Most similar, most different
We asked you to share your opinions about gender inequality in your countries for a chance to feature in our lesson. We chose the following students’ ideas:
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“When you watch movies or read stories, women are mostly given these roles (domestic roles and caregiving responsibilities) so I would say the media has contributed to the way the society sees women.”
gentle_rock, Bomas Academy A, Nigeria -
“When someone becomes a mother they gain a whole new set of responsibilities. Here in the US mothers are often seen as less hard working, so they get denied many promotions.”
open_ocean, Latino College Prep Academy, United States of America
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“In India some industries like construction, mining and heavy machinery are less likely to have women as workers. Many people in India believe that these jobs are too physically demanding for women and that they are not suitable for doing physical work.”
tranquil_apple, Choithram School, India
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“There are many systems and products that are designed by, and for, men – and women are simply an after-thought. For example, seat belts are designed using a crash test dummy that is the size of the average man, meaning that women are more likely to be seriously harmed in an accident.”
positive_kiwifruit, Ormiston Shelfield Community Academy D, United Kingdom
Join the discussion
Whose experience sounds most similar to what’s happening in your country?
Whose experience sounds most different from what’s happening in your country?
Challenge: how do you feel about the state of gender equality or inequality where you live? For example, what problems are there? Or what improvements have there been?
Comments (151)
Gender inequality is still a big problem these days. For example, in football, female players get paid less than male players. And the same things go with space exploration. They choose more male explorers than female explorers. Not because woman was seen as weak humans will mean that women cannot take the same jobs as men. Some women can take on the job.
I agree because... there are a lot of jobs that either don't accept women or don't treat them fairly.
I disagree with you. This is because both of these examples are male dominated industries, if a woman is capable of the jobs within space exploration they will be hired. The hiring process is based on skill and how good of a fit you are for the job not gender. And this example about females get payed less in football, this is because you get paid by the amount of attention you draw hence why men get paid more in football. For example lets say there is a female business and male business and they do the same thing but the females business is more successful and they end up getting payed more should the females business take money out of there own pockets to pay the men and get equal pay? absolutely not because that's not equality thats taking money away from people that the business as big as it is. An example of this is the women's world cup in 2023 made £1.17 billion however the men's world cup made just under £8 billion that's not inequality thats just where the public interest are.
I agree with you Glorious_signature. Just because the Women's world cup in 2023 made 1.17 billion pounds and the Men's World Cup made 8 billion doesn't base off of gender, it bases off of how they play and what the viewers want to watch. People think that the Men's World cup might be more competitive so they would watch that more because that's what they want to watch. It goes the same for basketball too, people watch men's NBA because they think it is more entertaining and competitive than women's NBA, not because of gender, but because of how they play and their skill.
I agree because when I was young I only watched men's football because I did not think that women's football was a thing and thought that women could not play football. But now I disagree with myself because I've watchet them play and think that they play really good.
I agree because... in companies for instance; technical industries -the one that makes drones .Most workers there are females because they have high,critical thinking and creative skills which is needed now in the modern world
I agree because in some countries there is still a big difference in pay and many women’s sports are less popular. While I was on holiday I watched ice hockey and in the men’s game all the seats were taken and people were standing up everywhere watching as well. On the other hand, in the women’s game most of the seats were empty and barely anyone was watching. I thin on we need to inspire future generations and make them understand that women’s sport is just as important as men’s.
In many shows and films as well women are given the parts of stay at home mothers and maids. This is really unfair because women are just as important and capable as men. Men are seen as stronger and more important in many countries which isn’t true or fair. This needs to change all around the world.
I agree because women try to get a job but most man don't give them a chance to try just because they think women are weak that's why I agree with you.
Their is a problem and that problem is that woman are not being treated the same as men when a woman try to get a job they woud say no but when a man wants a job they say yes that is because they think woman arnt strong like men but woman can do stuff like man they can become something even bigger.
Yes, I agree with you. Nowadays many jobs pay less to women just because because they are women, which makes no sense because women work very hard and are capable of working in different environments. Talking about football, I think that is the best example. It is know that not a lot of people watch women's football, but they do the same job as men, so they should be paid in the same way.
I agree because... women often have the stereotype of being the subordinate of the genders. No matter what women can do, people will still give less or recognize them less.
For me I can strongly agree with gentle_rock as media greatly influences our mindset, how we see the world our perception about women , equality and other topics are some what similar to what is being shown and in some part of our subconscious it settles that women have to be the caregiver in the family
I agree with you, because people tend to reproduce the behaviors they see. In movies, the man is often the one who succeeds in life, who has money. Or the one who saves everyone, almost like a superhero. In the James Bond movies for example, the main character is a handsome, brave and intelligent man. He's the savior. Women are only represented as sexy and almost as objects. They do not have an essential role. That's why movies can put false ideas in mind.
Actually, in my opinion I think the most one that shows some similar things like Egypt ( my country ) is example One because in our country usually in movies or stories women are caring for the families or their children. And not just in movies or stories woman's are also in real life in Egypt they are caring for their children or family.......so usually woman's working are about 16.45% out of 100%. Which is too low.
But the biggest difference is example number 3! because usually in Egypt as I said in the first paragraph there is not a lot of woman working in Egypt about 84% not working. which is a lot! But in India women who doesn't work are about 58.3% and women working are about 41.7%. which is a lot more than Egypt. So that's why it is the biggest difference.
Can you cite where you found your statistics and how you know they are reliable?
Hello, I have made a research to help me find the needed percentages, and got it from this website (the global economy)… it is a bit old (2023) but it defines the difference I that have mentioned in my comment.
https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/Egypt/Female_labor_force_participation/
One of AI advantages in that if i couldn’t find some information easily by google, I ask AI tool to help me by suggesting me a website that related to what I’m searching, then i open the website to read about what I’m searching.
In my opinion, the experience shared by open_ocean about the motherhood penalty is very similar to what happens in Egypt. In Egypt, working mothers often face discrimination in the workplace. Employers may see them as less dedicated to their jobs, leading to fewer promotions, lower pay or even difficulties in finding work after having children. There is also a lack of supportive workplace policies, such as flexible hours or paid maternity leave in many sectors, which makes balancing work and family life even harder.
The experience shared by positive_kiwifruit about male-led development feels the most different. While product design bias exists everywhere, it is not as widely discussed in Egypt as other gender inequality issues. The focus here is more on social and workplace challenges rather than how products and systems are designed. However, gender bias in medical research and workplace safety gear may still be an issue but it is not widely recognized issue compared to other gender inequality challenges in Egypt.
Meanwhile, Egypt has made progress in gender equality, with more women politics, education and entrepreneurship, deep-rooted culture expectations and workplace discrimination still hold them back.
In conclusion, although Egypt had made strides toward gender equality, issues like the motherhood penalty and societal expectations continue to hinder progress. to achieve true equality, further changes are essential. For example: we can improve policies for working mothers and challenge societal stereotypes through education.
In the past, gender equality was lacking in my country (Bangladesh ),but it has been improving over time. Previously, men were considered more skilled and qualified for any job, and women were held back in terms of earning opportunities. However, women in my country are no longer behind. They are becoming entrepreneurs, producing and selling various products online to meet people’s demands. For example, they sell cakes, cosmetics, jewellery items,beauty products, and confectionery items in online. By choosing entrepreneurship, women in my country are no longer lagging. Through this work, they have made significant progress. In my country, women's economic and social positions are steadily strengthening. As entrepreneurs, women are becoming self-reliant through online businesses,which is also having a positive impact on the national economy. With the support of the government and various organizations, women are becoming more skilled and creating employment opportunities. This is a shining example of women's empowerment.
Shockingly I think all the experiences are similar to what happening in my country.As here women are considered "inferior". But 2nd one is the most similar. Let me explain it with one example- My aunt used to work in a bank as a loan officer.She was at the verge of getting a promotion. She was soon to be a mother.But as soon as she told about it to her manager.Her promotion was suddenly stopped due to "lack of funds".All her colleagues knew the actual reason as this happened to someone else in the same bank too.After giving birth.My aunt was often despised by the manager and all her skills were suddenly lacking.The manager started to look down on her and she started facing discrimination between her and others.The promotion she was looking forward for months, was given to another man in just 2 weeks.My aunt fed up of all this left her job but struggled to make ends meet.She started to fall into depression and eventually passed away from a heart disease.Caused due to immense stress.It is funny, who could have thought gender inequality can be deadly?Still it is a scenario of many households all over the world.I feel strongly sad on the state of gender inequality in my surroundings.The problem here is most women are not allowed to do jobs.If they do one, they still would have to do the housework no matter how exhausted they are.If we do not stop this and give women equal opportunities we will never actually know their true potential. At this moment I am proud to say that 2nd on the leaderboard is one of my friends tranquil_apple who is a girl.
Thank you!
Same here. All the experiences are similar in my own country but the last one is more similar than the others. I will also like to explain this with an example. My uncle is a welder, so one sunny afternoon, I went to his workshop and found out that he was all alone with no one to help him so I told him I would like to help him after school everyday. He told me to sit down he wanted to tell me something, so I kept quite and listened. He said my beautiful niece a female cannot be a welder because like he said on second thought maybe they can, but I have never seen a female welder and it might be dangerous. I asked how can it be dangerous when I can put on safety glasses. He could not give me an answer and simply said you can go back home and help your mother cook in the kitchen, I will be back soon. When I got home I decided to make a research and then I found out that what he said was true, in my state there are no records of a female welder.
THANK YOU.
Than you for sharing your experience. Do you think these attitudes will change during your lifetime?
Yes I think this will change because I have hope that female genders will be able to do anything they want and they should be treated fairly. women should also hustle and they will be blessed because women also create logics in their heads on how to live their lives that is why i think that mind set will change.
I partially agree with you beause in Nigeria, there are certain jobs that women do or are not allowed to do especially because the general public do not think women are physically or mentally fit to do such as manual labour and bricklaying but i think that this is the choice of the women ecause there ar still women who choose to do these odd jobs not because they are unable to do other jobs but because they have not empowered to do these jobs. I think that for there to be more women in space, they must be empowered because it would not make sense to give a positin to someone just because she is a women.
I am very sorry for what happened to your aunt. It is so horrible that in some countries, employers look down on women if they are pregnant, and they treat them with inferiority without remorse. The women already have to look after the fetus while simultaneously working hard to earn money, and on top of that they have to do the housework as well. This is unfair for the number of mothers who have to go through this pain, and still get discriminated at their workplace.
You are right, we need to give women, especially mothers, equal opportunities and offer them support, or else we won't get anywhere.
I sympathise with your opinions and feelings on this topic, motherhood is a period of time that defines both mother and the child, while the mother learns about the child and develops an unwavering bond the child seeing his/her surroundings starts developing a personality of their own while bonding with their mother and if this beautiful phase in life is termed as a penalty it just increases the hardships of a woman as she has to be a breadwinner while being the bread maker and the situations are even worse for single mothers who struggle to make ends meet. It is already a rocky phase for the woman at the time meanwhile if she is fired from her job it just makes things worse, unfortunately there aren't many countries that impose strict laws or frame policies in favor of mothers which include giving paid maternity leave or ban on firing women whose children are less than 2 years old . Sadly due to these circumstances, many of those in authority think of them as "superior" and these women as inferior and fire them even without any concrete reason not even giving a single thought that its not just one but two lives that are being ruined.
Can you give me some examples of countries where this happens to support your evidence?
Two lives ruined, that is awful! I never thought about the child suffering as well. Thank you for bringing that to mind, mindful_technology. You are right, many mothers are not able to make ends meet because of the harsh treatment they receive from their employers. This means they might not be able to feed their children or may have to sacrifice their own portions for them. This is so sad, the fact that people in power never notice the little ones and never care for them.
I agree with you because it’s really sad that women have to face so many unfair things just because of their gender. Your aunt’s story is so heartbreaking and it shows how much stress and sadness can come from gender inequality. It’s not fair at all that she lost her promotion and was treated badly just because she became a mother. Women should be treated equally, whether they are mothers or not, and their hard work and abilities should always be recognized. It’s so important for people to understand that gender doesn’t define someone’s worth or talent.
It’s also really upsetting that so many women are expected to do all the housework even if they have jobs. That’s a lot of pressure! No one should have to do everything by themselves, especially when they’re already working hard outside the home. Both men and women should share responsibilities equally, and society should encourage this more. If everyone works together, both at home and in the workplace, women would have more chances to grow and reach their potential.
It’s so great to hear that your friend is on the leaderboard! It shows that women are just as capable and talented as anyone else. When women are given the same opportunities, they can achieve amazing things. We all need to keep fighting for equality, so more women can be treated fairly and respected for who they are. We can make the world a better place for everyone by making sure everyone has the same chances to succeed!
Gender disparity has always been a problem in our society. The historical society, for example Ancient Greece was male dominated. The head of the household has always been the man and the woman doing the chores. Women started working probably after the year 1850 for instance they started working in factories, shops etc and it gradually became that woman are equal to men. It took 150 years worldwide for women to start voting( in Greece it happened a bit later. It’s unfortunate though because some people still believe that women deserve less, get payed less and appreciated by less than men.
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I would like to share that my grandmother was one of the first female voters in Greece in the 60s’. 🏛️
I would like ask you a question, "A child and his father went on a road trip, and they crashed. The father died immediately , and his son was taken to the hospital. After several doctors said that he would not make the recovery, the kid was taken to the head surgeon. The surgeon said, 'I can't operate on this patient as he is my son.' How is the patient related to the surgeon(answers at the end)?" I conducted this experiment in my locality, and the results were shocking. To move forward, I consider 1st statement to be the most similar scenario in my country. I think our entertainment industry never showcase women equal to men. I grew up watching them, and I started to think that women belonged to the kitchen. The voice raised by women has softened the tensions regarding gender inequalities. Some measures taken were to establish a woman quota for exams, putting age restrictions on shows which depict women as inferior and passing laws to allow women to have equal inheritance as her siblings. I disagree with the 4th statement as in India, specifically designed products available like riding helmets, football, racquets, cricket ball, etc.
(Answer: it is, of course, his mother. When I asked this question in my neighbourhood, people said that this question was 'impossible' to solve. This social experiment showed that people think women can not accommodate higher positions in medical and engineering fields. I myself got the question wrong the first time I attempted it. The stereotypical thinking is still infused in us Ibdians, but social reformers are turing the table around.)
I completely agree with bright_horse the impact of entertainment media. When women are constantly portrayed in limited roles, it reinforces the idea that they ‘belong’ in certain spaces and not in others. It’s great to see that steps are being taken to challenge these narratives, but there’s still a long way to go.
Also, your point about India having specifically designed products for women is really insightful. While bias in design is a global issue, it’s good to know that some industries in India are addressing this gap. Change is happening—it may be slow, but conversations like this help push things forward!"
Bold_power really interesting thoughts. Do you think media is the only thing that can challenge these narratives? Are there other ways this can happen?
"Media is definitely a powerful tool, but it’s not the only way to challenge these narratives. Education plays a huge role too—when people are taught to question stereotypes from a young age, they grow up more aware. Policies in workplaces and industries also matter because representation isn’t just about what we see on screen, but also who gets opportunities in real life. And of course, conversations like this are just as important—change starts when people start questioning the norm."
Women aren't just portrayed as staying in the kitchen and stay home mums the whole thing being the rational thinkers of the family while the dad is the bumbling idiot I.E. the simpsons, family guy, amazing world of gumball etc.
"That’s a great point! glorious_signature While traditional stereotypes have shifted, there are still patterns in how men and women are portrayed. The ‘competent mom vs. clueless dad’ trope is definitely common, and while it might seem harmless, it still reinforces certain ideas about gender roles. It just goes to show that media shapes perceptions in more ways than we sometimes realize. The key is having more balanced, diverse portrayals—showing both men and women as complex, capable individuals."
Gender inequality is a huge problem that has been going for countless years and still happens today. Many woman world wide suffer from this, for example: many woman may be denied to work at a certain field just because she is a woman. Isn't that insane!
The option that is the most similar to my country(Egypt) is option 1 because most, if not all the movies i watch that are English non-fiction movies or Arabic non-fiction movies all have the woman as the maintainer of the house or the person who takes care of the children. So is media the main reason for gender inequality?
Now, the option that i disagree with is option 2 because mothers in our country are widely agreed as hard workers who will do anything anything to make their children\child happy and healthy at the same time.
I agree with honest_radio because many movies tend to influence people in different ways. Examples are women can't do anything they belong in the house and their job is to clean.
In my country men believe that women belong in the kitchen and in the home. Even some movies that are produced make you understand why people think women belong in the kitchen because I'm the movies the women are always cooking or taking care of the children. People also tend to believe that women are incharge of cooking that they are care givers and housewives/housemaids.
I disagree with the saying of when people say women are not good at any thing only house jobs because they can do more than that.
Thank you.
What are some effective ways to change opinions that are discriminatory towards women?
In my opinion, as an Egyptian, media here, as in Nigeria, often traps women in domestic roles---TV dramas glorify self-sacrificing mothers that sacrifice all their career for their children. Which further perpetuates the notion that a woman's only worth lies in caretaking, not ambition or leadership. Similarly, like India, Egypt's construction and labor sectors remain male-filled with no females in sight. This is because it is deemed "too strenuous" for women, despite countless rural women in agriculture having to toil in the same hot, boiling sun.
But there are still some differences. While American mothers may face workplace bias, Egyptian mothers have to deal with societal and professional hurdles. Many employers assume motherhood diminishes dedication, yet economic necessity forces women to endure conditions they don't deserve. The UK's design inequities such as seatbelts endangering women aren't exactly the norm here. Infrastructure in Egypt being blind to a woman's needs comes more from neglect to women, as they are "inferior" and men are "more mobile".
However, it isn't all bad. Progress has been made, specifically in education, women now outnumber men in universities (schools are NOT the case, the ratio between boys and girls is pretty bad until university comes around). Political representation is still lagging behind (only 27% parliamentary seats) and harassment, whether it be physical, virtual, etc. is still rampant but grassroots movements such as women's rights NGOs ignite hope that Egypt can be free.
Shy_meerkat - you mention some really useful examples of progress and how far we have to go. What are some of the things that have led to greater participation of women in universities in Egypt?
Today, I am going to answer about three questions.
Firstly I am going to answer the first question, which is "Whose experience sounds most similar to what's happening in your country?"
I think that the first experience sound is the most similar to what's happening in my country. For example here in Egypt, Most of the people thinks that women should do all of the house chores for men, like cleaning the house, washing the dishes, cooking, and more.
Secondly, I am going to talk about the second question, which is "Whose experience sound most different what's happening in your country?"
Here in Egypt, there are many women who work, but they work in jobs that are suitable for their gender, so they are already not exposed to danger. Like Medicine, teaching, programing, and more. Because of that, I think that the fourth experience sound is the most different from what's happening in my country.
Finally, I want to answer about the last question, which is "How do you feel about the state of gender equality or inequality where you live?"
I think that all people should be equal. I mean, women should do what suits them. For example, it's not suitable for a woman or a girl to carry heavy weights or do hard labor, but that doesn't mean that she can't work. Similarly, men should help women with household chores, even in the simplest ways. And when it comes to raising children, the mother shouldn't bear all the responsibility alone; the father should also care and share the burden with her. I think that by doing this, we would achieve fairness and equality between the genders.
Thank you for reaching out on my comment .. here is the link of the global economy website that I have got this numbers from…
https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/Egypt/Female_labor_force_participation/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
From my point of view, I think that both the Media and Historical Influence have strongly shaped as to how society views the idea of gender inequality.
With regards to Historical Influence, most communities were very patriarchal - in the sense that men have always had more power and control over everything than women (i.e. men were expected to go to work and women were expected to remain at home). Ultimately, women were legally and socially restricted from many common opportunities such as being able to vote, getting educated, and owning a property. Economically, women were paid very unfairly compared to men, as society still views the work of women as undervalued.
Throughout time, the role of the media has heavily influenced us, as to how it repeatedly reinforces the challenges women face in today's modern society. Like in movies for example, women are often portrayed as housewives and caregivers and how men are usually seen as the 'provider of the family' - usually working within the business and financial sectors in movies. Women are also expected to follow the unrealistic beauty standards such as having an 'hourglass' figure - which can affect their mental health; and can ultimately lead them down the wrong path (i.e. eating disorders and self-esteem issues).
Although, there has been some progress made as to reducing this gender inequality issue, this still stems back into the roots of historical influence upon women, and how the media have forcibly reinforced that idea of viewing women as being undervalued and underappreciated for their efforts into our society.
You say 'society still views the work of women as undervalued'. Can you make this claim for certain? Do you have any evidence against this.
Some examples with what I said about 'society still views the work of women as undervalued' would be the gender pay gap. On average, women earn less than men; even though both are doing the same amount of work with respect to their job roles. Additionally, according to the International Labour Organization; women do around more then 75% of unpaid care work worldwide, which our modern society seldom overlooks how women are not being rewarded financially for their work they've put the effort in.
In retrospect, society stereotypes the jobs in the care sector (i.e. nursing or caregiving) which is mostly associated with women, as often being less paid and less respected compared to male dominant job sectors such as construction and finance.
In my opinion, I think that Gender Equality is a huge problem especially when people all around the world really don't care about Gender Equality especially men.
Men don't really care about Gender Equality and that's why I'm sharing my opinion, being a women is hard especially when being rejected in many many jobs especially the jobs that use strength. For example: mining, construction and even heavy machinery.
You might think that Gender Equality is not really important, but for women Gender Equality is really important because women who can't find a job are normally stressed out and don't know what to do, that is why I think that Gender Equality is really really important.
You say men around the world don't care about gender equality - I'm not entirely sure about this - can you tell us where you found your evidence for this?
I agree with open_ocean the most because women in the US are denied promotions more often.My mother who has 3 kids including me one younger one and one older sibling works in the medical field. She works part-time because she has to pick us up and when she asked to receive a promotion they kept putting it off and this went on for a year. Then when compared to a man working in the same place, same position, less experience, received a higher position quicker. So the fact the hard-working women who happen to be mothers are paid less is very unfair.
From my point of view, the second example is the closest to what happens to mothers in Egypt, to avoid exaggerating, most of them. Many mothers in Egypt face many problems in employment, and they are always judged before knowing their ability to perform this job. HRs , simply look at their CV and read that they have children and this raises questions such as: will she be able to come to work every day and adhere to work hours, or will she be hindered by her children’s education or health conditions? This question represents a major obstacle for the mother in obtaining a job and there is a tiny percentage of mothers, who are not affected by this in their work because their financial and social circumstances allow them to provide all the means of comfort for their children, such as bringing a babysitter to take care of them. These are the smallest percentages, who are not affected by this and they can get promotions and higher salaries, and this is actually what made me say in the first comment that most mothers, due to this small percentage, who are are socially prestigious. This is also what films and series convey to us. We see mothers, who are managers of companies and in high positions, who live in villas and palaces and have maids, who take care of their children.
On the other hand, women seek to work but are either rejected or work in simple jobs with low wages, and they are the ones, who live in popular, simple places. So I excluded the first example because, in Egypt, both cases are reported in films and series.
I think that it is very unfair for women in Egypt and how it is very hard for them to find employment to get a job, they also should not be judged on what they do for their won living. I also think that when the women are being interviewed the person interviewing them, shouldn't have to look at whether they have kids or not and if she is able to work for that job if the women has to deal with healthcare for their child and education for their own child. The people that already work at the business should not have to question about their kids, it is also unfair that only a few percent of women in Egypt actually have a job. Women should be able to have whatever job they like and be able to get into the job whether or not they have children or not.
In my opinion number 4 is the most thing that is happening here in Egypt because they build alot of things for men only I mean that they build things that supposed to be for men and woman and it is not sutoble for women like, seat belt, ladders , door viewer , and many other things . For the seat belts they are making it so big not sutoble for women and for the ladder they are making it so long and also not suitable for women and for the door viewer they are making it so high and women can't see from it because it is high ,and finally in my opinion this is really not fair and we have to solve this problem.
In my country, mostly all of these experiences are occurring, but the most relevant choice has to be the second one. As the same thing that happens with the US, is the same in Egypt. In Egypt, most women need a very long time away from not just their jobs, but everything to ensure they are spending enough time with their children. So that is why the government offers mothers a 4 month holiday called a childcare holiday to be able to take care of their children. But sometimes mothers are still seen as less hard-working , which in my opinion is total disrespect of how hard mothers are working, either with their children or job.
I think gender inequality is a problem here that is mostly built in the minds of people because of demanding stereotypes that are very controlling to people's ways of thinking here in Egypt. It is like a joke for a girl to say they want to be a mechanic or a construction builder. This is because of what people assume and think , so many girls are stopped from performing such jobs because of stereotypes that suggest that those jobs are only for men and not for women.
To sum up, I think that gender inequality is a huge global problem that is faced in every country as no matter the power and integrity one makes, nobody is ever going to pleased. So we should start to treat women and men equally and prioritize both genders and not just one.
Thanks for sharing your experience. What do you think can be done to make the biggest change and shift attitudes?
In my opinion, a person who loves something, believes in it and tries hard to get it will get it. I read a quote that I liked, "You will never fail until you stop trying." You will not be able to force society to change its view of women. The only thing that forces her is her will and efforts to get the position she wants. As my colleague commented, a woman will face a lot of ridicule when she says she wants to work in construction or as a mechanic. This is indeed true, but this ridicule is not only from men, but from women like her as well. Therefore, there is no solution other than proving herself at work and trying to develop and have self-confidence. Albert Einstein said: "I am grateful to all those who told me no, because thanks to them I do it myself." And George Bernard Shaw said: "He who cannot change his thoughts cannot change anything." Therefore, the woman herself must be proud of herself and her abilities, and begin to change all the negative ideas rooted in her mind, and thus succeed and gradually make society change its point of view. There are models of women who have achieved success and become more famous than many men in many fields in Egypt, such as Dr. Yasmine Salah El-Din, Minister of Environment, swimmer Rania Elwani, Dr. Tahani El-Gebali, the first Egyptian woman to assume the profession of judge in Egypt, and in America the famous broadcaster Oprah. All of these became this way because they believed in themselves and wanted to be so, so they succeeded.
Number these things are likely to be seen in my country .
in my(Nigeria) country we do have some women working as house wives because the society dont count them fit for some well payed jobs in the country . Back in the days of old i also heard that in my country women education was not allowed and this had negative impact on girls like illetracy, child brides which mean giving young girls out at early age for marriage.
Gender inequality in my country is mostly influenced br cultures and beliefs. In my country Nigeria women are considered inferior while men are considered superior especially in Northern Nigeria. In Nigeria,women are not allowed to go into politics and in most parts of Nigeria girl child are not allowed to go to school which is a great harm to future of social he country. There is a saying in Nigeria anything a man can do a woman can do it better so I believe they should be equality between the both genders and with that there would be proper cooperation and development in Nigeria.
THANK YOU
Thank you for sharing how gender inequality exists in your country. Why is it especially important to see more gender equality within politics? What do you think can be done to start to change this?
I can most relate to gentle_rock as much media depiction shows women as domestic beings who are just "made" to be mothers or housewives. Additionally, some social media influencers are mostly popular for being good cooks, stay-at-home moms, or just being at home and serving their families.
Why do you think these influencers are so popular today?
I'm not so sure of a definite reason, but I think they're so popular now because people live somewhat of a "romanticized" or fantasy world where they see themselves as different influencers such as girls following "Cooking with Kya" or Nara Smith and want to be able to cook. Another possible reason could also be in a more negative light where influencers become popular because of all the criticism they get from viewers online, which boosts their popularity.
In my opinion, the comment created by gentle_rock in nigeria is the comment that I can relate to the most because in most of the movies I have seen the woman most likely to play the domestic role. But at the same time this has been caused by some movies being very stereotypical as to what women actually are capable of. On the other hand the comment created by tranquil_apple in india is the comment I least related to because in the U.S. there are not as many male dominant careers as there have been in the past. I agree but in the U.S. I am starting to see women in all types of jobs.
Can you give some examples of jobs where you are starting to see more women work in?
Yes, some examples of jobs that I've been starting to see more women in are the medical field, the space program, and companies that have something to do with fast food. Also I feel like this was more of a problem back than it is now. As more women have jobs now than before, the statistic is 95% of fathers have jobs but, only 52% of mothers do. To conclude, I'm starting to see more women in more workforces.
I agree because... The U.S. has been creating more jobs for women and has been accepting more, so we see more women. Along with this, it's honestly quite rare to see movies where women play the stronger role. The movies that do have women as the stronger person often become popular because they're rare to actually find.
I strongly agree with tranquil_apple. In my country (US) , women are not as widely accepted and supported when is comes making a staple in male dominated spaces. For example, in this most recent election, thousands of individuals did not want to support Kamala Harris because she was a woman. Even people who possibly could have supported her beliefs, did not vote for her because they believed that she was not fit for office because of her gender. Also, when it comes to women being elected in political office it is such a big milestone because women are so scarce in those fields, like in the Supreme Court and Representative houses. Also, I feel very intrigued about the state of inequality in my country. I believe it is getting worse as more men are squeezing their way in places where they will have immense power. And as determined as women, and people as a whole are to stop and reduce sexism and gender inequality, it's becoming more difficult and even harder to maintain the gender equality we have.
In my opinion, the idea that women are constantly given domestic roles in media by gentle_rock resonates the most in the United States. In modern-day movies, made in the past twenty years, create unintentional gender stereotypes and roles. The Avengers, for example, tend to prioritize making male characters, like the Hulk, Captain America, and Iron Man, powerful and muscular. However, for female characters like Scarlet Witch, the movie portrays them smaller -- they tend to be more petite, less aggresive, more sexualized, and helpless.
Beyond movies, social media as a whole contributes heavily to the way people see women. If you ever open up social media apps like TikTok or Instagram, there is a stigma against women who go to the gym or attempt to look "bulky". This perception is constantly stimulated and displayed through comments and reposts, which causes the ideas to spread to people who may be associated. In general, gender stereotypes run rampant on the media, and heavily contribute to the way women are treated and represented.
2 for me sounds close to home because nowadays most WNBA don't get recognized like NBA here in America.There is still sexism for some job interviews.Sometimes women are often shunned into a corner where they are not qualified.Mainly males are dominating scientist, physical work, and mathematics work industries.While women mainly take care of daycare, and teaching and mainly anything dealing with kids it actually insane in the differences between them.Women aren't taken seriously enough to be given jobs and opportunities to help and work.There is is still so much sexism or gender inequality for today's women.You mainly see men in surgeries and in space.Thank you for reading this <3.
I think that in America specifically, the stereotypical media is what is impacting gender inequality the most. In America, the movie industry is very large, providing a wide-ranging amount of films for us to watch. I grew up watching a lot of films where women were often seen as the weaker link. This allowed me to grow up having this mindset that all women are supposed to be weak and feminine. Not only this but, actresses that I used to look up to, they all have been given the role of a super feminine woman that's only used for her body. I think this has definitely altered the way that not only me, but many other kids around the world think. Watching the media imply this gender inequality can definitely change the way that we think, leading to more sexism in the world. However, as I grew up, I started watching more films where women weren't seen as a vulnerable weak link, but instead an empowering and influential person who changed lives, which was Barbie. There were different movies which displayed her as different careers. Barbie and the Mariposa, which showed her as a magical princess who saved her whole kingdom, when a man couldn't. Barbie and the three musketeers, when her and her friends broke the rules and became the first girl musketeers, who protected the royal family. Going from watching films where women were portrayed as vulnerable and frail to watching films where women were heroes was a big change. If we keep showing youth the films where women are delicate and puny weaklings, instead of powerful leaders, what message are we teaching them?
Similar to the fact that some people agree that men should be allowed to work in places that women shouldn't, I think the recent election that's happened in my country aligns with that. The two candidates were a woman and a man. However, although Kamala, in my opinion, is qualified for the job as she as served as the first woman, African American, and South Asian American to take the role as the attorney general of California. Not only this but, she was also the first female vice president. After all she has done, there are still many people who think that just because she is a woman, she is unable to do the job of a president. There have been many adults who are fully aware of her past of an attorney general and a former vice president, and still will not vote for her just because she is a woman. I've questioned some adults during the election why they voted for Trump, and all their reasoning consisted that Kamala was a woman and couldn't protect the country as well as a man could. Furthermore, people also seem to claim that Kamala had to bribe her voters or supporters. Trump has the second highest vote count in total in U.S history, why don't people claim that he bribed his voters? Is it because Kamala's a woman?
Personally, I believe that all of the 4 options in my country (the United States) are currently happening, but the most prevalent in our society is tranquil_apple's inquiry about the misjudgements of women not being properly fit to work inside of male dominated industries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 60% of job profession employees are male, meaning that men have the majority when dealing with opportunities and having a equal environment. I believe that this is because during past times, such as the Egyptian Empire, men were used for the unforgiving physical activities such as building the Great Pyramids of Giza. Unfortunately, those traits carried along, and the past, (in my opinion), have been carried onto the present, leading more and more people to have the understanding that women are still unable to work physically demanding jobs. I think that this is extremely unfair, and that the ways in my countries society are unfair and that women should be able to make the decisions that they deem fit or themselves, and not having another main decided what job they should and shouldn't be able to work.
The experience that sounds the most similar to what is happening in my country is number 1 from gentle_rock. Most books I have read from my country contain mostly what is happening in villages, women doing the cooking going to the well or stream to fetch water etc. This is a stereotype because most times men go to the farm to work and sell their farm produce even though women go to the farm with them they end up doing a lot of work and the money not shared evenly the man keeps all the money with him and not will not give it to the woman, (unless she needs it to buy foodstuff) which is unfair.
Till today many stories and villages have stereotyped certain rivers and lakes. For example it is forbidden that a man should not go to a certain lake or stream.
In many movies I have watched I hardly see a man cooking, washing and doing household activities.
Gender inequality is like a shadow that follows women everywhere: at home, at work, on the streets. In my PoV A women can be smartest in her class, but when it’s time for her to choose a career, she’s told to pick something “SUITABLE FOR A WOMAN”. In India a women can be hardworking and talented, but the moment she gets married or has children, her ambitions are questioned. Will she still be committed to her dreams? Will she be able to balance work and family? These questions are never asked of men.
In india, in construction sites, factories and in IT Industries, we will rarely see women. Not because they aren’t capable, but because society has already decided for them that “THIS IS NOT FOR U”. Even in politics, where decisions are made for the whole country, women’s voices are barely heard.
And SAFETY? That’s another battle in India. A women in India can achieve everything such as education, success, respect but still fear walking home alone at night. What kind of freedom is this?
Yet, changes are happening. Women are breaking barriers, entering spaces where they were once unwelcome. More girls are going to school, more women are leading businesses. But the progress is slow and the weight of tradition is heavy. If we want a real change, we don’t just need laws, we need a shift in mindset. We need to stop seeing women as exceptions when they succeed and start seeing them as equals.
Thank you :)
To me, the experience that sounds most familiar in my country (Spain) is number 3: in all my life, I have hardly ever seen female construction workers, there were only men. And at hospitals and schools, most nurses and teachers were female, which sort of makes a reference to the "women are caretakers" statement.
All the other experiences sound different, as in my country, women and men are seen more or less equal. It is true that in some workplaces, females get paid less than their male coworkers, and there are specific groups of people in certain neighbourhoods who are quite sexist, but gender equality in Spain is very developed. For example, Isabel Ayuso is the president of our capital, Madrid, and she has a lot of power and influence.
I am glad that Spain promotes gender equality, and I hope other countries (such as Egypt or India) manage to do the same in the future.
Do you think men and women experiences the same challenges in their careers in Spain or, for example, do you think Isabel Ayuso may have faced more difficulties and criticism throughout her career?
Thank you for the question, Ema @ USB.
In Spain, experiences are more or less the same when it comes to careers, regardless of gender, because we have managed to abolish quite a few stereotypes. But I'm sure that some women do face discrimination from others or from their coworkers, like in the Guardia Civil, for example. That is because most of the people in those jobs are men.
Isabel Ayuso probably did face criticism in her career, but it is mostly because she is the spokesperson of PP (a political party), and the supporters of PSOE (another political party) don't really like PP. Isabel Ayuso is a sneaky woman and morally not a very good person, but it's good that she is a woman in power because she can be a role model for other girls.
I hope my comment helped.
Option 3 is very similar to what is happening in my country. If you pay attention to all constructing and wood work jobs, the highest percentage of women are about 5% and below in Nigeria. Sometimes, when I see a female mechanic, builder, or constructor, it feels weird because not many women are into this stuff and it is not only for the women because when I see a male nurse or babysitter, I start to wonder and this shows that we are all guilty of having that type of mentality but unless we don't change our mindset first, we won't be able to convince others.
I go with option 1. As its mentioned, in several movies, imaginary stories, we happens to see that women will be locked with the family, she'll be fully family oriented. But the men will do remaining all characters such as engineer, technician, architect, etc. This happens very commonly. But the real thing is women are the real multitaskers than men. But the chances given to them is very few when compared to men. If they were given exact chances women will do the best in all nature of works. If chances provided them in equality, then the Gender equality will also comes true. As we know that Some technical works are harder for women, which is the reason for giving then lesser chances. But if they properly practices such hard works, women do it better than men and will shine more. Should Give them the opportunities and lets see the how the world changes.
Please could you explain what you mean by 'some technical works are harder for women'?
Yes. Harder works i meant are such as mining work, bomb disposal worker, loggers, stunt works, adventure in sports etc....
Yes. Harder works i meant are such as mining work, bomb disposal worker, loggers, stunt works, adventure in sports etc....
In Indonesia, gender inequality is often shown as how women are shown in the media, similar to the situation said by gentle_rock. In Indonesia, the media often shows women doing housework or taking care of children, while men are working outside and being "the more dominant one". This can limit women's chances to succeed in their carriers or take on important roles. Many women in Indonesia face problems like earning less money than men or not having the chance to move up in their jobs. This happens because of their "outdated" minds about what women should be doing, which the media keeps pushing. When women are always shown in the same roles, it makes it harder for them to be take seriously.
I feel that there's still much work to do to address gender inequality in my country. The hardest issue, in my opinion, is changing the mindset. Just like in the example, if the media showed women in different, strong roles, it can send a powerful message about equality. Education plays a big role here too, it's important to teach kids how they think, they need to know no matter their gender, everyone has the same potential to succeed.
I believe that all the problems that were mentioned above are faced by all the women in Egypt except problem D. These problems are not actually problems. They are disasters and calamities consequently I cannot ignore one of them.
PROBLEM A
In Egypt, social media has a great impact on how the community for women is seen. Women's representations in media can lead to sexual stereotypes problems. They are represented in the Egyptian's traditional roles to people as wives and mothers, but men are represented in the strong and significant roles. All of this happens frequently in films, series, advertisement and programs. Furthermore, if there was a film that shows a woman as a hero, there must be a problem with her at the end moreover the one who will rescue her will be a man so he will be the hero instead her. For example, the Egyptian film, Timur and Shafeeka. Shafeeka was acting as a knowledgeable girl that was an environment minister. At the end of the film, she was kidnapped and Timur (a man) rescued her.
PROBLEM B
In Egypt, when a woman becomes a mother, she sometimes loses the opportunity of promoting, pay and she can lose her work, and she will be seen as the woman that cannot work. This happens mostly in the private sectors.
PROBLEM C
It is linked to problem A because in Egypt people see the woman as an extremely weak person furthermore this increases the stereotypes. This leads to the lack of creativity.
PROBLEM D
This problem is specialized to old people because they need special things.
To sum up, Egypt is working hard to solve these problems.
I live in India where gender inequality is a major issue .here from centuries there is a stereotype that men are more dominant and the decision makers. Where as for womens it is thought that they should take care of whole family and do the household works. We get the examples for this from the rulers era where a female ruler was criticized even after perfect governance where as men was appreciated after creating havoc in their area. in India all these four point of experiences are true.
But the experiences that are the most familiar in my country are the 2nd and 3rd opinions. Let me explain why.
As told in the second experience in India after becoming mother their are often challenges faced for recieving promotion as their is often felt that the working capability of mothers decreases. Also they could give less time as they have to spend time taking care of their children atleast till they turn a year old. Also they get less salary, difficulty in finding job, and even find the workplace policies unfair.
As the third opinion states, in India various works not only mining , factory workers etc, but also being police officers , drivers are male dominant. People think that women's are not very physically strong and reduce the efficiency of performing that task.
I think In India another problem is giving all household responsibility to girl, but I think mens can also help them in their works decreasing the work pressure on them.
In India the situations are not very well but still have evidently improved with time which I believe would become better after a few years.
Women can often be criticized more throughout their careers. Why do you think we see less female figures in high positions of power across the globe?
example 1 and 2 spoke levels to me. I enjoy movies so very much, and I'm glad I wasn't the only one who takes note of the way women are written - especially by men; usually. - so many movies die down the actuality of how people explain being a women, and either write women to be made for the male lead, or make them hated by a fandom for actually being a good example of a woman. going back to example 2, the amount of things women have to face once pregnant is baffling. maternal leave for work meaning making less money depending on the industry, balancing school hours for said child and work hours for the mother, groceries, clothing, transportation, and so much more is pushed apun women who are either with child or expecting. and what I brought up in another comment is the fact my mother is expecting, so seeing the effects of this take toll on her can be so very sad
In my country, Egypt, we are facing gender inequality in all shapes but the most similar experience is experience number 2 because I know many women who are working really great and in a magnificent way. But when they had children, they were dismissed from the employment because the manager thought that she will not work hard anymore. This is something that is very unfair that all managers do so I hope it would be solved as fast as possible to prevent poverty that may happen to women.
The most different experience that I have never seen in my country (Egypt)is experience number 1. Because what happens is the opposite. What I mean with opposite is that in movies, women are given their rights and are treated nicely and fairly. And this is not good because they are lying and this is not what happens in reality. So, it is much better to show what happens in reality rather than lying. Also, in movies women can work and do whatever they want and they have the freedom to do and even go space but it is not real as well.
Actually I am feeling extremely sad and angry of the gender inequality in Egypt. Some examples of gender inequality are:
1-Only men can work some industries
2-Women and girls are treated violently
3-Women are paid less than men
4-Only boys educate but girls NO
However Egypt is trying to reduce gender inequality, for example, they made some organizations like UNICEF(for children) and we are trying to encourage women. So I am feeling excited for these improvements.
I think 1 is the most similar one to our country(Egypt) because lately in the serieses or movies, it is always showing that a normal woman should ONLY grow up(without studying or going to school, university, etc), get married, cook for her family, give birth to kids, make them grow up and so on. Which made most of the mothers in Egypt think that this is true, which is not! A woman can do these things plus, working or traveling and studying, etc.
But I think the most different one from my country(Egypt) is 4 because I guess like 95% of the things made in Egypt for both genders (male/ female). So i guess only 3 or 4% of the things are made for specific genders like for example some beds are for babies and some for kids, teenagers, adults, etc.
The conclude, I'd like to say that not everything are for specific genders and also not everything are for both genders so, it's okay if there is something not for our gender.
Thank you topical talkers!
I mostly agree with gentle_rock. This is because I've had the most experiences with. In most books I've read, the woman is the submissive one, and they mostly make her seems shy and like she's scared of even a fly. I feel like this is wrong.. books have endless possibilities, and this could be the opportunity to make women seem powerful and capable, but no. There's only one book I've read read where a woman is seen as a strong person: Percy Jackson. In this book series, one of the characters is shown as a strong, fearless woman. I feel like this was such a good book and really helped show women to be more than just submissive people who can't do anything but be in a kitchen or take care of a family.
Hello topical talkers,
The most similar experience to Egypt is the one from tranquil_apple's prospective as most of the industrial jobs are rarely worked by women like mining, construction and heavy machinery which are hated jobs for women as they their gender is known for not having nerves controls which is not true for all women.
The most different experience is positive_kiwifruit's experience as woman are also hated to drive also for the same reason. Thank you!
In my country, example 2 is the most active. Mothers and women are treated differently from men. Society denies the inequality, but it's there, subtle and unspoken of. Not only are mothers and women denied promotions and discriminated against, but we also get paid less. According to the Pew Research Center, women get paid around 82% of what men get paid, for the SAME job. This is absurd! Despite being human beings like them, they treat us differently, more often than not we're seen as merely "decoration". Let's take for instance the news, almost every news channel has a male AND female reporter. The man could be ANYONE, yet the woman ALWAYS has to be beautiful and young. They're meant to capture the audience. The amount this is implemented upsets me, why do they treat us like this? Why do they expect different things from us??
Now, the experience that is most different from what is happening in my country is example 1: women are mostly given domestic roles and social media contributes to the way society sees women. In my country, social media actually amplifies the voices of women. On social media we see MANY female content creators, empowered and joyful. We see the reality of the life of a woman, their struggles and their triumphs. Social media proves us with a lens of the achievable, successful women!!! Women who ignore the bias towards men and strive forward more than a man tries to achieve what they were told was unachievable. I believe social media actually contributes to female empowerment in my country. It is truly a beautiful and inspirational thing to witness.
As a Nigerian myself opinion one really speaks, to me, this sort of gender inequality is very popular even outside my country Africa as a whole suffers from, in most media made here, we see women taking a secondary role, the chances are very slim to see them taking the role of main or at least primary supporting character. As for what sounds different, what open_ocean said is far from what is represented here, because where I come from women are seen as very hardworking, so hardworking, that along with the responsibilities of motherhood society has also forced may other workloads on them, but in recent times things have changed and I really feel good about the way things are going, we are getting more women in public offices and women have more political power, we even have a woman as our deputy governor, mothers are allowed to have maternity leaves if they choose to, and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us.
In my opinion, none of the experiences being shared is going on where I live. I say so because where I stay , Jos, Plateau State, ( Jos South ) both gender do similar jobs;
Homes in my neighborhood, all the children both male and female take part in chores and some people even do them as jobs for their benefit.
Both male and female also get involved in construction works here etc.
Well, I can say that there has actually been improvements as both gender can do majority of the jobs here and it is really working for the best.
In my opinion, the experience of motherhood penalty said by open_ocean is related to what's happening in the United States. Motherhood penalty is when mothers are treated and seen as less equal. In addition, open_ocean is right about the responsibilities of becoming a mother such as:
1. Having to stay up late
2. Having to plan household arrangements
3. Meeting daily needs
Furthermore, becoming a mother means lack of sleep and time for yourself, having to take care of the baby and household becomes a struggle to balance. Since balancing your everyday life may become challenging for mothers, they can get a decrease in pay, higher risk of unemployment, and many other occasions as seen in the United States. In conclusion, motherhood becomes a challenge for many and often leads to mistreatment from businesses, companies, society, and hirers.
I agree with point 3 because in my country, women are often seen as less hardworking, lazy and should only be home bearing children it is indeed unfair to them
Hello, I think that tranquil_apple mentioned the situation that is commonly found in, Egypt, as many women don't like having some tough jobs like plumber and it is illegal to be in the army and women don't even have a problem or bother which makes the situation with tranquil_apple similar to my situation.
I think that positive_kiwifruit's situation is alot different than the situation in my country as my country is always looking out for ideas out of the box as most things in here are made to well-suit both females and males so that no one would have a problem and I have never saw a woman in Egypt complaining about something like that so positive-kiwi fruit is the experiencing the most different situation in my point of view.
I think that there are some problems solved and some are still in here, but I feel happy for the continuous improvements in my country and even there are more problems getting solved and things are better.
As someone coming from the United States i'd say gentle_rock is the most relatable in our country, when watching most movies typically from America they usually put women, mother, or daughters in the cleaning, caregiving, and domestic roles which may be easy to ignore although there is definitely a deeper meaning behind it, this is because our country is so used to putting women in the stereotypical roles which can shape a problem and possibly cause someone to feel a certain way, especially from a females perspective. Even though there are many other movies with independent women representation at the same time there's more movies that don't represent that beauty and characteristic which you may not realize how it's gender inequality but it definitely is a small contribution even if it's not the intention.
I believe positive_kiwifruits is the most different from what's happening in our country, I say this because throughout the U.S. men typically get into more fatal car accidents more than women which can be sited off the internet so I think that doesn't really apply to our country injury wise and how the test dummies contribute to gender inequality.
As for my area I feel like the state of gender inequality needs too and could be improved although I will say I appreciate how more tame gender inequality is in the U.S. even though there are still major issues involving stereotypes, the motherhood penalty, man leading jobs, etc I do believe it's better equality wise.
In conclusion though the U.S. has made equality changes there is still room for many improvements.
Here in the UK, thankfully gender inequality isn't as bad as it was in the past. However it is still a thing that needs addressing,most women that join jobs are automatically paid less due to their sex at birth. This is a big problem and needs addressing in higher detail.
I do mostly agree with you, efficient_tiger, I just want to add a couple more facts. I think that numbers 2 and 3 relate most to what is happening in my country, the UK. For number 2, the motherhood penalty occurs a lot, however, it is not because businesses think that mothers are going to slack a lot it’s because they are pregnant or have a newly born baby. I understand why they would do this because women can’t put so much effort into their work but it is still unfair. It is also unjust as men still get to do it whilst women are either paid less or they don’t get employed at all and that needs to change. I also think number 3 relates to what is happening in the UK because, for example, you think of football, but you think of men playing it, like gender stereotypes. Actually, this is since men dominate football; there are more players, teams and supporters for men but we can’t keep going on like this. We need women to lead businesses and run companies and be in companies. If we did this then the world will be more equal, more diverse, more inclusive and more fair. That’s what happening in my country. I utterly agree but I just wanted to add more of my facts and opinions. Thank you.
In my opinion, my country, Egypt, is more similar to number three. As jobs that require strength are mostly flooded with men. But actually many women are strong and can take those jobs. But people believe that only men can take those jobs and that women are too weak to acquire them. Which is a very big problem because why differentiate between the two genders when the better option is working together and achieving equality. So if we manage to change those people's mindsets it'll be good for Egypt
I believe that the third problem is most sounded problem in our country, especially in industries like heavy machinery and construction, where there are lesser women workers. This is largely due to the thoughts of some people that women cannot perform such tasks as well as men because they are stronger than men. Additionally, many women fear working in these industries. Day by day, women face more gender discrimination and are more negatively affected by men. Society often views women as being better for caregiving roles and managing family
responsibilities.
In particular, in our state of Tamil Nadu, these issues are happeningmore . And In Kerala, men dominate the women and deny them opportunities. While men also face some set of problems, women face more challenges, such as sexual harassment and other harmful issues. In India, there are only about 7 million women workers compared to 50 million men, highlighting a great gender gap in the workforce.
If we can overcome these issues, our country could become the best."
Interesting ideas. What can be done to try to overcome these issues?
I feel more comfortable with the third topic, because in our country, India 90% of men is working in the field of construction, and unfortunately, only 10% of women. Since there is a great difference, from this we can strongly say that most of women are restricted in the field of construction because of discrimination, social stereotypes, work life balance , social norms, limited opportunities, family's pressure, and safety concerns . Also , the society will discourage women by telling, womens are not at all physically strong, they are completely weak and useless, but ,that is absolutely false. they are great and strong. By, the society 's discouragement, womens are also mentally depressed. By generating women role models in this field of construction, I think it will bring a extraordinary impact that will prove the society. By thinking the safety of the women, the families are afraid to send women, out of the door. According to me, womens are like diamonds. Diamond is the world's precious stone and also the world's strongest substances, like that each and every women are presious and strong...
I think the most similar it's a mix between 1 and 3 because usually in Romania there are still writers that write about their life when they were younger and they would write about how they stayed with their mother back home and the mother took care of them. A lot of people read this books and they just think it is normal, but the times changed. You can't blame them because if see it in books that are about real life, then they will just think it's normal. For example there is this popular book in Romania called Childhood memories by Ion Creanga where he wrote stories about how he stayed with his mother at home when he wasn't at school. This book was written like 150 years ago, but people read to this day and when they found out about the stories how he stayed at home with his mother, people will think that this is still normal. I actually think that books and movies contributed quite a lot on how women are seen by the rest of the world. Also, it is less likely to see in Romania a women working as a miner or a builder because the people that hire don't think that a women is as strong as a men which isn't true and women should have the possibility to become a builder or a miner because they would have the same strength as a men if they are properly trained.
The most different one is number 2 because in Romania mothers are seen more hard-working as they to take care of the kids, but to also work at a job which is hard. Also women don't get denied promotions , they actually have the same chance as men.
So, this is the situation in Romania.
What can be done to promote greater equality in Romania?
In Romania, girls might faces challenges because of their gender, but they aren't the only that faces discrimination. In Romania there is the Roma community that faces a lot discrimination, but I don't know why. They are just people like Romanians, but Romanians hate them because you hear bad stereotypes about this community. Of course this stereotypes aren't true.
So, to promote greater equality in Romania the government should make sure that everyone should have access to education, especially in the rural areas of the Country where there is a lack of education. Also there should be given aid to kids that their families have a lower incomer like the kids from the Roma Community. Also in schools there could be added courses that will teach about gender equality and diverse cultures and what they are good for our society. This is what the government can do about education.
Also in the job sector, women would be payed the same amount as men and mothers would be payed more because they gave to take care of the children too. Also, I think minorities and women should be encouraged to enter politics and give their opinion.
This are just some ideas that the government of Romania could put in use so everyone would be equal.
Comment number 4's experience is most similar to our country in the U.S. as most things that are designed for "all" people. For example in the US military equipment like armors,shoes and helmets during 2016 they did make 6 extra smaller sizes for women but never addressed or fixed shoe or helmet sizes. Another example is science gear,in us most equipment is designed for men like clothing that gets caught in moving equipment,boots that are too big and easy to fall and trip in. Not only that purchasing the women's versions are often more expensive,have smaller pockets and don't fit well.
In my perspective today, number 3 and 4 are also things I see here in America.
Number three makes a valid claim that is seen throughout the world. Generally, women are seen as weak and at times it is true. AS A GIRL SPEAKING, most people get upset or offended when it is stated that women are weak. Scientifically speaking, an average man would be stronger than an average woman as they each face different events throughout their lives (such as hitting puberty first or what not). As studies show, citing from princeton.edu, men could easily gain muscles than women and are stronger in the upper body. I am not saying that all women are not capable of these jobs, but that it is genetics giving a helping hand for equality. Imagine most women, who are fragile, being in a construction site, working all day long. Yes, they can train to become stronger, but naturally they are weaker. However, women should not use this as an excuse to not do anything at all; we all have rights and should use them for the benefit of our community and the world.
Furthermore, as positive_kiwifruit has stated, I have seen at local stores, items such as knee braces or medical equipment have the packaging of a male wearing it. It is not only SOME packages that I have seen with men and others with women, but all of them have a picture of a man. It is stereotypical that women would not need these braces, as it is believed that they do not usually take part in risky sports or activities too.
Although all the ideas are prevalent in my country (America), I believe that Idea 2 is the most similar to what people experience or say in my country. It is very common for people to see mothers in the workforce and assume that they have a lot on their plate simply because they have children. I have even witnessed my own family members do this. We were watching the news and I heard my family talking about the female news reporter, saying "She's started looking old because of her children." Even if that is true, why assume that a woman's hard work and determination means nothing just because she's a woman? When I overheard their conversation I noticed that this belief is more widespread than we think.
I also believe that Idea 4 is most different from what's happening in my country. For most products there is some sort of feminine version of it. But this isn't always in a positive way. The pink tax is basically a higher tax that gets put on things women buy, even if it's a regular item that happens to be pink.
Gender inequality is one of the major problems in our country. Nowadays, it becomes a burning question. This is a multi-dimensional social and economic issue. The first and third facts are quite similar to the current contexts of gender inequality in Bangladesh 🇧🇩
A.Role of media: In Bangladesh, the portrayal of women in the media silk works in a gender based way. In dramas, movies and advertisements, women are mainly shown as household responsibilities or helpers, which on the one hand highlights the traditional household role of women & on other hand reinforces the definition of gender based roles in society. This has a huge impact on women's employment and decision making power. At the same time, it is important to bring about changes in social Expectations & Attitudes.
B. Discrimination in employment & industry: Women's participation in heavy industry and construction is also low in Bangladesh🇧🇩. Women's participation improvations such as construction or meaning is limited. Although the number of women in the read-made garment industry is high-level positions or Technology-based work is limited.
But, others 2 idea's are not similar to Bangladesh.
There 2 causes are:
1.Bangladesh has a legal system for
providing Maternity to working for women. (2 number idea's)
2. Notable things in Bangladesh are designed with the average size of. It is relatively less important in the discussion of genetic inequality in Bangladesh🇧🇩 (4 number idea's)
gentle_rock's comment is similar in my country. India is developing but gender inequality still exists here . In India some families still prefer women to be housewives after marriage to take care of their family and wants them to work like a robot 24/7 to serve their family . In 1900s time women never came out from their home. They used to wear shawls to cover them . Women are always commanded to do something about which they should not argue a word or else they'll get beaten by their husbands .They are not allowed to wear the dress they like or do what they like . They just have to do everything what their family told to do. In those days the society thought that men are brilliant than women but they were wrong. Now there are many women succesful in various fields .They have started to earn for themselves and started to chase their dream . They overcame their past and started new beginnings and the society have to accept it and support them. There are many women who are successful in their career for example kiran mazumdar shaw the first women billionaire in india and indra nooyi the former ceo of pepsico.
In my view I think it is number 1, this is because in most movies i see women acting the role of caregiver's in the workforce. When it comes to work or the office ,I see below 5 in 10 women representation in high positions. Women are mostly likely seen to being house wives and not working in a high position. A statistic of below 35% of women are in lead roles and few take management roles (tech companies) but in hair styling or makeup companies, about 70-80% of women are most likely to be seen being the CEO's or in high positions.
Also in movies women are most likely to be seen being victims of kidnap while men are most likely to be shot with a gun. Most men are rarely seen or giving roles of dancing, hugging each other or seen crying nor screaming in most movies. Only women are most likely to be seen in such roles.
The media also contributes by stereotyping, making such comments on their behaviors, interest and sometimes even refer to women as the weaker vessel.
Movies are supposed to have gender equity devoid of stereotyping women.
I agree with tranquil_apple because I strongly believe that this is the truth of India. People believe that women are not made for doing physical work or jobs. But the truth is that women in India are stronger than men. Women work all day, cooking food, cleaning, looking after their family and other countless household chores,which requires a lot of physical work and is really physically demanding. Although,in urban areas and metro cities,these stereotypes are drifting away and women have started doing countless jobs and businesses independently. But still,in rural areas these stereotypes are a big issue.
I strongly agree with statement one because media has a big effect on everyday life so this happening in the media industry would explain why this is so wide spread.
Building on your point respectful_bell, women are still objectified in literature and movies despite how much the media sings praises on how much society has improved. A third of women in many movies are hyper sexualised to appease to men who in which are the critics and directors. Due to this, there are only 32.8% of women acting compared to the high percentage of men and only 17% of films hire people fairly preferring men for leads in films.
The media continues on ignoring this and allows those who view it to believe women are not good actors. In July 2023, the barbie movie was released and everyone was talking about it in the media but it quickly shift to Oppenheimer the very next day due to the sexism that is still in the media. Even then, all eyes were on Ryan Gossling with his meme song instead of the heartfelt truth that America Farrerah acted due to her being a woman that did continue to the oscars and many other events.
So I agree with this point that the media does effect the view of women due to how they show it in movies and litereture.
One is more prevalent that I have seen in my life since most of the women specifically in America for being the most "free" country or nation or safe place as some might call it, are often looked down upon even though our country is supposed to view everyone as equals. The one most different or less seen in my life Is number four since most of the women in my country aren't found to be in more accidents that I have heard of, but if it was more of a large issue then I would've heard of it by now. I feel that within America there is definitely an imbalance between the two genders biased towards men, but it is slower improving depending on how the leader of the country is leading it. The problems that are in the country are that women are often viewed as inferior to men, but not as inferior as in I think Saudi Arabia, and they are progressing in some areas while it is becoming less prevalent in others.
In my country, i’m proud to say that gender inequality is one of the lowest in the European Union.
I’ve done some research on EIGE Europa, and surprisingly found out that the employment rate for women in Romania is lower that men, with 60.6% of women employed compared to 78.9%. I find this incredible, as in other countries it’s quite the opposite. But, there are also some jobs which do include gender inequality. For example, construction industries. I’ve seen other comments talk about this job being very common in gender inequality, and yes, it’s available in Romania also. I personally haven’t ever seen a woman working in construction work, which if i sit to think about, out of the population of 19.06 million in 2023, I know that a lot of them are construction workers, and I haven’t ever seen a woman working in that job.
So, in conclusion, my country is doing very well in gender inequality, being awarded for the smallest pay gaps.
Gender inequality still is a big problem these days. Many people have sterotypes about females or man. For example, when women are driving, people say that they will crash or that they don’t know how to properly drive. Another example is in football because people think that only man can play football, but in reality, there are football teams where there are only girls. Also, girls won many competitions against man. So, I don’t think that gender inequality is okay.
One that stood out for me that link to my own country is number 4. My country, despite being so advanced with technology compared to many other countries, still consider women as an after thought in technology. This is due to scientist and engineers are mostly men due to it being a male dominated field. Due to this, many women struggle to adapt to technology needed for their safety due to it being made for men. In 2021, the amount of women who died in car crashes was 5735 which does not seem much compared to the 14,498 men but according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety states that 'men are more likely to engage in risky driving practices'. 14% of women are more likely to die in the aftermath of CPR due to 95% of manikins not having breasts or having flat chests.
In order to fix this we must be more welcoming towards women in these industries and when making new technology test it with both male and female dummies. By doing this, the death and injury rate of women in accidents can and will decrease some more.
I disagree with you, open_reality, because I know that in 2022, 25,420 vehicle accidents happened in England but not related to seatbelts. Whenever I go in my car, the seatbelt feels completely normal and I have not, nor anyone else I know, experienced any issues due to seatbelts. Therefore, I believe that number 4 doesn’t really relate to our country and will rule it out. I sort of agree with number one, but in more modern days, women are given roles of herpes and unexpectedly great warriors. They are no longer given roles of housewives and cooks and cleaners but wonderful, fierce women. It has happened before in movies but not nowadays in my country. I mostly agree with number 2 because when women are pregnant they are often denied jobs as they can’t put as much effort. I understand why they get refused but it still doesn’t make it change and needs to be resolved, soon. Finally, I kind of agree with number 3 because when you think of a builder or an athlete you think of a man not a women because men dominate those industries- at least that’s what happens in the UK. That is also due to gender stereotypes but in conclusion, I believe that numbers 3 and 4 mostly relate to what’s happening in my country.
Gender inequality can be a complicated problem here in Indonesia. I must say this issue requires high determination to solve. One of the factors is economical state. Based on UN Women Asia, Indonesian women earn 23% less than men, although having them having more college or university degree. Other than that, financial independence on male family members restricts women's control on decision-making. On top of that, stereotypes about women's capabilities and responsibilities affect hiring selection, as said by gentle_rock.
The conclusion is that when we empower women economically, they benefit families and communities with increasing productivity and fostering innovation.
Can you explain what you mean by "hey benefit families and communities with increasing productivity and fostering innovation" so that everyone reading this comment can understand?
I would agree with tranquil_apple because women in my country have been regarded as powerless and unable to get into power, do physical work, etc. But my mood was lightened when I learnt that women spend more than 25 dulls(which is the total amount of pain an average person can hold)during child birth enabling them to be stronger than an average man. This has made me to think that women still have a chance to do physical work or get into power and maybe even rule better than the men because some women are known for their incredibly high IQ .
Some of the women are trying to make space a prominent place for exploration.
THANKS
In Nigeria, the one that relates most is India. Women are usually not allowed to do hard labor. It is very difficult to see a woman who is a civil engineer or even a taxi driver. People believe that those jobs are for men alone and it is termed weird when a woman does it. They believe that women get tensed under pressure and can not handle it. The case in the United kingdom does not sound like something that is usually being done here in Nigeria. The state of gender inequality is very alarming here. Even the little children participate in it. A woman who is seen riding a bike as a means of living is always getting jests from children and even passengers. A man is said to be weak if his wife is richer than him or brings more money into the home. The state of gender inequality is quite alarming. But women are already putting a stop to that by making their voice heard on social media and schools and churches are preaching against it. Some places have started allowing women to do the heavy lifting and the rate of gender inequality is reducing.
THANKS.
Females are expected to do all the house work and cooking and in some films women are given domestic roles such as :nurses, housewives, caretakers and maids .
In India, tranquil_apple’s experience is the most relatable. Many people still thinks jobs like construction, mining, and heavy machinery is too physically demanding for women. That’s why fewer women enters these fields, and workplaces don’t always make it easier for them to be a part of these industries.
On the other hand, open_ocean’s experience from the US seems quite different. In India, mothers do faces challenges at work, but family support, like grandparents helping with childcare, are common. But still, after marriage or motherhood, many women finds it harder to get promotions because employers assume they won’t be as committed to their jobs.
India has made progress in gender equality, but there’s still lot to improve. More women is stepping into fields like science, technology, and business, proving they can do good anywhere. Laws has improved to support women at work, but some workplaces still prefer men for leadership roles. Especially in certain industries, old ideas about what jobs women should or shouldn’t do still limits opportunities. Real change can happens when people start see women as equal in every field, and that basically starts with better education and awareness.
Open_Ocean's experience sounds the most similar to what is happening in my country because, In America, where both open_ocean and I live, many mothers get shunned upon since they have different responsibilities and many companies think that they do not care about the place that they are working at since they have children. That's why many mothers are declined promotions as open_ocean said. Some companies do not realize that these mothers are hard working since they balance out their work and take care of their children. Gentle_Rock's experience sounds the most different from what is happening in my country because, in some movies in America, women have been given roles in movies that are more action related. Such as soldiers, race car drivers, and criminals. Although many movies have women who play the caregiver role, men can play them also. Such as Brad Pitt as the dad in the movie World War Z, whom he protected his children while being in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. In my country, I feel satisfied with the state of gender equality since women have been given more jobs, more roles in life, and more opportunities in general. Many improvements have been made during the 21st century such as the more opportunities like I said.
I agree with Open _ ocean because in India too if women are working or not they need to give up all their freedoms and raise their child solely by themselves. Because of this women are very clogged up with their time and donot come up much and accept the injustice happening to them . Whenever it’s time to make child study it’s mothers duty but when someone asks who taught so so nicely that you scored well it’s always father who takes the credit. In short I solely believe that the responsibilities of women are burden for their talent and skills and hence India and many others are MALE DOMINANT COUNTRIES. I don’t understand what is “male dominant country “ is there no contributions of women in growth of country? The food they make feed us and lets us survive because of which we earn and all the necessary chores are also done by women. Today I ask all the stereotypes….. why do you still consider women inferior.? The truth is in front of your eyes ? It’s because no one is ready to make a change. So I request you all that keep your humanity alive and support others .
For me, 2 is the most similar one. The motherhood penalty is still the biggest one. Many women in Germany are paid less or denied promotions because they are likely to become mothers and be absent and not lose their job, as there is the "Elternzeit" here in Germany. And while this regulation prevents the termination of many women after they become mothers, they face stereotypes about not being able to take responsibility for tasks. For example, the employer of the mother of my friend, a high ranking manager, took away her projects as she was seen as "not [being] able to take responsibility due to her 2-year old son".
As for which sounds most different, I choose number 3. While it is true, that the percentage of women here in Germany in these sectors is significantly lower, it doesn't mean that they are not being accepted for this kind of work. In most parts of society, they even get support and it is largely normalised. Aditionally, women help create devices and gadgets that make work in these sectors less physically demanding, not only helping them, but everyone working in these sectors. Due to the work in these sectors getting less physical anyways and more problem-solving and brain-demanding, women have stepped into high positions such as the construction engineer.
Overall, the gender inequalities in Germany are getting smaller and smaller. Everyone begins to accept that women can work in jobs currently dominated by men, though this is mostly overshadowed by the motherhood penalty and the resulting gender pay gap.
I really agree with the fourth of them, the first one is really true, almost in every Disney film roles of woman are domestic or a prince has to save them, it is like if woman can do nothing to save themselves. At the moment it has change a lot, new films Disney is creating are more equal for woman and for men, but I think this is a really interesting point to discuss. Morover, the second one in my country is not so frequent but it probably also happen. The third one is also really unfair, it´s true that man and woman have different physical coditions but I think they should have the same opportunities to work in what they want. In my country this have change but I know there are some countries that continue suffering this. To finish, I have never thought the fourth one but when I so it at class I think it is a really big problem to be solve and would help to improve our society. I think gender inequality has improve a lot during the last years but it steel need to improves more.
In Germany, problems such as male-led development are less noticeable or less of a problem - since most gadgets and tools are adjustable, most people can use them.
Yet especially the “motherhood-penalty” and stereotyping are still very real and very advanced issues:
Regarding the motherhood penalty, I have met/talked to multiple mothers (including my own) who have suffered similar treatment as in the second example. It’s harder for mothers to find work at all and even if they do, they get treated more harshly or stay in the same position at work for very long periods of time.
Stereotypes are an over-all problem all over the world. Especially since media conveys messages of these stereotypes, they get well-known and normalized. Best examples of this are the behavior of children; Since they don’t have “a filter”, they treat each other and the people around them, however they have learned to do so. I remember that when I was still young, my classmates used to discriminate each other a lot. Even if it was just boys not wanting to play with girls and the other way around, the stereotyped jokes and sayings that were brought up were always there in some way.
Although there are still issues, as stated, there are organizations that are trying to help these problems. For example male (and sometimes female)-dominated industries get accessible for children each year during something call girl’s and boy’s day. During which girls can visit and work in male-dominated industries, such as STEM and boys can do so in female-dominated industries, such as cashiers.
From my point of view I don't think any of these really fit in the "description" of Romanians stereotypes but maybe the industries that include construction, mining and heavy machinery are less likely to have women as workers in our country because personally I don't know any women that work in these kind of industries so that's why I believe this one is the most appropriate for my country. And the experience that sounds most different from what's happening in my country is that men who are designing something and that women are just an after-thought and that "stereotype'' doesn't really match my country because from my experience I know that is respect for each women and male gender.
First thing first, I'm gonna start with one, I think that in the past it used to be liked that, but now there are movies where woman are strong, like Wonder Woman.
Moving on to two, I don't really know what to say about two, I think it's a problem which could be solved if the mother would work from home, but that's not always possible. What if you're a nurse? Although, in my country I don't feel like it's a problem.
So now we're at three, I totally agree, and I don't think it's happening just in India, I think it's global. I don't see it like woman are unequal to man, just that this jobs aren't suitable to woman, I'd have no problem if woman would have this carrier, but I just wouldn't get it.
And last but not least, four. I've never actually thought about it, I think it's a problem and that when these products are designed to be taken in consideration women too, but if it was designed for woman therefore it wouldn't be suitable for man, and if there would be belts for woman and belts for man then some people might see it as discrimination. In conclusion I think it's a problem, but I don't see a solution.
Do you think a solution for number 4 could be further research into designs that are suitable for men AND women? Perhaps it does not have to preference one or the other, but just be reimagined for both.
From my point of view when we watch movies, for example Disney movies, we considered women needs to be the princess who needs to be rescued from a men. We also associated colors with boys and girls, we associated blue with boys and pink with girls. The idea of these films is that women can´t be who rescued boys or that they can lived without being in loved of a boy. Although, we can watch some Disney movies where they are self-confidence and they are strong girls who do things by themselves. I think, nowadays is not like this, live has change completely through the years but some people still thinking these ideas which we din´t need to be considered. In some jobs happens the same, some people associates that jobs such as minery can´t be only for boys.
The experiences shared by tranquil_apple from India sounds the most similar to what happens in my country. In industries like construction , mining, and heavy machinery, men still dominate because people believe that these jobs require more strength and are not suitable for women. Even when women enter these fields, they face discrimination, lack of facilities and fewer chances for promotion. Society still holds onto the idea that certain jobs are only for men, which makes it more difficult for women to enter into these industries.
On the other hand positive_kiwifruit from the UK shared something that feels quite different. While gender bias exists everywhere, the issue of product design being centered around men is not something I often hear in my country. Hear, gender inequality is more about education, job opportunities, and social expectations than product design issue like seat belts.
Gender inequality is still a big issue, but I have seen improvements. More women are getting into higher education and professional fields like medicine, engineering, and business. But in rural areas many girls still do not get the same opportunities as boys. There is also a strong belief that women should focus on taking care of family rather than their choosing their career, which stops them to achieve their dreams. There have been improvements, like laws against workplace discrimination and campaigns promoting education for girls. However breaking these stereotypes takes time and true gender equality will happen only when men and women are seen as equally capable in all fields.
Well, I'm from the UK so obviously my county's circumstances are the closest to positive_kiwifruit because they are from the UK and I have heard many people in the UK talking about the seatbelt dilemma. I think that all the other opinions do apply to England but I think the furthest is open_ocean because a lot of people that I know are mothers and have excellent paying jobs and they love their work but I do understand that many other people around the country face this discrimination.
I think in my country, Germany, a bit of everything is present. The most similar experience in Germany is the second one. As the writer says that a woman’s career is hindered by having a child. The motherhood penalty is in my opinion the one that can be considered present in Germany. The most different would probably be the one with heavy work because here in Germany there are many women working as construction worker compared to other countries. In my area gender inequality isn’t as bad as it is in other places and countries. There has already been many improvements because Germany is a country that loves diversity. All in all I would say that there aren’t many problems and that it is balanced
As I live in Germany, a Western Country, and I am a white man I have a very privileged view on this topic. The only example that would come to my mind would be constructing where I mostly see men working. I think that it’s quite problematic that so many people that are privileged don’t notice how important this topic is. Everyone should be interested in solving gender inequality as only a fair competition on the labour market has a good result. If half of the population is not allowed to fairly compete in the labour market , the winner might not be the best of the entire population. The gender pay gap exist in almost every country on earth and no one has a excuse to not support gender equality.
I think my country- England/UK- relates most to the comment number 1. Whenever I watch a movie, women are given a domestic role, like cleaning, cooking, sweeping, housekeeping and many more. Women are given poor characters whilst men are given the big, baddie roles. It may vary for different countries with different movies, but this is how movies are like in the UK and it should change.
I don’t think that the UK relates to number 4 too much even though it is written by someone from the UK. Not many accidents happen because seat belts are designed for men and I’ve never had a problem when I’m sitting in the car with an ordinary seatbelt. Not many occurrences have happened due to seatbelt designed for men and even if it does happen then it happens to men just as much as women.
For the challenge, I feel that it is unfair on women because people shouldn't just assume females like something and men like something else. People should be able to like anything thing they want, no assumptions. This is why we need to solve the problem of gender stereotypes soon.
In my area gender inequality is gradually reducing because there are a lot of programs that is responsible for educating others about the effect of what they are doing and this method has really helped in eliminating gender inequality.
The first experience which states that mostly protagonists in the books related to mystery, thriller, detective or even a comic superhero is a male, there are very few women protagonists in books related to this genre, even if they are , they are portrayed as inferiors, sidekicks and caregivers. As somebody who has been reading books and has been a bookworm since childhood it appears as if that women are just supposed to be in a sweet tender roles.
Media indeed has a huge impact on our minds when it comes to this, I would like to ask you all in the movies that we see who is often shown in the kitchen doing the chores ? Who is shown spending time with kids and assisting in nursing jobs ? Who is shown as a caring personality ? Well the answer is indeed , women.
Coming from a country like India although we have managed to give women the opportunities, position and the status they deserve in the society however their portrayal or acceptance is seemingly decreasing, many a times Indian media portrays house wives as sweet, loving and too involved in household chores while women holding higher positions in job are shown as viciously ambitious, not caring enough, cold hearted and highly mismanaged personalities which leave an indelible scar on the young minds consuming this type of media.
However progress has been made by media, by simply shifting perspectives and normalising of women in positions and women leading in many movies however the work still needs to be done .
This is a great answer, do you have any favourite female role models from literature?
Yes I indeed have some favorite female protagonists and role models from literature that have defined female empowerment and established themselves as strong and bold characters who have a lovely, unique personality. It starts from Sara Crewe, the bubbly inquisitive protagonist of The Little Princess, Nooni, the curious history nerd from the Lost temple , Tsunami , a born leader raised warrior from the wings of fire, Mary from the Secret Garden and this list might even be endless when it comes to fiction. However when it comes to stepping into the world of non - fiction and realism I have always been inspired by Malala Yousafzai, Sudha Murty and Indra Nooyi . All three of them setting examples and being the torchbearers for the grim path of inequality, these women have truly encouraged and empowered me to step outside my boundaries and think out of the box and all those writers who have established the role of women as a main protagonists that shape the young minds and normalise seeing women in position and action.
Thank you for sharing these, hopefully you have inspired others in the chat to read these stories!
Being in the UK it is easy to relate and see examples of things like number 4 everywhere but 1 and3 are also very detectable in daily situations. These examples are from all over the world but reading other comments shows that these things happen everywhere to everyone which shows us the impact on how elements like the media can greatly influence and change our opinions on topics such as gender inequality. I completely agree with number 1 that the media portrays women with domestic or care giving roles although these roles can be done by women and arguably are done primarily by women to only portray them in this way tells me that we are stuck in the past. These stereotypes are from the beginning of time, in the c21th shouldn't we change our misogynistic views and look to the future rather than being stuck in the past. We shouldn't be seeing examples of gender inequality daily, we need to change ,we need to evolve.
The first experience sounds most familiar to what is happening in our country, for example in experience one it says that when you read a book or watch a movie, women usually get domestic roles or care giving roles. I would say that the media has really contributed to the way they look at women it only takes one person to change the point of view of others. As a result of this our society sees most women to be caregivers and maids. Another experience that is similar to what is happening to our country is, 3. Most people in our country also believe that, men should do most of the work like lifting heavy objects, construction, etc because they believe that these jobs are too "physically demanding " and that they are not suitable for doing physical work. Personally I feel like both men and women have every day struggles weather its gender inequality or stereotypes .
It is so fascinating to hear about the experiences of people from different countries.
Similar Experience:
I feel the experience of open_ocean, Latino College Prep Academy very similar as l live in India and in most of the areas people have a mindset that women should prioritize family duties over career ambitions. Lack of support from family and workplaces like childcare facilities, parental leaves and flexible timming makes it difficult to manage their baby and work. In addition employers also assume that mothers may be less commited to job.
Different Experience:
I feel the experience of gentle_rock, Bomas Academy less relatable because in India media is a medium or a voice for women as it shows the sufferings of women as people may not realise they mistake but through movies or stories they might realise and try to understand women. In such way media helps spread awareness regarding gender equality.
Some of the improvement:
Awareness regarding gender equality is increasing through social media. As a result leading to more open discussion.
Government has implemented many policies to promote gender equality for insta
By mistake I added the comment here is it's continuation.
For instance pay laws and quotas for women in leadership.
Overall improvements have been made but there is still a lot more to do to have true equality.
I firmly agree with gentle_rock. I state this because as an American most people give the title to women as some type of maid. Most people also think that women are only meant for cooking cleaning and taking care of children.
You can 'most people think that women are only meant for cooking and taking care of children' - can we make this claim for certain?
In my opinion, I can conclude that experience 2 is most alike to the situation in my country. Some companies in America might not hire soon-to-be or mothers because they feel that they will not put as much effort in their work. They are stereotyping that mothers are not as hard-working because they feel that mothers will leave work or not show up some days because of situations with their children. This is a false accusation because in my opinion, mothers work harder than anyone. They have to cook, clean, take care of everyone in the house. And they get no breaks! Everyday they have to get up and take care of everyone. So I think it is unfair that people discredit mothers as I honestly think that if they got the job they would work just as hard if not harder because they're so used to doing it at home. Also, some jobs don't give that much time on maternity leave. Which is very unfair because after having a baby it takes time for your body to go back to normal. Also, newborns are pretty dependant on their mothers so it is not realistic to expect a new mother to go back to work around 3-4 months after giving birth. In conclusion, experience 2 is most relevant in my country and the reason why is because many people discredit mothers.
I'm really happy and proud to say that here in Spain, we made a very big progress in comparation to some years ago, thanks to a lot of women who fought for their rights. The generations we are after them we truly value their efforts to demand change to give us all the opportunities we have nowadays.
For me, the one we are most familiar with are options 1 and 2. These two are directly connected. If we only see mothers in movies as if that is all they are, without their own lives and ambitions, this can make us belive that being a mum is the only thing they can do. Also we can see "perfect" parents which make us thing that being mum is easy so we don't value enough the big work they do.
The one I'm less familiar is Option 3, It's true that some jobs in the past we carry out only by men here in Spain but I think right now it's becaming more usual to see women working in this jobs.
Although coming from India, I agree with open_ocean's opinion as "motherhood penalty" is the MOST seen situation in my country. I've seen that after and becoming mothers, people are less likely to involve in other activities of THEIR OWN interest. They are often limited to household chores, taking care of children, managing the finances and lot more but we still consider them as "less hardworking" compared to men just because women don't go out to work and don't "earn" which is considered more of a hard work. That's just awfully unfair and real at the same time.
And I agree that all the 4 options given above are somewhat true and relatable but if i had to choose an experience which sounds a bit different from what's happening in my country (and all countries, i guess) is the last option. The last experience highlights how systems and products that are supposed to be desgined both for men and women usually prioritize men's needs. The reason why i chose it to be the most dissimilar to the situation in my country is because we don't often get to see such products which so balantly show that they are particularly designed for a certain gender. Infact, they aren't even a potential threat to us, like (as the example given in the experience); if normal seatbelts are tested with a dummy the size of an average man, it still saves lives whether of a man or a woman. And thus, I think this is the least relatable experience in my country, although informative.
Gender inequality is still now a days a huge problem, not only in my country, but also all around the world. It is something we must fix. This trouble, affects every single individual, from little kinds to elderly people.
The first opinion is referred to all those women's stereotypes that appears in books and movies, such as domestic roles, or weakness. This example shows us that since we were little kids prejudices were appearing. Since we were little kinds they are were trying to change our minds. Now that we are able to think for ourselves, we must realize about good and bad behaviours, and try to fight against those we think are incorrect.
The second one talks about mother's responsabilities. It is true, that when a women give birth lots of stereotypes appear. Women are seen as the ones who have to take all the responsability over the baby, and most of the time this pressure doesn't exists over the father, due to prejudices. This happens all around the world, but they are only thoughts that we can fight to end them.
Last but not least, I'll talk about the fourth one. This one talks about the unfair situation in which many products are designed for men only. From my point of view this is just unhuman. Someone told me that at the beginning safety belts in cars were just tested with dolls with male characteristics, this means that safety belts were designed only for men. Coulnd't women have an accident? Why did they have less chance of survival? They cared less?
We are still living in a world without gender equality and we still have to change lots of things.
I think that Open_ocean's experience is the most similar to what is happening in my country (US). This is because, in my country, fathers get paid more money than mothers do, some mothers cannot take care of a baby and work so the father has to make most of the money for the family. Just like Open_ocean said, when women become mothers, they gain a lot more responsibility. Because of this, they get less pay, and fewer promotions.I think that Gentle_rock's experience is the most different from my country. This is because, in shows, movies, stories, Etc, I tend to not see that many women doing domestic roles anymore. I also think that as time passes, women are getting bigger and better roles in movies or shows. Though, I still see women having domestic roles in a couple movies, I think This has the biggest difference from our country than the rest of the experiences. Even though some of these I don't see as much in the US I have still seen an example of all of these in the US at least once. For example, at some places that I went to or seen before, I noticed that most of the workers were men, two examples are Builders and miners. Another example is some shoes I see are too big to fit women even if that is their shoe size because the shoes were made to fit men, not women. Overall, I think that This shows That gender inequality is a problem around the world that we all can work towards fixing. Gender inequality is different all around the world,and we can fix it in different ways.
Option 1 is the most different, at surface level. Within movies and TV women are often in powerful roles; such as Spies, Doctors, Superheroes. This is not abnormal for us to see. However this isn’t always widely supported or celebrated, often these movies receive more criticism and the female leads often are designed to suit stereotypes that need to stop. Below is an article listing some of these stereotypes:
https://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/slideshow/810/female-stereotypes-in-film-that-make-us-yawn/4/
Although women are not often in these domestic roles, in movies and books, the intentions to normalise strong female leads are not always as pure or showcased in a positive light. This links to option 4, as it can be interpreted that this has been designed by men, for men. Although they may not have these negative intentions, it is often perceived this way. We don’t have an issue in regard to seeing women in these roles, the issues come with the way in which this is portrayed.
I strongly believe that the media contributes to more gender inequality round the world. Media which means an act of conveying information through broadcast,live streams,etc. The media gives more room for gender inequality for instance, in television series women are given more of domestic responsibilities and as well the media portrays women as object for men and making them look so depended on men since they are only allowed to do domestic works at home. Gender inequality is one of the major problems we are facing worldwide especially the women, in the past girls were not allowed to go to school which led to illiteracy and under development in the country. Lots of girls in the past were forced into early marriage which can lead to death because of early child bearing which causes more harm than good to girls due to the fact they haven't reach the stage for maturity.
I believe that allowing women to do most of the work i think that a better place for both woman and men in this world today and i also believe that gender discrimination will not be known again .
Thanks for your comment - can you tell me what you mean by allowing women to do most of the work?
Gander discrimination is one of the most know problem between male and female but with this idea I believe that if women are more successful ,and also in some area that women are better this will make it a better opportunities for women and young girls to do what they are good art .
I totally agree with opinion number four. Actually most of the selling products or new gadgets are specifically made for men. Of course, we are not asking for products such as men’s hygiene items to be designed for women but what about seatbelts? Why do women, specifically pregnant, have the highest risk of suffering irreparable damage in a car accident? we ask for nothing more than a little consideration for us in something as simple as road safely.
In my nation, its kind of a mixture between all the 4 options, but the most prominent one is as traquil_apple says, women being disregarded as to be inferior than men in terms of power and heavy duty works.
This prospective that people have is inconvincible and very wrong. It is incorrect for people to say whether a person, being female or male, to be called as not capable than the other for a certain work. How can this be said just based on a persons gender? if 1 person is not able to do that work, it doesn't mean that the whole people belonging from that gender are not capable. To depict this, there should be proper tests and physical training exams to tell whether a person is unfit for a certain job and this should not be varying by gender. Option 2 though is nowadays less followed in India. New mothers are highly cared for by their colleagues and so have quite a bit of help for their work, although the issue still remains.
Never the less though the women's importance shall be highlighted and shall not be degraded In front of men.
THANK YOU
I think tranquil_apple's comment sounds the most similiar to what is happening in. Considering we are from the same community. Here in India women are seen as "inferior" and are often not allowed to work. Even if they are, they cannot work in factories or construction sites. For various reasons. Like- they are less strong, uncapable, they can be harassed if they work with men etc. These superstions generated centuries ago, yet we still follow them like a dummy. Its funny how a men gets to decide if a women is strong or capable enough, or not. And the point that a women can be harassed is a true fact. But it doesn't change the sexism it carries. How are we restricting a women from her right to work, earn, be indepandent. Because of a crime a man does. Here in India, victims of assaults and rapes are blamed for wearing short clothes. Yet no man is blamed for having a short mentality. All these reasons exclude women to work in mines, construction sites, factories etc. Resulting in a 30% pay gap between a man and a women' income. Both come from womb,go to school and colleges. So how can we decide who is capable or not? Every men came from women so women, if not superior should atleast be considered as equal. This problem is deep but has a tiny solution. That is giving equal opportunies to women as men. Many women come for interviews but are rejected right away. If instead we listen to them and give them a chance to express themselves, who knows we might fall in love with their talent and capability. Afterall its more beneficial to have 1 talented women than 100 untalented men.
The third issue is most sounded in our country. One of these is lack of women in fields such as construction and heavy machinery work. Many people believe that women are not able to perform physical tasks and lack the strength that men possess. However, I believe that women are equally strong of doing such work, and they should be given more opportunities and encouragement to prove themselves. Additionally, some women are fear about these types of jobs. according to the Statistics that only around 10 to 12 percent of women are employed in the construction industry. In India, there are 50 million male workers compared to only 7 million women. This shows the great gender gap in these fields.
Men also face struggles, but compared to women, their are facing fewer challenges. In my state of Tamil Nadu, especially in Madurai, many men arw not allowing women for working, limiting their freedom and opportunities. This shows a larger issue of gender discrimination and inequality in our country. I strongly believe that if these issues are get over, and women are empowered, India will become one of the greatest countries in the world.
Number 2 is the most similar thing that is happening in my country because when you become a mother you are seen as someone who has to work less when actually you are working harder when you are taking care of your child, doing paperwork, paying the taxes, and cooking food. I think that the mother is taking care of most of the work and the dad is just doing his work and getting paid while the child is just doing nothing just sitting down and playing video games. When the mother is working nobody sees it, and when the mother is sitting down the husband yells at her not knowing what she has done all day. Number 4 is the least problem in our country because the car crash rate has the lowest amount, 1.50 out of 100,000 because we now have airbags. The population in our country is saved by the invention of airbags because the purpose of the airbags is to protect us from any harmful damage caused by the car.
4 sounds the most similar to what's happening in my country. Like how number 4 was talking about the seatbelts - the same is happening for space suits. The one that sounds the most different is number 1. I've barely seen any tv shows or movies like that in my country, but there might be some. How I feel about the state of the gender inequality is getting way better. I am seeing more female astronauts, factory workers and sports players.
One of the main objectives that Mexican society has not yet attained is gender equality. Mexico is known for its diversity, differences, and difficulties. Mexico behind neighboring Latin American and Caribbean nations including Nicaragua, Jamaica, Chile, Barbados, and Costa Rica in terms of gender disparity, ranking 33rd globally. Mexico is still ranked 122nd globally in this category, despite notable improvements in areas like women's economic participation. According to demographic data, there are around 44 million women in Mexico between the ages of 15 and 65. In the second quarter of 2023, women's labor force participation was 46 percent, while men's was 76.3 percent. Given that over half of working-age women are neither techincally employed nor actively pursuing employment, this poses a serious obstacle to attaining gender parity. Mexico still has a long way to go in tackling sexist attitudes, stereotypes, and patricarchal societal norms, even with investments and initiatives geared at tackling gender discrimination.
My opinion on gender inequality is influenced by social media and tradition.In Kenya people still hold the past traditional beliefs which are passed to the new generation and is difficult to remove boys are better than girls in their mindsets because of the ancestral beliefs ,it makes it a big problem
gentle_rock,from Bomas Academy A, Nigeria’s experience sounds more similar to what’s happening in my country because here,in the U.S when people see one thing on social media and someone makes an opinion about it.the whole world begins buzzing.
tranquil_apple,from Choithram School, India’s experience sounds most different from what’s happening in my country because whenever I see a form of construction or building of some sorts I see men and women working alongside each other in unison.
I feel that the state of gender equality where I live is a bad place because although I said that I see a form of gender equality with women working in the construction field.I don’t see enough other forms of gender equality being shown in other fields of work.
I’ve seen organizations and programs make attempts to involve women in what they do but because of all the gender inequality that women have experienced, when chances are given to them they don’t even want to take the opportunity.
I greatly relate to gentle_rock's experience. The films produced in bollywood greatly influence an average indian's mind, even more so if the said films are of the romance genre. In many romance scenes of movies, the boy is always seen stalking the girl they like and forcing themselves upon her. Because of this, these young boys completely overlook the concept of personal space and participate in activities like catcalling. Not only this, in movies and Indian daily soaps, the notion of the perfect daughter in law is brought up completely, and in some daily soaps, is even one of the most pivotal part of it, and in almost all these movies and shoes, the perfect daughter in law is depicted as a shy, demure girl, who always "obeys" her husband and follows traditional values. These unrealistic and a little creepy standards, manipulate the minds of the both young boys and young girls into believing that this daughter in law is the ideal wife/woman.
From these examples, I recognize that every experience has a similarity to what we experience here in the U.S., often women are neglected due to the ideas of them that society has written in their image. Men-guided fields will reject them and not support them for not filling their domestic roles. What feels more different to me is the example from the United Kingdom which uses seat belts as an example of safety being regarded towards men and not women. I recognize this but I believe more often we do see safety being regarded for everyone.
Gender inequality is a very big thing around the uk, here are some facts i know about it;
>Women and girls, especially ethnic minorities, are more likely to experience harassment and violence in educational and workplace settings.
>Gender inequality contributes to disparities in health and life expectancy.
>in 1987, 48% of people agreed that a man's job was to earn money and a woman's job was to look after the home and family.
>In 2023, the gender pay gap was 7.7% for full-time workers, and 14.3% for all workers.
>Women are more likely to be part-time workers, and to have lower pensions than the men get.
>Women are more likely to take on unpaid work, such as cooking, childcare, and housework.
And alot more! what do you think about this? is your opinion good or bad?
Gender inequality is everywhere.Whether it's little jokes in our day to day lives,uneducated opinions or even little things like the fact married women get called mrs as in mr's,sexism is still here.The fact men in many country's are in complete control of women,women being discriminated against and harassed in every work field,girls unable to be educated,pink tax.Being born a woman is an instant loss,a disadvantage.I wish i could educate all the men.Tell all of those young girls that they in fact CAN be whoever they want to be and too never let a man tell them otherwise.The fact sexism is still here after so many years of progression and protesting is disgusting.Men,women,boys girls.We are all equal.All the same.No matter our biology or gender we can all accomplish great things.So with reading this i hope you go and support all of those beautiful,strong women in your life and men too!And have a lovely day.
number 2 because my mom gets paid less and does not have the right amount of money to get certain things and has to go door dashing and sometimes they don't even give her the money and because of that we will not be able to get nd do certain things
I'd say number one, “When you watch movies or read stories, women are mostly given these roles (domestic roles and caregiving responsibilities) so I would say the media has contributed to the way the society sees women.”is most similar to what's happening in my country. Many movies like Rapunzel princess' or females are always getting saved. Some women can be independent and don't need anyone to save them.
Number four isn't so different from the experience in my country but it's the most different.“There are many systems and products that are designed by, and for, men – and women are simply an after-thought. For example, seat belts are designed using a crash test dummy that is the size of the average man, meaning that women are more likely to be seriously harmed in an accident.” I say it's the most different because in some cars you can adjust the size of the seatbelt like in a plane.
There is a lot of gender inequality and equality. Some men don't care about what us women think and think they're the boss of everything and that they can put their hands on us. While some are gentlemen and caring soft and sweet. I'd say gender inequality isn't too bad but it's still a problem. Lately men have calmed down and put their anger aside. There are a lot of stereotypes here and a lot of men think a lot about us before they even know us. Like in Sally Ride's interview she was asked what makeup she'd bring into space with her.
The differences between boys and girls are generally based on biological, physiological, and sometimes social or cultural factors. We have kind of different like 1-Biological Difference:Boys and girls have different reproductive systems. 2- Social and Behavioral Differences:Cultural influences often shape boys to be more independent and active. We have kinds of similar like 1- Human Traits: Both boys and girls share fundamental human emotions. Basic Needs: Both need love, care, nutrition, education, and social interaction to develop healthily.
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In India women are always expected to do housework, manage the kids and cook food in the kitchen. The women who are working are stereotyped as not managing both personal and professional life, but in reality in my view no one else can manage house and work better than they can.
A very big problem people face in very few countries in Egypt is that most people think that it is more important for boys to have an education because boys are expected to have businesses and important jobs when they grow up. Most girls do not have that opportunity because they are expected to be stay at home mothers when they grow up.
Gender biases often shape design and policy decisions, womens needs are often overlooked in crucial areas like healthcare, transportation,and technology. For eg.- the lack of female crash test dummies means women are disproportionately harmed in car accidents just as the health care system is largely designed based on male biology, leading to misdiagnosis or inadequate treatment for women.The experience of women in India especially in rural areas sounds most different from what is happening in more developed countries.While some countries have mixed rights towards gender equality in India, women continue to face challenges such as restricted access to education, healthcare and equal employment opportunities.Additionally, cultural stereotypes, domestic violence and harrasment remain rampant, contributing to the struggle for gender inequality.However there have been improvements in recent years. Especially with awareness campaigns, better access to education, and progressive policies such as womens reservation in local governance. Still much more needs to be done to address such deeply ingrained gender disparities. In India true gender equality is still a long road ahead, and it's essential that womens needs are prioritised in all sectors to ensure their safety and well being.
Gender inequality in Bangladesh is gradually decreasing, which is a positive change. Women are establishing themselves in various professions, with the garment industry playing a particularly significant role. This sector provides employment to millions of women, allowing them to achieve financial independence and contribute economically to their families.
Bangladesh has already made progress in empowering women, but further expansion of opportunities across various sectors can significantly reduce gender inequality.
The 3rd point is the problem faced in our country and it is said true because there are people who is thinking that men can only do physical work and women are just want take care of their baby and when grow up they also leave so women cannot get their desire
Ans.
The 3rd point which was covered by tranquil apple is what is happening in our country ( India ), where women have been stereotyped about not being as physically fit as a man and is less likely to work at such places which requires physical strength. I think that in India many people have this old mindset where they do not want women to have oppertunities and do work independently. Well , this is a very wrong mindset which has been passed on through generations. In the modern days many families have changed this and women have started working and starting their own businesses freely without being controlled or criticised but still their are so many people who don't want this. There are many reasons for this because many people think that if a woman will work and earn more than a man then the man will have no value and the women will be in charge of the family which makes the man feel inferior than the woman, because of such fears men do not let their wives do work and want them to only do household work. These issues are mostly seen in villages and old towns where education centres are not available and people are not educated and they follow the old traditions and have a old mindset where they don't treat women equally. The worst part about this is that many women who have gone through this inequality have also set their minds in such a way that they think it's right and men are supirior. This is a very big issue in India and I think the government should take actions on this and provide educational facilities everywhere and educate everyone to make a better society.
According to me, the 3rd one was the most relatable to whats going on in our country as this is so true that women here are seen inferior to men. They aren't allowed to work at the constructional sites, and places where physically demanding things are to be done. From my side it should be stopped as every individual either men or women has the strength to do everything if they wish to. Many females need work whose husbands are dead and if they will not be allowed to work at many places then there is not any way of them earning and feeding their families. If the females try to be independent then the society is the one which makes them feel lower than the men, this should be avoided.
Well, for me, it's number two. Number 1 is not really relevant in Germany, as it has been common practice to put equally men or women into "gender specific" roles for nearly 20 years now. And although Germany was the first country to allow women the right to vote there are still some stereotypes going on, but they are just not really present or pose much impact on everyday life. And while 3 is sometimes true, with women told they can't work in such jobs it is progressively getting less physical. We can see this not only in Germany but in the whole world. Women are even aspiring high positions in such fields as the chief engineer at a project. They even help develop gadgets that make jobs less physical demanding.
I think 4 is the most irrelevant here. There are adjustable dummies being used in crash tests for more than 20 years here, even kids are taken into account. Additionally, many women help design products of everyday life as it has fathomed among companies that women are better at this than men. So you could even go as far as saying that this is a case of "male discrimination".
Therefore, the most important and relevant issue here is the motherhood penalty. Here in Germany, there is a lot of discussion about how to fix the gender pay gap, which results from the motherhood penalty. Even I saw it live in action: the mother of my friend was being accused of not being able to sustain her high position and her responsibilities in some projects because her child would make her lose focus. She had her projects taken away from her because of this single assumption.
I absolutely agree with gentle_rock, this example that in movies and shows women are mostly given the roles of doing daily chores and housework. Which clearly displays that the media widely contributes in the way people think about women. It is not only the locality's thinking but is also the mindset of the media that women can be given the roles of homemakers,which is not correct. Women should also get equally important roles as men. Well,in India,many movies have women as the main characters,but in few other movies women are seen being treated really badly.
But, tranquil_apple's experience is absolutely what is happening currently in India. Women are seen that they cannot do physical work,but actually in India,the youngest and strongest weightlifter is a girl. Women do more physical work than men by working at home all day.
Honestly,no significant betterment has taken place in gender equality in India.
I hope it improves soon.
You say 'women are mostly given the roles of doing daily chores and housework' in movies - can you make this claim for certain? What is your evidence to support this?
I actually have a proper evidence to support this statement that-"women are mostly given the roles of doing daily chores and housework " because specifically in Indian T.V shows and a few Indian movies, women are seen as being treated terribly and being made to do a lot of housework and men are seen earning money.
There are actually many such films and shows. Like,for example, in an Indian show- TMKOC, not even a single women is shown working independently out of the house. This is actually the best example.
I feel comfortable with, option 3 , because in india, 90% of men is working in the field of construction, and ultimately only,10% of women in working. I was surprised by seeing this. Here comes the "gender stereotypes", the society is severely discriminating with the physical strength between men and women, and this is making the women, a poor factor with low income . From this, womens are in the trap of trouble, to earn and manage financial concerns in a family, and I think, this is more suitable for single parant, because they want to survive in this world, with proper income and come out of the gender stereotypes in the field of construction. I think this issue in india affects all, mainly a single parent...
Here in Spain, a lot of people think that women and men are already equal and have the same rights. There is not a thing that men can do that women don’t.
Women gained voting rights in 1931, during the Second Republic (Clara Campoamor played an important role here). Women can apply to any job they want. “Article 14 of the Spanish Constitution proclaims the right to equality and non-discrimination”.
But, since 1978, there have been seven presidents in Spain and none of them has been a woman (another case is USA. 47 presidents, all of them men). A few days ago, it was Women in Science Day and a woman scientist came to my school. She said that among 40 people (approximately) who worked with her only 3 were women.
One day I asked my mother if she preferred to miss an entire year of life or spend seven years living as a man. “Seven years living as a man”, she answered and explained why. What most impacted me was when she started talking about parenthood. Mothers taking care of their children is seen as something ordinary, or they are sometimes even judged for their ways or raising their kids. But when men do the same things, people usually think: “what a responsible and loving father”. It is the same case with housework, as gentle_rock mentions. Men are applauded for doing half of what women do.
In my school, the majority of the students who get top marks are girls, but they don’t receive any recognition from their classmates. Instead, they are often seen as annoying.
In conclusion, society has improved a lot in gender equality, but there’s still a lot to fight for.
I think problem 3 is the most similar one that is in my country, Egypt. In Egypt stereotypes is still a big problem. But no one dare to speak in it. In Egypt, some toys are made for boys and it is written on it "It is made for boys" and toys that are for girls are always pink. But the most defferent problem is 2. I think stereotypes in Egypt is a very big problem and it need to be solved
How do you think we can begin to work towards solving this problem in countries such as Egypt?
I think Family and Education is the the first step towards solving this problem
Family can play a big role through raising their children without any discrimination and teach them to take responsibilities equally.
Education through providing equal opportunities for both boys and girls in schools and also talk to teachers about what is the dangers of gender stereotype and their impact on children.
Gender equality is infact a very crucial topic and more people need to understand the meaning of feminism and equality. What I feel is that both men and women are different and in some aspects they cannot be equal. But again, we have to remember that the other gender is a human and deserves to be treated with respect and kindness. In my country, India, women are suffering more than men. Women cannot go out in the nights without feeling unsafe, wear what they like, and in some areas or families they cannot even give their own opinions. I feel that our government also needs to pay more attention to the dreadful incidents happening to women. While India did overcome some stereotypes but we still need to work upon the injustice. The problem is the mindset of the people disguised as "culture". Ill treating women was never in our culture. We need to work upon the mindset and practices that are promoting discrimination and stereotypes.
Tranquil_apple's experience sounds most similar to what's happening in my country. Personally, in the US women are not seen doing hard work such as construction,mining, and heavy machinery and have been considered unfit for the job. I feel that this is an unfair stereotype because women are very capable of doing things that a man would be considered to do. For example, during World War II in my country women had to take control of the industries that were dominated by men due to the demanding amount of men needed for the war. This helped maintain the US economy while the men were gone and also helped support the war production. To me this undeniably shows that women are more than capable of doing what men do.
I think that the most present type of inequality in the world is the fact that women are less likely to be hired in certain professions such as construction. On the other hand, we would see more women in professions relating to children. Furthermore, I find it abusive that women have a lower salary than a man even though they practice exactly the same profession. I also find that there is no change being made to improve this situation. It's also unthinkable not to hire a woman out of fear that she'll quit because of children or other reasons.
In past, gender equality was lacking in my country(India). But it has been improved through the time. Previously, men were considered as most prominent and skilled, and women were ill-treated and were not given equal rights. But, now women are independent and they are becoming astronauts, entrepreneurs, engineer, etc. I would like to give an example- My sister used to work in a company distinctively. She was at the verge to get her promotion but suddenly, her promotion was cancelled as an another male employee was receiving the promotion. My sister raised voice against it and the government took a strict action against the company and my sister was paid 1 lakh rupees as a fee. I last I would say that my country is efficiently working for progress in equality.
in my country Egypt there is inequality happening between woman and men specially in the upper Egypt they marry young girls as young as 12 to an older men for money and the girls are forced to do that even if they dont want to do it cause they are afraid from their family and thats unfair they still a children and they need to live their childhood as a children not as a wifes they cant be responsible and they still children as well as to solve this problem this is up to the family they didn't realize before that they are doing a crime so we need to wake them up and not to be tempted by money and also if they didn't woke up the men who married these girls and the family should be punished in the court
Thanks and i hope you got my point.
I support the opinion of tranquil_apple as seeing the situation in my country India ,it seems that woman though work very hard but still are not on headlines because some typical society people believe that men are more superior as they work outside of the house whereas a women has to daily work hard even in severe situation and instead of deserving a salute they are barely appreciated . This is when society creates difference
Hello, Topical Talker!
First of all, I think the most similar one to my country is number 1. Actually, it is just like what's in our country Egypt, Usually, in films or stories, women are given the roles of caring for children and having sooo many responsibilities to do, like washing the dishes, cooking food, and also more. Which is not fair at all.... So, it seems to me that it is not fair for women to just stay tied to the house doing allll the chores.
But the biggest difference is example number 3! Because women in Egypt have a lower percentage of working. Women in India usually do not work in mining or heavy machinery, but here in Egypt, women usually work as doctors or teachers. But still, there is low percentage of women working. So that's why I think that is the biggest difference. In addition, I think women in my country have to work so we can avoid tying women to stay at home doing all the chores!!!
THANKS FOR READING!!! 😊
After reading the perspectives from gentle_rock, open_ocean, tranquil_apple, and positive_kiwifruit, I was struck by the similarities and differences in their experiences.
The experience that sounds most similar to what's happening in my country is gentle_rock's observation about the media's contribution to societal perceptions of women. In my country, I've noticed that women are often portrayed in stereotypical roles in movies, TV shows, and advertisements, reinforcing harmful gender biases.
On the other hand, tranquil_apple's experience sounds most different from what's happening in my country. While there are certainly industries in my country where women are underrepresented, the notion that certain jobs are too physically demanding for women is not as prevalent.
Regarding the state of gender equality in my country, I feel that there have been improvements in recent years, such as increased representation of women in leadership positions and efforts to address pay gaps. However, there are still significant problems, including systemic barriers to education and employment opportunities for women from marginalized communities.
To address these challenges, I believe it's essential to continue promoting awareness and education about gender equality, supporting policies that address systemic inequalities, and amplifying the voices of women and non-binary individuals who are working towards a more equitable society.
In my country, I think that the experience described by gentle_rock, in option A is accurate in describing what is happening in my country. I live in the United States, which is very well known for its film culture, considering it is the home of Hollywood, where so many of the biggest movies are filmed. I agree with how option A describes that women are giving domestic roles and caregiving responsibilities. I think that in movies and the media in general often portray women as weak, especially in old classic tales where a woman must be saved by a man. I think the experience that is the most different from what is happening in my country is Opinion 3. I think that lately in the U.S. women have been persevering more in recent years. An example of this is that from 2020-2024 Kamala Harris was the first female Vice President of the United States.
Hello,
I agree with gentle_rock. The media affects how we think about women. In my country, I see how this limits women's possibilities. But I'm happy to see people speaking out against these biases. We need to show diverse women in media, support women's empowerment, and design things that include everyone. By seeing our shared humanity and celebrating differences, we can create a better future. Gentle_rock, your words inspired me to be part of this change.
Thankyou.
I think that most similar is student’s 1 idea.They talk about how in movies and stories, women are mostly shown doing home and caregiving roles. In Romania, many people still expect women to take care of the home and family,even though things are slowly changing.
The most different is student 3’s idea. They mention that in India,women don’t work tough jobs like construction because people think the work is too hard for them, In Romania, women can work in many sorts of jobs ,even in the physically ones like construction, so this problem isn’t as big here.
On the one hand I think the most situation wich is also similar in my vountry is the third one, of course mostly all of them are present everywhere but the fact that heavy works like construction or mining is usually dominates by men because women are considered too weak to be good at it, it's very visible and something wich is completelly false. I believe every women is as capable as any men to do such works.
On the other hand the statement wich i think differs more from what i've seen in my country is the second one, of couse this does not mean it doesnt happen, many women keep being infravlorated just because they have children, and almost everything regarding this topic needs improvement, but among the options i consider statement 2 the less relatable for Spain.
From my perspective as someone who lives in America, I would say that stereotypes are definitely the hardest challenge to face here. According to Google, The U.S is in the lead of the largest film industry. Because of this, most kids here grow up watching all different kinds of films, allowing a variety and diversity of the content they see. In movies, women are usually seen as the stereotypical feminine weak character that needs to be saved by a man. This has been proven in many Disney movies as in Cinderella, who was only a maid before marrying a prince, Snow White, who was woken up by a prince to save her, and many more. This can soon alter the way kids think and lead them to believe that women are supposed to stay in the kitchen and can only be saved by a man.
emotional_bird, you're absolutely right! Movies and TV shows can really shape how we think about women and men.
I agree with you that some old Disney movies show women as weak and needing to be saved. That's not a good message for kids!
But I'm also happy to see that some new movies and shows are doing a better job of showing strong, brave women.
I think tranquil_apple's experience resonates with me. But I'd like to take it a step further—gender roles here aren't just about who can perform physically demanding tasks, but more about secondary sources of income. The mining and construction industries mostly employ laborers from rural regions. Meanwhile, men go to cities for year-round employment; poor women, nearly 80% of them, engage in agricultural labor during planting season and childcare. During the off-season, women also work for contractors on simple, less-risky construction projects, such as building houses. Positive_kiwifruit's experience sounds the most different in terms of visibility. In India, there is little discussion of design bias, whether in office spaces or even public toilets built for men. If you look closely, you can see that some facilities are men-oriented, such as urban planning. Here, if a woman wants to be a delivery partner, she cannot choose a motorcycle (which is more efficient than a scooter) because of seats designed for men. She has to use scooters, which can be costly in the long run. I have also noticed movies where women have the role of household responsibilities, but there has been a gradual shift in the film industry where sisters or mothers take up roles once considered reserved for men. I have seen inspiring films about women, which were once considered oppositional to orthodoxy. Previously, there were hateful comments on these films, but nowadays they generate a lot of money.
i believe that mothers shouldn't be treated this way because if they have a child, wouldn't they be more reliant on money so they would work extra hard to keep their children safe. I also think that women should be treated the equally to men because they are just as hard working.
I'm really moved by what these students from around the world are saying. They're sharing their experiences with gender inequality, and it's clear we need to work together to make things better.
I agree with gentle_rock from Nigeria that the media often shows women in limited roles. We need to challenge these stereotypes and create a fairer society.
I also learned a lot from tranquil_apple's story from India. It's shocking to see how women are excluded from certain jobs and opportunities.
In my country, we've made progress on gender equality, but there's still a lot to do. Women often get paid less than men, and they're underrepresented in science and technology fields.
Despite these challenges, I'm inspired by the courage and determination of women and girls who are pushing for change. We need to keep working together to create a fairer world for everyone.
I like to think that Spain is country where gender inequality isn’t that big of a problem compared to other countries whose women still suffer quite a lot because of the inequality.
But, after giving it some thought, I think that option 2 is the most similar one to what’s happening here. Many women are rejected from jobs because the owners of these companies or firms think that they won’t be productive enough as they’ll probably have kids and have to take a maternity leave at some point. Or they’ll maybe pay them less because of a similar reason. However, it isn’t true at all. Women are capable of doing any job regardless if they’re mothers or not, and not every woman will be or wants to be a mother.
On the other hand, I think that the o most different option to what my country is going through is number 1. Of course, there are many books and films that still promote this kind of behaviours and stereotypes, but they’re probably old ones made at least 15 years ago. Nowadays, there are many forms of media that promote the equality between men and women, media that goes from books and films to organisations going to schools (as they do in mine) and many social media accounts that try to teach and inform about this topic.
I feel like, overall, gender equality has improved in many ways here in Spain. But it still needs a lot of work as there’s a large quantity of people who still belief that women are in some way less than men. We could improve this problem by making even more informative media and banning the one that is teaching the wrong type of information to people.
Before I proceed I would like everyone on this him to understand the concept of gender inequality.
Gender inequality is when people are treated differently based on their gender. It can be caused by sexism or gender discrimination. I totally agree with the first one on how women are given domestic roles
In the great sense and in the look of things the media also contributed to the gender discrimination of women in the society.
Media is like an online platform where various people come and share different ideas and thoughts about a particular topic or something.
Social media significantly influences gender inequality by amplifying existing gender stereotypes, facilitating online harassment and abuse against women, promoting unrealistic beauty standards, limiting female voices and perspectives, and creating a platform for harmful gendered content, often leading to women feeling pressured to conform to societal expectations and limiting their online participation.
I actually heard a story when a cousin of mine had an argument with a classmate of hers the argument was all about her classmate telling her that blue is not for girls it is for boys and she was saying that it is for both sexes bit the boy persisted in telling her that he watched a movie and the movie stayed that blue is for boys while pink is for girls I don't totally agree with him because there is nothing like that.
In conclusion I will say that people in my country mostly practice gender inequality in the sense of stereotypes based on the influence the get from media and from movies
Hi all!
I feel more comfortable with the option 1. I think social media is the main factor for addiction.nowadays, watching society media became the day-to-day habit. I wanna simply say that, social media is like a slow poison which is ruling us. I have experienced seeing women in stories or movies, mostly doing household works. This is a because of the gender stereotype, which people believe and follow strictly.but, we only know that's a myth. This mentionable quote,"NOT ALL MEN,BUT ALWAYS A MAN",connects with this topic as it highlights the social media persons, movie makers, directors, authors who treat both, women and men in a equal position in their movies, books and more. If we read this quote, it's a reminder for all, especially authors and movie makers to treat women and men in a equal manner .
Thank you for reading!
Option 3:
Yes, that's correct. In India, sectors such as construction, mining, and heavy machinery are generally viewed as male domains, and physical strength and traditional gender roles play a part in keeping women underrepresented in these industries. Most view these occupations as demanding physical endurance and strength, which they tend to associate more with men. This view results in few career opportunities for women, even though most women can do the same work with proper training, equipment, and assistance.
Nonetheless, efforts are constantly being made to overcome these stereotypes and provide more diversified workspaces. As technology and machinery evolve, some of the physical labor aspects of such occupations can be minimized, opening up these occupations for women. There are also initiatives and groups that are making an effort to empower women in non-traditional industries by providing training courses, advocating gender equality, and campaigning for policies favoring women's entry into these industries.
There have been success stories of women shattering barriers in fields such as mining and construction, which are gradually rewriting the narrative. It is essential to keep pushing for gender inclusivity and to challenge the conventional beliefs that restrict women's roles in specific industries.
In my opinion 1 is the most relatable because in a lot of storys ,women are given a role for caring and taking care of children. That’s why I am writing my own storys and they don’t have the penalty of child care and house work. I find it so unfair when women can be so much more than just child care and cleaners.
Interesting ideas authentic_tube - You say in a lot of stories 'women are given a role for caring and taking care of children' - can we make this claim for certain? Do you have evidence to support this?
Gender inequality is a serious issue that has existed for many years and is still exists today. Many women around the world experience it, for example being excluded from working in certain sectors only because they are women.
The situation that most resembles what happens in Spain is the first option. In many Spanish films and television programmes, women are often represented as the ones responsible for taking care of the home and children. This can make the people think that: could the media be one of the main reasons why gender inequality persists?
On the other hand, I disagree with the second option because, in our country, mothers are widely recognised as hardworking individuals who will do whatever it takes to ensure the happiness and well-being of their children.
Topics 1 and 2 sound most similar to what is happening in my country currently. In many workforces, once women are planning to or become pregnant, it conveys the message to individuals that she is no longer able to carry on responsibilities she could normally complete during or before her child.
In some cases, women even get paid less because of their situation, also known as the Motherhood Penalty. This penalty devaluates the chance for growth or promotions in any opportunity that may arise (2). On the same note, many people outside of the United States enforce this situation regarding pregnant women or mothers, some societies even expecting women to take on the personal role of pursuing caregiving responsibilities, which generally affects their workforce profession (1).
Unfortunately, many workplaces lack adequate options for pregnant women or mothers when they are faced with extreme personal business they must take care of. This furthers their viewed inability of not being able to commit to their job and lessening their chance of being promoted or advancing in their work.
These above experiences depict industries where males are portrayed as dominant. But what about those fields where men are deemed as "unfit"?
Reverse gender bias and stereotyping needs our second thought. In India, this is a serious issue. Men are expected to fight off challenges in their lifetime without exhibiting strong emotions, which creates an invisible barrier between who a person is and whom he wants the world to see him as. During childhood years, a boy crying is met with "Why are you crying? You are a strong boy, aren't you?" This creates pressure among the shoulders of a child as young as six years old. Growing up, fields like arts or history are considered reserved for women, and they are forced to pursue something they don't desire. If a man aspires classical dancing, critics pop out of nowhere saying this is a woman affair.
Men are often associated with the head of the family, the main income source. When they care for children unemployed, they say "What are you? A mother?" Paternity leaves are also a rare sighting. The double standards are oppressive, when a man doesn't spend enough time with his children, he is irresponsible, but when he spens time unemployed, he is termed as a mother.
Another issue men struggle with is, the way society sees them. Fathers are less likely to get custody of children, as they didn't give birth to one. When men are victims of domestic violence, the society neglects them. Men aren't trusted for nurses, babysitting and primary teaching careers. The feelings of a humble man is overshadowed by suspicion and repulsion.