10 Causes of Gender Inequalit

 

10 Causes of Gender Inequality

Over the years, the world has gotten closer to achieving gender equality. There is better representation of women in politics, more economic opportunities, and better healthcare in many places of the world. However, the World Economic Forum estimates it will take another century before true gender equality becomes a reality. What drives the gap between genders? Here are 10 causes of gender inequality:

 

#1. Uneven access to education

Around the world, women still have less access to education than men. ¼ of young women between 15-24 will not finish primary school. That group makes up 58% of the people not completing that basic education. Of all the illiterate people in the world, ⅔ are women. When girls are not educated on the same level as boys, it has a huge effect on their future and the kinds of opportunities they’ll get.

 

#2. Lack of employment equality

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. Studies show that if employment became a more even playing field, it has a positive domino effect on other areas prone to gender inequality.

 

#3. Job segregation

One of the causes for gender inequality within employment is the division of jobs. In most societies, there’s an inherent belief that men are simply better equipped to handle certain jobs. Most of the time, those are the jobs that pay the best. This discrimination results in lower income for women. Women also take on the primary responsibility for unpaid labor, so even as they participate in the paid workforce, they have extra work that never gets recognized financially.

 

#4. Lack of legal protections

According to research from the World Bank, over one billion women don’t have legal protection against domestic sexual violence or domestic economic violence. Both have a significant impact on women’s ability to thrive and live in freedom. In many countries, there’s also a lack of legal protections against harassment in the workplace, at school, and in public. These places become unsafe and without protection, women frequently have to make decisions that compromise and limit their goals.

 

#5. Lack of bodily autonomy

Many women around the world do not have authority over their own bodies or when they become parents. Accessing birth control is frequently very difficult. According to the World Health Organization, over 200 million women who don’t want to get pregnant are not using contraception. There are various reasons for this such as a lack of options, limited access, and cultural/religious opposition. On a global scale, about 40% of pregnancies are not planned and while 50% of them do end in abortion, 38% result in births. These mothers often become financially dependent on another person or the state, losing their freedom.

 

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#6. Poor medical care

In addition to limited access to contraception, women overall receive lower-quality medical care than men. This is linked to other gender inequality reasons such as a lack of education and job opportunities, which results in more women being in poverty. They are less likely to be able to afford good healthcare. There’s also been less research into diseases that affect women more than men, such as autoimmune disorders and chronic pain conditions. Many women also experience discrimination and dismissal from their doctors, broadening the gender gap in healthcare quality.

 

#7. Lack of religious freedom

When religious freedom is attacked, women suffer the most. According to the World Economic Forum, when extremist ideologies (such as ISIS) come into a community and restrict religious freedom, gender inequality gets worse. In a study performed by Georgetown University and Brigham Young University, researchers were also able to connect religious intolerance with women’s ability to participate in the economy. When there’s more religious freedom, an economy becomes more stable thanks to women’s participation.

 

#8. Lack of political representation

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. Despite progress in this area over the years, women are still grossly underrepresented in government and the political process. This means that certain issues that female politicians tend to bring up – such as parental leave and childcare, pensions, gender equality laws and gender-based violence – are often neglected.

 

#9. Racism

It would be impossible to talk about gender inequality without talking about racism. It affects what jobs women of color are able to get and how much they’re paid, as well as how they are viewed by legal and healthcare systems. Gender inequality and racism have been closely-linked for a long time. According to Sally Kitch, a professor and author, European settlers in Virginia decided what work could be taxed based on the race of the woman performing the work. African women’s work was “labor,” so it was taxable, while work performed by English women was “domestic” and not taxable. The pay gaps between white women and women of color continues that legacy of discrimination and contributes to gender inequality.

 

#10. Societal mindsets

It’s less tangible than some of the other causes on this list, but the overall mindset of a society has a significant impact on gender inequality. How society determines the differences and value of men vs. women plays a starring role in every arena, whether it’s employment or the legal system or healthcare. Beliefs about gender run deep and even though progress can be made through laws and structural changes, there’s often a pushback following times of major change. It’s also common for everyone (men and women) to ignore other areas of gender inequality when there’s progress, such as better representation for women in leadership. These types of mindsets prop up gender inequality and delay significant change.

 

Related: Take a free course on Gender Equality

 

What is gender discrimination?

Gender discrimination is the act of giving unequal rights, treatment and opportunities to a person or a group based on their gender. Anyone can be the target of gender discrimination, but girls and women are primarily affected. As the “inferior sex,” the needs and interests of girls and women have been systematically oppressed and dismissed for centuries. Entrenched prejudices, restrictive gender norms and institutionalized discrimination have led to widespread gender inequality.

 

Gender discrimination impacts every area of society. According to the UN, there are 122 women aged 25-34 living in extreme poverty, compared to every 100 men from the same age group. In power and leadership, there are wide gaps. The next generation of women will spend, on average, 2.3 more hours every day on unpaid work and domestic work compared to men. On a global level, women hold only 26.7% of seats in parliament, 35.5% in local government and 28.2% in management positions. Without increased investments and commitment to gender equality, it could take the world about 300 years to achieve gender parity.

What can gender discrimination look like?

Gender discrimination is a multifaceted system of oppression touching every area of society. Here are seven examples of what it can look like:

 

Paying someone less because of their gender

Around the world, women are paid less than men for doing comparable work. In the United States, the gender pay gap has changed very little even as the problem gets increased attention. According to Pew Research, women earned about 80% as much as men in 2002, while in 2022, they earned 82%. That same year, the World Bank found that out of 178 countries, just 95 protect equal pay for equal work. Gender discrimination also factors into how certain types of work are undervalued. Returning to the United States as an example, research from the Economic Policy Institute found that 2.2 million domestic workers are underpaid, three times as likely to live in poverty than other workers and unprotected by labor laws. 90.2% of those domestic workers were women, specifically Black, Hispanic, or Asian American and Pacific Islander women.

 

Segregating types of work based on gender

The prevalence of women in underpaid and unprotected domestic work is an example of gendered job segregation. Job segregation leads to male domination in fields like engineering and construction, while women tend to fill jobs in domestic work, nursing, teaching and other “feminine” careers. Employers rarely say they only want men or women applying to certain jobs, but discrimination takes many forms. In a report on the “glass ceilings” women encounter in business, the International Labour Organization describes how gender bias, which affects how women and men are viewed, leads to men getting more responsibility and promotions over women. This applies even when men and women have similar skills and experience. According to the Center for American Progress, when a marginalized group – like women – is overrepresented in a job field, it leads to reduced wages and worse working conditions for everyone in that field.

Purposely misgendering someone

Cisgender women and girls aren’t the only people affected by gender discrimination. Trans people, which includes trans women, trans men, non-binary people and others, are often targeted. Intentional misgendering is just one form of discrimination. What does it mean? Misgendering is when a person uses the wrong pronoun for someone, e.g. calling someone “she” when they use “he/him” pronouns. When someone is repeatedly corrected and still insists on using the wrong pronoun, that’s discrimination. Whether or not misgendering breaks a law depends on where you live. In Canada, the Ontario Human Rights Code added protection for gender identity and expression in 2012. The law now recognizes misgendering as a form of discrimination, especially in areas covered by the Code, like employment, housing and educational services.

Discriminating against someone for becoming pregnant

According to global data from 2021, 38 out of 190 economies don’t protect women from being fired for being pregnant. Even in places that do provide legal remedies, the discrimination continues, but it’s more subtle. The United States has three federal laws that protect job applicants and employees, but in a 2019 New York Times article, journalists found that some of the country’s biggest companies were engaging in discrimination. Pregnant women were passed over for promotions and raises, and fired when they complained. In jobs that included physical labor, like lifting heavy boxes, pregnant women were not given reasonable accommodations like rest or extra water. Because pregnancy primarily impacts women, pregnancy discrimination is a form of gender discrimination that limits job opportunities, access to justice and so on.

Sexually harassing someone in the workplace

Everyone deserves a safe workplace free from discrimination. Unfortunately, work is often a place where people’s rights are threatened. According to a global analysis, almost 23% of people experience physical, psychological or sexual violence and harassment at work. Women are more likely to share their experiences than men and more likely to report sexual harassment, but regardless of a person’s gender, harassment in the workplace is discrimination. Because many people never report the harassment they’ve faced, the true numbers are likely much higher. Protections vary by country, but in the United States, harassment can include requests for sexual favors, making unwanted sexual remarks and making unwelcome sexual advances. The law also defines harassment as “offensive remarks about a person’s sex.” It doesn’t need to be overtly sexual. Sexual harassment can involve anyone, including two people of the same gender.

Limiting educational opportunities because of gender

Whether or not someone gets a good education has a huge impact on the rest of their life. According to the World Bank, every extra year of schooling results in a 9% increase in hourly earnings, while it also improves economic growth, innovation and social cohesion. Girls have historically been restricted from educational opportunities, but while there’s been significant progress, the gap isn’t closed yet. UNICEF estimates that about 129 million girls aren’t in school. Strict gender norms about girls, motherhood, and work factor into why many girls aren’t educated, but conflict, poor hygiene and sanitation at schools, and poverty are responsible, too. Discrimination isn’t always intentional, but when girls and women are the ones primarily not getting an education, it still counts.

 

Inflicting violence based on gender

Gender-based violence is the most deadly form of gender discrimination. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 3 women around the world experience physical and/or sexual violence, usually inflicted by an intimate partner. The intentional murder of women and girls, known as “femicide,” is prevalent globally. 2022 marked the highest number of total intentional femicides. Transgender and gender-nonconforming people are also targeted. In 2023, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation reported yet another year of disproportionate killings of trans people. Most victims were young people of color,

How can you take action against gender discrimination?

Gender discrimination may feel embedded in society, but we can take action against it. Here are three ways:

Create safe spaces where people can talk about gender discrimination

It’s difficult to get a full picture of gender discrimination because talking about it is still so stigmatized. In some places, talking about topics like workplace harassment, sexual assault and intimate partner violence can put people’s jobs and even physical safety in jeopardy. One of the best things you can do is create and protect spaces where it’s safe to talk about discrimination. These spaces empower people to share their stories, support each other, collaborate and build networks that make real change in their communities. Spaces like survivor groups, internet safety classes, self-defense classes and so on can be good forums.

 

Support women’s organizations

Many governments are working to improve gender equality, but their current efforts aren’t enough. There are many NGOs around the world addressing poverty, children’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights and other issues that connect to gender discrimination. You can support these organizations by donating money, volunteering your time, sharing campaigns or applying for jobs. If you’re interested in establishing your own NGO focused on gender discrimination, here’s our article on how to start an NGO.

 

Increase leadership and economic opportunities for women

The gap between male and female leadership, economic and political opportunities is still quite wide. You can take action by focusing your efforts on things that empower girls and women, such as education, healthcare, mentorship and training, childcare, workplace protections and so on. When women are empowered, everyone benefits, including men, families and children. To learn more about women’s empowerment, check out this list of eight classes available online.

What are ways to take action against gender inequality?

Gender inequality spreads its roots across areas like work, household responsibilities, healthcare, education, and more. Here are four ways to take action:

 

#1. Increase funding for education and social services

While education equality has seen significant victories, it’s still being threatened in many places. Increasing funds to areas like teacher salaries, operating expenses, and programs for girls are vital, but you can also help education access by supporting communities. Girls often leave school because their labor fills in gaps in social services, but when communities have the social services they need, girls are more likely to stay in school. School needs to be a safe place, too, so action can be taken in areas like building safety, clean water and sanitation, policies on harassment and bullying, and teacher training.

 

 

#2. Fight for reproductive rights

Reproductive rights have suffered in recent years. Every year, millions of people don’t receive quality care for menstruation, pregnancy, abortion, and other reproductive health needs. People can take action by advocating for increased healthcare access and legal protections, and by donating time or money to organizations that provide essential health supplies and services. Gender equality is closely linked to reproductive freedom, so it’s essential people have the right to have or not have children.

 

#3. Advocate for increased economic protections and equal pay

The link between economic inequality and gender inequality is one of the toughest to address. When people can’t participate equally in the economy because of their gender, it ignites a trail of consequences that can affect the healthcare, housing, education, and wealth of generations to come. Economic protections like inheritance reform and land rights are essential, while equal pay for equal work, flexible work arrangements, and support for unpaid work matter, too.

 

 

#4. Speak out against discriminatory policies and behavior

Gender inequality is an economic and political reality, but it has social and cultural effects, as well. People can take action by calling out discriminatory policies. Some may not mention gender, but if the outcomes contribute to historical gender inequality or harmful discrimination, they need to be addressed. Discriminatory behavior and language should be called out, as well. While jokes may seem harmless, they hurt individuals and strengthen the mindsets that help gender inequality endure.

 

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