GENDER INEQUALITY

➡️ GENDER EQUALITY – The Future is Equal

Gender equality is the principle of granting equal rights, responsibilities, opportunities, and freedoms to individuals regardless of gender. The movement seeks to eliminate the barriers caused by stereotypes, biases, and harmful traditions in the most critical aspects of society such as economic and political participation, in the workforce, education and healthcare.

Equality between the sexes is about meeting the interests, needs, and priorities of all genders, where they are respected and valued equally, promoting a harmonious, equitable, and fruitful society for everyone.

Jump straight to our inspiring guide on ➡️ Women's Equality or explore our categories on -

• Our Gender Equality Resources

• Women's Organisations and Initiatives
• Women's Rights
• Feminism
• Equal Pay, The Wage Gap, and Employment Inequality
• Societal Mindsets & Unpaid Labour
• Female Poverty
• Women's Political Participation
• Women as Victims of War
• Opposition to Women's Rights
• Abortion, Body Autonomy, and Female Genital Mutilation
• Child marriage
• Domestic Violence
• Remarkable women

“Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance.” - Kofi Annan

Sustainable Development Goals and Gender Equality

Sustainable Development Goal 5 focuses on pursuing real and long-lasting gender equality, including -

• Ending gender disparities

• Eliminating violence against women and girls

• Eliminating early and forced marriage

• Securing equal participation and opportunities for leadership

• Universal access to sexual and reproductive rights

In 2023, a report by the United Nations revealed that SGD goal 5, like many of the other goals, is falling short of almost all its targets. The world is failing women and girls.

Based on current trends, by 2030 -

• More than 340 million women and girls will still live in extreme poverty by 2030

• One in four women will experience moderate or severe food insecurity

• Women will spend an average of 2.3 more hours per day on unpaid care and domestic work than men

• No country will be within reach of eradicating partner violence

• Girls' completion rates in education will remain below the universal mark

• Women's share of workplace management positions will remain below parity, even by 2050

To achieve gender equality and women's empowerment by 2030, there is a need for a further $360 billion per year of investment.

How Big is the Gender Gap?

The Global Gender Gap Index is an annual report conducted by the World Economic Forum. It measures economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. It was the first tracker of women's progression and allows us to analyse efforts country-by-country.

The global gender gap score in 2023 for all 146 countries included stood at 68.4%, just a modest 4.1% improvement from the first report in 2006. Based on this level of progress, it will take 131 years to reach full parity.

No country has yet to achieve full gender parity. However, the top nine countries, Iceland, Norway, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, Germany, Nicaragua, Namibia and Lithuania, have closed at least 80% of their gap. Iceland takes the top position for the 14th year in a row and is the only country to have closed more than 90% of its gap.

The Middle East and North Africa region is the furthest away from parity, with an average score of 62%. For this region, Morocco, Oman and Algeria rank the lowest.

The UN Women's Gender Snapshot 2024 highlighted the financial cost of not achieving gender parity. The failure to invest in education and training for young people, especially girls, costs the world over $10 trillion. In sub-Saharan Africa, the cost rises a further $210 billion. Closing the digital gender divide could save an estimated $500 billion over the next five years.

None of the 120 countries with data, including major European countries, has all the necessary laws to prohibit discrimination, prevent violence, ensure equal rights in marriage and divorce, guarantee equal pay, and provide full access to sexual and reproductive health.

The report also revealed that in 2024, women held only 27% of seats in national parliaments and 35% of seats in local governments. 107 countries have never had a woman Head of State.

A shocking takeaway was that 1 in 8 women and girls aged 15-49 experienced violence from a partner in the past year. Devastatingly, at current rates, girls will continue to be married as children until 2092.

So, how big is the gender gap? It is big and becoming only marginally smaller year on year.

Why is Girl's Education so Important?

Despite the knowledge that girls' education is essential to development, gender disparities in education persist.

Worldwide, 119 million girls are out of school. In countries affected by conflict, girls are twice as likely to be out of school than those living in countries at peace.

Evidence tells us that educated women tend to be more informed about nutrition and healthcare, have fewer children, have healthier children, earn higher incomes, participate in the decisions that most affect them, and build better futures for themselves and their families.

Education is the strongest predictor of marriage age.

Girls face the same barriers as boys in terms of access to schools; however, additional barriers such as safety, hygiene, and sanitary needs prevent many girls from attending school. In poorer homes, boys will often be favoured as the better education investment.

Child marriage, gender-based violence, and poverty are huge hurdles in closing the gender education divide.

How Can We Close the Education Gap?

• Tackle harmful gender norms and practices that prevent access to school and quality learning

• Implement gender-responsive education policies

• Social protection measures to improve secondary school retention rates

• Train teachers in gender-responsive pedagogies

• Remove gender stereotypes from learning materials

• Allow re-entry for young mothers

• Facilitate menstrual hygiene in schools

   

How does Culture Shape Gender Norms?

Cultures should nourish pride, resilience, belonging, identity, and community - But some traditions have an expiration date. Culture has been used for centuries to justify harmful practices, including gender violence and the second-class treatment of women.

These types of norms ignore sexism, minimalise abuse, promote aggressive behaviour and toxic masculinity, and help maintain patriarchal gender systems. Millions of girls and boys are robbed of their childhoods, and it creates a lifelong cycle of inequality which is decided from birth.

More than 575 million girls live in countries where discriminatory gender norms contribute to violations of their rights.

Examples of harmful cultural gender norms include:

Societal expectations define the role of girls and women as mothers, wives, and care providers. This prevents girls from attending school, as greater importance is placed on their ability to run a home than their education. The restriction of opportunities outside of the home due to responsibilities such as chores and childcare limits their mobility and leaves no time for school.

Female genital mutilation (FGM), a procedure which has been undergone by more than 230 million girls and women alive today, is a violation of human rights, serves no health benefits, and creates a host of short and long-term medical complications. The practice is carried out in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Belief systems, especially in certain Muslim societies, see it as a necessary part of raising a girl, a way to prepare her for adulthood and marriage and to control her sexuality. FGM disrupts natural bodily functions such as menstruation and urination, causing chronic pain, infections, incontinence, and even infertility.

Child marriage affects 12 million girls every single year. The consequences of which they will carry throughout their lives. Families often use child brides as a way to escape poverty or protect a family's honour. The practice is supported by religious laws in certain countries which condone the marriage of under 18's. Child marriage causes social isolation, prevents the completion of education, limits opportunities for employment, and is a leading cause of early pregnancy.

Dowries dehumanise women and classify them as property to be sold. The practice fuels child marriage, FGM, the oppression of women, abuse, violence, the dominance of husbands, and systems of male guardianship. India is the epicentre of dowry culture. The term dowry deaths is used for the 8,000 women a year who die as a result of dowry dissatisfaction through bride suicide or murder by their partner. Girls are often married as children to avoid larger dowries and are prevented from attending school as dowry prices increase with each year of education. Seen as a financial burden, many parents abort girls or allow them to die shortly after birth. It deepens class hierarchies and also traps low-income families in a cycle of debt as they are forced to take out high-interest loans to meet dowry expectations.

What Legal Frameworks Exist to Protect and Promote Gender Equality?

Numerous international and national legal frameworks are designed to protect and promote gender equality. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), adopted by the UN in 1979, is often described as an international bill of rights for women.

On a national level, many countries have also enacted their own laws to enforce gender equality, such as the Gender Equality Act in Iceland and the Equal Pay Act in the United States. These laws address issues ranging from discrimination in employment and education to sexual harassment and violence against women.

Promoting gender equality in the workplace involves a variety of strategies, including implementing equal pay, providing parental leave, and ensuring fair promotion and training opportunities for all genders. Companies are increasingly adopting policies that facilitate a more balanced work-life integration, which is particularly beneficial for women who often juggle professional and domestic responsibilities.

Although progress is slow, there are success stories from implementing high-level gender policies; for example, countries with domestic violence laws report lower rates of intimate partner violence compared to those without. Countries that ratified CEDAW then went on to implement their own actions, such as raising marriageable age, providing financial support to women in agriculture, improving maternity rights, and investing in women's healthcare.

Gender Equality for a Better World

Progress toward gender equality has been marginal since the implementation of the SDGs in 2016. Underfunding, a disregard for women's rights in political agendas, and the inability to address deep-rooted cultural and social factors that create discrimination have prevented any significant progress.

Laws holding women back need to be rewritten, and new legally binding frameworks must be implemented on key issues such as girls' education, workers' rights, and equal pay. With the full backing of the law and government, child marriage, FGM, gender-based violence, and dowries can become a thing of the past.

Women's rights are human rights, and the uplifting of women results in the uplifting of society as a whole.

Tackling the gender gap will boost global GDP and add $12 trillion to global growth. It reduces poverty, leads to healthier children, reduces racial inequality, builds strong democracies, and is even linked to peace!

Research has shown that gender equality is a key marker of peace, resilience, and security. When a country addresses major areas of gender inequality, such as education and employment, they are more likely to resolve conflicts without violence and are less likely to use military force.

We invite input from gender equality experts and collaboration from gender equality organisations - Get in touch today!

In the words of Malala Yousafzai - "We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back."

Author: Rachael Mellor, 19.12.24 licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0

For further reading on Gender Equality see below ⬇️