Gender Equality
Gender equality is a state where both men and women have similar access to opportunities in all spheres of life which include financial and decision-making processes. However, it is not the case. Women face continued discrimination in almost all areas of life. In turn, it hampers their abilities and limits their potentials. Some of the issues that lead to gender inequality include female genital mutilation and early marriage for girls. The seclusion of women in many spheres of life has had negative impacts on their lives and the world economy. As a result, there are efforts to change the situation. The achievement of gender equality is one of the millennium development goals. The paper explores the opportunities that women have as well as those they have missed on. It also looks at the progress made towards the achievement of gender equality.
History of Gender Equality
In almost all societies, women have been taken as inferior. The place of the woman is seen as the home with the primary role of caring for the family. Similarly, the ownership of property was a reserve of men. In some instances, male children had more rights than women. Besides, Christianity which has a presence in almost all places in the world calls for women to be submissive to their husbands. Ironically, the first group to call for gender equality was that of Christians known as the Shakers. The leader of the Shakers claimed that he had a revelation about women being equal to men. Therefore, the followers were required to ensure that women got equal treatment as that of men. The church itself had opportunities both for men and women. Despite making an impact on the equality of women, more than three hundred years later equality has not been fully realized.
Modern-day Equality Movement
The nineteenth century saw many struggles and changes in the United States. The extension of the right to vote irrespective of one’s amount of wealth for white men in the 1820s and 1830s had a role to play in the struggle for suffrage rights. The push to have women included in political roles culminated in a meeting in 1848 at Seneca Falls in New York. At the convention, it was agreed that as a necessity, women should have political identities (Faulkner, 101). However, the call did not gain momentum due to the civil war which followed shortly. The end of the war saw the ratification of the 14th and the 15th amendment which women took as a positive move towards the achievement of their rights. Despite the hope and the continued push to have the rights to political identity, no significant change was achieved. However, in 1910, some states began giving women the right to vote. As in the freeing of slaves, the southern states lagged women's rights. The struggle by suffrage organizations to have the states give in was slowed down by the outbreak of the First World War. On the other hand, women played critical roles in the war which helped to push further their agenda. The end of the war saw the ratification of the 19th amendment which gave women the right to political identity (Faulkner, 102).
Further, the end of the Second World War brought about the continuation of the struggle for women's rights.
It is the same period which led to the formation of the United Nations which has had a significant role in spearheading of equal rights. Among the most significant contribution of the United, nations include the adoption of the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women in 1979. The convention promotes the well being of reproductive health of women as well as a call against any violence against them.
Education and Literacy
According to UNESCO, there are about 750 million adults who lack basic literacy skills in the world. Out of this, more than 75% of them are women (Kabeer, 295). The startling results are even though education and literacy skills have a direct impact on the elimination of extreme poverty. A similar study by UNICEF found that there are rising literacy levels among the youth but women lag. The gaps in educational opportunities and literacy levels are among the biases that women continue to face in the 21st century.
Gender Biases
Gender bias happens in many forms and spheres of life and includes the differences in the treatment of men and women. Education is one of the main areas where the bias happens. In many developing countries, educating a girl is not a priority as her role is at home. Even when the opportunity arises, the teaching methods are geared towards male learners. Technical subjects, mainly mathematics and sciences are a preserve of the boys. In addition, the female learners are made to understand by the teachers that they lack the capacity to compete with the boys. The result is a stigma which leads to poor performance and demoralizing of the girl.
The use of gender and sexual-based violence is among the most common practices and has been used for dominance over a long period. According to the World Health Organization, sexual and gender-based violence may include rape, forced marriage, sexual exploitation and female genital mutilation among others (Guignard, 91). In many cases, they are used in places of conflict. The same study found out that a third of all women have been physically or sexually abused. In many cases, it is by someone known to the victim.
Biases at the workplace are also common in almost every corner of the world. Women who have the same responsibilities get a lesser pay than their male counterparts. Similarly, it is difficult for the same women to rise the career ladder when compared to their male colleagues despite having the same qualifications. The responsibilities at the places of work reveal a lot of gender bias. As an illustration, the male employees may have the duties of helping to lift a heavy object while the female ones are left with that of cleaning the restrooms in case of the absence of cleaning services. Additionally, it is necessary to note that sexual harassment is frequent in the workplace. In some instances, women are asked for sexual favors to get a promotion or a pay rise.
Strides Made in Gender Equality
There is an increase in educational opportunities for women in almost every part of the world. The achievement is further strengthened by the second Millennium Development Goal which is to attain free primary education for all. Countries that have ratified the MDGs are working hard towards the realization of this goal. Consequently, laws are passing to make it mandatory to have all school going children in school thus increasing literacy levels among all. Women are also taking up all kinds of jobs including science and research which is a positive indicator that there is progress in education.
The spirited fight against gender-based violence has shown positive results over time. FGM is one of the areas where there is attention to fighting gender-based violence. The listing of cultural practice as a violation of human rights has shown the seriousness of fighting it. Additionally, many governments where it is practiced have enacted laws prohibiting the act (Guignard, 91). At the same time, there is continuous education on the adverse effects of the vice.
There is a widespread increase in the use of family planning. Previously, women were seen as tools to produce babies. Moreover, they did not have a right to decide on the family planning method. There is a change in the same where women are aware of their duty in determining the best family planning method as well as the number of children to bear.
The increase of political representation of women is an indicator that there is progress towards gender equality. According to a study by UN Women, 22.8% of national members of parliament were women as of June 2015 (Women, U. N, n.p). The same survey found that there is an increase in the number of women heads of states and heads of government.
Conclusion
Gender equality has been against the favor of women where they have had to suffer in many ways. The struggle to correct the situation for over two centuries has borne some fruits. However, there is a long way to go if there will be a realization of gender equality in all spheres of life.
Works cited
Faulkner, Carol. "History, Mythology, and Power in the Women's Rights Movement." Reviews in American History44.1 (2016): 99-103.
Guignard, Lison. "The Construction of a Regional Legal Norm: The Case of Female Genital Mutilation in Africa." Critique Internationale 1 (2016): 87-100.
Kabeer, Naila. "Gender equality, economic growth, and women’s agency: the “endless variety” and “monotonous similarity” of patriarchal constraints." Feminist Economics 22.1 (2016): 295-321.
Women, U. N. Progress of the World’ s Women 2015-2016: Transforming Economies, Realizing Rights. No. id: 7688. 2015.
