GENDER RELATION ISSUES

Unless our global society proves to be just and humane we can’t claim any progress or achievement.[1] Egregious gender inequality still exists globally despite of considerable national and international actions that have been taken towards gender equality. While UN Speakers, from various countries, come together to discuss on the topics as such “Female Empowerment in Changing Workplace, Gender Equality Commitments, as Commission on Status of Women” there is still a vast landscape where the theme is greatly underscored and challenged in frontline. On the one hand, in the elite strata of womanhood, women are flaunting their talents by competing with men and they have found equal platforms as well. But on the other hand women are still in the marginalized, discriminated and robed of their rights. Therefore this paper work is undertaken to provide a general perspective on gender relations experienced worldwide and what are some of the challenges to overcome it along with plausible measures.
 1.      Defining Gender
Gender refers to the roles and responsibilities of men and women that are fashioned in our families, our societies and our cultures. The notion of gender also comprises the prospects held about the characteristics, aptitudes and likely behaviours of both women and men (femininity and masculinity). Gender roles and expectations are learned.[2] They can be variation over time and they differ within and between cultures. Structures of social distinction such as political status, class, ethnicity, physical and mental disability, age and more, modify gender roles. The idea of gender is significant because it’s functional to social analysis, it discloses how women’s subservience (or men’s domination) is socially fashioned.
 2.      What is Gender Relations?
Gender relations refer to a complex classification of personal and social relations of control and authority through which women and men are socially fashioned and preserved and through which they achieve access to authority and material resources or are apportioned status within a society.[3] Gender relations are the social and economic interactions which occur in any family, community, office or society between males and females. For an example in India, most men think through their female counterpart’s responsibilities as housewife; they belong in the kitchen and they don’t have much say in decision making both in the workplace and the public. This sort of relationship has an incredible consequence on how both men and women are perceived in their family and community and as result it even leads to more physical violence, clash and demises which are, if not always mostly, unreported. Gender relations are power relations between men and women in our society and is vital for understanding the grounds of violence against women and gender discrimination in any society.
 3.      Are Gender Relations a Problem?
The research of gender problems is becoming more and more significant and popular in the social sciences. Many Western researchers have emphasized that gender divisions are a basic social relation and, for that reason, that gender inequality is as important as class or economic change in understanding social reality. This is enormously significant as in this way gender studies have advanced away from a former focus on the position of women as one comparatively underprivileged group. Current research stresses how gender relations between men and women assemble society, including inequality between the sexes. National and international events are at work but they are not adequate to abate and eradicate gender inequality. For instance, the Society of Defending Women’s Rights in Saudi Arabia is planned to empower women and guard their rights. In India, the Prevention of Immoral Traffic, the Dowry Prevention Act and the Sati Act target to prevent widow burning. Indeed, China and India are both fighting feticide and infanticide. This shows that gender relations, the way it’s researched and presented is an emerging problem and must be taken into serious consideration before it’s too late. 

4.      Gender Inequality
Gender Inequality, in simplest terms, may be defined as discrimination against women based on their sex. Women are conventionally considered by the society as weaker sex. She has been rendered a secondary place to men. She is demoralized, degraded, violated and discriminated both in our homes and in outside world.[4] This peculiar type of discrimination against women is prevalent everywhere in the world and more so in Indian society.

Gender inequality refers to a situation:·         When men and women are not treated equally, or
·         Where men enjoys certain privileges over women, or
·         Where men misuses their dominant position to establish control over women, or
·         When the voices of women are discouraged, or
·         When women do not enjoy equal right for education, or
·         When the good performance of women is unjustly ignored
Sex-selective abortion is yet another foremost tragedy of gender inequality as it fuels human trafficking, demographic imbalance, and sexual exploitation. India and China, the two most populated nations on Earth, both informally continue this practice of favoritism for male child birth over female. The degree and causes of gender inequality vary throughout the world. Noticeable crimes against women consist of violence, femicide (murder of women), and rape (war rape). Honor killing, one such offense, is when a female member of a family is killed for the perception of having brought dishonor to the family. From an economic viewpoint, gender discrimination is also a major impediment to growth as it prevents countries from reaching their maximum productivity potential. Although women constitute 40% of the global work force, there are still many who are unpaid family workers in the informal sector. Those who do work are generally paid much below that of male workers, despite being equally capable and skilled.

Types of gender inequality.

·         Ideological: the idea that one gender is better than others.
·         Economic: paying/employing people of one gender more than others.
·         Legal: laws that treat one gender in a more privileged fashion.
·         Opportunity related: giving more opportunities to people of one gender.
·         Emotional: talking disparagingly about people of a certain gender compared to others.
The Harmful effects of gender inequality might include, first, the Social effects by shaping many of our societies and traditions. Second, the loss of talent by nurturing the talents of one gender more than others. Third, the confidence of treating people of a certain gender disparagingly can harm their confidence. Fourth, is the emotional by discriminating against people of one gender can cause great sadness and stress? Final, the economic: discrimination can cause one gender to be – overall – richer than others.The human race cannot be said to be free unless all of its members are free. If women are being oppressed or denigrated, then the whole community that they are a part of is not free. We must all oppose gender inequality. Tackling poverty and negative attitudes to girls and women, and providing free and accessible education for all are crucial steps for gender equality. 

5.      Social Stereotyping: Three Duos
It's also vital to identify that social stereotypes are hugely influential - and that if we do nothing about them, they will simply restate themselves, sneaking back in through the side door. It still exist in our society and is a major cause of inequality. There are many ways of doing this, like color, cloth, hobbies, hairstyle, sports etc, however, here three harmonized duos of stereotypes that are useful to explore:

a.      Men do but women are
This stereotype is the crucial cause why it's so problematic for women to get credit for what they do - and the low rank still rendered to what they do. A great deal of effort has been done in the past three decades on the women's side of this equation, which has led to all those absurd "the first women to do this... the first women to do that..." stories in newspapers, but also a modest credit to women can and will do almost any kind of work in our society. While in the case of men, all their works are always greatly highlighted over women.

b.      Men don't feel: Women don't Think
Although a disheartening number of women and men do demonstrate their corresponding shares of this stereotype, it is only a stereotype, a fact which has been proved many, many times over by innumerable proficient and qualified women. Yet, again, whilst massive effort has been done in the past few decades to counter the women's side of this stereotype, the male side has, if anything, been strengthened.[5] There are endless demands that men should say what they feel but are aggressively quietened or maligned if they do and woman is demonstrated to be highly emotional with little or no reasoning capacity.

          c.       Men are hunters; women are gatherers

This again is predominantly a stereotype, but it's one that does have candid pedigrees in framework, physiology and perceptual psychology, and as such can be useful. It's the cause, for instance, why men so often appear to anticipate admiration after having done the washing-up: to a 'hunter' viewpoint, every job is a distinct mission with a beginning, a middle, an end, and a festivity or rest - period - not just part of a continuum, as it is to the 'gatherer' viewpoint. And male and female perceptual psychology tend to be diverse, with males inclining toward a hunter's 'one-pointedness' and spatial orientation, and females toward a gatherer's concern with multi-tasking and minute detail.[6] Where in the world women have proved to be the hunters in many instances but the label (gatherers) on them doesn’t seem to disappear. I, personally, have been nurtured by single parent mother makes me believe that this is misleading stereotyping. 

6.      Patriarchy: A Major Cause of Gender Relation Problem
Patriarchy is the term used to define the society in which we live today, branded by current and historic unequal power relations between women and men whereby women are systematically disadvantaged and oppressed. Patriarchy is the single most life-threatening social disease assaulting the male body and spirit in our nation.[7] Male violence against women is also a fundamental feature of patriarchy. Women in minority groups encounter multiple tyrannies in patriarchal society, as race, class and sexuality interconnect with sexism.[8] Under the dominion of this regime the worst evil, however, is that women have been affectively conditioned to accept their inferior status. This takes place across almost every sphere of life but is particularly noticeable in women’s under-representation in key state institutions, in decision-making positions and in employment and industry.   

7.      Feminism: Countering Patriarchy
Feminism is a word coined in the late nineteenth century, is at once both the theory and a movement. It’s a way of assimilating and analyzing the reality of women (by women) as well as movement to change the reality.[9] Feminist have challenged the notion that men and women are two separate, distinct biological categories.[10] Just as the water takes its shape from container its found in feminism is articulated in different ways depending on the local situations and issues.[11] Though Feminist activism is the struggle for that equality they all share common belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes. 

8.      Women Empowerment: An Attempt for Gender-Just Society
Women Empowerment refers to strengthening the social, economic and educational powers of women. It refers to an environment where there is no gender bias and have equal rights in community, society and workplaces. Reforms are needed at various level for gender-just society. It should begin with woman first and then the men, followed by system as society as whole.[12]

The challenges/ barriers of women empowerment are the following:·         Because of the inherent superiority complex among the males, they often doesn’t allow their female counter-part to rise as high as them.
·         High level of domestic responsibilities.
·         Restrictions to participate in social, economic and religious activities.
·         In our society, the boy-child often gets preference for education and healthy diet over the girl child.
·         Preference for male-child still exist among many families in the society.
The solutions for empowerment of women must include, first, the education through mass communication. Both women and men should be made aware of their responsibilities to promote and practice gender-equality. Second, we must gather national data and identify the areas where instances of violence and gender-inequality is the most. This data can be used by the Government, NGOs and field workers to raise the status of women. Third, the society should be made aware that both boy-child and girl-child are equal, and they both should have equal access to resources. Fourth women need to be empowered not only at personal level but also in political, economic, and social level. Fifth, women capacity for leadership has to be recognised, supported and promoted. Sixth, gender relations are dynamic, therefore, must be changed with conscious efforts. Finally, changes in the societal systems and organizational structure have to be effected through some policy making.
 

Conclusion
Despite the aforementioned facts and analysis of women being mistreated across societies during the last 50 years, there is an improved positive perception towards women. Constitutionally, the women of today enjoy similar opportunities with men. The needs, concerns, feelings and fears of women and of men are of exactly equal value and importance. The gender-issues debate has become so dominated by inflated hysteria and 'politically-correct' thinking that it's difficult to get back to the real issues. The good news is that the participation of women in the mainstream workforce is continuously increasing. They are largely hired in banking, hospitality, health care, and other server sector industries. Women Empowerment is now considered a human rights issue. Sadly gender discrimination still exists in many cultures. Gender inequality cannot be fully eliminated merely by the legal and administrative measures. The educated people should develop a national consciousness of the positive impact of gender equality. There is a need for changes in perception towards women. Equality should be for all, regardless of gender, age, race or nationality. Everyone should command the same respect, and enjoy the same opportunities. That means respecting women without qualification and never thinking or treating them in an ill-mannered way. The human society would be most advantaged only if women are treated equally and are not deprived of their rights. Let us hope for a society where women are not discriminated because of their gender.

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[1] Nirmal Raj, ed., Women and Society (Madurai: Lady Doak College, 2001), 1.[2] Uma Ramaswamy and others, Reconstruction Gender towards Collaboration (Bangalore: Books for Change, 2000), 16.[3] Nancy Cook, Gender Relations in Global Perspective: Essential Readings (Ontario: Canadian Scholar's Press, 2007), 11.[4]Anthony Giddens and Simon Griffiths, Sociology (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2006), 468.[5]Scott Sernau, Social Inequality in a Global Age (London: Sage Publication,2014), 13[6] Shannon Speed, R. Aida Hernandez Castillo, Lynn M. Stephen Dissident Women: Gender and Cultural Politics in Chiapas (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2006),7 [7] Bell Hooks, Understanding Patriarchy (Louisville: No Boards Publishers), 1. [8] Sukumari Bhattacharji, “Position of Women in Ancient India” Women in India: Problems & Prospects Sonam Das, ed. (Calcutta: ISPCK, 1997), 16.[9] Jayamatha Frank, “Defining Feminism” Women and Society (Madurai: Lady Doak College, 2001), 12. [10] Stephen Garret, Gender  London: Tavistock Publication, 1987, 7.[11] Kamala Bhasin and Nighat Said Khan, Some Questions on Feminism and its Relevance in South India (New Delhi: Kali for Women, 1999), 2.[12] Nirmal Raj, Ed., “Understanding Gender Issue: A Move Towards Gender Equality” Women and Society (Madurai: Lady Doak College, 2001), 6.

Posted in: Gender,Gender Issues