There is specific kind of disdain reserved for women who do wrong, evil, make mistakes or stray away from the norm. From personal observation, women online and in real life get ostracized for lesser crimes that their male counterparts especially in the court of society. Society has set up certain gendered expectations which dedicate how women should behave. These expectations set women up for more harsher punishments and unnecessary scrutiny from the society.
Women are held to a higher moral standard than men, and are prescribed a distinct set of attributes just by virtue of their gender. Women are supposed to be nurturing, compassionate, and morally pure and when they depart from these norms and engage in morally questionable or otherwise unusual behavior, society responds with more shock, outrage and ridicule.
This perception that women are supposed to be perfect and pure puts them in a category that denies them the right to be seen as human beings capable of making mistakes. This impression also perpetuates detrimental gender stereotypes that limit women's autonomy and agency, compelling them to comply to narrow behavioral and moral norms.
A very common example of this is how the Malawian social media community reacts to leaked sexual clips; generally, a woman takes the brunt of the public's wrath_is ridiculed and mocked, while her counterpart receives minimal scorn. Women who face severe judgement and condemnation feel tremendous psychological anguish, which negatively affects their mental health and overall well-being.
Being given boundaries on how to behave stifles personal growth. Many women are afraid to try new things in their personal or professional lives for fear of being judged and being shunned by society if they make a mistake. Being held in a specific way can deter women from speaking up when they are victims, taking chances, or pursuing their goals.
Resolving this issue requires a significant shift in the way society views women in general. Seeing women as fallible human beings can foster empathy, compassion as well as fair social attitudes that acknowledge the complexity of women as people. Women ought to live in a culture that extends to them the same possibilities for repentance, grace, and forgiveness as it does to males. Women deserve to live in a society that acknowledges and celebrates their multifaceted nature.
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