My first Publication GenderedDistributionOfLabour(clone) | Seite 3

“If most people from your social group conform to (gender) expectations, others will
reasonably predict that you will conform as well, even if in fact you will not, and will treat
you accordingly.” (Gheaus, 2012: 8).
This principle of gender justice proposed covers a variety of gender injustices. The principle
states that: “A society is gender just only if the costs of a gender-neutral lifestyle are, all
other things being equal, lower than, or at most equal to, the costs of gendered lifestyles.”
(ibid.: 10). When referring to ‘gendered lifestyles’ it is meant lifestyles that are conforming to
gendered norms. Mostly in the western world nowadays, gendered lifestyles have a
significant effect on the division of labour, and many other aspects, such as beauty, emotion,
social standards etc. Moreover, when stating the concept ‘gender-neutral lifestyle’, Gheaus
(2012) defines it as a world without gender norms.
The gender justice principle is defended by stating that it relies on two values which are
reflected in all liberal egalitarian conceptions of justice: individual freedom and equality.
This means that it is unjust for a person to be worse off than another just because of their sex.
Gheaus defends this principle by arguing that the gender justice principle reflects the values
of individual freedom and equality. The gender justice principle makes it is clear that the
main reason of gendered division of labour is gender injustice. The author believes that even
though while in some cases gendered division of labour is not a problem for women, it does
however make some aspects of individual freedom and equality inaccessible for both men
and women. Societal pressures being a main reason for gender injustices, which inherently
leads to the gendered distribution of labour. This is a vicious cycle that goes on and on,
unless stopped through effective public policies.
III.
The Need for Intervention and The Citizenship Argument
As mentioned before, even though the participation of women in the labour market has
increased over the last few decades, the majority still have the most responsibility when it
comes to domestic work and childrearing. This has consequences for both men and women,
and children as well. It is believed that in order to solve the problem of gendered distribution
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