Women have long been a victim of stereotypes, being looked down upon, and being the “lesser” of the 2 genders. Our civilizations and cultures have long-standing gender stereotypes that have been ingrained in them. Even in the study and treatment of mental health, gender differences are present.
Women’s mental health has been ignored for a long time and often given the name of “women's problems” or being labeled as overtly emotional, or too sensitive. A lot of times their mental suffering is just ignored because it is seen as something every woman just has to go through. Understanding of women’s mental health difficulties is further complicated by centuries of misogyny and oppression. The term “hysteria,” which first appeared in ancient Egyptian medical writings in 1900 BC, was used to describe a variety of symptoms that were blamed on a “wandering uterus,” including anxiety, weariness, insomnia, irritability, and too much or too little sexual desire. This mental illness can only be identified in women who have uteruses. The prejudice and presuming neuroses in women who don’t follow patriarchal norms date back a long time.
There is still work to be done in the field, especially when examining differences in mental health between genders, despite the fact that the stigma surrounding mental health disorders has decreased.
In patriarchal institutions, women are socialized to be kind, lovely, and perfect: to take care of the home and family, put others before themselves, and attend to everyone’s emotional needs, all while excelling at work and looking impeccable.
According to Welsh, this environment of high expectations is a recipe for burnout and feelings of overload, both of which can result in mental health problems. She points out that while perfectionism and people-pleasing are not disorders, they can exacerbate melancholy and anxiety by making one feel responsible for the feelings of others and constantly seeking to meet predetermined standards.
Many people have mental problems untreated and don’t even realize they may be going through a mentally tough stage due to the lack of knowledge regarding mental health. One of the most prominent examples of this is observed in children who experience significant emotional trauma as a result of their education but are not recognized as depressed because doing so is often viewed as taboo. Lethargy, a lack of motivation, ongoing uneasiness, and spiraling thoughts are all considered signs of being “lazy” or “ungrateful,” or, to put it another way, of being a pessimist, rather than signs of real illness that requires medical attention.
The primary goal of SolGirls is to dispel the preconceptions about women going on worldwide where they are underestimated to represent their own identities and also to reduce the stigma about mental health awareness worldwide. SolGirls community has given a space where everyone can express themselves and get the motivation to tackle the problematic situation in life with inspirational stories, self-loving journeys, and more. The utilization of Web3 technology and social media platforms are the key components of our strategy that Solgirls has added to the platform to upgrade the lives of the individuals and foster the feeling of self-love and respect among them and others. The future is eagerly awaiting our contributions, and we’ve only just begun.
