Gender equality is still a desired state. It has been well over a century since the first feminist wave and yet it remains a desired state.
Conclusions are drawn from the Global Gender Gap Index (2022) that it will take about 150 years for gender parity to be achieved in societies across the world. We must understand that gender equity is highly crucial in order to bridge the gaps in gender equality.
Difference Between Gender Equality And Gender Equity
Simply put, gender equality is the provision of equal opportunity to all genders and gender equity is the process in order to achieve equality.
Gender equality, while providing everyone with equal opportunities, does not necessarily take into consideration everyone’s starting points. Women have fought a long battle to merely have their voices heard. They have fought years of oppression in order to be where they presently are. Merely providing equal resources invalidates their struggle. This is where gender equity comes in.
A cis-gendered man and a transgendered woman will not have the same needs. Gender equity takes into consideration the needs of an individual and provides suitable amenities. Because logically speaking, if everyone is to be provided the same opportunities, they all must begin from the same level.
Predefined Gender Roles And Expectations
“Help out? What is it with you and ‘helping out?’ You’re going to ‘help out’ with chores. ‘Help out’ with raising our baby. ‘Help out’ with finding me a new job. Isn’t this your house, too? Your home? Your child? And if I work, don’t you spend my pay, too? Why do you keep saying ‘help out’ like you’re volunteering to pitch in on someone else’s work?”- an excerpt from the book ‘Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982.
The world has progressed from the traditional ideologies about the man being the sole breadwinner and the woman not being allowed to earn – in fact, the current global labour force participation of women is 47%. But at the same time, it has also been reported that during lockdown it was women who took care of household chores more in addition to managing their work in comparison to men. And why is it so that after the birth of a child it is the woman who mostly has to take a career break? A break that sometimes results in their permanent absence from the workforce.
The idea of women taking care of domestic work and men being in the professional field has still not gone away entirely. The truth of the matter is that these roles are not defined to any gender, they never were. These are merely ideas that have been normalized over time and need to stop.
This is not only limited to women. Men are three to four times more likely to die from suicides than women even though it is said that women are more prone to mental illnesses. The reason? Men are more likely to bottle up their feelings and not ask for help. They are raised with the mindset that emotional vulnerability threatens their masculinity. Men also have the burden to start earning early in order to provide financially for their families.
These expectations are completely illogical. Achieving gender equality will bridge every one of these gaps – toxic masculinity, identification of non-binary people, gender diverse people, pre-defined gender roles, etc.
Gender Equality in India
India has made considerable efforts and progress in terms of gender equality. The country has seen initiatives like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Mahila Shakti Kendra, Awas Yojna, DAY-NULM, PMEGP, National Portal for Transgender Persons, and many more. But these are simply not enough.
According to the Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), India is 135th out of 146 countries in terms of gender equality.
The country has seen an increase in literacy rates among women – 77%, but at the same time, India has also seen a decline in women in the workforce. Over two decades the percentage of women working dropped from 32% (2005) to 19% (2021). Mostly this tends to happen due to the woman’s family’s needs.
Even in urban areas, there tends to be discrimination among the genders at the workplace, educational institutions, etc., and a lot of it arises through a single word – reservation. The concept of equity again comes into play here.
As stated previously, the provision of equal opportunities should be there for people who are at the same level, and that is the role of gender equity.
In India, women are expected to keep their families a priority and their work a secondary factor. These expectations still exist as a major reason for the country having difficulties in attaining gender equality.
At the same time, it increases the pressure on a man to keep a job. It is frowned upon for a man to sit at home and help with the domestic work. A man is expected to provide financial support for his wife and child even after a divorce.
Ways To Improve Gender Equality and Gender Equity
Most importantly we have to create awareness. Gender differentiates the way we identify and term ourselves, it does not define or limit what we can or cannot do; it does not tell us how we should or should not feel. These unrealistic and illogical expectations need to go away in order for us to move forward.
The idea of “gender roles” needs to be nullified and we should normalize men working in domestic situations and women in workplaces. And we should start at the very roots. Children should not grow up with the idea of “ghar-ghar” as a game where the girl always cooks and the boy always reads a newspaper or leaves for work.
More schemes should be implemented by the governments and the pre-existing ones should be communicated effectively to each and every person. Measures to normalize men’s mental health illnesses, equal wages for all genders, adequate maternity leave for women, etc. should be focused on.
But most importantly, we must delve into gender equity. Gender equity is not something that is talked about often. It is the road to gender equality and people need to be made understood that equality cannot be achieved without this. Steps should be taken to identify and validate this.
Reaching A Truly Equal World
People should not have to fight for the basic right to education, equal wages, and paycheques just because they are biologically different. Neither should people be begging for money simply because transgender is considered “taboo”, nor should people have to beg for understanding simply because they identify as non-binary.
We have to understand that the differences we believe exist solely on the basis of gender are merely created by us. Working together to bridge these gaps is the only way we can achieve what we ought to.
Smile Foundation and Women Equity
Women empowerment is one of our major intervention areas. Through our Swabhiman campaign, focused on behavioral change, financial learning and entrepreneurship, women and adolescent girls are encouraged to seek menstrual hygiene practices, pre and post-natal care, healthy eating habits and turning their skills into a self-owned entity, the programme is designed to cater to the needs of the modern Indian women located both in urban and rural spaces.
You can consider helping us reach more women and adolescent girls in our efforts to make everything of value more accessible to them. You can make a difference that will change their lives forever. Please make a small donation here if you feel like impacting lives.
