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There are many cultural-based beliefs, or norms about role difference between men and women in any relationships. Some of these beliefs, such as “men should make all the moves in a relationship,” can promote unequal power dynamics and contribute to situations of vulnerability for both women and/or men. For instance, this belief might lead men to assume they should make all the decisions in a relationship, decisions regarding sex and health, even so when they do not have adequate knowledge on these issues. This will cause the girls and women to feel uncomfortable when trying to discuss these issues. Very often, masculine roles are usually assumed to be strong, aggressive and more logical or analytical, while feminine roles, are assumed to be more sensitive, nurturing and intuitive.
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Maintaining a healthy relationship requires work from both partners. Both men and women need to communicate their expectations, to understand and listen to each other’s needs. For a relationship to flourish, both gender roles need to be present to balance things out. Gender roles can be fluid in a relationship. They should be able to adjust along the relationship and they may change between both parties when necessary. To achieve gender fluidity that flourishes relationship, it is important to learn to be more observant and sensitive to the other partner’s needs. For example, when a girl not feeling well, her partner may need to be more caring and nurturing in taking care of her needs, instead of being typically cool.
