Here’s How Actress Halle Berry Discusses Gender Stereotypes With Son

Teaching children about gender or racial discrimination is as difficult as it is predominant. Hollywood actress Halle Berry believes that this kind of education starts from home. In a recent virtual meeting, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association hosted a panel titled 'Women Breaking Barriers: An Industry Shift' as a part of the Sundance Film Festival. Here, the ‘James Bond’ famed actress presented her views on various gender stereotypes and how she’s using this as an opportunity to teach her son about the same. 

Halle Berry has a 7-year-old son. According to her, since he was 5, he started to assume he was superior to girls which she was absolutely not going to tolerate. She then started challenging his ideas, asking where they stem from, why he believes so, etc. Berry said, "I've had to really break that down for him and give him a new perspective, and challenge those thoughts and ask him to identify where that comes from, and if he believes that or not and challenge what he's subconsciously getting from somewhere." 

According to Berry, her job as a mother is to bring the change she wants to see around, which starts with her child. “I have realised what my job is in raising him. If we want to have a future that's different, that is where it starts. You made me think of how many conversations I've had with him, say, since he's turned 5 years old, about the differences in boys and girls, and I see how he's taught to feel like he's superior, at 5, than girls are," she stated in the virtual meet.

Stereotypes against gender, race, one’s physical or mental ability or anything at all are unfair and downright unacceptable. Guardians must talk to kids about every act and habit of sexism, etc. so they don't tend to laugh at wrong issues. Also, starting as young as possible is always a good idea.

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