Self-Silencing among Married Women: Impact of Age, Marital duration, and Gender Stereotypes

Description

Page: 570-574

Rahma P. and Bindu P. (Department of Psychology, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram)

The main focus of the study was to explore whether age, marital duration and gender stereotype predict self-silencing of married women. Further, the difference in employment status, marital duration and age in self-silencing and gender stereotype was probed into. The sample consisted of married women (N=120) across different levels of employment status (employed/unemployed), marital duration (<10 years & >/=10 years), and age (20-34 & 35-60) recruited purposively from the various districts in Kerala. A correlational research design was employed and the data were collected using Silencing the Self-Scale developed by Jack and Dill in 1992 and Gender Stereotype Scale by Sekhar and Parameswari in 2020. Results revealed a significant positive relationship between self-silencing and gender stereotypes. Whereas no significant difference in employment status was observed, women in the higher age group (35-60) and with longer marriage duration (=>10 years) displayed greater self-silencing and gender stereotypes. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that gender stereotype has an incremental impact on self-silencing, overshadowing the effects of age and marital duration. These insights can guide policymakers and practitioners while helping older generation challenge their internalized traditional gender roles that encourage self-silencing and promote egalitarian views within marriages.