Digital publication | Page 90

The Harsh Reality of Gender Inequality  

By Sowmya K. 

For centuries, women have been treated unequally, looked down upon, and oppressed in many different ways. No country has completely achieved gender equality, and most are not on track to achieve it any time soon. Inequality between genders is a huge problem today, and though the issue  is  getting better in some ways, it is definitely  getting  worse in others.  

  

Violence and Harassment 

 

Many of you may know how girls and women are advised not to go out after dark, talk to male strangers, and avoid taking taxis or cabs by themselves. But did you know that one in three women have faced some sort of physical abuse or rape, and even worse, that half of female deaths are derived from violence in their own family? Arguably being the worst of many issues that cause gender inequality, these horrifying statistics show that abuse and harassment towards women has almost become a normal practice in society, when really, it should be discouraged to the greatest extent.   

 

In the US alone, out of every 1,000 rapists, only five go to jail. This means that 99.95 percent of rapists are still roaming in public, possibly even free to abuse more women.

  

Apart from physical harassment, verbal abuse against women is growing to become more common. The most frequent form of verbal harassment is catcalling, or street harassment. Cat calling promotes the objectification of women, as many men see them as an object for their pleasure, instead of as actual human beings.  

 

Gender Roles  

Gender roles are quite common today, though they are slowly becoming less pronounced in countries such as the US. Gender roles are basically certain traits, attitudes, or jobs that one must have or do to be considered ‘male’ or ‘female’.  

Females are generally expected to act quiet, respectful, and ‘ladylike’. They must be able to cook, clean, raise children, and have time to serve their families. Decades ago, women weren’t even allowed to work, but thankfully, that has changed in most countries. Some women aren’t allowed to voice their opinions due to their minimalist role in society and are generally oppressed by most of the world.