Gender Inequalities: Essay Sample

Introduction

In the current society, issues of social divisions are so pronounced among the people in the society. Before the analyzing the entire issue of gender inequality, the gender itself must be described into two groups; men and women. Gender inequality is defined as the unequal treatment of individuals based on their gender (Peterson, Anne, and Spike, 2010). It results from the differences in socially constructed roles in addition to biological aspects such as brain structure, chromosomes, and differences in hormones. Gender inequalities are hierarchical and manifest itself in various ways in the daily life. According to Klasen, Stephan, and Francesca (2009), gender inequality is the unequal distribution of a society's power, wealth and privileges between males and females. The evidence of gender parity is rooted in the historical, traditional and cultural practices in the societies. Gender inequality is a highly debilitating stigma and leads to detriments of women's psychology of their worth and dignity to themselves and to society.

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In sociological perspective, it has been identified that gender is the key factor in determining and shaping social behavior and social institutions (Razavi, 2012). Gender inequality is perceived as something which we often don't pay keen interests in and thus it seems like a normal thing from the societal view. The differences may not be apparent to us but it happens in our day to day life and in every undertaking, we partake such as employment, education, and politics without our knowledge. According to Vung, (2018) the society presents gender as a system that gives privileges to some men and disadvantage most women. When a proper insight is applied to the issue of gender inequality, it is evident that majority of the women go through oppression and in most cases, the man turns out to be the oppressor. The issue of gender inequality is not new as it is evident throughout history as well as in religious setting. Gender inequity is one of the issues that has been subjected to many debates over many decades. A society ideally should in all respects be peaceful, united and upholding good moral values, however, unequal treatment in the society on basis of gender has degraded the society. There are several effects of gender inequality in the society today and if critically examined can play a role in getting rid of the vice. Although there is evidence of progress on gender equality today compared to the past, many issues regarding gender segregation are still alarming. This calls for a prioritization of gender equality globally as an important step towards human and economic development.

The materialistic theory states that gender inequity emanates from the ways in which men and women are tied to the society's economic structure (Xin, 2016).The theory points that the control and distribution of resources in the society is an important factor in defining stratification. The role of the woman is demonstrated as just being a mother and a wife consequently making them undervalued and without access to valuable resources in the society. The belief holds that gender stratification is more effective when a man is out doing business while the woman works within the homestead. As a result, men are freed from domestic chores which means they can get a chance to participate in various economic activities within the public domain leading to better access to valuable community resources; this raises the privileges of males in the society.

Discrimination based on gender currently has become rampant across the world with most incidences happening at the places of work.at the workplaces, the human resources establishments ignore gender sensitivity in enacting policies and in decision making. This makes practices such as promotions, pay, hiring and training to be skewed in the labor market. According to Xin (2016), in the workplace, gender inequality is experienced when entering a job, not only in terms of dissimilar salary but also is demonstrated through the gender differences and the amount paid. The perception that women and men are not equal is promoted and this unequal treatment of people based on their gender has greatly affected workplace operations. Majority of the structures available in the workplaces around the world and interactions patterns work in favor of the male group. This is because there are an inbuilt psychological and social tendencies in the society that perceive men as the leading gender. According to Xin (2016), occupational discrimination is a source of gender inequality where individuals are given employment based on the question of gender.

Women are considered to have no or imitated leadership skills, consequently making them have a lower bargaining point in their quest to deliver labor. Also, a majority of the female gender lack education skills and qualifications which then does not allow them to access well-paying jobs in the services industries. In addition, the corporate culture generally contributes to gender inequalities. Some organizations are characterized by hostile work environment and culture which only then means that males can survive such intimidation compared to the women. The issues of women which includes maternity have made companies be reluctant in hiring women and denying them managerial and supervisory positions. With the erosion of benefits and working rights, many women suffer I silence as the men enjoy. Similarly, the acts of discrimination against the female gender in the workplace lead to lower productivity and resignation of women in many organizations.

Gender inequality more often affects women due to their status in the society. Many women are affected at the workplaces due to gender discriminations in many countries. In places such as Iraq and Afghanistan, women are held at a lower position compared to their, male counterparts. In such states, women are perceived as properties and not as human beings. Typically, won=men are seen as mere housewives who should stay at home to clean, cook and take care of children. Men, on the other hand, are supposed to be breadwinners and be able to provide adequately for the family. The women are considered to be of a weaker sex both psychologically and physically and as a result, they are often victims of domestic violence. In addition, women are prohibited from controlling their biological functions in terms of issues such as abortion.

In the education field, women have for a long time been deprived their education at the expense of the men. Many societies globally argue that women are meant to stay at home and do the house chores. Lack of education means that the women will not get the ability to take care of their families in may come with unfavorable consequences such as poor health and increased mortality rates. According to (Razavi, 2012), men are likely to have more chances of attending school while young women seemed to have very limited opportunities for higher education than young men. Discrimination of genders causes a lot of challenges in the education industry. It is without dispute that education is an important tool and a basic element in human growth and development. No matter what the gender of a person is, everyone has a right to be exposed to education (Buvinic, et al, 2012).Many girls globally remain without any form of education and with no hopes of acquiring one. In Afghanistan for instance, girls are removed from their schools when they are merely at puberty stage because of heavy cultural influences involved in their actions. A good number of people around the world find it inappropriate for girls to receive formal education while others refuse to send their daughters to school for the fear of having both boys and girls going to the sane school. In Afghanistan, there is a presence of military groups which often attack schools that are suspected to have female students. As a result, a large number of Afghan women are illiterate with almost 82 percent ranging from the ages of 15 to 24 years (Xin, 2016)

This is an extremely dangerous situation that could escalate further if effective measures are not taken soon. Women deserve the same chances as men do especially in the area of education.

There are a number of research evidence that increases in female education help raise human developments which include health, child survival and schooling (Xin, 2016).World Bank in 2001 noted that in almost all poor countries, there is a high trend of educational impacts of gender inequality and in poverty, girls are more likely to be influenced to approach education (Peterson, Anne, and Spike, 2010).Finally, the economy is the most affected area as result of a degraded education system. This is because there is a strong connection between education and economic prosperity. As cited by Razavi (2012), the effect of gender inequality on the economy is found through the number of female and male students in primary and secondary school. The political field has not be ventured by women overall all over the world. The main reason is that women are viewed as weak beings who cannot lead a group of people or a country. There has been less sensitization on women and leadership coupled with limited education among women in some countries.

The magnitude and causes of gender inequality fluctuate throughout the world. Noticeable atrocities against women globally are in the form of femicide and rape. In countries such as Pakistan and the Middle East, female family members can be killed if they are perceived to have brought dishonor to the family (Buvinic, et al, 2012). In 2009, two Saudi Arabian sisters were killed by their brother in the presence of their father citing a defense on family honor (Buvinic, et al, 2012). These actions are cruel and abate the issues of gender inequalities further. Sex-biased abortion is another major player in gender inequality (Buvinic, et al, 2012). Countries such as China and India have maintained a higher preference for boy childbirth as opposed to girls. In these societies, the female child is undervalued as in the case of China which have adopted a one-child policy. In the same way, in India, the birth of a male is more acceptable as the female child is seen as a burden (Vung, 2008).However, though insufficient, national and international measures around the globe are being applied to mitigate and possibly eradicate gender inequality. For instance, the Society of Defending women's Rights in Saudi Arabia is tailor-made to empower and protect women (Buvinic, et al, 2012). Similarly, in India, the Dowry Prevention Act, the Prevention of Immoral Traffic, and the Sati Act is meant to stop widow burning (Buvinic, et al, 2012).

From an economic perspective, gender inequality is a huge challenge to growth and development as it curtails countries from achieving their optimum potentials in terms of productivity. Even though women constitute around 40 percent of the global workforce, there remain many unpaid family women in the informal sector (Vung, 2008).The women who work, however, despite equal capabilities and skills as the males are still paid below their male colleagues. Moreover, the status of women and promotion is often restricted to middle or lower ranks. As a result of these restrictions, many countries losses on their productivity which amounts to up to 25 percent as a result of gender discrimination(Vung,2008).It is thus evident that gender discrimination has a negative effect on nations across the world and imposes suffering on women in terms of economic and emotional repercussions. Gender discrimination is costly to nations across the globe and forces women to suffer the severe emotional and economic repercussions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, gender inequality has a detrimental impact on the society, economy and human development. A conducive environment for diversity is associated with the eq...