Men and Women should have Equal Rights
This essay will discuss the importance of equal rights for men and women. It will explore the historical context of gender inequality, current gender rights issues, and the societal benefits of gender equality. The piece will cover topics such as wage equality, equal representation in leadership roles, and the eradication of gender-based violence. It will also discuss international perspectives on gender equality and the progress made towards achieving it. Also at PapersOwl you can find more free essay examples related to Women Rights.
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Have you ever felt you were discriminated against because of your gender? Sexism in the workplace is an ongoing issue for females today. Though women have been fighting for their rights for many generations, many types of gender discrimination persist in our society. Let’s explore the many different reasons why gender discrimination can occur at work and what effects it may have on individuals so that we can put changes in place which will prevent this from progressing.
The main and frequent gender discrimination takes places during the hiring process.
Getting a job can be one of the most stressful situations for many adults. Gender has a major influence on what job we hold. When we think of construction workers, presidents, CEOs and police officers we think of men while being a nurse, teacher and flight attendant we perceive it as a female’s job (Cundiff and Vescio 3). It is difficult for a female to get a job as a construction worker, culture norms made it seem improper for a female to work in this field. Having this job would require hard labor, which many men believe they are the only ones who can do it effectively. As for men, if they did a job that was mostly female-dominated suck as nursing, the public would perceive them as weak, and not “manly” enough (Settles and O’Conner 7). Employers are reluctant to hire a certain gender based on the job description. These continuing gender stereotypes often can inhibit females in achieving the higher status/position jobs.
Gender discrimination can occur in many types of job roles/positions. For example, males hold more leadership positions than females. “Women comprise 66% of U.S workforce, yet only 21% hold middle management positions, and a mere 15% are at senior management level” (Sipe 2). Women are being discriminated against and don’t hold a larger amount management level because they are perceived to be weak and unable to work by their male counterpart (Crofts and Coffey 1). There are many unjust situations women experience resulting in fewer opportunities.
Females have to face more issues than men, like having children and taking care of the family. In some cases, women have to put their job on hold to take a maternity leave and take a couple of months off from work, while men are free and can get a greater chance of a promotion (Flanagan 2). Women have to work twice as hard than men so they can prove they’re able to the same as them. Having all these obstacles can make females feel it’s impossible to achieve a role or a job because of there gender resulting in them giving up.” University women in male-dominated academic fields were more likely to consider changing their major and that they continued to perceive gender-based obstacles in their fields” (Sipe 2). If females aren’t given an equal opportunity to achieve a higher position, it will result in them getting paid less.
Another form of discrimination women face in the workplace is the wage gap. The wage gap is a major controversy brought up in the workplace. At a young age, we were taught that men go out and work while women stayed home and took care of the family. American women have been battling for equal pay for many decades, the Equal Pay Act was to end the idea of men earning more the females based on sex. Although the wage gap between men and females improved we can still see some discrimination against women. For a very long time, it has become a norm that men earn more the women.
According to U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, women earned 81 cents to every dollar men earned (Tufarolo 5). Women are getting paid less for the same workmen are doing. It is highly likely if a male and female had the same education and some job position that the men would get paid more. This can cause many dilemmas for singles mothers taking care of a child. Women have to earn enough money to take care of monthly bills and still have enough money to buy groceries (Fogel 2). Not only is the gender gap affecting the way they take care of the loved ones, but it also affects there retirement plan. If men are earning more than females, men would have a larger margin to save up for retirement (Manuel 6). A certain gender should not influence the amount of money one should make. The amount of education acquired and skills someone has should be the reason why they get paid more. Some females might not choose a certain job even if it pays more because of the fear of being sexually harassed.
Gender discrimination can also lead to sexual harassment in the workplace. Sexual harassment can come in two forms, quid pro quo, and hostile work environment. Quid pro quo is when you are put in a tough situation where you have to exchange something to receive something, most people know it has “this for that “. women are told to do a sexual favor for a promotion or a raise (Sipe 3). The other version is a hostile work environment where an employer might make an inappropriate sexual comment or unwanted touching. This type of sexual harassment can turn into something serious like sexual assault. Women are traumatized and frightened to every report it. Females are hesitant to come forward and report this type of sexual harassment for many reasons. The first reasons maybe of shame, victims of sexual harassment feel violated and exposed while being at the mercy of another person (Burner 1). They often start to blame themselves for the sexual assault and convincing themselves not to report it.
The second reason is that victims are in denial (Burner 3). Many victims refuse to accept that the harassment they experienced was assault. They convince themselves it wasn’t a big deal. Some victims might even convince themselves they were the only ones victimized and don’t come forward until other victims do. The result of denial and hopelessness can lead to depression. The third reason can be the fear of consequences they will face if they come forward with the sexual harassment or assault (Burner 5). This is one of the biggest reasons why females workers don’t speak out. They feel that if they speak out, they can lose their job, not be promoted, be seen as an agitator, won’t acquire another job or even fear for there safety.
Although laws such as the women’s rights, equal pay act, and civil rights act have extremely improved and narrowed the glass ceiling, the fights for women’s rights is not over. In today’s society, we can see that women are still being mistreated. They are being discriminated against because of their gender. Women receive fewer job offers than men, they receive lower pay, they don’t hold as much management positions compared to men and are being sexually harassed in the workplace. Women should not have to fight for their rights, again and again, the laws placed to protect all workers rights should be consistently enforced. Discrimination is totally unacceptable in today’s society. We must change the united way we think of women and how we treat them. We need to move forward together and change as a society so that no female worker suffers from gender discrimination in the future.
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Equality between women and men: a must to recover better
As much of the world is gearing up for a post-pandemic recovery, some persistent gaps urgently need to be addressed to reduce inequalities and ensure a robust and inclusive recovery. Bridging gender gaps is perhaps more critical than ever.
Gender divides limit productivity growth, perpetuate income inequality, and are plain violations of human rights that prevent girls and women everywhere from reaching their full potential. Developing and developed countries alike have yet more work to do to eradicate gender barriers and achieve gender equality.
Women and girls have been disproportionally affected by the COVID-19 crisis, which will leave long lasting scars. Girls have generally been more affected than boys by school closures, and many are not expected to return. Women have suffered the brunt of the job losses and business closures. At home, they were more likely to suffer from domestic violence and abuse. Essential reproductive health services were put on hold, causing many unwanted pregnancies, maternal deaths, and stillbirths. The list goes on.
As the world moves towards a new normal, we cannot afford to overlook these issues. Gender-blind recovery policies may aggravate existing inequalities, for example by excluding women, who are typically less connected digitally, from cash transfers. The same “gender digital divide” impedes women’s access to online learning, finance and other essential online services. Absent gender sensitive policies in the hybrid work environment, may create a two-tier workforce, where men can socialize at the office while women juggle work and care at home.
The potential benefits of gender action are clear. Gender mainstreaming and gender-sensitive recovery policies can help undo some of the crisis’ harmful impacts on women, while improving resilience, growth and sustainable development prospects.
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- Women and Men Empowerment for Gender Equality Words: 2364
- Declaration of the Rights of Woman Words: 684
- Are Women Less Privileged in Society than Men? Words: 1164
- Gender Equality and Women’s Rights Words: 562
- The Equality of Men and Women in the Bible Words: 596
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- Women’s Rights from Islamic and Judaism Perspectives Words: 1719
- Abolitionist and Women’s Rights Movements Words: 593
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Equal Rights for Men and Women
During the last several decades, women have demonstrated considerable shifts in proving their rights and equality along with men. Some people still do not believe in equal rights for men and women, addressing unfair treatment and biased judgments. In this paper, the equality of gender rights will be proved through the prism of religious, employment, and social thoughts and a thorough analysis of human interactions.
Addressing various thematic books and articles, it is evident that religion remains ambiguous in the gender rights discussion. On the one hand, during the Jesus era, people lived in a male-dominated world, and men and women had to perform different roles (“Gender equality,” n.d.). On the other hand, the Bible says that all humans, both men and women, were created in the image of God (“Gender equality,” n.d.). Therefore, it is correct to believe that all people deserve fair treatment and share their responsibilities equally.
Today, the rights between men and women are improved in terms of employment. According to the United Nations (n.d.), men and women have equal access to education and health care. As a result, they are usually employed equally, and attention is paid to their skills, not their biological structures. Although many other factors could affect people’s employment choices, it is wrong to think that a woman could obtain fewer opportunities if she works as hard as a man.
Finally, relying on personal observations and conclusions, it is possible to admit that women are never restricted by their gender in society. Men and women visit the same restaurants, shops, and service centers under the same conditions. It is hard to believe that a library or restaurant employee rejects a woman to enter and allows a man to do the same. People live in an equal society where male and female rights are properly promoted.
In general, there are many reasons to believe in equal rights for men and women. Instead of trying to find some differences or unclear issues, it is better to recognize the threat of other inequalities that exist today. People are more challenged by racial or economic differences, and not many effective solutions are present at the moment. Gender inequality exists until a person believes in this possibility and disappears as soon as other critical problems emerge.
United Nations. (n.d.). Gender equality . Web.
Gender equality. (n.d.). BBC . Web.
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- Gender Equality Essay
Introduction to Gender Equality
In a society, everyone has the right to lead his/her life accordingly without any discrimination. When this state is achieved where all individuals are considered to be equal irrespective of their caste, gender, colour, profession, and status, we call it equality. Equality can also be defined as the situation where every individual has the same rights and equal opportunity to grow and prosper.
Every individual of society dreams for equal rights and access to resources available at their disposal, but there is a lot of discrimination. This discrimination can be due to cultural differences, geographical differences, the colour of the individual, social status and even gender. The most prevalent discrimination is gender inequality. It is not a localised issue and is limited to only certain spheres of life but is prevalent across the globe. Even in progressive societies and top organisations, we can see many examples of gender bias.
Gender equality can only be achieved when both male and female individuals are treated similarly. But discrimination is a social menace that creates division. We stop being together and stand together to tackle our problems. This social stigma has been creeping into the underbelly of all of society for many centuries. This has also been witnessed in gender-based cases. Gender inequality is the thing of the past as both men and women are creating history in all segments together.
Gender Equality builds a Nation
In this century, women and men enjoy the same privileges. The perception is changing slowly but steadily. People are now becoming more aware of their rights and what they can do in a free society. It has been found that when women and men hold the same position and participate equally, society progresses exclusively and creates a landmark. When a community reaches gender equality, everyone enjoys the same privileges and gets similar scopes in education, health, occupation, and political aspect. Even in the family, when both male and female members are treated in the same way, it is the best place to grow, learn, and add great value.
A nation needs to value every gender equally to progress at the right place. A society attains better development in all aspects when both genders are entitled to similar opportunities. Equal rights in decision making, health, politics, infrastructure, profession, etc will surely advance our society to a new level. The social stigma of women staying inside the house has changed. Nowadays, girls are equally competing with boys in school. They are also creating landmark development in their respective profession. Women are now seeking economic independence before they get married. It gives them the confidence to stand against oppression and make better decisions for themselves.
The age-old social structure dictated that women need to stay inside the home taking care of all when men go out to earn bread and butter. This has been practised for ages when the world outside was not safe. Now that the time has changed and we have successfully made our environment quite safer, women can step forward, get educated, pursue their passion, bring economic balance in their families, and share the weight of a family with men. This, in a cumulative way, will also make a country’s economy progress faster and better.
Methods to measure Gender Equality
Gender equality can be measured and a country’s growth can be traced by using the following methods.
Gender Development Index (GDI) is a gender-based calculation done similar to the Human Development Index.
Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) is a detailed calculation method of the percentage of female members in decision-making roles.
Gender Equity Index (GEI) considers economic participation, education, and empowerment.
Global Gender Gap Index assesses the level of gender inequality present on the basis of four criteria: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, political empowerment, health and survival .
According to the Gender Gap Index (GGI), India ranks 140 among 156 participating countries. This denotes that the performance of India has fallen from the previous years, denoting negative growth in terms of closing the gender gap. In the current environment where equality and equal opportunities are considered supreme, this makes India be at a significant disadvantage.
Roadblocks to Gender Equality
Indian society is still wrecked by such stigmas that dictate that women are meant to manage the home and stay indoors. This is being done for ages, leading to neglect of women in areas like education, health, wealth, and socio-economic fields.
In addition to that, the dowry system is further crippling society. This ill practice had led to numerous female feticides. It has created a notion that girls are a burden on a family, which is one of the primary reasons a girl child cannot continue her education. Even if they excel in education and become independent, most of them are forced to quit their job as their income is considered a backup source, which is not fair. New-age women are not only independent, but they are confident too. The only thing they demand from society is support, which we should provide them.
Along with dowry, there is one more burning issue that has a profound impact on women's growth. It is prevalent in all kinds of society and is known as violence. Violence against women is present in one or another form in public and private spaces. Sometimes, violence is accompanied by other burning issues such as exploitation, harassment, and trafficking, making the world unsafe for women. We must take steps to stop this and ensure a safe and healthy place for women.
Poverty is also one of the major roadblocks towards gender equality. It has led to other malpractices such as child marriage, sale of children, trafficking and child labour, to name a few. Providing equal job opportunities and upliftment of people below the poverty line can help bring some checks onto this.
Initiative Towards Gender Equality
Any kind of discrimination acts as a roadblock in any nation’s growth, and a nation can only prosper when all its citizens have equal rights. Most of the developed countries has comparatively less gender discrimination and provide equal opportunity to both genders. Even the Indian government is taking multiple initiatives to cut down gender discrimination.
They have initiated a social campaign called “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana” to encourage the education of girl children. Besides this, the government runs multiple other schemes, such as the Women Helpline Scheme, UJJAWALA, National Mission for Empowerment of Women, etc., to generate awareness among the people. Moreover, as responsible citizens, it is our responsibility to spread knowledge on gender discrimination to create a beautiful world for wome n [1] [2] .
FAQs on Gender Equality Essay
1. What Makes Women Unequal to Men?
The social stigmas and beliefs that have been running deeply in the veins of all families make women unequal to men. Women are considered to be a burden by many families and are not provided with the same rights men enjoy in society. We are ill-informed regarding women’s rights and tend to continue age-old practices. This is made worse with social menaces such as the dowry system, child labor, child marriage, etc. Women can gather knowledge, get educated, and compete with men. This is sometimes quite threatening to the false patriarchal society.
2. How can We Promote Gender Equality?
Education is the prime measure to be taken to make society free from such menaces. When we teach our new generation regarding the best social practices and gender equal rights, we can eradicate such menaces aptly. Our society is ill-informed regarding gender equality and rights. Many policies have been designed and implemented by the government. As our country holds the second position in terms of population, it is hard to tackle these gender-based problems. It can only be erased from the deepest point by using education as the prime weapon.
3. Why should Women be Equal to Men?
Women might not be similar to men in terms of physical strength and physiological traits. Both are differently built biologically but they have the same brain and organs to function. Women these days are creating milestones that are changing society. They have traveled to space, running companies, creating history, and making everyone proud. Women are showing their capabilities in every phase and hence, they should be equal to men in all aspects.
4. Mention a few initiatives started by the Indian Government to enable gender equality.
The Indian government has initiated a social campaign called “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana” to encourage girls’ education. Besides this, the government runs multiple other schemes, such as the Women Helpline Scheme, UJJAWALA, National Mission for Empowerment of Women, etc., to generate awareness among the people.
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Worldwide Optimism About Future of Gender Equality, Even as Many See Advantages for Men
Sizable shares say men have more opportunities for high-paying jobs, should have preferential treatment when jobs are scarce, table of contents.
- Widespread support for equal rights for men and women
- People in most countries are optimistic about the future of gender equality
- Majorities in many African, Middle Eastern and Asian-Pacific publics say men should have preferential treatment when jobs are scarce
- Across the globe, many believe men in their country have a better life than women
- Men generally seen as having more opportunities than women for high-paying jobs
- Many say men have more opportunities than women to be leaders in their community
- Publics see more gender parity when it comes to people’s opportunities to express their political views and to get a good education
- Many say men have more influence than women when it comes to making important decisions about household finances
- Larger shares say women have more influence when it comes to how to raise children than say men do
- People generally think men and women have about the same influence when it comes to decisions about their family’s religious practices
- In nearly all countries surveyed, majorities prefer an egalitarian marriage
- Acknowledgments
- Methodology
This report explores cross-national perceptions of gender equality, including the opportunities available to men and women and the power they wield in family decisions. It also examines expectations for the future of gender equality across countries.
For this report, we used data from a survey conducted across 34 countries from May 13 to Oct. 2, 2019, totaling 38,426 respondents. The surveys were conducted face-to-face across Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, and on the phone in United States and Canada. In the Asia-Pacific region, face-to-face surveys were conducted in India, Indonesia and the Philippines, while phone surveys were administered in Australia, Japan and South Korea. Across Europe, the survey was conducted over the phone in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK, but face-to-face in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Slovakia and Ukraine.
Here are the questions used for the report, along with responses, and the survey methodology .
Twenty-five years after the United Nations’ Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action pledged to take the necessary steps to “remove all obstacles to gender equality and the advancement and empowerment of women,” support for gender equality is strong around the globe. Across 34 countries surveyed by Pew Research Center, a median of 94% think it is important for women in their country to have the same rights as men, with 74% saying this is very important.
In many countries, women place more importance on gender equality than men do. However, women are less optimistic than men that women in their countries will achieve equality in the future, and they are more likely to say men have better lives than women.
While publics around the world embrace the idea of gender equality, at least four-in-ten think men generally have more opportunities than women in their country when it comes to getting high-paying jobs (a median of 54% across the 34 countries surveyed) and being leaders in their community (44%). Publics see more equity in access to a good education – a median of 81% believe men and women in their country generally have the same opportunities in this area – and expressing their political views (63% say men and women have the same opportunities). No more than 6% say women have more opportunities than men in any of these realms.
Majorities in most European countries surveyed, as well as in Japan, South Korea, Israel, Australia, Canada and the United States, say men in their country have more opportunities than women when it comes to getting high-paying jobs. When it comes to being leaders in their communities, more than half in Nigeria, South Korea, Japan, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, Italy, Tunisia, Greece, France and Slovakia think men in their country have more opportunities than women.
Despite widespread support for gender equality around the world, a notable share (a median of 40% across the countries surveyed) thinks men should have more right to a job than women when jobs are scarce; 56% disagree with this notion. In some countries, men are more likely than women to say men should have preferential treatment when jobs are scarce, with double-digit gender differences in Kenya, Nigeria, Bulgaria, South Africa, Israel, Slovakia, Italy, Argentina and the Czech Republic.
When asked who has a better life in their country, a 46% median across the 34 countries surveyed say men do, while 15% point to women and 31% volunteer that neither men nor women have a better life. Majorities in France, Spain, Sweden, the UK, Canada, the U.S., Turkey, Australia and the Netherlands think men have a better life than women in their country. Tunisia is the only country surveyed where more say women have a better life than say men do, although similar shares say women have a better life as say both men and women enjoy the same quality of life.
In most of the 34 countries surveyed, women are more likely than men to say men have a better life in their country. Gender differences are particularly large on this question in Greece (women are 27 percentage points more likely to say this), Slovakia (25 points), Italy (25), Canada (20), Brazil (20), Hungary (19) and Turkey (18).
The shares saying that men have a better life than women in their country have increased considerably since 2010 in many of the countries where trends are available – possibly as a result of increased awareness of gender issues spurred by the #MeToo Movement – with differences of at least 20 percentage points in Turkey, the UK, South Korea and Japan. Poland is the only country surveyed in both years where a smaller share now says men have a better life than did so in 2010.
Despite seeing some advantages for men, most people express optimism about the future of gender equality in their country. A median of 75% across the 34 countries surveyed think it is likely that women in their country will eventually have the same rights as men, and 5% volunteer that women in their country have already achieved equality.
Men tend to be more optimistic than women about prospects for gender equality, with gender differences of at least 10 percentage points in 10 countries and smaller but significant differences in 11 others. For example, 77% of men in Japan – compared with 58% of women – say it’s likely that women in their country will eventually attain or already have the same rights as men. Nigeria and the Philippines are the only countries surveyed where a larger share of women than men are optimistic about gender equality.
When it comes to family life, the sense is that men and women have about the same influence in making important decisions in their households. A 34-country median of 55% say both have roughly equal influence when it comes to important decisions about household finances, 56% say this about how to raise children and 62% say this of decisions about a family’s religious practices. To the extent that people see a difference, however, men are generally seen as having more of an influence than women when it comes to decisions about household finances, while women are generally seen as having more influence when it comes to decisions about raising children.
In nearly every country surveyed, majorities say that a marriage where both the husband and wife have jobs and take care of the home is more satisfying than one where the husband provides for the family and the wife takes care of the house and children. Even so, sizable shares in many countries say a more traditional marriage would be preferable, including about four-in-ten in India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Turkey and Tunisia.
These are among the major findings from a Pew Research Center survey conducted among 38,426 people in 34 countries from May 13 to Oct. 2, 2019.
Most people agree it is important for women to have the same rights as men in their country. Across the 34 countries surveyed, a median of 94% hold this view, including nearly all in Sweden, the Netherlands, France, the U.S., Canada, Germany, Greece, Spain, Australia, Argentina, the UK and Hungary.
In addition, majorities in 30 nations say it is very important that men and women have the same rights in their country. The share who endorse this stronger sentiment varies across countries, however.
In Sweden, the most egalitarian country included in the survey based on indices from the World Economic Forum and the United Nations Development Program , 96% believe gender equality is very important. By comparison, substantially smaller shares hold this view in Tunisia (44%) and Nigeria (43%), two countries with relatively higher levels of gender inequality. Strong support for gender equality is also relatively less common in Kenya, Russia, South Korea and Ukraine.
Within each country, views of equality often differ by gender. In 20 nations, women are more likely than men to say gender equality is very important. This gender difference is largest in Kenya and Nigeria, where relatively small shares overall view equal rights as very important. More than half of women in Nigeria (54%) think gender equality is very important, compared with only 31% of men. And while 64% of Kenyan women say gender equality is very important, just 40% of Kenyan men express the same view. In many countries where overwhelming majorities endorse equality, men and women do not differ in their views.
The U.S. is the only country where men are more likely than women to say it is very important for men and women to have the same rights. But while the difference is statistically significant, it is fairly small: 93% of men hold this view, compared with 89% of women.
Educational attainment is also related to views of gender equality. In 26 countries, those with more education are more likely than those with less to believe it is very important for women to have the same rights as men. 1 The largest differences are in Lithuania and the Czech Republic. Three-quarters or more of those with more education in Lithuania (76%) and the Czech Republic (87%) hold this view, compared with 54% of Lithuanians and 66% of Czechs with less education. There are also educational differences of 10 percentage points or more in Italy, Bulgaria, South Korea, Mexico, the Philippines, Ukraine, Spain, Poland and Nigeria.
In addition to viewing gender equality as important, most people are optimistic that women will eventually have the same rights as men in their country. Majorities in 30 of the 34 countries surveyed hold this view, including roughly 90% in the Netherlands, India, the Philippines and Mexico.
In the U.S., 75% believe gender equality is likely. An additional 14% volunteer the response that women already have the same rights as men. One-in-ten or more in most Central and Eastern European nations, as well as Ukraine, Greece, Italy, Russia, Israel and Tunisia, agree that women and men already have equal rights.
Despite widespread optimism globally, substantive shares in some of the countries surveyed say it is unlikely that women will eventually have the same rights as men in their country. About a quarter or more in Nigeria, Japan, Kenya,Turkey, Israel, Tunisia, Spain and Hungary are pessimistic about the prospects for gender equality in their country.
Across many countries, women are less optimistic than men about the likelihood of attaining gender equality. For example, 77% of men in Japan think either men and women already have equal rights or that it is likely they will in the future, compared with 58% of Japanese women. Similar gender differences can be found in 20 other countries, including roughly 15 percentage point differences in Spain, South Korea, France, Italy and Brazil.
Nigeria and the Philippines are the only publics that show the opposite pattern: Larger shares of women than men say gender equality is likely. Half of men in Nigeria express this view, compared with 68% of women.
Across the 34 countries surveyed, a median of 56% disagree with the notion that men should have more right to a job than women when jobs are scarce; 40% agree that men should receive preferential treatment in this situation.
In nearly all North American, Western European and Latin American countries surveyed – as well as in Australia, Lithuania, Hungary, Israel, the Czech Republic and Japan – majorities reject the idea that men should have more right to a job than women in tough economic times, as do pluralities in Poland and Bulgaria. This is particularly the case in Sweden, Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, the U.S., the UK, Australia, France and Germany, where roughly eight-in-ten or more disagree that men deserve preferential treatment when jobs are scarce.
In contrast, majorities in the African countries surveyed, as well as in India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Turkey and Lebanon, agree that men should have more right to a job than women when jobs are scarce. Roughly eight-in-ten say this in Tunisia and India.
Views on this remain virtually unchanged in most of the countries where the question has been previously asked (most recently in 2012 in Lebanon, Turkey and Tunisia and in 2010 in 15 other countries). Publics are now more likely to agree that men should have preferential treatment when jobs are scarce in Kenya (12 percentage points higher), Lebanon (+11 points) and Mexico (+11 points). Meanwhile, the shares saying men should have more right to a job in tough economic times have dropped in South Korea (8 percentage points less likely), Nigeria (-7 points) and Argentina (-6 points).
Across 30 of the 34 countries surveyed, those with less education are more likely to believe men should have more right to a job than women when jobs are scarce. For example, majorities of six-in-ten or more among those with less education in Turkey, Lebanon, Kenya, Slovakia, South Africa and South Korea agree, compared with roughly half or fewer of those with more education in these countries.
Income is also related to views on this. In most countries surveyed, those with lower incomes – equivalent to the median for their country or less – are more likely than those with higher incomes to say men should have more right to a job during tough economic times. In the U.S., Australia and much of Western Europe, those with lower incomes are at least twice as likely as those with higher incomes to believe men should receive preferential treatment when jobs are scarce. Still, only about a quarter or fewer across income groups in each of these countries say this.
In some countries, men are more likely than women to agree that men deserve preferential treatment when jobs are scarce, with double-digit differences in Kenya, Nigeria, Bulgaria, South Africa, Israel, Slovakia, Italy, Argentina and the Czech Republic.
There are also double-digit differences between the oldest and youngest age groups in South Korea, Brazil, Italy, Greece, Argentina, Poland, Lebanon, the Philippines, Israel, Australia, France and Spain: In each of these countries, adults ages 50 and older are more likely than those ages 18 to 29 to agree that men should have more right to a job during tough economic times.
Though many people expect that their country will become more egalitarian in time, a median of 46% across the 34 countries surveyed say that, all things considered, men have a better life than women in their country.
Majorities in France, Spain, Sweden, the UK, Canada, the U.S., Turkey, Australia and the Netherlands say men have a better life than women in their country. Pluralities in many other countries express the same view.
The volunteered response that neither gender has a better life than the other is common in many countries, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. Roughly half or more provide this response in Ukraine, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary and Lithuania.
A third or more in Tunisia, Kenya, South Korea and South Africa believe, all things considered, women have a better life than men. Tunisia is the only country surveyed where a larger share say women are better off (37%) than say men are (24%).
This question was last asked in a subset of countries in 2010. In many of these countries, the share who believe men have a better life than women has increased substantially. The largest change is in Turkey. Roughly one-third of people in Turkey said men had a better life than women in 2010, compared with 57% in 2019.
Increases of roughly 20 percentage points or more can also be seen in the UK, South Korea, Japan, Spain, Indonesia and the U.S. Smaller increases can be seen in Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Kenya. Poland is the only country where this share has decreased since 2010, from 55% to 35% in 2019.
As with other questions related to gender equality, men and women tend to hold different views. In 23 of the 34 countries surveyed, women are more likely than men to believe that men have a better life in their country. In Greece, almost half of women hold this view, compared with only 20% of men. Differences of 20 percentage points or more can also be seen in Slovakia, Italy, Canada and Brazil.
Nigeria stands out again for showing the opposite pattern. Men (51%) are more likely than women (42%) to say that men are better off in their country. Indonesia shows a similar pattern.
Majorities or pluralities in 22 of the 34 countries surveyed say men generally have more opportunities for high-paying jobs than women, including about two-thirds or more in Sweden, France, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Spain, the UK, Australia and Canada. More than four-in-ten in Greece, Nigeria, Russia, Lebanon and Argentina also think men in their country have more opportunities when it comes to getting high-paying jobs, but similar shares think opportunities are generally the same for men and women.
In the Philippines, Indonesia, India, South Africa, Kenya and Mexico, majorities say men and women have similar opportunities when it comes to getting high-paying jobs; half in Tunisia share this view.
Across most of the countries surveyed, women are significantly more likely than men to say men in their country have more opportunities when it comes to getting high-paying jobs. About two-thirds of women in the U.S. (66%) believe men in their country have more opportunities for high-paying jobs, compared with about half of men in the U.S. (53%). And while majorities of men and women in Canada say men have more opportunities in this area, women are far more likely to say this is the case (77% vs. 55%, respectively). This pattern is evident in nearly every European country surveyed (Greece and Lithuania are the exception), as well as in Australia, Ukraine, Brazil, South Korea, Russia, Argentina and Japan.
When it comes to opportunities to be leaders in their community, majorities in Nigeria, South Korea, Japan, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, Italy, Tunisia, Greece and France say men in their country have more opportunities than women; about half in Slovakia say the same.
Even in many countries where majorities or pluralities believe men and women in their country generally have the same opportunities to be leaders in their community, sizable shares say men have more opportunities than women. For example, about four-in-ten or more in Spain, Canada, the U.S., Brazil, South Africa, India, Russia and Australia say this is the case in their country.
For the most part, men and women offer similar views on this. But to the extent that there is a difference, women tend to be more likely than men to see an advantage for men in getting opportunities to be leaders in their community. The exception is Kenya, where men (53%) are more likely than women (43%) to say men have more opportunities to be leaders in their community.
In 30 of the 34 countries surveyed, majorities or pluralities think men and women in their country have about the same opportunities when it comes to expressing their political views. About half in Japan also believe this, but an identical share says men have more opportunities than women.
More than six-in-ten Nigerians (64%) say men in their country have more opportunities than women when it comes to expressing their political views, as do 55% in South Korea and 53% in Turkey. Even in countries where majorities or pluralities believe men and women have about the same opportunities in this area, the shares saying men have more opportunities than women exceed the shares saying women have more opportunities by at least 10 percentage points.
Opinions on this generally do not vary significantly by gender, but in nine countries, women are far more likely than men to say men in their country have more opportunities to express their political views. For example, in South Korea, a majority of women (60%) think men in their country have more opportunities to express their political views, compared with 49% of South Korean men.
Gender gaps are also evident in the Netherlands (41% of women vs. 28% of men say men have more opportunities), Australia (36% vs. 23%), Spain (34% vs. 21%), Canada (34% vs. 23%), France (45% vs. 35%), the UK (36% vs. 27%), the U.S. (36% vs. 28%) and the Czech Republic (24% vs. 17%).
Kenya is the only country surveyed where men are more likely than women to say men in their country have more opportunities to express their political views. More than four-in-ten Kenyan men (45%) say this, compared with 35% of Kenyan women.
When it comes to getting a good education, majorities in all but one country surveyed – ranging from 64% in Brazil to 91% in Greece – say men and women in their country have about the same opportunities. About half say the same in Turkey.
One-third of the public in Turkey and about one-in-five in Nigeria, Israel, France, Slovakia, Brazil, Japan and South Korea think men in their country have more opportunities than women when it comes to getting a good education; smaller shares in these countries think women have more opportunities than men.
Tunisia is the only country surveyed where a significantly larger share says women have more opportunities than men to get a good education than say men have more opportunities than women. About a quarter of Tunisians (24%) see women as having more opportunities in this area, compared with 6% who say men do; 70% believe men and women have about the same opportunities to get a good education.
With the exception of Turkey, majorities of men and women across the countries surveyed believe both genders have about the same opportunities when it comes to getting a good education. And for the most part, differences in how men and women see this are modest at best.
Across the 34 countries surveyed, a median of 55% say that, in a family, men and women have about the same influence when it comes to making important decisions about household finances; 23% say men generally have more influence and 15% say women do.
To the extent that people see one gender having more influence when it comes to making important decisions about household finances, men are generally seen as having more influence than women. In 16 of the 34 countries surveyed, more say men have more influence than say women do by a margin of at least 10 percentage points. The gap is particularly wide in Nigeria, where 61% say men generally have more influence in this area (compared with 10% who say women do), Turkey (54% vs. 11%), Israel (44% vs. 11%), Lebanon (40% vs. 10%) and Sweden (37% vs. 9%). In each of these countries, people are at least four times as likely to say men have more influence as they are to say women do.
Among European publics, majorities or pluralities in 12 of 14 countries surveyed say men and women generally have about the same influence in making important decisions about household finances. The only two European countries surveyed where this is not the case are Lithuania and Slovakia, where similar or equal shares say both genders have about the same influence as say men have more influence in this area.
Majorities in the three Latin American countries surveyed – Mexico, Argentina and Brazil – say men and women have about the same influence in making important decisions about household finances. This is also the case in the Philippines, Canada, the U.S., Australia, Indonesia and South Africa.
Japan is the only country where the share saying women have more influence when it comes to making important decisions about household finances is significantly larger than the share saying men do (29% vs. 16%). Still, 54% in Japan say men and women generally have about the same influence.
In most of the countries surveyed, men and women have similar views on this question, but where differences emerge, men are typically more likely than women to say men in their country have more influence when it comes to important decisions about household finances, while women are more likely to say either women do or that both are about equal. For example, 61% of men in Turkey (vs. 48% of women) say men in their country have more influence than women. The UK is the only country surveyed where women are more likely than men to say men have more influence when it comes to making important decisions about household finances.
When it comes to who in a family has more influence when it comes to making important decisions about how to raise children, a median of 56% across the 34 countries surveyed say men and women have about the same influence; 39% say women have more influence and just 6% say men do.
Majorities in 18 of the 34 countries surveyed say that, in a family, men and women have about the same influence when it comes to making important decisions about how to raise children. Still, in nearly every country, far larger shares say women have more influence in this area than say men do. And in seven of the 34 countries – Lithuania, Greece, Lebanon, Slovakia, Israel, the Czech Republic and Turkey – majorities or pluralities say women in their country have more influence than men in making important decisions about raising children.
Men and women generally agree in their assessments of who has more influence when it comes to decisions about how to raise children, but there are exceptions. For example, in Brazil, women (43%) are more likely than men (34%) to say women in their country have more influence in making important decisions in this area; in turn, Brazilian men (61%) are more likely then Brazilian women (52%) to say both have about the same influence.
Across the 34 countries surveyed, a median of 62% say that, in a family, men and women generally have about the same influence when it comes to making important decisions about their family’s religious practices; 18% say women have more influence, while 14% say men do.
Across most of the countries surveyed, majorities or pluralities say men and women have about the same influence when it comes to making important decisions about their family’s religious practices. There are a few exceptions to this pattern. In Sweden, Israel and Nigeria, similar shares say men and women have about the same influence as say men have more influence than women in this area. And in Lithuania, 37% say men and women have the same influence and 41% say women have more influence.
In Israel, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, men are more likely than women to say that men in their country have more influence when it comes to making important decisions about their family’s religious practices. About half of men in Israel (51%) and Nigeria (49%) say this, compared with 38% of Israeli women and 36% of Nigerian women. And while about three-in-ten South African (28%) and Kenyan (31%) men say men in their country have more influence over important decisions about their family’s religious practices, two-in-ten women in each of those countries say the same.
In turn, women in Brazil, South Korea, Nigeria, Russia, France and Lebanon are more likely than their male counterparts to say women have more influence in making important decisions about their family’s religious practices. The gender difference is largest in Brazil, where 42% of women – vs. 29% of men – hold this view.
A median of 72% across the 34 countries surveyed say a marriage where both the husband and wife have jobs and take care of the house and children is a more satisfying way of life than one where the husband provides for the family and the wife takes care of the house and children. The shares saying that a more egalitarian marriage is better are lowest in Lithuania, Tunisia and Indonesia.
Publics in Sweden, France and Spain are the most likely to say an egalitarian marriage is preferable to one where the husband provides for the family and the wife takes care of the house and children. This view is also widespread in Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Greece, Kenya, Bulgaria, the UK, South Korea, Italy and Argentina, where at least three-quarters say the same.
In Tunisia and Indonesia, views on the more satisfying type of marriage are split. About half in each country prefer a marriage where the husband and wife both have jobs and take care of the house, while similar shares prefer a marriage with more traditional gender roles.
Even in some countries where majorities or pluralities prefer an egalitarian marriage, substantial shares say a marriage where the husband provides for the family and the wife takes care of the house and family would be more satisfying. For example, a third or more in India, Lebanon, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Nigeria and Lithuania say a more traditional marriage would be preferable.
Views on this vary somewhat by gender, but the differences tend to be relatively small, even in some countries where they are statistically different. In Poland, Turkey and Argentina, women are more likely than men to prefer an egalitarian marriage by a double-digit margin (10 percentage points in Poland, 11 points in Turkey and 12 points in Argentina).
Opinions vary more widely across educational attainment. Those with more education more likely to prefer a marriage where both the husband and wife have jobs and take care of the house and children in most of the countries surveyed. In fact, in 17 countries, those with more education are more likely to say this by 10 or more points, including difference of at least 20 points in Turkey (25 points more likely), Lebanon (21 points) and Brazil (20 points).
Age is also linked to views on what type of marriage is preferable in about half of the countries surveyed, with people younger than 30 more likely than those ages 50 and older to say a marriage where both the husband and wife have jobs and take care of the house and children is the more satisfying way of life. The difference is particularly pronounced in Lithuania, where 71% of those younger than 30 prefer an egalitarian marriage, compared with 43% of those ages 50 and older. There are also double-digit age differences in the U.S., Canada, Italy, the UK, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Australia, South Korea, Lebanon, Tunisia, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.
Preference for an egalitarian marriage has increased in three of the 16 countries where this question was also asked in 2010 (by 11 percentage points in South Korea, 8 points in Argentina and 6 points in Nigeria). In contrast, smaller shares now see an egalitarian marriage as preferable in Turkey, Indonesia, Russia and Germany. The steepest decline is in Turkey. About six-in-ten (57%) now say a marriage where both the husband and wife have jobs and take care of the house and children is the more satisfying way of life, compared with 72% a decade ago.
- For the purpose of comparing educational groups across countries, we standardize education levels based on the UN’s International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). The lower education category is below secondary education and the higher category is secondary or above in Brazil, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa, Tunisia and Ukraine. In all other countries, the lower education category is secondary education or below and the higher category is postsecondary or above. ↩
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Home / Essay Samples / Social Issues / Gender Equality / Man and Woman Should Have Equal Rights: Feminist Viewpoint
Man and Woman Should Have Equal Rights: Feminist Viewpoint
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- Topic: Gender Equality , Gender Inequality
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