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Gender Equality
Gender equality means treating everyone fairly and providing equal opportunities to all people regardless of their gender. However, gender inequality continues to persist in today’s society. Gender equality is a human right, thus everyone including mental health professionals should have good working knowledge of gender equality for all. Achieving gender equality is crucial because it paves the way for peace and prosperity in the world. Gender equality fosters the development of all genders, especially women who are victims of gender-based violence and bias, which affects their health, limits their growth, and disempowers them. Gender equality is also essential for the economic development of society since women make up half of the world’s population, and thus, half of the world’s talent.
This entry discusses the reasons for the existence of gender inequality, including discriminations against women in education, health, the labor force, and politics. This entry also touches upon the need for gender equity to include the needs and interests of both men and women, especially women of color who are at a more considerable disadvantage than their white peers. Finally, this entry discusses the need for achieving gender equality for all genders by providing better opportunities to women in the fields of education, healthcare, and politics.
Reasons Gender Inequality Persists
Although there has been progress toward achieving global equality, disparities remain in socioeconomic and political arenas. According to the United Nations, globally, an average woman in the labor market earns 20% less than the average man. Violence against women is still rampant in many parts of the world. Worldwide, around 35% of women aged 15–49 years have experienced some sort of violence.
Research suggests that traditional gender roles lead to gender inequality. Prescribed sex and gender roles define how men and women are supposed to behave in society, and generally, the polarity of the roles gives birth to gender stereotypes, which in turn leads to gender inequality. Thus, sex and gender shape power hierarchies in society. Recently, progress has been made toward achieving gender equality. Research suggests that there has been a global decline in gender inequality in terms of health, education, political representation, and economic activity. In most countries, women now have voting rights, access to education, and the right to choose partners. However, gender bias still persists throughout the world.
According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2020, published by the World Economic Forum, gender equality is measured in four components: (1) economic participation and opportunity, (2) educational attainment, (3) health and survival, and (4) political empowerment.
Economic Participation
In the global economy, women are significantly underrepresented. Of the 55% of women in the global workforce, only 27% are in managerial positions. Even in the workforce, women earn less than men. The global gender wage gaps have remained stagnant throughout the years, impacting women significantly. Many women face job insecurities, some live at or below the poverty line, and some are even financially dependent on men. Young girls and women outperform boys and men in education, yet gender gaps exist in socioeconomic arenas. Overall, the well-being of women in the financial industry is significantly lesser than men.
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