Category: Gender Equality

Political Leadership and Gender Equality among Women in South Africa

Abstract

South Africa has been experiencing various changes in the number of women elected in offices and other leadership positions both in the government and other non-governmental organizations. At the beginning, the number of women in offices was very low compared to other countries like the USA but the number has since changed to make South Africa one of the countries with the highest number of women working in government positions. However, having women get into leadership positions has brought about its own challenges as has been discussed in this research paper.

Political Leadership

In South Africa, women have continually been making major strides in each and every sector of the society –technology, engineering, science, the economy, media, academia and many more. For instance, South African women have made very many incredible changes to get to where they are today. Before the year 1994 (the time when democracy was first introduced in South Africa), the representation of women in parliament was 2.7% of the whole population of legislators, a rate that was so low compared to that of other countries like the United States. However, since the introduction of democracy to South Africa in the year 1994, many changes have been experienced in the country more so in terms of a drastic increase in the number of women who have been elected in various positions in the government.

In the current government, the representation of women in the cabinet is more than 41% where as deputy ministers who are women are approximately 47% of all the deputy ministers in South Africa. On top of that, the number of women who have been either been elected or nominated in the parliament make up over 48% of all the members of parliament in that country. These percentage rates were higher than those of the United States. Before the current representation of women in leadership positions, men used to dominate by having an incredibly high presentation in the government. The government of South Africa has included the remarkable entry of women into the various positions of leadership in its “narrative of triumph”, an initiative that has over the years become globally recognized. On top of embracing the high number of women who have managed to take up the various leadership positions, the government has also come up with several policies in order to ensure that that position of women remains.

In the year 1999- during one of South Africa’s general elections- women accounted for about 29.8% of all representatives of public matters who had been elected, an act that raised the country’s ranking to make it among the top ten nations among the states with the highest women representation and also the second highest represented country in terms of women in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). Whereas the situation of women rising to become that highly represented may seem like an easy task for many, it was one of the hardest journeys that the country has had to take since it gained independence especially for its female population.

In order for women to have such a high representation in the public institutions of South Africa, the first thing that they had to do was become extremely active in ensuring that they call for change, a move that led to a shift in the policies that the country had back then. It all started on the constitution that the country was coming up with through the seemingly simple but in reality difficult task of women ensuring that they had their rights well included in it. In order to become effective in doing that, women in South Africa had to convince their parties that beyond any reasonable doubt, they had the right to be included in the constitution and have their rights voiced out (Makeba, 2008). As if that was not enough, the same women were forced to appear before the entire constitutional assembly to explain to its members why it was so critical to have the rights of women well addressed and documented in the constitution to ensure that they would always be well represented and would as a result be considered for all leadership positions.

After all the struggles that women in South Africa underwent in convincing both the members of the political parties that they supported and the constitutional assembly, the constitution was drafted in favor of women in many ways. For instance, the constitution protects many vital women’s rights some of which include the right to freedom and security of a person and protection any violence, the right to have control over person’s own body, the right to equality and the right for making decisions about reproduction. In addition to that, the constitution took into account the Women’s Charter (a document that was drawn up in the year 1954 with its main aim being to enshrine the rights of women) and adopted it under the Women’s National Coalition Campaign that happened in 1994 (Kim, et al., 2007). On top of that, the constitution has a clause that gives women the ability to bring forward a number of charters including the Women’s Charter with the main aim being to have them adopted as policies of the government. Such measures, when put into practice, make it extremely possible for women to have the much needed power in the government of South Africa and ensures that their representation in all leadership positions- both private and public- is ultimate.

In terms of the changes that took place in terms of policies, the government ensured that various organizations and departments were established in order to ensure that all those changes are put into consideration and that they were accorded all the power and resources that were required. On top of that, the presidency established an office on the Status of Women (OSW) whose main aim was to see to it that all policies concerning women at the national level were well co- ordinated and worked upon (Gouws, 2011). In the year 1997, the National Commission on Gender Equality was launched and started working immediately after with its main role being to make sure that the government and other non-governmental organizations stick to their promises that they will promote gender equality and also take the necessary steps towards promoting it.

With the increasing number of women being elected to parliament, various changes have had to be made on the building itself in order to accommodate them with the main reason being the fact that most the available facilities e.g. toilets were meant for men and some had to be converted in order to fit women’s needs. On top of that, a day care was also constructed in order to allow women who had young babies to continue with their normal activities while their children were well taken care of in the parliamentary day cares. This action was an important way of empowering women and ensuring that they were always in the parliament building working for the voters who elected them with no disturbances like children who would obviously make it hard for them to work. On top of that, many deaths were experienced during the journey through which women were fighting for their rights (Gouws, 2008). For instance, during the apartheid rule in South Africa, many men and women who tried to support the idea that women should be given enough power and also awarded seats in both government and non-governmental leadership positions were killed and others jailed.

In the current days, having women in any leadership position has become so obvious that failure to have them would seem like an unfair thing that could even lead to demonstrations. This is unlike many other countries which have a very limited representation of women in any positions of leadership. For instance, the United Nations Women (UN Women) states that the rate at which women are able to get into politics is astonishingly low compared to that of men which is high (Krook, 2006). The organization is worried about the slow pace in most other countries and claims that a lot of changes have to be seriously and powerfully implemented if at all the high level of gender inequality is going to change and have women well represented in both government and other non-government positions.

In the whole world, the number of government ministers who are women is approximated to have increased by slightly less than fifty from the year 2014 to 2015. That figure indicates that of all government ministers in the world, only 17.7% of them are women. Since the year 2005, the rate at which women are becoming ministers has been increasing by only 3.5% with only 30 countries in the world having more than 30% of the total number of government ministers as women. Worse still, it has been proven that there are some countries that have no female ministers at all, some of them being Tonga, Slovakia and Saudi Arabia. However, if all countries gave women equal chances like South Africa does, the issue of gender inequality would become extinct.

References

1. Gouws, A. (2008). Obstacles for Women in Leadership Positions: The Case of South Africa. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 34(1), 21-27.
2. Gouws, A. (2011). Women’s Representation in Government: Quotas, substantive equality and self-interested politicians. Transformation: Critical Perspectives on Southern Africa, 77(1), 70-89.
3. Krook, M. (2016). Gender Quotas, Norms and Politics: Politics and Gender, 2(01).
4. Makeba, M. (2008). South Africa: Miriam Makeba (1932-2008). Africa Research Bulletin: Political Social and Cultural Series. 45(11).
5. Kim, J., Watts, C., Hargreaves, J., Ndhlovu, L., Phetla, G., & Morison, L., et al. (2007). Understanding the Impact of a Microfinance- Based Intervention on Women’s Empowerment and the Reduction of Intimate violence Crime in South Africa. American Journal of Public Health. 97(10), 1794-1802.

Gender Equality: The Impact of Gender-Based Violence on Society

Introduction

Gender-based violence can be defined as “violence that is directed against a person because of their gender,” according to the European Institute for Gender Equality. The website states that “both women and men experience gender-based violence, but the majority of victims are women and girls.”

Forms and Impact of Gender-Based Violence

Although it is more common for men to treat women poorly, it is gender-based because it is still possible for a woman to abuse a man. Some forms of abuse that may occur would be ‘psychological, sexual, physical, or even economic harm. When most people think of gender-based violence, gender discrimination, or abusive relationships, they typically think of physical abuse. That’s usually what first pops into people’s minds. Any other form is hard to prove, which makes it harder for people to believe the victim, which is really upsetting to the victim, those who have been in their place, and anyone who can empathize with the victim.

Overall, a personal belief of mine is that gender-based violence is a huge setback that keeps victims from moving forward and continuing their lives and that it also keeps society itself from moving forward. Because of gender-based violence, I feel like a large part of society has become almost apathetic to the feelings of the victim. If a person was sexually assaulted, there will be people asking, “What was she/he wearing? What was she/he doing? What did she/he say?” People like this will always try to blame the victim. It can emotionally torment a person and cause them to believe something is their fault when it really isn’t. It can cause a person to become anxious and even have PTSD.

Impact on Societal Progress

It can put a person on edge, and it makes them scared. They don’t know who to trust, all because blame is placed where blame shouldn’t have been. The abuser often isn’t treated how they should’ve been, as a person who caused pain and suffering to another human being without any sort of thought. Or maybe they did think about their actions, and they just didn’t care. Throughout the world, gender-based violence, more specifically women being abused, is why society has so much of an issue with progressing. Because women are treated so poorly so often, people become used to it.

Necessity of Holding Abusers Accountable

For example, think about the 2016 elections. In that election, “Around 60 percent of Donald Trump’s voters said they did not hope to see a female US president in their lifetime” (Independent.co.uk). And why is that? The article doesn’t state people’s reasonings, and it was difficult to find why, except in one video that The Daily Show posted as a half-joke titled ‘Putting Donald Trump Supporters Through an Ideology Test: The Daily Show” on YouTube. In the video, the interviewer asks if women should be president, and the person responds that “The Presidency is a man’s job… a female has more hormones, she could start a war in 10 seconds” (all wars have been started by men?).

In another part of the video, a person states that “these other nations don’t treat women with respect” while wearing a t-shirt that says “Hillary sucks, but not like Monica.” Isn’t that ironic? Someone believes that they live in a country where women are treated with respect while wearing a shirt that is demeaning two women. To cause some sort of change in our society, abusers need to be punished for their crimes of abusing others, no matter what their gender is.

Conclusion

Penalizing abusers can’t be taken lightly and can’t only happen sometimes. It needs to start with our president, as he is the biggest influence on this country. He sets the biggest example of who we are but behaves like a child and does not get punished for his actions, especially when it comes to how he treats women. Time and time again, he has been shown in interviews being rude to female reporters, but why would anyone care? He’s the president; he knows best, obviously. People need to be penalized in some way for their actions so that others won’t follow, or if they still decide to follow, they will be punished properly as well.

Works Cited

1. Polianksaya, Alina. “Most Trump Voters Don’t Want a Woman President in Their Lifetime, Poll Finds.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 28 Apr. 2018, www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/sixty-per-cent-trump-voters-dont-want-see-a-female-president-lifetime-poll-yougov-america-a8327061.html.
2. “Putting Donald Trump Supporters Through an Ideology Test: The Daily Show.” YouTube, YouTube, 19 Aug. 2016, youtu.be/Y4Zdx97A63s?t=99.“What Is Gender-Based Violence?” EIGE, 14 Nov. 2018, eige.europa.eu/gender-based-violence/what-is-gender-based-violence.

Advancing Gender Equality for a More Equitable Society

Introduction

Gender inequality isn’t just a female issue but a human issue. “All men are created equal,” once said Thomas Jefferson, a contributor to the Declaration of Independence. Gender inequality is a prominent issue here in America. Strikes, boycotts, and rallies regarding gender inequality try to urge people to take a stand and fight against gender inequality.

Gender Equality as a Human Imperative

Gender inequality pertains to the unfair treatment or interpretation of people entirely or even in part only because of their sex. Gender equality isn’t just women trying to get the same rights as men but both genders coming together and creating equal opportunities for each other. One question arises from this issue. Do Americans need gender equality for a better opportunity? Americans should be for gender equality because gender equality is important for both males and females in the business world, and it can help both sexes play an important role in the division of power while giving access to education and the opportunity to develop personal interests while making the country overall happier.

Gender Equality in the Business World

Gender equality is very important for both males and females in the business world. The main reason why some businesses do better than others is because they see males and females as one. The company holds males and females to the same standards and gives them equal opportunities in the company. Gender equality-supporting businesses don’t differentiate between the sexes. Instead, they recognize savvy skills and great management. Furthermore, the best companies are varied and balanced workplace which endorses and fully supports gender equality. Will Yakowicz, a staff writer at Inc., tells us that Joel Peterson, CEO of JetBlue Airlines, describes the essence of gender equality: “Men and women are equal, not the same” (Yakowicz 1). As Joel Peterson identifies, an assortment of opinions and the ability to reason is essential for a company’s success. Various opinions can be provided by having males and females with equal opportunities.

Overcoming the Wage Gap

A more prominent gender inequality in the business world is the wage gap. According to Jaime Lewis, PH.D., STATISTICIAN, FERTILITY AND FAMILY STATISTICS BRANCH, “the median earnings of women who worked full time, year-round was 79 percent of what their male counterparts earned” (Lewis 1). What Mrs. Lewis is trying to say is that for every dollar a man earns, the female co-worker earns seventy-nine cents.

Numerous studies have proven that gender equality is advantageous not only to women but also to men and to the community as a whole. Michael Kimmel, a sociologist and author of “Angry White Men,” emphasizes the importance of promoting gender equality in terms of raising the standard of happiness and well-being of the nation. By analyzing countries with a high level of gender equality, Kimmel could pinpoint the levels of happiness are well above average for both males and females. The study resulted in a clear relationship between gender equality as well as happiness. Sweden ranks tenth among the happiest countries, with the average resident rating their happiness as 7.284 out of 10. According to Sweden’s official website, Sweden has the lowest gender inequality rate at 0.837, which reflects on their happiness level.

Gender Equality and National Well-Being

Gender equality has been making progress in many industries, such as the movie industry. For example, Guardians of the Galaxy was showing powerful women, which attracted many female moviegoers. According to Kevin Fallon (Writer at The Daily Beast), “It appears that 44 percent of Guardians’ sizable audience was women, the most ever for a movie from the Marvel Cinematic Universe” (Fallon 1). For once, a woman has been portrayed as a pivotal character in a huge movie series.

It’s not all smooth sailing for gender equality. Many comics today still depict men as being greater than their female counterparts. On page 57 of Thor’s The Goddess of Thunder, the frost giants are seen making fun of the new lady Thor due to her gender. The giants say, “Look at her. Scrawny little thing. She isn’t worth freezing. Ain’t worth spit, near as I can tell” (Aaron 57). As you may know, females are not as physically strong as men, but Lady Thor makes it up by having godly power at her fingertips.

Education and Gender Equality

Gender inequality, although some might not want to accept it, tends to play a key role in the education of students, not only in the United States but worldwide. Colleges and universities won’t reveal this, and it’s because elite schools pertain to more experienced women than men and prefer to keep the line against the 6:4 ratio of men to women.

According to Jon Birger, an employee at the Census Bureau for Colleges, “To the young men, I say: Congrats. But just be thankful you didn’t have to apply as a woman” (Birger 1). What Mr. Birger is trying to say is that it’s way harder for women to get into elite colleges of their choosing, while Brown University was able to simply accept women and men at the same rate. Top colleges are abusing their power by making it harder for women to get into college than men instead of giving them the equal opportunity that they deserve.

Gender equality may seem like a good cause, but some people will disagree. Some say people view you as an ordinary citizen who applauds or despises your attributes at a micro level, which implies no denigration or misinterpretation; it can also be a truly frightening prospect for people today who want to seek hospitality, support, or acknowledgment based on sexual standards and prejudices. With this being said, there are people out there who still face a financial difference due to their gender. A man can be paid more for the same job as the woman is working; the same thing can be said about women.

Conclusion

Overall, Americans should be in favor of gender equality because gender equality is crucial for both males and females in the business world and can help both sexes play an important role in power division, offering access to education and the chance to develop personal interests while making the country far happier. It’s not just a female problem; it’s also a male problem too!

References

1. “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide” by Nicholas D. Kristof
2. “We Should All Be Feminists” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
3. “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead” by Sheryl Sandberg
4. “The Second Sex” by Simone de Beauvoir

Achieving Gender Equality in Sports and Overcoming Discrimination

Introduction

Sports Equality. Do girls qualify as athletes? Are female sports considered a sport to all? Mariana De Paula Silva wrote on Athletes Network, “Female athletes have to deal with sexist comments coming especially from men who think these female athletes aren’t strong or talented enough to perform well” (2016). Why should female sports be treated just as equal as male sports? Females should get the same athletic recognition as males because the same effort and ability goes into it. Women should have sports equality.

Challenges and Discrimination Faced by Women Athletes

Many sports done by females are not looked at the same as male sports. This happens because some men believe they are strictly just better than females. Laws have been made to prevent this but have not been able to knock it out. In the article “Title IX and Sex Discrimination,” the US Department of Education writes, “Title IX protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance” (2015). Title IX is the law to prevent this type of discrimination in these sports, along with education.

Some females have such great abilities but are not accepted to participate in the sports they would like to. Women get poorly treated and talked about. Many female athletes get harsh remarks from males, even those who are not competing. “The Push for Gender Equality in Sports is Building Momentum” states, “Similarly, women face discrimination at all levels and continue to endure violence and abuse. Gender inequality persists among decision-making bodies, technical occupations, the media, and in the awarding of sponsorships and prizes,” wrote Lydia Nsekera (2018). Women have so much talent.

Even with this talent, they may not receive the opportunity to participate in big events such as the Olympics or even small events happening in the local city. If females do receive the chance to compete, they may not get a fair reward. A woman may have competed better than a male, but they may still reward the male for recognition.

Conclusion

Some sports that are mainly done by females do not even get recognition as a sport. People may show a lot of athleticism but still not have the activity considered a sport. Sports such as baton twirling and gymnastics are questioned as sports. The training and time spent on these activities are incredible.

Reference List

1. Pajon Jr., G and Timberlake, J (2003). “Where Is the Love” [Black Eyed Peas] on Elephunk, [Disc] Universal Music Publishing Group (December 26, 2001–March 3, 2003)
2. US Department of Education, (2015), Title IX and Sex Discrimination, Office for Civil Rights,
   https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html
3. Nsekera, L. (2018). The Push for Gender Equality in Sports is Building Momentum,
   Olympic Games, https://www.olympic.org/news/the-push-for-gender-equality-in-sport-is-building-momentum
4. Silva, M. (2016). Gender Equality in Sports, Athletes Network,
   https://an.athletenetwork.com/blog/gender-equality-in-sports
5. Pavlovich, L. (2017). The Gender Equality Debate, Athlete Assessments,
   https://athleteassessments.com/gender-equality-debate/
6. Oxford (2019) Definition of Sport, Oxford Dictionary
   https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/sport
7. Scaletta, K. (2011). Is It a Sport or Not a Sport, Bleacher Report,
   https://bleacherreport.com/articles/848465-settling-the-debates-is-it-a-sport-or-not-a-sport

Gender Equality in Sports: Overcoming Stereotypes

Introduction

Gender inequality is a broad topic that can be examined in many different aspects. Today, Gender inequality is a huge issue, and this issue should be addressed, and we should act. I feel that it is very unfair how men and women get treated unequally. A woman and a male can work the same job and do the same exact kind of work, but it seems that men will still get paid more than women because of how society used to treat women in the past and still treats women the same. A woman can work twice as hard as a male and will still receive less pay.

Stereotypes and Unequal Treatment

Gender inequality is affecting women all over the world, and that is why a lot of people should get involved so someone can act. Women have been striving for gender equality for the longest, but for some reason, there has been no change. Unfortunately, women have always taken the backseat in American society. Women have been considered the weaker gender, which is why women get treated unfairly. Gender may not be as simple as it seems, but it comes into play with many different aspects.

We come across stereotypes every day in society without even realizing it. Therefore, women today are stronger than ever. Gender inequality makes them stronger every day. That is why they strive to be the best they can be and they work as hard as possible. They will not stop being the best they can be until this comes to an end.

Breaking Barriers: Empowerment and Striving for Equality

Since women have been introduced to sports, inequality has been a big issue. People feel that women should not play certain sports or men should not play certain sports. Different research shows that women are better at some sports. Women work just as hard as men or even harder when it comes to sports to succeed. Some women’s events bring in more audience than men’s events.

Women are looked at funny and questioned when they want to play a men’s sport. But, men are questioned when they want to play a girl’s sport like cheerleading or gymnastics. Women’s sports have made a huge impact today. No one gives women their props or congratulates them on their hard work. It seems that women’s hard work goes unnoticed, which is not right at all. But, when it comes to males progressing in sports, they get a lot of recognition.

All genders should be treated equally, no matter what. It seems that guys have more privileges and advantages than girls. Most females are stronger and tougher than males, but it goes unnoticed because as soon as females are born, they are labeled and are not able to show what they can do. In general, sports have made great impacts, but a sport that I feel that everyone looks at as if it is only for girls is Gymnastics.

This sport derived from a Greek word meaning “to exercise naked,” applied in ancient Greece to all exercises practiced in the gymnasium, the place where male athletes did indeed exercise unclothed. This was introduced in the early Greek civilization. Physical fitness was a highly valued attribute in ancient Greece, and both men and women participated in vigorous gymnastic exercises. Friedrich Ludwig Jahn was a German gymnastics educator; he was known as Turnvater Jahn, which means ‘father of gymnastics’ Jahn.

This sport requires balance, strength, flexibility, strength, flexibility, agility coordination, and endurance. Movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shoulders, back, chest, and abdominal muscle groups. It teaches participants how to move, roll, jump, swing, and turn upside down. But it also provides a sound foundation for Movement. It allows people to develop their whole body.

Championing Change: The Impact of Women’s Sports

I feel that Gymnastics isn’t just for girls. Gymnastics is for everyone! It is one of the hardest sports in the world, and that is what people who have never tried it do not under. No matter age, gender, or ability, you must strive to be the best you can be when it comes to this sport. It is very complicated for most guys to be great at this sport; that is amazing! They deserve their props because this is not easy for others. Some guys are better than girls who have been doing this sport for the longest.

There has also been a turning point when it comes to gender equality in sports because of the day and age we’re in now. There have been several laws passed to try to help prevent people in the USA from participating in sports or being separated based on their sex. It is now 2018, and the game has changed tremendously, yet the pace of change is so slow that it will take a long journey. When I speak of that, I’m mainly speaking about the pay parity within sports that award prize money.

According to bbc.com, in the ranking of the 100 highest-paid athletes, there’s only one woman: tennis star Serena Williams. She has an income that is $66m, lower than Cristiano Ronaldo’s, the world’s top-earning sportsman, according to Forbes. In the 2015 World Cup, the US women’s football team got a $2m reward. Meanwhile, in the male version, the winners were handed $35m just a year earlier.

Another great example is the case of Lydia Ko, from New Zealand, who was a young player to be ranked number one in professional golf, which is amazing. Unfortunately, a golfer who was in 25th position earned more money than Lydia. I feel that this is completely wrong because for her to be young and a hard worker in the first place, it is sad to see how she gets rewarded because of her gender. It is not right to see that spiteful male players at the World Cup can make double that of the women’s side. These were just a few examples of a massive gender pay gap (which plays a role in gender equality) in the world of global sports that’s been standard for decades. Income Between male and female athletes has decreased tremendously over the past years.

No one should be satisfied with progress if true equality of opportunity is the goal. “Women are far more visible in sports today than at any previous point in history,” says UN women in a statement. Almost close to 90% of sports now reward men and women equal prize money, according to a study. Gender should not determine how much one makes or how one gets treated; everyone should be treated equally.

Conclusion

My overall view on gender equality is that even today, men may seem to get more recognition and attention, but women are moving up the charts as well. Women have finally started standing up for themselves and one another, and it’s showing. As I stated in the above paragraph, “We are moving at a slow pace, so it seems like it’s going to be a long journey.” The fact of the matter is that everything’s a process and takes time; we have to continue to strive and know that patience is the key!

References

1. “Chasing Grace: What the Quarter Mile Has Taught Me about God and Life” by Sanya Richards-Ross
2. “Strong Like Her: A Celebration of Rule Breakers, History Makers, and Unstoppable Athletes” by Haley Shapley
3. “Her Best-Kept Secret: Why Women Drink—And How They Can Regain Control” by Gabrielle Glaser
4. “Playing for Equality: Oral Histories of Women Leaders in the Early Years of Title IX” by Diane LeBlanc and Allys Swanson
5. “The Unstoppable Ruth Bader Ginsburg: American Icon” by Antonia Felix