How do we define gender equality in today’s society?
Gender Equality means that all individuals (person/people), regardless of their gender, have the same
rights, opportunities and treatment and society. Its about ensuring that both males and females are
treated fairly and have equal access to education, jobs, healthcare and decision-making roles.
Gender Equality is, first and foremost, a human right. It implies that women, men, boys and girls of all
classes and races participate as equal and have equal value. They enjoy access to resources, freedoms
and opportunities to exercise control. Besides, being a fumdamental human right, is essential to achieve
peaceful societies, with full human potential and sustainable development.
The message is clear. Women and men must enjoy equal opportunities, choices, capabilities, power and
knowledge as equal citizens.
Gender Equality: Why do we need it?
Gender equality prevents violence against women and girls. Its essential for economic prosperity.
Societies that value women and men as equal are safer and healthier. Everyone benefits gender equality.
What is the importance of gender equality?
Good equality and diversity practices make sure that the services provided to people are fair and
accessible to everyone. They ensure that people are treated as equals, that people get the dignity and
respect they deserve and their differences are celebrated.
How can we achieve gender equality?
10 ays to promote gender equality in daily life:
[Link] HOUSEHOLD CHORES AND CHILDCARE EQUALLY
Household chores and children’s care are every adult’s responsibility. Ask yourself if there is an equal
division of labor in your home. The work of caring for children is still done mainly by women in much of
the world. It points out that women from developing countries do over three hours more of daily unpaid
work (household chores and childcare) than men, while in developed countries, they do, on average,
two hours more.
According to studies, the overload of household chores can increase women’s chances of mental
illnesses, besides depressing their productivity at work, consequently affecting their salaries.
[Link] FOR SIGNS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Get some help and support if you know a friend or acquaintance is suffering from domestic violence or
other abuse. This type of violence is not restricted to physical aggression. Verbal attacks (curses and
threats) and psychological abuse (controlling, manipulative and intimidating behavior) also affect
women. Often, all these things occur together. If you experience domestic violence, be aware that you
are not alone. Report it!
It points out that in most countries with data available, less than 40 percent of women who experience
violence seek help of any kind. Among those who do, most seek out family and friends, and few use
formal institutions and mechanisms, such as police and health services. Less than 10 percent of women
went to the police after suffering violence.
[Link] MOTHERS AND PARENTS
Those responsible for children and teens need support in every society. Offering the bus seat to a
pregnant woman, advocating the installation of children’s changing rooms in all bathrooms in shopping
centers (not only in the women’s facilities) and asking that companies guarantee maternity and
paternity leave are all necessary actions. The latest UN data, released in 2015, shows that only 53
percent of countries offer at least 14 weeks of maternity leave. Even worse, only 48 percent of countries
offer any paternity leave.
[Link] CHAUVINIST AND RACIST ATTITUDES
Do not make comments that ridicule, demean or humiliate women, black people, indigenous people,
members of the LGBTQI community or any other historically marginalized groups. And don’t keep quiet
if you hear such comments. Talk to your colleagues, friends and family frankly and tell them to stop with
the chauvinist, racist, homophobic and transphobic insults.
[Link] WOMEN GAIN POWER
According to 2017 data from UN Women, only 17 countries have female heads of state and/or
government. The overall average of women in legislative bodies is only 23.4 percent. Find out who the
female candidates are, especially women from underrepresented communities.
In addition to politics, consider ways to support the promotion of women and LGBTQI in the arts,
sciences, sports, and other fields.
[Link] AND REFLECT
One of the main obstacles to eliminating prejudice is that people have difficulty recognizing that it really
exists. Research has already proven that we all reproduce stereotypes and pre-existing notions on many
topics, including gender and race. “The brain and behavioral sciences have learned a lot about our
unconscious biases. We all have them, based on race, religion, sexual orientation and gender. The
important thing is to be aware of our sexist assumptions and challenge them.
So, try to pay attention to your assumptions and know that none of us is immune to making bigoted
comments or holding biased attitudes. When someone points out something problematic in your
speech, listen and reflect on it.
[Link] DIVERSITY
One way to increase the hiring of women and other underrepresented groups, according to April Reign,
diversity consultant, is to remove names, photos and addresses from the resumes early in the selection
process because, according toresearches, gender and race biases can affect what happens even before
the interview. “That is a practice that is taken on in the States, a little bit, and it needs to happen much
more. Because it shouldn’t matter who that person is if they are the right person for the job, but there
are some implicit biases. If Janet Thompson submits the exact same resume as Mark Thompson, the
studies, the evidence show that Mark is going to get the interview and not Janet even though they are
the exact same resume,” explains Reign. “That is why if you remove the names and you wait until the
person walks into the room, then you know that you are truly being equitable across the table.”
[Link] (AND DEMAND) THE SAME SALARY FOR EQUAL WORK
Equal pay for equal work. It is important to observe and support companies that pay the same salary,
benefits and bonuses to employees with equivalent positions.
If this is not happening in your workplace, mobilize resources and contacts to request the publication of
the employees’ salaries, or ask for an equal pay audit, as it has already happened in some companies.
[Link] HARASSMENT AND RACISM: ZERO TOLERANCE
Employees must have a safe channel to report bullying, sexual harassment and racism without being
exposed or dismissed. Proven cases should be punished. In addition, April Reign explains that it is
important to note “how people who are most vulnerable are represented” on the committee that
investigates the allegations.
10. PROVIDE (OR REQUEST) ANTI-BIAS TRAINING
Racism and prejudice at work often affect people from historically marginalized groups in the form of
“microaggressions.” This means, jokes and offensive comments made without harmful intent, but that
hurt people, and generate stress.
One way to stop microaggressions is to offer training on diversity and implicit prejudice. But, as April
Reign says, such trainings should include everyone. “When we talk about training, it has to start from
the top down, not just the CEO or the board saying ‘okay we are going to pay for that,’ but they need to
be in attendance as well,” she emphasizes.
SOCIAL INCLUSION is the process of improving the terms on which individuals and groups take part on
the society- improving the ability, opportunity and dignity of those disadvantaged on the basis of their
identity.
Why is social inclusion important?
Participating in society and having people you can rely on are key determinants of health and well-being
and one of the most powerful predictors of positive outcomes following exposure to trauma. Social
inclusion is also inextricably linked to economic participation.
Why is it important to encourage inclusion in a community?
Inclusion helps promote sharing of perspectives and a sense of belonging, creates greater opportunities
for meaningful participation and teaches respect for yourself and others. It recognizes and embraces
differences and teaches us how to be sensitive to others needs.
Promoting Gender Equality and Social Inclusion: Examples in Practice
EDC considers the impact of gender, inclusion, and social norms throughout
the project life cycle, while respecting local culture. EDC endeavors to
promote gender equality and inclusion among our staff and in the
communities where we work. through the implementation of gender and
inclusion assessments and strategies. Additionally, we strive to design and
implement programs and policies that:
Treat men and women equally and promote gender equality (gender
neutral)
Redress existing gender inequalities (gender sensitive)
Re-define women’s and men’s gender roles and relations when these
pose constraints to achieving equitable outcomes (gender positive and
gender transformative)
Following are examples of EDC’s gender-sensitive, gender-transformative,
and inclusive interventions in USAID-funded basic education, literacy, health,
and youth and workforce development projects.
The Benefits of GESI 2 International Monetary Fund (2018). Pursuing Women’s Economic Empowerment
3 [Link] 4 World Bank. 2012. Toward
Gender Equality in East Asia and the Pacific: A Companion to the World Development Report 5 McKinsey
& Company, Women Matter: Time to accelerate. Ten years of insights into gender diversity 2018. 6
[Link] 7 OECD, Gender Equality in Education, Employment
and Entrepreneurship: Final Report to the MCM 2012. Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Assessment
and Action Plan for SDS-SEA IP 2023-2027 3 If women had the same access to productive resources as
men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20–30 percent. This could raise total agricultural
output in developing countries by 2.5–4 percent, which could in turn reduce the number of hungry
people in the world by 12–17 percent.8 A study of women elected to local government in India found
that female leadership positively affected the provision of services for both men and women.9,10,11
Social inclusion Increases productivity in the workplace: Business benefits from social inclusion in several
ways: diversity can be a source of creativity and innovation, lifting productivity; social inclusion can also
lift profitability and help target market segments. It can also improve employment outcomes: Greater
social inclusion means people are less likely to face discrimination, increasing their capacity to gain
employment or longer work hours and contribute to the economy. It can counteract isolation and
increase community participation, which helps to alleviate health problems, especially mental health
issues like anxiety and depression. Reduced cost of social services: Social inclusion reduces the cost of
social services by easing pressure on the public health system and reducing the need for income and
housing support payments.1