Gender Inequality & Gender Violence In Our Life

Introduction:

Gender Inequality is a commonly used word. You might have heard it in books, movies, and of course, real life. But what does it really mean? You're about to find out...

What Is The Meaning Of Gender Inequality?

Gender inequality is an act of discrimination towards a gender, usually always females. This means that one gender is not given the same rights and opportunities as the other. It could also be gender based violence, which is when acts of violence are targeted towards a specific gender. Sometimes, gender bias, which is preferring one gender over the other, happens unconsciously. For example, assuming someone's profession based on their gender. This could be thinking of women as cooks or custodians and men as doctors or lawyers. In other cases, it's on purpose. These could range from little things, like picking the boys first for sports teams, to larger issues, like picking a man for the CEO, even though the woman might be a better fit for the company.

Gender Stereotypes In The Workplace

Gender stereotypes are extremely common while working. Studies show that women in the workplace earn 23% less than men, while working 3 times harder. Although they work much harder than men, women STILL get paid less. There are also times when a woman is considered "not tough enough" for a certain job. For example, in the construction industry in USA, only 10.8% of the workers are women. According to the UN, only 50% of the women in the WORLD are employed. In fields like STEM and law, only a mere 30% of women work in those jobs. In many cultures and religions, people frown upon working women.

Gender Based Violence

Gender based violence is a very important and serious topic. According to UNICEF and the UN, more than 370 million girls under 18 a year are subjected to sexual assault. These incidents happen everywhere, but they are most common in parts of Asia and most of Africa. It is very common for these incidents to take place in rural areas and villages. Not only because of the lack of education, but the lack of laws and security. But that doesn't mean it doesn't happen in educated and popular cities. In many cases, the police/authorities are not bothered. Sometimes, police and other workers who are supposed to keep you safe commit these horrible acts. It even happens in supposedly "safe" places, like hospitals, schools, or other community buildings.

Sam's Opinion

Personally, gender inequality is a topic that is really important to me. Even when I was very young, my parents and sister taught me the importance of how every gender matters, and that none is better than the other. As I grew over time, I slowly kept realizing small acts of unconscious gender bias. For example, at restaurants, the server usually gives the bill to my dad, even when my mom pays for it. Or like how there is no girl's football team at my sister's school, even though lots of girls would want to try out and though there is a boy's football team. One time, in my school, a boy said that boys are stronger and better than girls. Can you believe it? I just wanted to punch him in the mouth! Another time, at my sister's school, one boy said that gender inequality doesn't exist! People keep saying all sorts of things like this, but I have learned that I need to keep fighting for what I believe in.

When I watch the news, I keep seeing reports of sexual assault committed on girls and women, many of them around 14 or younger. Not too long ago, my mom told me about the horrifying incident that happened in a hospital in India. I was horrified and angry. I was angry at the creepy man who did it. I was sad for the woman's family. That makes me mad, how people don't even CARE. Young girls and women have to go through these challenges EVERY SINGLE DAY. They face gender bias, sexual assault, and a huge amount of discrimination. Even though many people say: "Oh, but it's going down!" Or "Oh, Women can do lots of things! They can vote, work and walk around by themselves!" But that's basic human rights. The fact that it's a BIG DEAL that women can vote and walk around on their own (In most parts, at least) is just unfair. Whether or not it's noticeable, gender inequality DOES exist. And It's a really big problem that is long overdue to be solved.

Written By: Sam Adapa

Date: 10/30/2024

Sources: https://www.un.org/en/ / https://www.unicef.org/