Essay: Gender Equality's Societal Implications And The Need For Change.

Misconceptions about Equality and Gender-Based Stereotyping

The terminology ‘equality’ is extensively misused in the talks of gender-based stereotyping. One widespread misunderstanding is the association of equalization with oneness, — in other words, believing perhaps a marginalised population would want to be “same as, but.”  or “very much like” representatives of a privileged community. Thus, a viewpoint is relevant to understanding the widespread tendency among "advanced" stakeholders of a grouping to believe everybody's objective is being like them and to obtain whatever they possess. Nonetheless, the term Equality is often employed to allude to the equitable opportunity to access in any or every element of current societal existence and also to seek one’s personal distinctive intellectual capacity with all its dimensions (1). This includes the freedom to describe ourselves in ways other than the anticipated or traditionally established conceptions of suitable gender and womanhood.

The World Health organization (WHO) acknowledges that health care systems are uneven for population, notable throughout and across nations, specifically disparity that is disproportionality affecting women throughout their lives (2). Blatant and obvious sociocultural inequalities quite popularly undergone by women, like reduced percentages of education and work opportunities, lower earnings for comparable roles, systematic disenfranchisement in executive ranks, as well as a greater amount of psychological and social pressures as well as challenges, ranging from caring for children, troubles in intimate and spousal abuse., everything play a significant role in differences of outcomes. The obvious manifestations of discrimination against the women in our society is correctly seems to be the subject of several mental and health improvement programmes in the current era. but the issue lies in, is whatever has received less attentions is the implication of a much more persistent, but sometimes lesser obvious and quantifiable, kind of gender bias towards women. Each day women face, far more nuanced behaviour and statements that are detrimental to them, notions of wellbeing and acquiring success , which in some manner that really is frequently unrecognized in anything other than a woman’s observation as well as frequently left up to  determine really if she should, or how she should confront this issue and not pose a problem with her position in the company. significant Study by Baylor University (3) discovered that motherhood discrimination poses harmful implications for the welfare of both the woman and her child.  Maternity prejudice has been associated to higher rates of postnatal anxiety and depression in moms, as well as reduced birth heft, shorter gestation periods, and more healthcare attendance for newborns. Yet another survey by career builder poll, 72 percent of women, who are sexually harassed and are victims of prejudice while 54 percent of them remained silent for dread of backlash within their companies (4). Gender affects many elements of a woman 's existence, including access restrictions to job prospects and excellent health services, that can lead to detrimental overall consequences. Such authority disparity is particularly troublesome in communities that are poor in resources and aids wherein numerus drawbacks coexist. Women that may not comply towards the socio-cultural standards of their particular sexual identity may face a lot of stigmas, shame and social ostracization, including assault with the addition of inequality.

Healthcare Disparities for Women: A Global Problem

When it comes to research and studying the society at large we know that the functional prerequisites are the core needs which are related to money, clothing, shelter and food , these are the needs that an individual requires for living above the line of poverty. It sees the society as an intricate mechanism whose elements function collectively to generate cohesion by examining the society from a macro-level point of view, because it does so on constituting the society a totality and examining both social functions and hierarchy as different part of the same body its perspective on Gender disparity is that it operates as a relatively effective means to produce a distribution of responsibility and also a social hierarchy wherein divisions are fully accountable for only specified , corresponding forms of labour (5). Thus, in consideration the dichotomy is designed to maximise productivity and profitability and serving the purpose of better functionality in achieving success. The functionalist will essentially perceive it as complementary for the female to be in charge of the house work and the male looking after the finances and providing for them this prescribed roles according to him is a contribution of the overall stability and cohesion of the community (6). Gender thus contributes to a promote existing equilibrium in place by supplying and assuring the consistency and continuity of these behavioural approach. But this approach perpetuates gender roles, and ignores women’s oppression regarding the social structures and within the systems of work and family.

According to the conflict perspective men take the dominant role of affirming power structures benefiting from the privileges assigned to them. Because history and societal structures in the past have positioned men as the one who provides and the woman is dependant on the man for running the household and keeping the hearth going, enabling disparity among gender roles until the uprisings and demands for social equality that started the suffrage movement and feminist movements (7). The oppression of the subordinate class by the dominant group was essential to understand to resolve the long-standing conflict that delegates roles according to the norms and authoritative position of men. It aims to eradicate the problems of inequality and discrimination of not just sex-based biases but also eradicating oppressive roles of the ones who hold more power in decision making, the conflict theory necessities that the fight to equality continues to bring about a social order that is  not detrimental to either genders as well as those for those who are oppressed (8). It validates the rights of people to be treated as equal in respect to social standing, work opportunity as well as living standards for all of humanity.

The conflicts and the disparity among women and men can only resolve when both parties come together as a collaborative effort to eradicate the oppression of past roles, this can happen when both reject attitudes that are chauvinist or racist. It can happen through support from people of power to those who are oppressed to raise their voice and demand equal remuneration in workplaces, in families and society in general. The problem can be resolved by listening and enabling a person to gain their own power and live a dignified life. On the macro level government bodies and local communities need to develop programs that can help the marginalised people to engage more in activities, cultural programs that promotes equality and inclusive acts at its core (9). Numerous initiatives may appear to be gender neutral and un biased on the surface, but when examined further, they often effect both the sexes in a disproportionate way, because there are indeed wide differences in between the lives of women and men (10). This can be eradicated when people are educated and come in the contact with people who fight for the subordinate groups. Educating people about their rights and aiding the repressed through being their voice can bring about a shift in the perspectives of the perpetrators. Since those relatively complex kinds of apparent sex bias are so deeply embedded in our cultural structures, correcting those will indeed be difficult, necessitating worldwide collaboration from medical and wellbeing campaigners, as well as politicians and legislators of both sexes. finally, the list of problems are endless but so are the solutions, if each and every individual can bring positive changes by reflecting on their own values and beliefs regarding the issue and take an active role in participating in building a society where everyone is the same as they are.  

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