Definition of Gender Equality

Men and women have not received the same treatment throughout history. His inequality has been and is evident in different areas: in wages, in access to education, in the management of companies or in the social roles of each sex. In recent decades, public policies have begun to be developed to eradicate inequality between men and women. Those public policies that combat the different forms of inequality are known as policies of equality from gender.

The purpose of gender equality

The purpose of gender equality as a tool politics It is twofold: breaking down the existing social barriers that prevent a true equality between men and women and, on the other hand, promoting actions that encourage and promote equality.

The fight for equality in the feminist movement

As early as the nineteenth century, some feminist movements (particularly the suffragettes of Anglo-Saxon countries) claimed the right the female vote, since at that time the vote could only be exercised by men. On the other hand, some intellectuals denounced the role of women in society, since they understood that it was unfair for women to be valued exclusively as mother, housewife and wife.

The movement feminist has fought for other causes related to gender equality: the sexual liberation of women or the right to abortion free with the well-known slogan "we give birth, we decide". At present, there are still groups of women who denounce some aspects and social realities that still express some form social inequality or a degraded image of women (Mises contests, machismo or the ban on driving in the world Islamic). Consequently, it can be affirmed that gender equality is a conquest of society, but to date a full equality between the two genders has not been achieved.

Current challenges in gender equality

If we start from the situation of women in the world as a whole, the challenges that lie ahead in relation to full equality are very diverse. From a political point of view, women who are engaged in political activity are still a minority (To solve this situation, parity between men and women has been introduced in the lists electoral). In the business sphere, the number of female managers is equally low.

In the field of education, girls tend to leave school school before children in some countries. Trade union and professional associations demand equal pay between men and women. Another of the most deeply rooted inequalities is the fact that certain activities associated with women are not remunerated (for example, caring for the sick within the family).

Photos: iStock - DNY59 / Todor Tsvetkov