WHAT CAUSES DOES GENDER INEQUALITY AND PATRIARCHY HAVE FOR INTERNATIONAL ORDER OF
WHAT CAUSES DOES GENDER INEQUALITY AND PATRIARCHY HAVE FOR INTERNATIONAL ORDER OF JUSTICE?
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Table of Contents
TOC o “1-3” h z u HYPERLINK l “_Toc463222791″Introduction PAGEREF _Toc463222791 h 2
HYPERLINK l “_Toc463222792″Feminist theory PAGEREF _Toc463222792 h 2
HYPERLINK l “_Toc463222793″Gender Inequality PAGEREF _Toc463222793 h 4
HYPERLINK l “_Toc463222794″Status of gender equality PAGEREF _Toc463222794 h 6
HYPERLINK l “_Toc463222795″Patriarchal society PAGEREF _Toc463222795 h 8
HYPERLINK l “_Toc463222796″Human rights in the society PAGEREF _Toc463222796 h 9
HYPERLINK l “_Toc463222797″Empowerment and transformation of gender inequalities PAGEREF _Toc463222797 h 11
HYPERLINK l “_Toc463222798″Distribute Justice PAGEREF _Toc463222798 h 13
HYPERLINK l “_Toc463222799″Social Work PAGEREF _Toc463222799 h 14
HYPERLINK l “_Toc463222800″Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc463222800 h 15
Introduction
Gender refers to the roles, behaviors and expectations constructed by the society towards male and women. Gender relations are the products of social activities and processes. In patriarchal societies, men are the final decision makers hence they exert a lot of dominance over women. On the other hand, women are regarded as subjects, hence they have no control over certain decisions. A patriarchy promotes male dominance and superiority, which leads to gender inequality. Men hold powerful positions in the society that help them to control religious organizations, education, militaries, and economies. In most cases, men have more advantages and powers as compared to women. Unfortunately, women occupy positions where they are oppressed and vulnerable to victimization and abuse of their fundamental rights. Consequently, a womans ability to enjoy their rights is limited which increase the international problems and affects their quality of life and survival globally. The paper discusses the consequences of gender inequity and patriarchy on the international order of justice.
Feminist theory
Feminist theory attempts to explain various gender inequalities based on women, politics, chores, interests, experiences, and roles. It analyses certain factors in the contemporary society such as stereotyping, patriarchy, oppression, objectification and discrimination, which limit the lives of women. The theory point out various factors such as age, nationality, sexuality, ethnicity, class and race affect gender. Most importantly, the theory was designed to give women a voice as well as emphasizing the importance of women in the society. Feminist theorists such as Collins Hill Patricia have played a major role in popularizing, deploying, and developing the idea of Intersectionality.
Theories of gender inequality note that the social circumstance, experiences and location of women are unequal and different as compared to men. They suggest that women have the equal ability to provide moral and philosophical reasoning as men. However, because of patriarchy, especially in the division of labor, they are traditionally denied a chance to practice and express this thought. Women have been secluded as they work in the household, hence lack a chance to air their opinions in the public sphere. Even when they join the public domain, such as in politics, they are required to conduct their private domain and provide care of domestic chores such as child bearing. Moreover, the theory suggests that the institution of marriage supports gender inequality since women do not gain value from it as compared to men. In fact, married women suffer from high levels of stress as compared to their men counterparts or unmarried women. Similarly, the division of labor among gender fuel inequalities in the society.
According to feminist theory, gender differences are rooted in cultural issues in the society. The society assigns diverse roles to both men and women, which contribute to gender differences. In most cases, women are viewed as objects, hence they have no chance of practices self-realization. Furthermore, they are victims of abuse, subordination and oppression. In patriarchal societies, women face a wide range of challenges such as physical violence. Eventually, women fail to realize their full strength and value. On the other hand, Intersectionality philosophers suggest that a wide range of factors such as age, ethnicity and class affects gender inequality and oppression. However, different women around the world such as black and whites have diverse levels of oppression. Furthermore, women are restricted to advance in education, employment, governance and in policy making.
Gender identity has been connected to privilege and power, especially among men. In this regard, men apply intimidation, control and violence as power strategies to advance their socioeconomic advantages. Therefore, they use this process to access education, privileges and rights at the expense of women.
Gender Inequality
Oppression strategies that that contribute to lower the experiences, knowledge and strengths of women in the society, community and families are the main cause of gender inequality. Across the globe, cultural aspects have a direct effect on how gender equality is viewed as a fundamental right. Moreover, different countries have a diverse system of embracing and defining the gender equality at varying intensity and level. The UN has initiated a number of mechanisms aiming to reduce cases of gender inequality among girls and women. Essentially, it is critical to pay close attention to girls and womens needs, aiming to promote economic development and stability as well as international security.
Several powerful countries in the world such as the UK, the US, France, China, Germany and Russia have initiated notable transformations and reforms aiming to promote gender equality. More significantly, the initiative requires global partnership with regard to training, education, services, funding and policy that effectively and efficiently address gender issues. Evidence indicated that there are a number of barriers and gaps in the current systems, which try to respond to various gender inequalities among women. In this regard, the study noted that systems have financial, coordination and leadership challenges that reduce their ability to deal with the emerging issues. Moreover, there are inadequate operational capabilities to handle a wide range of gender issues in the global scale. Therefore, various structures and systems designed to deal with these problems should stay innovative, versatile and relevant in a manner that adapt quickly to the ever-changing culture so that gender equality is attained at the international level.
Precisely abstracting gender equality and its diverse aspects and dimensions in an international background will play a role in the reduction of inequalities and inequities. United Nations Population Fund defines gender equality as a human right. In this regard, women are eligible to have a dignified life that is free from fear or intimidation. Women empowerment is a vital tool for eliminating poverty and enhancing development. Women who are empowered, play a huge role in promotion of productivity and health of their communities and families.
Gender equality is very beneficial to the economic, political and social development of countries in the globe. However, gender inequalities and discrimination such as health inequalities, socioeconomic inconsistencies, violence against girls and women and other negative customs and traditions remain persistent and pervasive. Some of the international organizations that have contributed to the advancement of gender equality include UNFPA. In this regard, the organization has played a role in advocacy, aiming to help in the transformation and reformation of systems that affect the choices and rights of girls and women across the world.
Criticizing traditional concepts of gender, which do social, cultural and behavioral features that are associated with men, determine or womanhood forms the foundation of accomplishing gender equality. Through this strategy, they are able to understand how different aspects in the society manage the association between men and women. In addition, they are able to know how power differences affect both men and women. Different issues such as class and income differences, learned and biological behaviors, needs and household affect gender equality. For instance, gender roles and behaviors are learned because women and men learn environmental, social and cultural norms that may propagate inequalities.
Gender inequality is continuously shaped by roles accorded to men and women and the setting in which they occur. For instance, the lives of women are affected by their responsibilities in the labor, economic, workplace background, and education, social and home contexts. Therefore, the ability to achieve gender equality is connected on the roles that the society has assigned to both male and women.
Status of gender equality
Although women have faced a wide-range of challenges with regard to gender inequality, the world has witnessed significant progress in terms of gender equality. In the contemporary society, positive changes in health, employment and educational rights have been noted. Many countries have also initiated legislations that promote equal land, inheritance and marriage rights among women. Similarly, nations have enacted constitution, which offer anti-discriminatory laws and gender equality. However, despite these positive changes towards gender equality, women who have lower income status in both developing and developed countries have not achieved gender equality. Moreover, women have also experienced social exclusion based on their sexual orientation, ethnicity, location, disability and caste. In the developed countries, inequalities in participation of women in conventional male careers as well as in policy making do not certainly grow with economic development that advances other elements of their lives. Furthermore, higher income for women has not produced any significant change with regard to access of women to financial opportunities in developing economies.
Besides, in developing nations, the rate of domestic violence, ability to occupy political offices and management of resources is still a major challenge in many countries. For instance, women in African countries face many challenges with regard to access of social, and health services, employment and education as well as opportunities. The differences of gender inequalities are based on ethnicity and race.
Various scholars highlighted that gender equality, promote international justice and order because it provides empowerment of women and men leading to economic and social transformation. Gender equality is a powerful tool for international order and justice because it enhances economic growth. In this regard, it can eliminate barriers to promote productivity achievements in the contemporary world. According to the global statistics, women workforce accounts for more than 50 per cent of the total number of workers. Similarly, higher institutions of learning have more women than men, hence; they can apply talents and skills to promote the progressive effect on economic and productivity gains. More significantly, gender equality determines the success of the future generations because it creates a level playing ground for both women and men. Consequently, it promotes efficient decision-making, political and social engagement as well as laws and policies that facilitate advanced and inclusive improvement paths.
Patriarchal society
Patriarchal society is a major barrier to the achievement of international human dignity. Moreover, this kind of society is supported by cultural beliefs and customs that reinforce male dominance systems. The behavior has been continually and commonly used, hence it is viewed as a natural process instead of socially created order. Reports indicated that patriarchy has turned out to be a belief and ideology system in the contemporary society rather than a clear political and social system in the ancient period. Most notably, in nations where there are laws on gender equality, there are deep cultural and psychological pedigrees of patriarchy because of a belief structure in the mind of men and women.
Patriarchy systems promote mans superiority over all women. In addition, it organizes this essential inequality in a hierarchal system where men hold crucial powers in religious and educational institutions, militaries, and economies. Consequently, women have limited power as compared to men. In the western societies, men hold powerful positions in the international order as compared to those in other parts of the world. Additionally, women who belong to high social and economic status have more authority as compared to both women and men of lower social status. Women in most parts of the world belong to oppressed and vulnerable hierarchy because of the high rate of poverty. In this regard, the standards of human rights should be utilized to solve global problems that affect quality of life and human existence of people.
Human rights in the society
The majority of positive changes that have taken place in human society have been promoted by the essential values and concepts that enlighten human rights. The intrinsic dignity of all people should not be based on religion, ethnicity, capacities, ages, races or sexes. Nonetheless, for a long period most people have faced barriers, which limit their ability to enjoy human rights. Not all the violations and denials of human rights are outcomes of patriarchy, although many are. Certainly, patriarchy has been the catalyst of dictatorial systems in the society. In addition, violations of the rights of women have been promoted by elitist systems of social governance and organization that have committed, sanctioned and tolerated perpetual oppression, and exploitation. Across the world, gender inequalities have affected the womans ability to benefit from human dignity.
Fortunately, the human rights values have developed in the spirit and the mind of the people as another way to reduce gender inequality which leads to degradation and suffering of people. Human rights have turned to be beneficial code of value that enhanced just social organizations and human relations based on worldwide human capacity and human dignity to work together in a fair world. In addition, human rights system creates societies, which mutually and equally reinforce and value order and justice. Indeed, human rights contain an all-inclusive vision of a progressive society where children, youth, women and men live harmoniously in the tribute of universal self-esteem of all people.
The principles of Human rights enlighten a person that recognizes social order as a way of safeguarding patriarchal dominance. Moreover, the issues of gender inequalities and patriarchal systems prevent people to follow political, economic and social justices because of intimidation and coercion, which characterize these societies. However, the human rights principles help both men and women in the society with diverse social, beliefs, political, and cultural system are able to live and work together because there is common cooperation and respect. In so doing, the world will be able to overcome every form of obstacles, which limit human dignity that propagate gender inequalities and human suffering. Therefore, human rights help to mediate and guide peoples affairs in a manner that respect the worth of all humans. The worldwide standards of human rights have been initiated and adopted as instruments for collective change. This helps to reduce force and inequalities that characterize the contemporary societies in different parts towards a world guided through law and order.
Empowerment and transformation of gender inequalities
Gender inequalities and patriarchy provides many obstacles and problems, which affect the international relations because of political, economic and social issues. Understanding contemporary issues and factors that contribute to patriarchal society is important because it helps to overcome them. Moreover, investigations should be conducted in different parts of the globe in order to understand the similarities and differences of gender inequalities in the world. Local strategies should be able to examine how patriarchy advances gender injustices that limit the ability of women and men to collaborate for the common benefit and social justice. For instance, planning and development of culturally acceptable programs help to transform various and myriad types of gender inequalities and injustices. Consequently, women and men around the world would be able to assist one another in understanding new forms of development, relating and thinking about their economies as well as making informed choices in the social and political lives that improves their lives. Through these changes, the societies would be able to initiate a transformative process that can help in realization of international standards of human rights. Ultimately, people will develop a culture that realizes and respect universal human dignity of all members of the society.
Through learning about human rights, societies around the world are able to change issues that promote patriarchy. Studies noted that patriarchy in the world could be minimized if community awareness on the issue is promoted through informal and formal learning. Through this strategy, humans are empowered to seek, realize, struggle and conceive gratification of human dignity. Moreover, the researcher argued that learning helps to transform the inner world in order to produce transformation in the social organization and systems in the society. Furthermore, learning about human rights equips both genders with skills, which helps them to work as mediators of social justices that facilitate them to implement and protect the rights of all people. According to researchers, some of the effective ways of learning human right are by engaging people in the utilization of the principles of human rights in their daily lives.
Empirical evidence points out that gender inequalities and patriarchy can be changed through the development of frameworks that enhances economic and social justice. The researcher pointed out that these strategies are able to change the status quo and interrupt cultural tradition, which bind gender repression for women, as well as inequalities to females. Strategies and customs that connect the discord of gender uniqueness subsets that are founded in domination, patriarchy, sexual preferences have generated polices that fuel gender inequity and poverty.
Countries such as Sweden have successfully implemented policies that help to accomplish gender equity. The Swedish government since the 1970s executed different social modifications and legislations that energetically enhanced the rights of women in their workplaces and homes. For instance, the government increased fines and punishments in case of sexual harassments, prohibiting gender segregations, and eliminating dual taxation for partners to inspire more women to engage in economic activities far away from home. Reports indicate such policies have played an important role in creating a level playing field with regard to gender equality. In addition, they have assisted in raising the number of women representatives in political offices. Nonetheless, despite these policies have a significant impact in terms of reducing gender inequalities, several cases of domestic violence; workplace oppression and rape are still persistent. The Swedish government has attempted to encourage a language that is promoting neutrality in terms of gender. In this case, these are bold strategies of supporting gender equality in the country.
Distribute Justice
Fair distribution of scarce resources should be encouraged around the world. Distribute justice means that every individual should be guaranteed of equitable allocation of opportunities, resources, goods, and services regardless of his/her gender. Moreover, distributive justice is very important because it ensures that some policies and laws are not formulated to support unfair freedoms for a certain section of the society to acquire more than what they deserve in terms of privileges, opportunities and goods. Fairness in the allocation of resources is a crucial element of gender equality given the persistent exclusion of certain gender in global and local economy.
In the community, people with the adequate financial resources have the capacity to buy more access to daily opportunities that improves their lives as they become secure and comfortable. There is a dangerous interconnection between income, workforce and gender especially among women. In most cases, women have limited access to workforce to acquire income. On the other hand, women in most parts of the world continue to earn lower salaries as compared to men. Consequently, their abilities to purchase important items in life are limited as compared to their male counterparts. Various international civil societies such as the World Bank and the United Nations have initiated a number of programs that collaborates with local and national authorities to help in resolving some of the gender-based gaps in labor, income, and resource distribution. In addition, it helps to guarantee equal provision and distribution of goods and services to either gender.
Social Work
Research has indicated that the profession of social work, has the power to provide progress in terms of international gender equality because they have traditionally worked with women to accomplish economic and social justice. The profession plays a vital role in policy advocacy that helps to advance the quality of life of all people in the world. For instance, the National Association of Social Workers underscores the major standards of economic and social justice, the need for suitable human relationships and the worth and dignity of every individual. Through these forums, people are able to solve various issues in the society that encourages gender inequality. The strategy of social work pays close attention on how power issues between men and women can be solved in order to reduce structural disparities such as heterosexist, racism, sexism, classism which generate negative effects in the society such as gender inequality.
In this respect, the profession helps to address and recognize the Intersectionality nature of gender repression such as various forms of marginalization and oppression. Most importantly, social workers have engaged in a campaign for gender equity in the based on the fact that women across the globe should be appreciated in all aspects such as families, communities, nations and societies. They also participate in a research where they seek to understand new innovative and cross-cultural framework for effective transformation of the international status quo.
Conclusion
Historically, most parts of the world have experienced certain levels of patriarchal society, which control and limit the rights of women in many aspects. Patriarchy is a system that encourages gender inequality as it expects women to be their juniors. Consequently, women face oppression and discrimination in employment, education and government. They are requiring working on domestic duties with confine them in their household. Furthermore, women are the biggest victims of gender-based violence, which deny their chance to transform the status quo. Most cultures around the world have encouraged gender inequalities as they create primitive roles for women. Therefore, the world should develop appropriate measures to help change the trend by empowering women in vital positions.
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