It means a lot for me to be female in today's society. It means I'm inconsistent with my male counterparts. It means I have to sit with my knees tightly pressed together or my legs crossed in public (oh, it doesn't matter if I'm not wearing a skirt.) It means I'm expected to do all the housework while my brother watches soccer. And it means a whole load of other things. So what are we talking about here really? We're looking at gender and how it shapes our lives. While sex classifies people based on physical and biological differences, gender on the other hand differentiates us on the basis of physiological, psychological and socio-cultural characteristics. I think I'm female, therefore I am. There are many limitations to being female, like the ones I stated above. Here, I shall discuss how gender has both shaped and influenced my perception of self and the norms I abide by.
             I just have to observe myself on a normal day to know how much gender has shaped the norms (customary behaviors) I abide by. As a female, I know what is expected of me by watching other females behave. Together, we know what our male counterparts expect of us. I just realized some of the typical norms I abide by, never noticing so before. I put in every ounce of effort to perfect my make-up before leaving the house each day, not knowing who I do it for exactly, except for the fact that I do it simply because that's what females do. I check my reflection on every street corner whenever I chance upon glass windows or mirrors. I go to the ladies at least twice whenever I'm out to make sure my hair is right and everything else, perfect. During parties and social gatherings, I behave like other girls my age. I do not initiate conversations with guys. I wait for them to come up to me. Neither do I talk or joke loudly. I do not want to make a fool of myself. It's ridiculous, I feel now. Just look at all the norms...