Imagine a life where you could not choose what to do with your body. Where you do not have any power to make your own decisions. Where you must marry someone that you do not love at the age of 12. Imagine living a life where you do not get opportunities because of the gender you were born with. Where others have more power than you just because of your gender. If we do not make a change, our future generations may not even have the choice of who they want to be as a person. Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but is also a necessary foundation for a peaceful and sustainable world. Gender equality is the #5 Standard Development Goal. Gender equality is when people have opportunities and resources regardless of their gender. This means that people have control over their own bodies and the decisions that they make. Gender equality is very important and so we should make changes. But what can we do to reach gender equality? In order to reach gender equality so that both genders can be secure and confident, we must understand the various causes, effects, and solutions of gender inequality.

What are the causes of gender inequality?

Gender inequality is caused because of social constructions of relations. Women’s roles are valued less economically and are also often limited in mobility.  Did you know that “only 6 countries in the world give women the same legal work rights as men. In fact, most economies give women only ¾ the rights of men” (“10 Causes of Gender Inequality”).  Women also lack political representation and positions in the political world. Because of these inequalities in the political world, “of all national parliaments at the beginning of 2019, only 24.3% of seats were filled by women. As of June of 2019, 11 Heads of State were women” (“10 Causes of Gender Inequality”). Many women around the world do not have authority over their own bodies and lack bodily autonomy. Because of this, “globally, 750 million women and girls were married before the age of 18 and at least 200 million women and girls in 30 countries have undergone FGM” (“Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All”). This shows that gender inequality is caused for many reasons and has a huge effect on our community.

How are people affected by gender inequality?

Gender inequality has affected many people and can create a lot of challenges for people. Many women around the do not have proper education and this affects the opportunities that they will receive.  Due to the fact that “Around the world, women still have less access to education than men. ¼ of young women between 15-24 will not finish primary school. Of all illiterate people in the world, 2/3 are women. It has a huge effect on people’s future and the opportunities they will receive when they do not receive the same level of education as others” (“10 Causes of Gender Inequality)”. Gender inequality causes a lack of legal protection for women which can harm people. This leads to, “over one billion women do not have legal protection against domestic sexual violence or domestic economic violence. In many countries, there is also a lack of legal protection against harassment in the workplace, at school, and in public” (“10 Causes of Gender Inequality”). Gender inequality is also very prominent in schools. “In primary schools, the average cost of boys’ uniforms is £130.81 whereas for girls it is £150.14—and as girls get older, the disparity continues, with girls’ uniforms for secondary school costing an average of £191.68, more than 10 percent higher than boys (£170.29)” (Platt). As you can see, Gender inequality has a huge effect on different people and can make everyday life drastically harder.

 

As a community, what can we do to reduce gender inequality?

Gender equality is caused by many various reasons and to reduce gender inequality we must recognize our issues and work together to help so that we can reach equality. By supporting the education of girls, we are helping to reduce these inequalities. However, “supporting girls’ pathway from education to employment requires more than learning opportunities. It requires keeping girls safe from all forms of violence, in and out of school” (“Gender Equality”). Government support can also help to reduce gender inequality. This means that “government collaboration with women’s organizations can help to ensure that the climate policies meet the specific needs of women and girls” (“Five Ways to Build”). We should support women’s leadership and their representations because, “Women’s representation and leadership appear to drive better environmental outcomes and when community climate programs fully include women, they often are more effective and efficient in their use of resources” (“Five Ways to Build”). As you can see, we should realize our issues and support each other so that we can reach equality.

Understanding the causes, effects, and solutions to gender inequality will help us reduce gender inequality. Gender equality has a huge impact on people and is very important for the future of our society. Gender equality is caused by social constructions and affects people in various ways. To reduce these gender inequalities, we must work together and support each other.

 

Works Cited

“Five Ways to Build Gender Equality and Sustainability.” Un Women, Feb. 2022, www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2022/02/five-ways-to-build-gender-equality-and-sustainability?gclid=Cj0KCQjwyYKUBhDJARIsAMj9lkGpKEfqHDAzuCfbM_dHRoArIMjrA4n-7hfoYXZouMcr6pAaz0VCp2QaApm2EALw_wcB. Accessed 31 May 2022.

“Gender Equality.” Unicef, www.unicef.org/gender-equality. Accessed 20 May 2022.

“Goal 5: Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls.” Sustainable Development Goals, www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/#tab-0db1d27a5d041c56afe. Accessed 31 May 2022.

Platt, Poppie. “Parents Face ‘Pink Tax’ through Extra Cost of Girls’ School Uniforms.” Daily Telegraph, 9 Sept. 2021, p. 3. SIRS Issues Researcher, explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2581920416?accountid=4047.

“10 Causes of Gender Inequality.” Human Rights Careers, www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/causes-gender-inequality/. Accessed 31 May 2022.