Essay on Gender Equality

Gender Equality

    When you say "Gender Equality" what does it actually mean? According to an article in Britannica: "Gender equality, also called gender egalitarianism, sex equality, or sexual equality, is a condition of parity(equality) regardless of an individual’s gender."[1] Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Without it, the world can become much, much worse than what we're experiencing now.

    There has been some form of progress over the last few decades. More girls are going to school, fewer girls are forced into early marriage, more women are serving in parliament and positions of leadership, and laws are being reformed to advance gender equality. Despite these gains, many challenges remain: discriminatory laws and social norms remain pervasive, women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of political leadership, and 1 in 3 women a report experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner.[2].

    The currently ongoing pandemic could reverse some of the progress that has already been made. An example of this is the increase in domestic violence as an indirect result of quarantines. Even though crime rates have plummeted due to the pandemic, cases on violence against women have surged. This is mostly because they are trapped with their abusive partners a lot more, due to the pandemic, and because of this there is a greater chance that violence against women can occur.

     There are countries that have achieved gender equality better than others, and I'm actually astonished to see The Philippines as a part of the Top 10 as shown in the picture above, despite cases being in the news at times. But, we are still too far from achieving Gender Equality globally. Still, that's one step closer to achieving it. 

      But when we talk about the LGBT community, to put it simply, the situation is pretty different. Almost 2.8 billion people are living in countries where identifying as gay could lead to imprisonment, corporal punishment or even death. In stark contrast, only 780 million people are living in countries where same-sex marriage or civil unions are a legal right.[3]. I know, that is a bit extreme isn't it? But, sad to say that is the reality in this world. In too many countries, being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) means living with daily discrimination. This discrimination could be based on your sexual orientation (who you’re attracted to); gender identity (how you define yourself, irrespective of your biological sex), gender expression (how you express your gender through your clothing, hair or make-up), or sex characteristics (for example, your genitals, chromosomes, reproductive organs, or hormone levels.)

From name-calling and bullying, to being denied a job or appropriate healthcare, the range of unequal treatment faced is extensive and damaging. It can also be life-threatening. 

Map Chart regarding Sexual Orientation Laws In the World

 

        In all too many cases, LGBT people are harassed in the streets, beaten up and sometimes killed, simply because of who they are. A spate of violence against trans people has claimed the lives of at least 369 individuals between October 2017 and September 2018. Many intersex people around the world are forced to undergo dangerous, invasive and completely unnecessary surgeries that can cause life-long physical and psychological side effects.[4]. Though some progress has been made. LGBT advocates have overcome enormous challenges and risks to their own personal safety to call out abuses of the human rights of LGBT people, and force changes to laws that discriminate against them. From the introduction of the concept of Pride and global recognition days like the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (also known as IDAHOTB), LGBT people are forging alliances and promoting pride in who they are worldwide. The collective efforts of activist organizations around the world has paid real dividends. Today, at least 43 countries recognize homophobic crimes as a type of hate crime.  And as of May 2019, 27 countries have made same-sex marriage legal. Philippines and a lot more countries still have little or uneven protection against discriminaton based on sexual orientation. 

    You can help promote Gender Equality starting with yourself! Try to understand others who are a little bit different than you, never discriminate others even if their beliefs are different than yours and even in our little ways we can help make the world a better place! Thank you so much for taking time to look at my post and we hoped you have learned something about it! Until next time!

References:

[1] Browne, J. (2017) Gender Equality. Retrieved from:https://www.britannica.com/topic/gender-equality

[2] Gender Equality and women's empowerment -United Nations. Retrieved from:https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/

[3] Roth, K. (2015) LGBT Moving Towards Equality. Retrieved from:https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/01/23/lgbt-moving-towards-equality

[4] LGBT RIGHTS -Amnesty. Retrieved from:https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/discrimination/lgbt-rights/

(Infographic): McQuigg, R. (2016) Why the world needs an UN treaty to combat violence against women. Retrieved from: https://theconversation.com/why-the-world-needs-a-un-treaty-to-combat-violence-against-women-53582

(Map Chart): Richter, F. (2014) Where Gender Equality Is Closer to a Reality. Retrieved from:https://www.statista.com/chart/2900/where-gender-equality-is-closer-to-a-reality/