GLOBAL PRESPECTIVE

Topic: Belief System

Research question: Are different beliefs of people on
gender equality affecting societies?
Candidate name: Saleeha Emaan
Center number: PK901
INTODUCTION:
Gender equality is a fundamental human right. It is an equitable behavior towards
every gender, eradicating gender discrimination .It’s not just a basic human right,
but also necessary for a sustainable and prosperous world. It leads to inclusivity,
cultural cohesion and a progressive world. It demands equal access to everyone’s
basic rights. UNICEF says “gender equality is that women and men and girls and
boys, enjoy the same rights, resources, opportunities and protections. It does not
require that girls and boys and women and men, be the same, or treated exactly
alike.’’ Gender equality is part of International Human Right, it was accepted by
the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948.

Some facts I collected from ‘GLOBAL CITIZEN’ about gender inequality are:

Not even a single country has achieved the goal of gender equality. There are 49
countries in the world which do not have laws against domestic violence. Some of
the highest rates for forced marriage and maternal morality are found in South of
Sudan. Due to lack of adequate financial resources,380 million girls suffer.130
million girls do not have access to education. Women’s are killed by their own
family members, 1 in 10 women are subjected to physical violence.
Women’s are most affected by gender inequality.70 percent of inequality is faced
by women all over the world. The world is not on its track to achieve gender
equality. According to UN Women’s most recent report, the world still has 286-
300 years to achieve the goal of gender equality. Chad results in one of the highest
rates of early child bearing worldwide. Forced marriage of women age 15-18 is
ordinary. Women are paid less than men with fewer benefits. The countries with
highest rate of gender inequality are,Yemen, Pakistan, Syria Chad, Iran and many
more.

The reason I am writing report on this topic is due to its relevance in the world
right now. This issue is widespread and common on the global scale. Through this
research, my focus is to perceive the causes and consequences leading to this issue
and how is the world dealing with.

ISSUE 1:
Global perspective:
Gender inequality is a wide spread issue that affects people all over the world.
Sexual harassment is a form of gender discrimination, which is faced by most
females. Domestic abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking are becoming
common day by day. Gender discrimination has a long lasting and devastating
effect on ones mental health. The females are also discriminated for advancing to a
higher position than men in work field. Treating individuals in awful manner due
to their gender can even lead to dehumanization. In the world of technology cyber
bullying, harassment and threats are becoming common towards women.
Countries with the least gender inequality include: Afghanistan (44.4%) Yemen
(49.2%) Iraq (53.5%) Pakistan (55.6%) and many more.

Afghanistan:

As the Taliban have rise in their power there is a struggle for the girls and women
in Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan the income for women in 16% less than men. For the senior
position`s women make up to just 4.1%. The literacy rate there is just 53% for
women whereas it is 79% Nation Wide. The women aged 15-49 are subjected to
violence. From all over the world Afghanistan comes on 156th position for giving
economic facilities to women. The severe behavior of Taliban towards women is a
crime against humanity, also known as gender apartheid. There are restrictions on
attire of women, on their access to education, freedom of speech etc. Its only
restricted for a male doctor to look after a female, which can result in deaths and
could amount to femicide. Some cases I collected from United Nations Humans
Rights : when a female wanted a divorce but, it was said to her that ``Your hand is
not broken , your leg is not broken, why do you want a divorce?`` . It was also told
by a police man to a women that they should not complain and are deserved to be
beaten. Females in the university describe their situation when there was a ban on
female universities: I am a prisoner of my gender and we have no future.

It`s also restricted for the female`s to go outside of their house without being
accompanied by a Mahram in Afghanistan. This suffocating environment can also
result in the devastating ones mental health. As this discrimination is now being
normalized.

Yemen:

Currently Yemen is last in the gender gap. In Yemen the women face restrictions of
mobility, limited participations in different activities, low morality rate, there are a
low rate of qualified females (teachers, doctors ,engineers) etc. The women face
security related concerns. As men are established as protectors in Yemen, but these
are the people who play active role in physically assaulting and abusing the
females. A case was told by a women I took from amnesty.org “I was travelling
with three children when we were stopped at a checkpoint by Huthi forces. They

detained us, with no food and water during under very hot weather. We begged
them to let us pass but they refused. They insulted us and threatened us with rape.
We panicked and stared crying…when they were done with us they left us on the
street at night in a secluded and isolated area …We were afraid and the childeren
terrified”.

Iraq:

The discrimination faced by women in Iraq is a serious concern for the females
suffering there. Reprensentation of women in Iraq for the parliament is just 27% .
ISSUE 2:
National perspective:
MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS:

Gender inequality is an issue that can lead to Mental Health Problems. People
who deal with it may face depression, anxiety and low self esteem. The constant
discrimination and societal pressure can result in damaging ones emotional well
being , which is deeply rooted in Pakistani societies. The amount of stress created,
when living in a society which values one gender over another is really dangerous
for some ones mental health .There is always a fear of being judged or evaluated.
You are made to feel lesser than another person which creates a low self esteem. It
erodes your self confidence and self worth, you think of yourself as useless and not
capable of doing anything. The unfair treatment leads to feelings of sadness
hopelessness and loss of interest in almost every activity. Though there is
difference for a male going through mental illness and for a women suffering it. In
a male dominated culture women and men deal with it differently, in workplaces,
at home, in educational institutes and even within communities. For example men
may face pressure for fitting into societies expectations, to what people call a
MAN. This can include things like not showing vulnerability and showing yourself
as strong and independent to meet with societies expectation. These expectations
are the reason for men not being able to show or express their feelings. On the
other hand women face different challenges , like unequal opportunities , gender
based violence ,pay and wealth gaps limited reproductive rights ,cultural and
societal expectation ETC.

Gender discrimination is majorly seen in Pakistani society. Pakistan ranks 145 th

out of 146 countries on the World Economic Forums 2022 Global Gender Gap
Index .In Pakistan 50% of the women lack basic education [4]. Women have lower
health status with less or no rights to make choices. Men are considered
commanders (the one who rule over everything). Women`s have to face many
restrictions .The gender discrimination is common on a high level in lower or
middle class families. In Pakistan literacy rate for women is only 48% which is
lesser than man. The participation for females in workplaces is 24% though foe
males it is around 82%.For the National assembly women make up only 20%.
Child marriage is common, 21% of girls under 18 years are married, which also
creates problem for the females to get access to educational opportunities. If we
look at the average women in Pakistan earn 34% less than men .There are 32% of
women who faced physical violence and 40% of them who faced emotional abuse.
Only 25% of women are able to participate in house hold decisions.

Personal perspective: As a 14 year old girl

my opinion is that, we should all try our best to make this world a place where
both genders get equal rights and opportunities in every aspect of life. Treating
someone in an unfair manner, just because of their gender is awful act. Gender
inequality is unacceptable what so ever. Everyone all around the world deserves
equal rights .It s important for us to take a stand for those who suffer gender
discrimination. It s enough time that we start to talk about it and end the silence.

Course of action:
During the annual 16 days of Activism against Gender based Violence. Urgent
need for Gender equality was spotlighted. Some steps that we can take to make our
communities a better place for women to live are following:

Legal reforms: Legislation could bring an impact if introduced. Goverments

should take responsibility to make rules that end gender discrimination.

Education and Awareness:

Raising awareness about gender discrimination and its negative impacts are
crucial. Public awareness , campaigns can also help challenge stereotypes and
promote gender equality.
Empowering Womens:

Providing women access to education, healthcare ,and economic opportunities is

essential. Empowering women economically enhances their decision making.

Promoting Womens leadership:

Encouraging women in every aspect of life. Creating supportive environment can

also be essential.

Combating Gender based violence :

Efforts should be made to prevent and address gender based violence. This can be
achieved through comprehensive laws and camapings that challenge harmful
attitudes and behaviors.

International cooperation:

Collaboration between countries , about addressing the issue of gender

discrimination

Conclusion:
My report highlights the urgent need to end the gender
discrimination issue. By implementing legal reforms and other
important things I mentioned in my report. Its crucial for
governments , organizations , and individuals to work together
to create an equitable environment for everyone to live happily
and peacefully.
References:
https://www.unwomen.org
https://reponse.reliefweb.int
https://ohchr.org
https://givingcompass.org
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
https://worldpopulationrewiew.com
https://amnesty.org
https://un.org
https://en.m.org
https://www.humnasrightscareers.com
https://wwwsavethechilderen.org
https://wwwbmcwomenshealth.com
https://www.aup.edu.pk
https://archeive.uneswa.org.com