Artifact 3: Global Gender Gap, The Effects of Culture and Gender Roles on the Development of a Country
Reflective Tag:
In previous artifacts, the concepts of what exactly gender and sex are as well as the major differences between the two were discussed and then built upon by an exploration of how these things and culture intertwine to effect gender roles within societies. These developments are all equally important and lead into the next stepping stone in discussion, and that is… What is the global gender gap? What does it mean and what effects does it have on the world we live in as people? All of these things and more will be expounded in this artifact.
THE GLOBAL GENDER GAP
First things first… we’ve all heard of the global gender gap; it’s been talked about in many situations and many locations, but what is it? Many people still do not understand what exactly the global gender gap is even if they have heard of it and it just remains as one of those things that is there but is distant. To expand and enlighten the concept of the gender gap to those unaware of its meaning or significance, it is essentially the measure of inequality between men and women in a few different fields. The four fields that are measured to attain a picture of this disparity include economic participation (including ability to participate), health quality and life expectancy, education, and political involvement. There are a plethora of organizations that measure this kind of thing such as the World Economic Forum, World Health Organization, etc.
The disparities between the genders of different countries can be seen through the different cultures that each represents directly. There is not much that is too hard to follow in that regard. The countries that rank higher for equality on the Global Gender Gap Index such as those in Northern Europe have greater opportunities for women to participate in economic and political endeavors based on their cultures or the health gap is better because of better conditions within the countries in general. In these countries it is also to be noted that the women are highly educated and can participate effectively in societal and economic endeavors which translates to greater prosperity and wealth in general. The countries that do not fall higher on the Global Gender Gap Index are countries such Yemen, Pakistan, Chad, Iran, Jordan, Morocco, Lebanon, Mali, and Syria. Culture and tradition are big factors as seen and proven in this list alone. It is of no consequence that every single one of these countries possesses a high concentration of traditionalist Muslims. Historically speaking, Muslim culture favors males and oppresses women very heavily. It is for this and many other reasons that they are held back in the world developmentally from the rest of the economic world, excluding oil as a natural resource of course. They do not let a good proportion of their societies gain education and maintain their health and therefore they suffer. Their culture is the direct link to their inequality and disparity. A country’s culture is the key to changing any disparity, those typically more traditionalist and not open to progressive change and betterment for all are the ones that are held back.
(http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/print/2008/1/ishr-burka.jpg)
The U.S. stands at position 28 in the world as of 2015. Some may ask in a land of “opportunity” why is the United States not number 1 in this survey. The fact of the matter is that, yes, the U.S. still holds on to a lot of traditionalist and stereotypical views of a woman’s role in society and culture, and on top of this there are many cultures present in the United States… some more accepting than others. This is important to note in understanding why the U.S. is not number 1. The countries in the top 10 are very open and conscious in making sure that everyone meets the best and fullest of their potential, and they do not hold on to presupposed traditions of the past. This allows them to see past the disparity and do what will achieve greatest utility.
(http://www.bestcountryreports.com/media/report_covers/Norway_women_in_business.png)
There still is the subject of, “but what about women’s job opportunities and such? They still have to give birth and care for their children.” Yes this is something to consider, and it can have an impact on a woman’s ability to do well or ascend in society to an extent if it pulls them away from their jobs or other responsibilities. There are some countries that have put in place non-discrimination acts and protection acts for women who want to have children, but do not want to sacrifice their careers for it. Unfortunately, this system is not perfect and the difficulties still exist, and this is something that will be addressed as we move into the future for the development of our society and those around the globe.
Works Cited:
Class material
notes
Global Gender Gap Rankings