribute to the benefit of society.

21
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Amato, Jarred. “This @panthernation_1 Poem ‘Boys and Girls’ Addresses Gender
Stereotypes. #Nationalpoetrymonth Pic.twitter.com/dlkdxxp47p.” Twitter, Twitter, 29 Apr.
2016, https://twitter.com/jarredamato/status/726030647567982592?lang=en.

Waithe, Melania. “Women and Men Smash Stereotypes. .” Trinidad and Tobago
Newsday,https://www.facebook.com/ttnewsday,28Mar.2019,
https://newsday.co.tt/2019/03/28/women-and-men-smash-stereotypes/.

“Men Can Transform Gender Stereotypes and Inequality — Executive Director | UN Women
– Headquarters.” UN Women – Headquarters,
https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2014/11/ed-speech-at-menengage-global-symposi
um-india. Accessed 22 Feb. 2022.

Aziz, Safwan. “A Poem about Gender Inequality. “What Is Gender? | by Safwan Aziz |
Medium.”Medium,Medium,8May2018,
https://medium.com/@safwan.aziz555/a-poem-about-gender-inequality-7eec5e635569.

Improving Gender Balance (IBG). Improving Gender Balance.

https://www.brgtownsend.com/sites/default/files/2019-07/IGB-results-recommendations-201
7-report.pdf.

22