Gender Inequality

Introduction

For the longest time, the topic of gender inequality has remained to one of the global societal problems. By definition gender inequality can be taken to refer to the differences in status, power, and prestige that exists between both genders; male and female with the societies. Gender inequality entails unequal and unfair treatment between males and females.  Gender inequality still exists in all societies. Gender inequality encompasses some factors such as gender roles and sexual identity. Why do organizations experience gender inequality? The answer to this question may vary with people. However, the primary cause of gender inequality is stereotypes. Women have been the subject of gender inequality where they are considered by society as subservient gender while men are regarded as the dominant gender.    The difference between genders may seem invincible, but the impact is significant. From education and workplaces to the political arena, gender inequality continues to be practiced. It is the gender roles that result in the effect of gender inequality. The topic of gender inequality is significant in the modern world because women continue to experience discrimination when it comes to accessing public opportunities. Despite the common notion that modern society has eradicated gender inequality, experiences in education, politics and at workplaces prove that women are not equal to men. The solution for gender inequality which has persisted for long in our societies is education and advocacy. People, especially the younger generation, must be educated on breaking the outdated gender roles dictating the types of considered acceptable or appropriate actions based on the sexuality of the individual.

Background Information

The issues of gender inequality are not something of recent times. It has existed for the longest time ever. From ancient times, women were allocated roles of motherhood, and the society denied them other public opportunities. Most societies from the ancient times believed that women were the weaker gender physically, and mentally. This notion made women be assigned duties that are less demanding. Since women were considered having low intelligence quotient, they were never allowed to go to schools for formal education. Institutions for higher education could not admit women as part of their students or have them as instructors or professors (Cama, Jorge& Peña, 2016). This is the sole reason why many scholars, philosophers, and experts in the field like medicine and engineering were men.

In the wake of the 20th century, and especially during World War (I) it was men who were being deployed to war while their female counterparts were left back at home to look after kids and livestock. Women were considered weaker physically, an aspect that made them not to be engaged in war. During the industrialization phase, men were employed in industries as experts and professionals. Women on the other side were employed not as professionals but as workers. The salaries and wages paid to women were considerably low as compared to that of men. With low educational skills, women would not be given top positions and could not receive job raises and promotions.

In the modern world, gender inequality is still evident. The difference in both men and male and the female gender are seen in different dimensions including economic, political and demographic. In the economic dimension, men make more than women in formal employment. Women are less likely to be involved in the formal work sector. In Chile,  for instance, on average a man in formal employment earns almost double what a woman with the same academic qualification earn. When it comes to hose chores, women do the larger share. In the political arena, women are being discriminated because of their gender. The number of Women in elected offices and political, corporate representation is considerably low. This explains why women head only 14 of the entire 200 governments. Gender inequality in the modern world is also evident in social dimensions. In most societies, men are more prone to violence, and imprisonment. On the other side, women are victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. In some societies, women are regarded as sex toys rather than capable human beings %8% nine %9. In terms of demographics, gender inequality is evident by the fact that women live longer lives on average than men do. The average lifespan for women has been indicated to be 69 years while that of men has been studied to be 65 years(CIA 2010). Besides the number of women globally is high compared to that of men. In countries like China and India, the gender ratio of men to women is reported to be 113:117 (CIA 2010). This is just a representation of how women outnumber men in most of the countries.

Proposed solution

Building a society where gender inequality is a thing of the past will require not only resilience but also a commitment from the stakeholders involved. Advocacy and education are believed to be the most useful tools that can be used to address gender inequality in the world. The two when combined  not only create awareness among women but also open them up to opportunities that exist in global affairs. Countries that have progressed in matters of gender equality have put education in the forefront while at the same time encouraging advocacy.

Reducing the gaps that exist between the two genders is not only important in creating a harmonious society, but it is the only way toeffectively establish a balance of power, and responsibilities conclusively. From the early stages, letting the children understand what it means to have a society that does not have inequalities is significantly going to reduce injustices against the genders. Empowering the civil organizations and equipping them withtresourcers, on the other hand, could improve advocacy and in return narrow the gaps that exist. Progressive nations and communities around the world have embraced the power of dialogue, advocacy, and dedication to shape their communities from an early age and reduce gender inequalities. Statistics have shown that countries with high rates of illiteracy and low levels of social advocacy are the worst hit in matters of gender inequality. Education to a large extent has been proved to break barriers that exist in gender roles and allow women to take part in productive activities like employment. The role of the media can  address gender  stereotyping on the otter hand. To advancea people politically and reduce inequalities, it is essential to promote democracy and create democratic institutions that give equal chance and opportunities. Advocating and education members of the community could be a great asset in this case. The current generation has been making enormous strides in reducing these inequalities. Reducing economic disparities between the two genders could be attributed by offering more opportunities to the weak gender. Advocacy could be used to create chances to women in the society as in most cases they are adversely affected in economic matters. Self-advocacy in a way could also be used as a tool to empower the coming generations especially on how to diviofde labor, work, political posts, work opportunities and any other resources that are in a community. Making strides in reducing inequalities is usually not a simple activity, and it calls the commitment of all stakeholders and the goodwill to change the situation. The basics have shifted from allowing women to work, paying them, allowing them to vote and later allowing them to go for elective positions. The future is going to be more open, friendlier when all these barriers and inequalities are reduced to zero.

 

Statistical Evidence

According to research the highest income earners in most parts of the world are men, who account for 79.5% of the top-most 1% of recipients of high income. Similarly, men constitute the highest recipients of income in the top 5% and 10% at 74.4% and 61.9% respectively as of 2010.  The highest percentage of the top 1%, that is, 83.9% of the men are in common-law relationships or marriage and living together with their partners.

Regarding education level, high-income earners have higher education levels especially university degrees. The top 1% consisted of 67.1%(represents over two-thirds) individuals with university degrees. Of the top 5% and 10%, 54.6%, and 50.3% of the individuals respectively had university degrees. These findings demonstrate the relationship between education and income and indicate that men earn higher than women because of traditional factors such as education.

Other studies show that show that women indicate lower levels of employment out of the total labor force (48.0%) compared to men (52.0%). Also, regarding occupation, women are the most likely to be employed in community/government services, social and law, administration and finance occupations, business, and sales. On the other hand, men are mostly employed in management, trades, sales, equipment operations, and transport.

These sources used to support the proposed solution to the global problem of gender inequality, can be considered to a great extent to be reliable, valid and with no bias. To start with, the sources used are peer-reviewed articles. In this sense, they present information that is accurate and reliable. What makes them dependable is the fact that respected institutions support evidence contained in them.  These articles are written by most respected and honored professionals in the field of sociology, and therefore the data is again valid and reliable. Besides,  they are published by well-known publishers.

Ethical Outcome of Solution

The positive side of the outcome of the proposed solution is thatthe society will stop the notion or the perception that women are the weaker gender. This way women in the society will be embraced for who they are and as equal with their male counterparts. It should be understood that in workplaces, what matters is the skills and the capabilities of the employees. Thus, women like men should be given employment  bofy qualification. Educating communities on the need to embrace gender equality will result in a peaceful and harmonious world where both genders will be treated with respect and dignity.  The only adverse ethical outcome that could result from the solution is that making women equal to men may make them less valuable in the eyes of men.

Promoting gender equality is an excellent ethical outcome. First I will ensure both women and men are given equal opportunities to compete for the corporate world and in workplaces. This will result in equal gender representation in all dimensions of life. Second, it will make most of the women discover potentials within themselves, therefore, promoting creativity in society. Third, by encouraging women to study up to higher levels would bring in new skills in the market and consequently high possibilities of new inventions and introduction of new ideas in industries. Lastly, issues of domestic violence and sexual harassment will be a gone case in society.

Conclusion

Although specific individuals feel a great deal of the costs of gender inequality, these costs can be experienced at a society or even global level. Not giving men and women equal opportunities to develop their potentials, would deprive the community and the world at large higher productivity. This, therefore, is the reason as to why communities need to invest equally in educating and training men and women. Women deserve to be given equal opportunities to engage in more productive forms of work. This way the society will harness the full potential of its members.

 

References

Auspurg, K., Hinz, T., & Sauer, C. (2017). Why should women get less? Evidence on the gender pay gap from multifactorial survey experiments. American Sociological Review, 82(1), 179-209.  DOI: 10.1177/0003122416683393

Huffman, M. L., King, J., & Reichelt, M. (2017). Equality for whom? Organizational policies and the gender gap across the German earnings distribution. ILR Review, 70(1), 16-41.

Ji, Y., Wu, X., Sun, S., & He, G. (2017). Unequal care, unequal work: Toward a more comprehensive understanding of gender inequality in post-reform urban China. Sex Roles, 77(11-12). Retrieved from DOI 10.1007/s11199-017-0751-1

Nielsen, M. W. (2016). Gender inequality and research performance: moving beyond individual-meritocratic explanations of academic advancement. Studies in Higher Education, 41(11), 2044-2060.

Su, F. (2006). Gender Inequality in Chinese Politics: An Empirical Analysis of Provincial Elites. Politics & Gender, 2 (2006), 143–163. DOI: 10.1017/S1743923X06060077

Stamarski, C. S., & Son Hing, L. S. (2015). Gender inequalities in the workplace: the effects of organizational structures, processes, practices, and decision makers’ sexism. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 1400.

Plickert, G., & Sterling, J. (2017). Gender Still Matters: Effects of Workplace Discrimination on Employment Schedules of Young Professionals. Laws, 6(4), 28.

Lightman, N., & Good Gingrich, L. (2018). Measuring economic exclusion for racialized minorities, immigrants and women in Canada: results from 2000 and 2010. Journal of Poverty, 1-23.

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