This paper explains gender role and its effects on mental and physical health. As a social construct, gender role dictates individuals to adapt to certain behavior appropriate to a male or female. It reinforces differentiation between men and women, which is evident in reproductive, productive and community-managing roles. Historical evidence exists to show that people defy gender-appropriate roles and take the roles of opposite gender to became transgender. Failure to defy the roles causes unhappiness among individuals and leads them to suffer from "gender diasphoria" or gender identity disorder. In general, the paper argues, gender role instills discriminatory access for women to material and emotional resources, which results in significant health stress for them.
