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GENDER EQUALITY IS A MYTH

Introduction
 Women’s emancipation- a hallow slogan and myth
 Patriarchal system
 Subordination of women to men

Status of women in different societies

 Capitalism perpetuated subjugation of women
 Burdened women under proletariats

Road to emancipation of women

 Advent of industrial revolution
 Two great world wars brought women out of the four walls
 First wave of feminism
 Second wave of feminism
 Third wave of feminism

Then why females are not equal to males

 Social factors
 Patriarchal culture
 Barriers to women education
 Denial of right to health

 Political factors
 Less participation in politics
 Gender equality missing in political party’s agenda
 No right to vote

 Economic factors
 Less opportunities of employment
 Gender wage gap
 Unpaid employment

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Implications of females subjugation to men
 Domestic violence
 Acid attacks
 Honor killing
 Harassment at workplace
 Rape
 Murder

Recommendations to reduce gender gap

 Readdressing children socialization process
 Make education gender sensitive
 Raise aspirations of girls and their parents
 Give proper value to women’s work
 Get women into power
 Encourage women into nontraditional vocations
 Stop violence against women

An overview on females position in Pakistan

 Victims of patriarchy and inequality
 Low access to education, politics and health
 Domestic violence act 2012
 Protection of women against harassment act 2010

Conclusion

188, main Canal Bank Road, Abu Bakar Block, B III, Garden Town, Near Metro Bus Station 54000,
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Gender Equality is a Myth

All claims of gender equality and women’s emancipation are nothing more than hollow slogans and
myth. The women are still the victim of patriarchal system perpetuated by the capitalism, even the
developed nations have yet to ensure gender equality not to speak of third world countries, which are
marred by poverty and illiteracy. The plight of women in the western world is also not satisfactory as the
issues of low wages, workplace harassment and cases of rape are increasing. Moreover, the civilized
nations are not yet ready or willing to see women in some powerful positions where they could try to
bring change in the lives of the people. Therefore, gender equality, in this modernized and globalised
world, is still a myth due to certain social, political and economic factors prevailing in society.

Anthropological perspective can help best in understanding the status of women in different types of
societies. It enables people to discover the factors responsible for determining women’s position in the
society. Karl Maxx applied this perspective to uncover the causes of class conflict in the society and
conflict in the society and concluded that mode of production and relationship between different
factors of production determine the status of different classes. Similarly, the status of women is the
product of role they play in the economy. In agricultural society, the women used to play a subordinate
role as it is labour intensive job a male’s physical strength gave them a vantage point over women and
the former successfully subordinated the latter and confined them within four walls of home. When
Simon de Beavoir said, “one is not born woman, rather becomes.” She summarized the whole history of
subordination of women by the men in a single sentence.

With the advent of industrial revolution, the mode of production shifted from fields to industries where
modern technological methods are used to maximize production. With this revolution came the chance
for women to work in industries because they are cheap labour for the capitalist who desperately
reduced their cost. Hence, capitalism had its own economic motives to encourage women anticipation.

Two great world wars were a dramatic factor in bringing women out of their four walls, as these wars
killed millions of men and there was a shortage of labour. Consequently, the women came out of their
homes and began to work in factories. This radical change resulted into some rights to the women such
as, enfranchisement for women and right to work and own property, but men were still in dominating
position. Nevertheless, these radical changes united women for their rights and they launched feminist
movements for their rights. They fought for the control over their bodies and choices affecting their
sexual and reproductive lives. Although women made some progress towards their emancipation, but
gender equality is still a dream due to certain social factors.

Patriarchal orientation of culture is the most important factor for women subordination to men. Male
chauvinism is a learnt behavior that originates at home and is a direct result of traditional mindsets and
certain values that are consciously inculcated within men from a very early age. As a result of this
socialization process, men grow up with the expectations and understanding that as a rule, women must

188, main Canal Bank Road, Abu Bakar Block, B III, Garden Town, Near Metro Bus Station 54000,
Pakistan, 03222077774.
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submit before their husbands and be obedient wives. They are also led to believe that in every role,
women will always remain inferior to them intellectually, physically and emotionally and under no
circumstances can they be treated as equals. This attitude of men leads to deprivation of women from
their basic rights.

Another factor undermining the position of women in society is barrier to their education. Though
women in global north have better opportunities for access to education as compared to those living in
global south. Women living in developed countries secured their right to education through various
strikes and feminist movements. But in developing countries the situation is opposite. In Africa, Asia and
Middle East, women are denied the right to learning. This is visible from the contrast between the
literacy rates of males and females in Pakistan, which is to present and 48% respectively. Similarly in
Nigeria, female literacy rate is 9.4%, Mali 11.9%, Chad 12.7%. The situation is ever worst in failed states
like Afghanistan. Women in developing and under developed countries are deprived of education due to
prevalence of patriarchal system in society. Women are held responsible for carrying out home chores
and taking care of families. So, most people due to patriarchal mindset consider women to educational
institutions as a waste of money. This mindset and thinking of male dominant society results in
subordination of women to men.

Along with education, women are also denied right to basic health facilities. According to recent World
Health Organization report, 5 women in India dies every hour during child birth. Another report of BBC
news revealed that in the United States, the maternal death rate increased by 26.6% in 2016. Health is a
basic need of all human beings but women all over the world are deprived of this right. Men consider
women as a commodity and treat them as the source of pleasure and producing their future
generations. Further, unsafe induced abortion is a major cause of women suffering. According to WHO
report, nearly 25 million unsafe abortions take place annually. Of this 25 million it is estimated that
anywhere from 4.7% to 13.2% of maternal deaths come directly from unsafe abortion practices. Health
professionals are not well sensitizing about the care of women with induced abortion and miscarriage.

Moreover, the majority of menopausal women have no access to health care especially in developing
and under developed countries. Poor menopausal women living in rural areas and city slums face
problems associated with osteoporosis. Routine screening for age related diseases are not available.
Also breast cervical, ovarian and colon cancers are leading causes of women death. The National Cancer
Institute estimated that around 40,000 American women died in 2017 due to breast cancer. Thus, all the
health sufferings faced by women around the world manifests that gender equality is still a dream.

Women low participation in politics is another political factor responsible for gender inequalities.
Generally, men consider that women lack in ability of thinking and taking decisions prudently. This
feudalistic mindset of men acts as a barrier to a women entrance to politics in most of the countries.
One can witness that, in America, who is the pioneer of democracy and equality of genders, no single
women has ever became the president of the United States. Democracies across the world have
struggled to ensure equal participation of women in politics, but the success rate has understandably
not been uniform.

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Women also face discrimination in political sphere because equality of women to men in politics is not
on any parties agenda. Political parties are content with flaunting their few women leaders as evidence
of their progressive politics. In practical electoral terms, it is much easier for them to take women votes
as multipliers of male consent. On the other hand, the parliamentary status of women on reserved seats
remains completely dependent on their male colleagues even if they out-perform the men on the floor
of the house. Women, especially in developing countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, are acceptable
only as proxies or an extension of male politicians due to which not much efforts are made to ensure all
women participation in the electoral system.

Though women in west were successful in attaining right to vote during first wave feminism but women
in south still lack in this right. For instance, according to an Express Tribune report, women voter turnout
in 2018 general elections stood at 40% with 21 of 46 million registered women voters participating in
polling. The major cause for low women participation in electoral process is that men in Pakistan
consider females subservient to them and dependant of them and hence, do not have right to speak,
give opinion and take decisions. Economic dependency of females on males is another reason for
women subordination to men. The patriarchal cultures in most societies do not allow women to earn.
They are restricted to domestic chores only. Women carry out household works without being paid.
Their household work is counted nowhere in national data. It is estimated that women carry out around
2.5 times the amount of unpaid care work that men do. This connotes that women endow the economy
for free. Though, Sustainable Development Goal five adopted in 2015 by the world leaders is dedicated
to achieve gender equality and empower women economically.

Gender wage gap is another cause of women inequality to men. The gender wage gap is the gap
between what men and women are paid. Most commonly, it refers to the median annual pay of all
women who work full time and year-round, compared to the pay of a similar cohort of men. According
to New York Times report, the gender wage gap in the United States stood at 20% in 2017. The gender
pay gap is the result of many factors, including occupational segregation biased against working
mothers, and direct paid discrimination.

The social, political and economic factors responsible for downgrading of women status have several
implications on females. The first impact of gender inequality is domestic violence. Women are treated
less humanly. They are subjected to domestic violence in the form of scolding, abusing and beating by
their fathers, brothers and husbands. In severe forms, even highness crimes are committed against
them such as honor killing and acid attacks. These highness crimes are more common in South Asian
states. According to Dawn Newspaper report, at least 400 acid attacks were reported in year 2018.
Further, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reported documented 737 honor crimes between
June 2017 and August 2018. The victimization of women leads to their suppression in the society.

Moreover, women are victims of harassment at workplace and in public places, rape and murder. They
consider by men as a commodity to fulfill their lust. Instead of giving respect to women, men treat them
with dishonor. If women raise voice or refuses to become the prey of men’s lust, they are murdered. In
one of its reports, the Times of India reported that around 39,000 rape cases were registered in year
2018. In Pakistan, the situation is not much different. The rape and murder of Zainab in Kasur is the

188, main Canal Bank Road, Abu Bakar Block, B III, Garden Town, Near Metro Bus Station 54000,
Pakistan, 03222077774.
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glaring example of violence against females. The CNN recent report declared Afghanistan, Nigeria, Chad,
and India along with other countries as most unsafe for women. All the violence and insecurity faced by
women is due to their lower status to men in society. The perception of men towards women must be
changed in order to provide protection, respect and equality to women.

First, a sociological perspective reminds us that gender inequality stems from a complex mixture of
cultural and structural factors that must be addressed if gender inequality is to reduce. The socialization
of children from birth into traditional notions of femininity and masculinity and gender based
stereotyping incorporating these notions must be stopped.

Second, to improve gender inequality, education must be made gender sensitive. They have been much
progress in increasing access to education but progress has been slow in improving the gender
sensitivity of the education system, including ensuring textbooks promote positive stereotypes. This is
critically important for girls to come out from schools as citizens who can shape a more equal society.

Third, aspirations of girls and their parents must be raised. One of the key strategies must be to change
how girls, families and societies imagine what girls can be and can do. We need to give girls images and
role models that expand their dreams. Benazir Bhutto, Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May and other
famous female personalities are worth mentioning females as role models. Such examples will help in
changing women perceptions of themselves and building confidence in them that they could be
engineers or entrepreneurs and can work along with men.

Fourth, proper value must be given to women’s work in order to achieve gender equality. The unpaid
work women and girls do provide the foundation for the global economy. This fact needs to be
highlighted more in the media, with the private sector and in communities. More research and data for
messaging on this point could be useful in promoting the key role and contributions women and girls
make to the economy and the need for proper recognition and compensation. Women must also carry
out a concerted campaign for equal pay, for equal work worldwide. Legislation, economic incentives and
pledges like United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles should be adopted and replicated
everywhere.

Fifth, to get equal status of women to men, they must come into power. A proven way to overcome
many systematic barriers to a woman’s success has been increased participation by women in local,
regional and national legislation as empowered change agents. According to UN report, in just ten years,
the number of women holding seats in houses of national parliament in south rose from 7 pc to 18 pc.
But, a global goal of equal representation is still a long way off, with only one woman for every four men
in parliament houses. A woman’s voice and her ability to become a leader in a community is
fundamental to empower woman.

Sixth, encourage woman into non-traditional vocations. Supporting woman in nontraditional jobs is
crucial in not only making long lasting change in their lives but also to break social taboos.

Lastly, violence against women must be stopped. In this regard, countries legislation must step forward
in formulating legal frameworks to save women from violence. The law enforcement agencies must

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implement the law properly and effectively. Gender inequality allows for violence against women
continue to be abated. Once legislation becomes stronger, gender equality will be achieved.

Women in Pakistan are also the victims of patriarchy and its negative outcomes. Male chauvinistic
society renders women unequal to men. As a consequence, they suffer socially, politically and
economically. Women are deprived of literacy, which is only 48pc, and basic health facilities. For
women emancipation and their access to education, Malala Yousafzai is making efforts. Moreover, to
overcome gender gap, the government has passed several laws, like Domestic Violence Act 2012,
Criminal Law (Amendment), offenses in the name of honor Act 2016, Protection Against Harassment at
Workplace Act 2010, etc.. All these government initiatives are directed towards reducing women’s
sufferings through the emancipation of their position in society, and hence by equality to men.

The problem with gender equality is the mode production and the role of women in it. Social
superstructure imposed by elite is another major hurdle in the way of equality. Fixing quotas and
legislation to protect women are superficial and temporary solutions to the problem. The real change
will come when women will have opportunity to play an important role in the mode of production.
Moreover, women have to challenge the prevalent social discourse which perpetuates patriarchy and
subjugates women. Hence gender equality will remain a myth unless and until women challenge the
core structure, which causes their subordination.

188, main Canal Bank Road, Abu Bakar Block, B III, Garden Town, Near Metro Bus Station 54000,
Pakistan, 03222077774.