Gender inequality in South Africa

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Gender inequality and discrimination remain significant issues in South Africa, despite the country's progressive constitution and various policy initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality. [1] The societal norms, economic disparities, and systemic challenges that perpetuate gender inequality and discrimination are deep-rooted issues. The situation in South Africa is challenging as society still follows a patriarchal and stereotypical mindset and has cultural and traditional norms that may restrict women from having superior and higher professional portfolios. Gender inequality and discrimination happen everywhere.

Contents

Gender inequality in the workplace

Equal work possibilities for women are a goal of the current democratic system. [2] Besides the constitution, there are other legislative measures put in place to promote women’s emancipation. This legislation includes the Labour Relations Act 66, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75, and the Employment Equity Act 55. These provide the basis for the advancement of women to achieve gender equality in employment. South Africa has implemented vast statutory measures to promote gender equality and eliminate unfair discrimination in the workplace. [3] However, due to historical inequalities from the past, a lack of dedication to correcting power dynamics and granting women greater autonomy to hold managerial roles, and a lack of money and programs for women's empowerment to obtain skills, women continue to face disadvantages in the workplace. Equality in the workplace appears to be largely a concept on paper with little impact on women's realities. Gender equality is still far from being achieved, as women occupy less than 50% of senior management positions. [3]

Gender inequality in education

The South African Journal of Child Health found that in South Africa, 7 million girls are reported to be absent from school each month due to a lack of sanitary pads, which results in them missing 25% of learning during the school year. [4] Although there have been improvements in access to education for girls, challenges persist. Rural areas and historically disadvantaged communities often face inadequate infrastructure, including schools and sanitation facilities. This disproportionately affects girls, who may be more likely to face cultural and economic barriers to education. Girls face higher dropout rates, particularly in rural areas, due to factors such as early marriage, pregnancy, and household responsibilities. [5]

Cultural and traditional practices that reinforce gender inequality

The values and ideas that members of a community have held for extended periods of time—often generations—are reflected in traditional cultural practices. [6] Premature and forced marriages, widow's rites, virginity tests, female genital mutilation, and breast sweeping and ironing are some of these damaging traditional practices. [6] Non-physically invasive practices such as Lobola or arranged marriages may also reinforce gender stereotypes. It is often found that women themselves subscribe to these discriminatory practices. Additionally, there is unequal access to decision-making roles in cultural professions.

Gender-based violence

Gender-based violence is a profound and widespread problem in South Africa, impacting almost every aspect of life. Gender-based violence, which disproportionately affects women and girls, is systemic and deeply entrenched in institutions, cultures, and traditions in South Africa. South Africa is considered to be the rape capital of the world. South Africa had five times the global average for the number of women killed by intimate partners. [7] Gender-based violence emerges in society as a result of conventional gender role expectations and unequal power interactions between genders. [8] Physical, emotional, psychological, financial, and structural harm are just a few of the ways that gender-based violence can appear. Typically, intimate partners, co-workers, strangers, and even institutions are the ones who commit these acts whereby women are disproportionately affected. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discrimination</span> Prejudicial treatment based on membership in a certain group

Discrimination is the process of making unfair or prejudicial distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong, such as race, gender, age, religion, physical attractiveness or sexual orientation. Discrimination typically leads to groups being unfairly treated on the basis of perceived statuses based on ethnic, racial, gender or religious categories. It involves depriving members of one group of opportunities or privileges that are available to members of another group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexism</span> Prejudice or discrimination based on a persons sex or gender

Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is intrinsically superior to another. Extreme sexism may foster sexual harassment, rape, and other forms of sexual violence. Discrimination in this context is defined as discrimination toward people based on their gender identity or their gender or sex differences. An example of this is workplace inequality. Sexism refers to violation of equal opportunities based on gender or refers to violation of equality of outcomes based on gender, also called substantive equality. Sexism may arise from social or cultural customs and norms.

Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing different behaviors, aspirations, and needs equally, regardless of gender.

Feminization of poverty refers to a trend of increasing inequality in living standards between men and women due to the widening gender gap in poverty. This phenomenon largely links to how women and children are disproportionately represented within the lower socioeconomic status community in comparison to men within the same socioeconomic status. Causes of the feminization of poverty include the structure of family and household, employment, sexual violence, education, climate change, "femonomics" and health. The traditional stereotypes of women remain embedded in many cultures restricting income opportunities and community involvement for many women. Matched with a low foundation income, this can manifest to a cycle of poverty and thus an inter-generational issue.

Gender inequality is the social phenomenon in which people are not treated equally on the basis of gender. This inequality can be caused by gender discrimination or sexism. The treatment may arise from distinctions regarding biology, psychology, or cultural norms prevalent in the society. Some of these distinctions are empirically grounded, while others appear to be social constructs. While current policies around the world cause inequality among individuals, it is women who are most affected. Gender inequality weakens women in many areas such as health, education, and business life. Studies show the different experiences of genders across many domains including education, life expectancy, personality, interests, family life, careers, and political affiliation. Gender inequality is experienced differently across different cultures.

Occupational inequality is the unequal treatment of people based on gender, sexuality, age, disability, socioeconomic status, religion, height, weight, accent, or ethnicity in the workplace. When researchers study trends in occupational inequality they usually focus on distribution or allocation pattern of groups across occupations, for example, the distribution of men compared to women in a certain occupation. Secondly, they focus on the link between occupation and income, for example, comparing the income of whites with blacks in the same occupation.

Gender inequality in India refers to health, education, economic and political inequalities between men and women in India. Various international gender inequality indices rank India differently on each of these factors, as well as on a composite basis, and these indices are controversial.

Gender inequality can be defined as the unequal treatment of individuals based on their gender. Individuals can be marginalised and discriminated from society and be restricted to participate in society due to their gender. Australian women, men, and transgender and non-binary people may all experience aspects of gender inequality. In 2017, Australia ranked as the 35th best country for gender equality.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." Identified by the 2012 World Development Report as one of two key human capital endowments, health can influence an individual's ability to reach his or her full potential in society. Yet while gender equality has made the most progress in areas such as education and labor force participation, health inequality between men and women continues to harm many societies to this day.

In South Korea, gender inequality is derived from deeply rooted patriarchal ideologies with specifically defined gender-roles. While it remains especially prevalent in South Korea's economy and politics, gender inequality has decreased in healthcare and education.

Transgender inequality is the unequal protection received by transgender people in work, school, and society in general. Transgender people regularly face transphobic harassment. Ultimately, one of the largest reasons that transgender people face inequality is due to a lack of public understanding of transgender people.

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Gender inequality has been improving a lot in Bangladesh, inequalities in areas such as education and employment remain ongoing problems so women have little political freedom. In 2015, Bangladesh was ranked 139 out of 187 countries on the Human Development Index and 47 out 144 countries surveyed on the Gender Inequality Index in 2017. Many of the inequalities are result of extreme poverty and traditional gender norms centred on a patrilineal and patriarchal kinship system in rural areas.

Gender inequality is any situation in which people are not treated equally on the basis of gender. In the United Kingdom, some people say women are unequally impacted by economic policies, face different levels of media attention, and face inequality in education and employment, which includes a persistent national gender pay gap. Furthermore, according to numerous sources, there exists a pervasive lad culture which has decreased the ability of women to participate in different parts of society.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gender inequality in Sri Lanka</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's empowerment</span> Giving rights, freedom to make decisions and strengthening women to stand on their own

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References

  1. ↑ Segalo, P (2015). "Gender, social cohesion and everyday struggles in South Africa". Psychology in Society. 49: 70–82. doi: 10.17159/2309-8708/2015/n49a6 . hdl: 10500/27655 . ISSN   1015-6046.
  2. ↑ Seidman, Gay W. (1999). "Gendered Citizenship: South Africa's Democratic Transition and the Construction of a Gendered State". Gender and Society. 13 (3): 287–307. doi:10.1177/089124399013003002. ISSN   0891-2432. JSTOR   190256. S2CID   220374473.
  3. 1 2 "Gender Inequalities in the Workplace: Case Study of South Africa". Management and Economics Review. 6 (1). 2021-06-05. doi: 10.24818/mer/2021.06-06 . ISSN   2501-885X. S2CID   239771724.
  4. ↑ Khamisa, N; Nanji, N; Tshuma, N; Kagura, J. "The relationship between menstrual hygiene management, practices, and school absenteeism among adolescent girls in Johannesburg, South Africa". South African Journal of Child Health . 16 (1) – via SCIELO.
  5. ↑ Mchunu, G; Peltzer, K; Tutshana, B; Seutlwadi, L (2013-02-01). "Adolescent pregnancy and associated factors in South African youth". African Health Sciences. 12 (4). doi: 10.4314/ahs.v12i4.5 . ISSN   1680-6905. PMC   3598281 . PMID   23515418. S2CID   650511.
  6. 1 2 Maluleke, Mikateko Joyce (2017-05-22). "Culture, Tradition, Custom, Law and Gender Equality". Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal. 15 (1): 1–22. doi: 10.17159/1727-3781/2012/v15i1a2454 . ISSN   1727-3781.
  7. 1 2 Govender, Indiran (2023-03-31). "Gender-based violence – An increasing epidemic in South Africa". South African Family Practice. 65 (1). doi: 10.4102/safp.v65i1.5729 . ISSN   2078-6204. PMC   10091185 . PMID   37042525. S2CID   257947605.
  8. ↑ Deming, Michelle E. (2018-10-03). "Michelle E. Deming: commentary on Gender-Based violence and trauma in marginalized populations of women: Role of biological embedding and toxic stress". Health Care for Women International. 39 (10): 1158–1159. doi:10.1080/07399332.2018.1533353. ISSN   0739-9332. PMID   30893020. S2CID   84844469.
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