Gender divide has been a global struggle for centuries, from rights to the overall treatment of women. Women have struggled to achieve equality because they have faced discrimination, have been constantly worried about their future and safety because they are women, and have suffered brutal cultural oppression from their communities. The book Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo demonstrates a society where the quality of life for women and girls is much poorer than that of men and boys. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay In Annawadi, rigid cultural restrictions have formed that limit social expectations and gender constructs that make life worse for women than for men. Gender constructs influenced by social expectations have made women's lives a constant battle of contemplating the risks of their actions that men would not need to consider. Unlike Annawadi men, women are regularly aware of how the results of their actions could be detrimental to their social standing. Image plays a crucial role in making a decision that could be destructive to their placement in a community where survival is partially based on hierarchy. “A young woman in the slum had to weigh the value of each potential interaction with a male against the voices it would inspire” (60). Throughout the novel, there is less indication that the men in the slum exhibit similar behaviors of concern and conscience or feel the same social pressures. The constant fear that rumors threaten women's daily interactions indicates that the gender constructs created by the slum community are not conducive to women and girls. Women in general seem to have less power and fewer opportunities than men. It's a mentality that is passed down from generation to generation. In Annawadi, both men and women seek safety; for women, however, the task proves to be much more difficult. Women are forced into a constant state of anxiety about the future of themselves and the safety of their daughters. Physical harm isn't the only thing women are afraid of. A culture in which women are seen as sexual objects poses new threats. Boo writes, “Her mother, fearing what might happen to a beautiful young woman in the police station, had begged Officer Thokale to keep her out of custody for as long as possible” (113), and “Asha was uncomfortable with the idea to send her only daughter to Africa, where she had heard that beautiful girls were sold into slavery” (144). Being a woman in the slums of India is another component of difficulty and fear for mothers of girls women's emotions such as "fear" and "discomfort", the language demonstrates the disadvantages that being a woman has on one's conscience If a woman or girl is considered "pretty" or "beautiful", horrible consequences such as rape creep in and slavery, unlike Annawadi men. These characteristics belong to women who are victims of threats that men do not experience. Male expectations prevent Annawadi women from gaining power in society and force them into a weaker, more stereotype targetable and one-dimensional. Mothers struggle to protect their daughters more than their sons because of the discrimination they themselves have faced as women. These social expectations and gender constructs all stem from the rigid cultural restrictions that make being a woman in Annawadi even more undesirable. Women face adverse repercussions.