Women play a variety of significant roles in present society, from their birth till the end of their lives. However, women are still seen as weak because men are still considered the stronger gender of society. But being a female in present society also mostly means being opinionated and strong-willed. It means supporting fellow women when society ceaselessly pits women against each other. Above all, it means being unapologetic for who they are. What they want. And what they deserve. They are also fighting for their right to share their ideas while pushing boundaries. Although gender is part of everyone’s identity, it would be better if it did not restrict people, like how cultural boundaries sometimes determine how a female is expected to behave. Being a female is all about strength, mutual support, care, and love. It means being powerful yet kind at the same time and also striving for their goals even though they are discriminated against in many ways.
Discrimination is the unfair or prejudicial treatment of people and groups based on characteristics such as race, gender, age, or sexual orientation. But explaining why it happens is more complicated. The human brain naturally puts things in categories to make sense of the world. Young people quickly learn the difference between males and females but the values we place on those different categories are learned from our elder generation, peers, and the observations we make about how the world should work. And most of the time, discrimination stems from fear and misunderstandings.
Furthermore, discrimination has become a public health issue. According to the 2015 Stress in America survey, people who say that they have experienced discrimination rate their stress level higher than those who have not experienced discrimination. Perceived discrimination has been linked to issues like anxiety, depression, obesity and high blood pressure. It can be stressful just being a member of a group that is often discriminated against. People might even avoid situations where they expect to be treated poorly, possibly missing out on educational and career opportunities.
Female discrimination occurs when women face unfair or prejudiced treatment due to them being female. It is;
“Any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex and gender that has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, and on a basis of equality between women and men, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field.”
[United Nations, 1979. ‘Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women’ Article 1]
Discrimination is recognized as a form of inequality and an issue for women around the world. It affects the capacity of women to participate freely and fully in society. Half of the population of the world consists of women, but still they are discriminated against directly or indirectly, through the mediums of their religion, society or ethnicity.
The factors that drives female discrimination
· Uneven access to education
Around the world, women still have less access to education than men. ¼ of young women will not finish primary school. Of all the illiterate people in the world, are women.
· Lack of employment equality
Only 6 countries in the world give women the same legal work as men. Most economies give women only of the rights of the men.
· Lack of legal protections
According to research from the World Bank, over one billion women don’t have legal protection against domestic violence. There’s also a lack of protection against harassment in the workplace, at school, at universities and in public.
As these places become unsafe women have live in a state of constant fear.
· Poor medical care
Women overall receive lower quality medical care than men. They are less likely to be able to afford their healthcare as well.
· Lack of political representation
Women are still underrepresented in the political process because certain issues that female politicians try to bring up are often neglected or ignored by the majority. (Female discrimination, gender equality laws, laws for gender- based violence, parental leave and childcare)
· Societal mindset
The overall mindset of a society has an impact on gender inequality. Some people still believe that women should not have much freedom. This narrow mindset leads to female inequality and discrimination.
Conclusion
It is widely accepted that female discrimination is a major problem in the world. It makes a lot of people suffer its consequences every day. However, with education and the increasingly progressive thoughts of people, we can hope these situations will be resolved in the future. Then hopefully, women can live peacefully without being discriminated for their gender.
Disclaimer: This article conveys the opinions of the writer and does not in any way attempt to present the stance of the organization on this topic.