admin Jolanta Reingarde, the research and statistics program coordinator of EuroGender, expressed that women’s employment rates and working hours were lower than men’s—with over 8 per cent of women aged 20-64 never having worked. Women, half of the population of the world still feels underprivileged and owns only 1% of world’s wealth.
According to the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), “Gender, refers to the social attributes and opportunities associated with being male and female and the relationships between women and men and girls and boys, as well as the relations between women and those between men. These attributes, opportunities and relationships are socially constructed and are learned through socialization processes.”
Furthermore, gender equality refers to the equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of women and men and girls and boys
On an equal footing today, in many democratic countries where gender equality ratio is higher gender discrimination exists in many fields including politics.
Survey exhibits, 1 in 5 women and girls between the ages of 15-49 have reported experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner and 49 countries currently have absolutely no laws against domestic violence. Though in the past decade many developments are visible in lowering harmful practices such as child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation, resulting in decreasing it by 30%, but there is still much work to be done for a complete elimination of such practices.
Research shows women politicians are more effectively implements legislation which benefits women. Apart from implementing laws for well-being of half of the population, women having political power make a difference in the society by conveying diversity in decision making or policy making.
Although, there are many women who are role models for other women as successful leaders. They’ve successfully run the corporations, organizations, governments, academic institutions and upheld such institutions at new heights. They have shown other women the possible potentials and the invincibility they hold in their own hands. Still, such achievements are incredible, the percentage of such women is too small.
This lower percentage doesn’t mean there is a shortage of ambition among the women, In fact 6 in 10 of the professional working women expressed they aspire to be a senior leader of a company or organization, and more than half aspire to serve on a board. But still, there is hesitancy. More than half of the women agree that, “as women,” they are more cautious in taking steps toward leadership roles, and six in 10 find it hard to see themselves as a leader.
Traditionally, there are certain beliefs like that women are supposed not to lead. In reality labelled thinking about women comprise major barriers; social perception about leadership ability of women, women’s lack of aggressiveness are some barriers that obstruct the participation of women. In this regard stereotyped attitudes towards gender equality influence women’s advancement in socio-economical and political participation.
While reports about male-centric workforces like aviation, science & technology, research along with occupational segregation in other professions too are valuable for highlighting a continuing problem, these issues must be addressed at the core level like cultural and educational level to see change. Some industries are slowly changing their perceptions around, but there is still much work to be done to accomplish equality in both workforce balance, salaries and occupying powerful positions.
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