“We have begun
to raise daughters more like sons... But few have the courage to raise our sons
more like daughters." Gloria Steinem
Good Evening everyone, my name is Ambar Escudero
and I’ll be talking about Gender Equality
Currently many countries are focusing more and more
on the influence of traditional gender roles on individuals' health and the implications
for programs and services. However even in some of the most advanced countries,
women wages still average 73 percent of those for men.
As a result of this continuous work, Gender equality is now recognized
as a human right and is specifically targeted by the United Nations’ Millennium
Development Goal Number 3, which is "To promote gender equality and empower
women."
But what do gender and
gender equality actually mean?
First of all, Gender is not a synonym for Sex. Gender and Sex are often used conversely, but there
are different characteristic between both concepts.
* To begin with, Sex is based on our anatomical and psychological characteristics. Whereas,
Gender, is based on cultural and social
approaches. Indeed, this is how society states their assumptions on how men and
women should behave or look upon others.
In addition, to Traditional Gender Roles, which assume several responsibilities, activities,
and decision related to our particular gender. All of this has historically assigned
to men and women the way they should act. Even when these roles had been changing
from one society to another; still now a days there are no society who had assigned
equal status or power to men and women.
Similarly, Gender Identity is an individual's personal and internal sense of being
a man or a woman or another gender. Although, most societies define two
gender categories—man and woman—many cultures recognize other genders and individuals,
which neither male nor female could classify them. For example, the gender identity
of transgender individuals does not
match their birth- assigned sex. Transgender individuals generally choose to dress
and present themselves as the gender which they identify, rather than their birth-assigned
sex.
Indeed, as gender and sex do not
automatically correspond to our physical appearance; gender identity and sexual
orientation is not the same thing. In other words, a person's sexual orientation should not be assumed
based on their gender or their sex. As an example, a man may be attracted to individuals
from the same sex, opposite or both sexes.
Now having explained the
difference between sex, gender, gender roles, gender identity and sexual orientation,
let’s talk about gender equality.
To begin with, Gender identity and gender
roles are determinants that distribute power endowment, rights and access
to resources among various groups in our society.
In most civilizations, traditional gender roles,
would give privileges to men excluding women from them. Through the imposition and
reinforcement of rigid gender norms, society deprives women from having equal rights,
power, and resources. In addition, the way traditional gender roles are structured;
often affect women having as a final outcome a lower economic status, low literacy
and education standards, poor health services, and greater exposure to gender-based
violence.
For this reason, most programs that promote gender
equality focus on empowering and working directly with women and girls. Taking this
statement I would say that gender equity
is the means and gender equality
is the result.
When Gender
equity suggests fairness and justice in the distribution of opportunities,
responsibilities, and benefits available to men and women, and the strategies and
processes used to achieve gender equality, whereas Gender equality is equal treatment of women and men in laws and policies,
and equal access to resources and services within families and communities.
However, women are not the only ones harmed by traditional
gender norms and inequality; men and transgenders also suffer negative consequences.
For example:
•
A man may engage in unsafe
sex because he believes real men don't use condoms
•
A transgender woman may
not seek needed health care out of fear of discrimination and stigma.
Transforming traditional gender roles is a milestone
work due to the damage that those roles had imposed to everyone. Prompting gender equality rights would benefit all members in a society by achieving
equality perspectives, meanwhile working and learning to respect all genders.
To finish, I would like to quote Emma Watson:
"It is
time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals.
We should stop defining each other by what we are not, and start defining ourselves
by who we are."
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