Gender and Inequalities - Essay Example

Gender and Inequalities Introduction Gender inequality is rooted around the universe and every country in one way or the other, has faced it. The nature of gender discrimination varies from time to time and depends on the country the victim is in. There is no question about its existence. According to Lorber (2001), the various forms of inequality depend on the culture, traditions, and level of education. In the past decades, women could not question inequality against them and they had to accept it. They had no alternative but to believe that men were superior and no point in time should they be contradicted or disobeyed. Over the years, women stood up for their rights. They crawled from the depths of suppression and got into the limelight. Women now take an equal part in social privileges such as education, politics, science and other complicated fields. It is an improvement from the previous years but unfortunately, gender discrimination still exists. With it comes multiple negative effects. This paper will give some of the solutions to this menace and state some sources that cause gender inequality. Causes of gender inequality Unequal treatment of men and women is caused by a number of factors. The mentality that women suite certain types of jobs such as house-keeping, nurturing and provision of services, is a misleading one. Unlike women, men are more likely to get good, well-paying jobs because they are believed to be good decision makers and have undivided authority over women. The problem is that some women tend to believe this misconception. With low self-esteem, some women accept to be stepped over and denied their right without any complaints. They accept these unjust acts as being part of their lives which should not be the case. The level of education especially, that of the parents is another important factor. Inadequate knowledge about gender acts as a catalyst to gender inequality. Lack of proper comprehension that a girl child can benefit from education significantly contributes to gender discrimination. In most cases, parents put their faith in the prosperity of the boy child, ignoring the efforts of the girl child. Women are disregarded on the basis of culture and tradition. Some communities do not entertain the ideas that their leader can be a woman. This is most evident in African countries. Women are best seen as housewives and nothing more. Their duty is to raise children and are also expected to treat their husbands with respect and abide by his rules, no questions asked. In some religions, women are undermined. Though religion is an important part of human life, it has some flaws that hurt the well-being of women. Women are also to be blamed because they lack empowerment in many parts of the world. Comprehending empowerment will help cage the issue of gender discrimination. Effects of gender inequality Mark Blackden et al., (2007) stated that during employment process, gender inequality makes qualified and talented females give up opportunities and the company resorts to males who within a short period of time prove to be less useful. Lack of employment for women means poor living standards for them. Gender inequality in education also diminishes the likelihood for a girl child to complete school and graduate. This decreases the labor force of a country. The economy experiences detrimental effects. Women who have experienced inequality are often depressed and hold themselves under low regards leading to low self-esteem. Doubtfulness about oneself significantly reduces one’s composure and productivity in whatever activity. Klasen (2002) revealed that sluggish economic growth results from gender inequality. Problems associated with gender inequality Gender inequality causes a lot of problems for women. It is women that are being sexually assaulted and they feel ashamed to speak up because the society has a tendency of dismissing their claims. Whenever a woman seeks a job, most employers try to take advantage of them. If they are against it, their job applications are rejected. During payments of salary, their salaries might be delayed and if they try to inquire, they risk being fired. In Africa, women are denied the opportunity to learn and most of them are married off without their consent. Women are not given the chance to decide how their life will flow and turn out to be, rather, it is the parents, mostly fathers. Seguino (2000) alleged that household conflicts are caused by the difference in incomes, which is a result of gender inequality. Solutions to gender inequality Women rights are more than ever before and this should not be the end. Women rights should be followed to the latter. Those who violate these rights should be punished accordingly. The parents, especially the mother should stand up for her rights to portray a good imaged about herself and the women at large. The girl child upbringing determines the type of woman she is going to be in the future. Therefore, if the mother is abused and sweep the issue under the carpet, the child will forever be insecure. She will accept discrimination since that was what she learned and the endless cycle will continue on and on. Parents should also be advised to take the girl child seriously since it is up to them to save her future. In matters such as education, there should be no compromise. The girl child should be given, if not equal more, priority. They should be given opportunities to lead and prove themselves. The community should also be educated about accepting the capabilities of a girl child. If the mindset of the society changes, then it will be a smooth sailing for the girl child since gender inequality stems from ill thoughts. Conclusion In conclusion, gender inequality puts the girl child in harm’s way. It should not be condoned no matter the circumstances since there is no excuse for women discrimination. The government should make laws that protect women so that their dignity and respect is reserved. They should also give women a chance to contest for government seats because many of them can lead; they are just denied the chance to. Gender inequality has shown a significant number of effects to the victims. The victims feel inferior and insecure. Women are also given less priority in job vacancies compared to men and this consequently leads to low living standards. Gender inequality, especially against women, should be done away with since women deserve the same treatment as men. References Blackden, M., Canagarajah, S., Klasen, S., & Lawson, D. (2007). Gender and growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: issues and evidence. In Advancing Development (pp. 349-370). Palgrave Macmillan, London. Klasen, S. (2002). Low schooling for girls, slower growth for all? Cross‐country evidence on the effect of gender inequality in education on economic development. The World Bank Economic Review, 16(3), 345-373. Lorber, J. (2001). Gender inequality. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury. Seguino, S. (2000). Gender inequality and economic growth: A cross-country analysis. World Development, 28(7), 1211-1230. Read More