THE EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN - GEOGRAFÍA - 2025

The equal opportunities between men and women, also known as gender equality, egalitarianism gender, sexual equality or gender equality, is the view that everyone should receive equal opportunities and social and not be discriminated against based on their gender.

This is one of the objectives of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which seeks to create equality in law and in social situations, as well as in democratic and moral activities.

The existing gap with regard to equal opportunities between men and women is a cross-cultural fact and the result of patriarchy. In this type of society, there are behaviors of domination of men over women and even of exploitation.

These practices remain because the people in positions of power are, for the most part, men who do not want women to occupy positions of relevance.

Today, we increasingly hear the words "equality" and "equity" in different media and in different areas of our life (family, social, work, etc).

Currently, inequalities continue to exist in different spheres and gender is one of them. The United Nations (UN) estimates that 70% of people living in poverty are women and that the difference in salary between men and women is between 30 and 40%.

What is the difference between sex and gender?

On multiple occasions, the use of these words occurs indiscriminately and they do not refer to the same concepts, so it is important to define the meaning of both words.

Sex refers to the biological differences between men and women (sexual characteristics, the different hormonal load, etc.) and gender is a cultural fact that occurs through the sexual characteristics of each individual.

Thus, a series of characteristics, interests, roles and determined and differentiated attitudes are attributed to men and women. This practice is present from the moment of birth, marking the entire life of human beings. In many cultures it is common for girls to make the holes in the earrings a few days after birth and also to dress them in a certain color.

Later, the differences will be marked by what is culturally characterized by boys and girls or by the way in which they are called or characterized.

Gender roles

All these practices will largely shape the personality of children in their adult lives. These behaviors are called gender roles.

In this case, the girls are taught to take care of household chores, as well as take care of people. In the case of children, the way in which they are treated is more aimed at relationships with the public sphere.

Furthermore, this is very present in our language. For example, girls are called "princesses" giving them characteristics more related to submission. On the contrary, the children are called “macho” and are even reproached for crying, giving them a series of attitudes related to force and violence.

For this reason, it is very important to instill values ​​of respect, in which men and women are treated equally.

Machismo? Feminism? Equal opportunities?

Machismo is the belief that men are superior to women and that they must be under the protection and occupy a place behind men. One of the causes, but not the only one, of the existence of machismo has its roots in religion.

A macho person may also think that homosexuals and transsexuals do not occupy the same status or have the same rights as men.

The micromachisms

Today, machismo is less present in our society. However, there are still certain strongholds of this way of thinking: micromachisms. They are subtle and silent forms of machismo, which are taken as a daily fact and, on many occasions, we do not notice them.

This term was born in 1990 by the hand of the Argentine therapist Luis Bonino and establishes four types of micromachisms: utilitarian (they mainly affect domestic and care tasks), covert (they seek the imposition of men to silence women), crisis (when in a couple the balance of the division of tasks is broken) and coercive (the man uses his means to impose himself on the woman and cut off her freedom).

Feminism

A more current concept and about which some people have a wrong idea is feminism, which is a current that seeks equal opportunities between men and women.

It is a political and social movement that was formed at the end of the s. XVIII and that fights against the principles of patriarchy, giving women the importance and social relevance they have and fighting against the oppression, domination and exploitation that these women suffered.

Today many people perpetuate the idea that feminism claims that women are above men and this idea is wrong. Marcuse says that the feminist movement acts on two levels:

(1) achieve complete equality between men and women at different levels (political, economic and social) and (2) build a society in which the dichotomy between men and women is overcome and that has been culturally constructed as a result of the sex differences.

Equal opportunities

With regard to equal opportunities, reference is made to all members of society (men and women) having the same economic, material and non-material access opportunities.

Among all of them, we find education as a fundamental pillar on which any society is based, participation in political and social spheres, etc.

Within this concept, we find effective or real equality that postulates the equivalent treatment for all people, regardless of their sex.

Another concept is that of gender equity and that for the International Labor Organization (ILO) is a matter of human rights, social justice and economic and social development.

Let's talk about inequality

At the opposite extreme to equality and to policies and movements that promote the same rights between men and women, we find the inequality between genders that implies some circumstance of inequity in any aspect of life (legal, labor, social and economic).

There are different types of gender discrimination:

1. Direct discrimination: when a person is treated less favorably because of their gender.
2. Indirect discrimination: when a situation appears to be neutral and really, it is marking differences between men and women. An example could be a labor measure in which workers are encouraged to work longer hours and in this way, they will get a promotion. In the case of women who have a reduction in working hours to be able to carry out care tasks, they will have a disadvantageous position in the face of a future promotion.
3. Multiple discrimination (intersectionality): when several facts cause the situation of discrimination. For example, women of a certain nationality are discriminated against because they are women and also because of their nationality.

The situation in developing countries

In these countries, laws dictate what women can and cannot do. Also, it is clear what the punishment is if they do not act as they preach that it is due.

Unfortunately, stoning is common in countries like Afghanistan when there are cases of adultery. On many occasions, these women have no decision-making power or control over their lives.

As children, families agree with whom they should marry. Another widespread practice is female genital mutilation, which, like stoning, carries harsh consequences on a physical and emotional level.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 125 million girls and women alive today have suffered mutilation of their sexual organs in countries in Africa and the Middle East.

These facts are related to customs and cultures. It is very important that the different international bodies fight to improve the living conditions of these women.

An example of this is Malala, a young Pakistani who, in 2014 at the age of 17, was named a Nobel Peace Prize winner for defending the rights of girls and women in her country.

What is happening in the West?

In these countries, where Spain and some Latin American countries are, the patriarchal society continues to be present, but in a subtle way.

An example of this are the advertisements that appear on television (or in other media) in which women appear as people who carry out housework.

Little by little, changes in society cause some companies to bet because these ads are carried out by men or, simply, that a man and a woman appear.

The report on equality between men and women published by the European Union on January 31, 2014 states that the current crisis affects men and women differently, since precarious working conditions and the significant decrease in economic income cause it to persist the gap between men and women in the workplace.

In addition, the current approach and the most recent policies are not working in line to curb these inequitable circumstances and therefore, the situation is very worrying for the long-term future.

The risk factor of being a woman

Today, being a woman is a risk factor when it comes to job search. For this reason, job creation policies take this factor into account and promote access to equal opportunities for women and men.

When a job is obtained, women earn 77% of what men earn and this has an impact, in addition to the current moment, in future retirement benefits. Therefore, female poverty is an element that will last in the coming years, affecting current generations.

Currently, in Europe women have a longer life expectancy, they live longer, but at what cost?

The overload of work and the different roles that women have to assume today, including working outside the home and having to take on tasks related to the care of both their children and their parents, cause a significant decline in their condition of physical and emotional health. Therefore, it is concluded that women live longer, but in worse conditions.

Conciliation

This term is heard more every day, it is very present in current politics and it is a topic that generates much debate.

The European Union in the Community Charter of Workers' Rights (1989) indicated that "measures should be developed that allow men and women to reconcile professional and labor obligations" so that women can enter the world of work and that men take on household chores.

In Spain, there are a series of laws and policies that promote equal rights and, among them, the one that is most relevant is Law 39/99, of November 5, to promote the Reconciliation of Family and Work Life of the People and that arises as a necessity in the face of social changes that have arisen in recent decades.

It includes, among others, the following advances:

1. Modifications in leaves of absence and leave (for paternity and maternity, foster care, etc.).
2. Right to reduced working hours and leave of absence for caregivers.
3. It makes it easier for men to care for their children.
4. Maternity leave is extended.

Bibliography

1. Bio (sf) Malala Yousafzai Biography.
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4. Women Foundation. (sf) Awareness and Training Guide on Equal Opportunities for Men and Women. Institute for Women: Madrid.
5. López Méndez, I. (2006). The gender approach in social intervention. Red Cross. Madrid.
6. Fontenla, M. (2008) What is patriarchy? Mujeres en Red. The feminist newspaper.
7. Pablo Iglesias Foundation (sf) The women's movement in the Spanish political transition.
8. International Labor Organization (2016) Gender Equality.
9. World Health Organization (2014) Female Genital Mutilation. Press Center.
10. United Nations (2016) Population Pyramid.
11. Vaivasuata (2014) Differences between machismo and feminism. Sociology.
12. Women´s Right Program (2005) Equal Opportunities for Women and Men.