Gender Inequality in Global Perspective - Coursework Example

Gender Inequality in Global Perspective Introduction As Henslin (158) says, gender inequality is one major issue which is regarded one of the main problems of the 21st century. Gender inequality and discrimination takes many forms and its level of seriousness is different in different societies. Although different societies have different levels of gender inequality, all societies, whether the capitalist west, or the socialist east have some level of gender inequality that is a big enough to affect how that community develops, economically and socially. As Rives and Yousefi (93) put it, gender inequality also has an economic element to it and this can be seen in many societies. History of gender inequality Scholars have argued that gender inequality was not always there but was as a result of the changing socioeconomic structures. It is argues that the hunter-gatherer communities had more equal roles for both of the genders because the economic activities at this time were less divisive along the gender lines. In fact, it is argued that women contributed to over sixty percent of the total food that a family would consume. Because of this, the women were not seen as less equal to men and were thus treated equally. However, as time went on and the nature of economic activities changed, a wedge was driven between the two genders; always leaving the women to carry put the more mundane tasks while men were charged with the more serious tasks (Segal, 90). At some point, the nature of the environment that humans used to live in required the separation of these roles. Women would be left in the caves to look after ht children while men would go out for the most dangerous tasks of hunting and gathering for food. This led to the separation of gender roles. Even after the industrial age showed up, men were preferred in most factories and therefore women were always seen as best staying at home and taking care of the house chores. However, even in the modern world where women don’t need t stay at home, this gender inequalities have continued to persist. Gender inequality in the west Although women in the West have had a better way to make their conditions better as compared to women in the East (Russia, China, India) and the middle east (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran etc), they still face discrimination based on their gender. It is evident that the West has developed a lot and the people in this civilized societies women have much more opportunities as compared to those in the east, however, more still needs to be accomplished in order for women to fully enjoy total freedom and to be able to access the same opportunities and resources as men. Some of the issues which women in the west still face include; The glass ceiling The glass ceiling is an analogy that describes a barrier that although is not physical, prevents a person from getting higher in their development especially in career. This affects a number of minorities including women. In the west such as in United States of America and most parts of Europe, despite the fact that women’s rights have been advanced greatly, most women still f ace the barrier of the glass ceiling. Because of this, most women are not able to get past certain levels in a business environment. This therefore means that they may not able to go to the executive functions in a corporate environment, not necessarily because they are not competent, but because most organizations prefer to promote men and not women. This lack of belief in a woman’s competency based on her gender has been a major factor that has led to the women not being able to go up the ladder to top positions in western corporations as well as government posts. The glass ceiling remains a major issue with regard to women rights in the west and is argued to be one of the major factors of concern which definitely needs to be addressed as soon and efficiently as possible. Of course, many corporations and businesses have tried to deal with this issue. However, the efforts so far only seem to be meant towards just either creating good public relations for the organization or just meeting legal requirements. A closer investigation of some of the most known firms in the west indicates that women only have a very small percentage of high ranking positions. Marriage and living Apart from the glass ceiling in the West there are still other problems with regard to gender inequality. Gender binarism in the west is still a serious issue with most cultures still having two distinct groups of roles for each of the gender (male and female). These roles surround the issue regarding brining up a family and work. In UAS for instance, some family roles such as bringing up the children in a family, cooking and taking care of the house chores are still taken to be a woman’s work. In the corporate environment, some roles such as chief executive officers and high ranking management positions are seen as best filled with a man and not women. This may be an explanation of why despite the increased number of female university graduates in various disciplines women still lag behind their male counterparts in institutional leadership. This division of roles between the male and the female gender has a major role in bringing gender inequality because it in most cases suggests that women are not able to do some tasks. It also seems to be a justification of the discrimination against women and the many inequalities that exist against the female gender. Gender inequality in the east The East has been in the lime light for pronounced gender inequalities. While there are gender inequalities in the West, these are not as serious as in the East (Burn, 2010). Eastern region of the world seem to have a much more serious issues with their gender inequality. In the East, the issue of gender inequality has its roots in the culture of these societies. Religion however plays an even bigger role in the proliferation of gender inequality in Eastern regions. Asia is a good example where many nations and societies in this region have regarded a woman in much low esteem. In China for instance, women are not given much consideration, not only in the running of national affairs but in anything useful in daily life. In 1979, china passed a law where each family is only allowed one child. The government only supports one child at a time from each family and this means that each household can only have one child or they would be needed to pay for full support of the extra child or children. It was legislated as a way to deal with the country’s exploding population. Its implementation has exposed the fault lines in gender inequality and discrimination against the female gender. Since people are only allowed to have one baby, there have been reports of abortion where girls are aborted as families only want a son because they believe that a son is a better option than a daughter. This belief that sons are better than daughters is very archaic because the modern world does not really mater the gender of person. However, this has been seen to be the case in China where even the most educated parents prefer to have a son than a daughter. Gender inequality in China however does not stop at that. Those who are lucky to be born as females also have to face a lifelong discrimination of based on their gender. In this culture, and the many subcultures in China, a woman is seen as subordinate and not equal to a man. In this regard, boys in this region are more likely to be given priority over girls when such opportunities as getting education are considered. Glass ceiling in China Needles to say, women in the Asian continent also face the same issue of glass ceiling in their region. The glass ceiling in Asia is in fact much more pronounced and many of these women would almost never see the high ranks of an office, regardless of their abilities and education level. However, there are some few exceptions where women have increasingly made it to the top even in this highly unequal society. However, a closer look indicates that most of these women were women of Asian descent but who grew up in the. Most women who have risen in ranks in the corporate world in Asia are those who were educated and brought up in the west. This is the best evidence that gender discrimination is one of the oldest self fulfilling prophesy. In societies where small girls are brought up being told that they can only do so much, they will not have the opportunity to develop certain skills that only reserved for the male gender, such as leadership skills. This then works to prove that they are incapable of being leaders. However, if such girls were to be brought up in environment the gives both male and female same opportunities, they would be able to shine and show their capabilities. Girls brought up in societies such as found in China and other Eastern nations may not have the opportunity to show the world, or even their communities what they can do and what their abilities are. As a result, they will only grow up to be what their societies through discrimination molded them to be. A case for the Arabian driving ban on females The year 2013 caused a big uproar in the Middle East in where cases of gender discrimination were highlighted. One such case was the Saudi Arabian case where the government passed a law that women are not supposed to drive. There was no solid reason for preventing women from driving, apart from the basis that they are women and therefore not allowed to do “manly tasks”. This level of discrimination against women even on the most common of tasks such as driving may indicate how deep gender discrimination is, especially in the East. This region where the main culture and religion is Islam, women have faced increased levels of inequality and discrimination as compared to their counterparts in the western world where other forms or religion are practiced. Islam as a religious orientation and the culture that goes along with it has a low place for the woman in the society. Without necessarily attacking the religion, it is good to note that the requirements of the Islam religion, especially when followed strictly, place a woman in a much lower place and in a very disadvantaged level. A woman is seen to be secondary to man, regardless of age differences. For example, a young boy is likely to be given much more respect in the society compared to a woman even if the woman is much older. In this line of though, a boy is much more valuable than his mother. In some nations in the region of Middle East for instance, a woman requires the permission of a male member of the family when for instance moving out of the country. In his regard, a mother may need her young son to give her permission (even if just a boy) to get out of the country. This subordination of women where a grown woman is treated as less capable than a boy may be an example of just how poorly women are treated in these societies. Gender inequality in Africa In the case of gender inequality in the world, Africa, just like its geographical positions straddles the East and the West. Most African nations and cultures are gradually embracing the Western cultures where the woman is given much more respect and opportunities. However the glass ceiling is ever present. In Africa, how a woman is treated is dependent on where in particular she lives. If a woman lives in a city like Nairobi, she is most likely to be treated with a tendency towards equality and fairness, just like in the West. Those in the rural areas where African culture is still practiced may however not be so lucky. They would most likely experience the kind of inequality in the East. For them, they have to face the blunt edge of gender discrimination and inequality. One issue that has gotten the attention of the world in Africa with regard to gender inequality is the issue of female genital mutilation. Although most communities in African have forsaken this old and outdated tradition (female genital mutilation is circumcision of females), some, especially those in the rural areas still practice these outdated practices. Most societies which still live in the rural areas still carry out this practice. Why is this practice such a part of the gender inequality? First because it affects the body of a woman especially their ability to have fulfilling sexual encounters (unlike in male circumcision which in fact is medically recommended). Secondly and most importantly because these girls are usually married off as a soon as they are circumcised. This usually happens at a tender age of between 8 and 13. These girls are married off to older women because their family is poor and would be happy to take the hefty dowry payment for the girl which is in most cases paid in livestock. This reinforces Rives and Yousefi (49) argument about the economic element of the gender inequality. Works Cited Burn, Meghan. Women Across Cultures: A Global Perspective. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education, 2010. Henslin, James. Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach, Tenth Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Edication Inc. , 2009. Rives, Janet M. & Yousefi, ‎Mahmood. Economic Dimensions of Gender Inequality: A Global Perspective. New York, NY: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1997. Segal, Marcia. Analyzing Gender, Intersectionality, and Multiple Inequalities: Global, Transnational and Local Contexts. New York, NY: Emerald Group Publishing, 2011. Read More