The wave of equality is significantly growing worldwide. Historically, the equality gap has been visible but never discussed, with men occupying influential positions in society whilst women were confined to peripheral roles in the socioeconomic spectrum. While there will always be biological differences between women and men, equality of choice, opportunities and participation is never a bad thing.
Why Gender Equality?
The purpose of the gender equality movement is to create just societies that shun abuse and mistreatment of others based on masculinity or feminine traits. Unfortunately, gender equality is still often considered a “women’s issue” with gender equality laws, programs and projects designed with that in mind. Contrary to such a notion, GENDER EQUALITY refers to the equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and men/girls and boys. The purpose of gender equality is and should not aim at making women and men the same but to create and enabling environment in which both men and women can live a happy, just, prosperous and fulfilling life without any form of infringement from the other.
From a background of ensuring equity, it is progressive for society to take into cognisance that for centuries the world has for long favoured men, with systems and structures of society designed in an extremely exclusionary manner, depriving women and girls of education, health, leadership positions and economic opportunities in the broader spectrum of society. This societal abnormally requires collective brilliance, with men acknowledging and accepting that they have been and remain at a point of privilege as compared to their female counterparts and theirfore need to cede the Powers Attached to such privileges. To date, the levels of inequality are so worrying where women are just 13 per cent of agricultural land holders globally, statistics which shows how it is important with immediacy, to deal with issues of equality and Equity from different spheres including economic.
Complimentary Roles to Gender Equality
The challenges to equality currently hovering the world today can be made lot easier if men and women work together in developing strategies and both realise that they is a need to restructure the privilege system at the same time respecting each other’s contribution to the growth and development of humanity. Leadership positions, education, health and related development matters must be inclusive and sensitive to different gender needs and responsibilities between sexes.
Gender equality and or feminism/masculinity should not be a threat to human rights. Working towards equality for both men and women and most importantly efforts to bridge the long existing equality gap is not an attack on men but an attempt to address empowerment anomalies that society continuously inherit. The constant change in global economic and political trends have impacted both women and men differently. The ability to appreciate and respect each other as men and women and acknowledging the challenges that befalls humanity is the first step to transform tensions in to nots of alliances and mutual responsibility.’
Gender equality is not just a women issue but a societal issue and a responsibility of everyone to make sure that the relationship between men, women and society is not exploitative but rather fair and progressive.
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