INTRODUCTION
Gender issue is historic and cultural phenomena. It owes its origin and existence to man history. According to the bible man (male) was the first to be created after which God noticed the loneliness in him and extracted a limb which he made into the woman. This gave man superiority over the woman. Subsequent bible teachings refer to man as the head and the woman as the neck. These Bible ideas have had vibrant influence on diverse social cultures across the globe. Almost all these social cultural systems assign duties based on gender with man regarded as the sole provider and shield of a family while the woman is the caretaker of the family properties, children and even the man himself. Man is also regarded as the owner of the family properties including the woman and children. Ironically, the burden chores’ circumscribing a family as the basic social institution lies disproportionately on women. This permits to even more advanced social, economic and political institution. The less paid duties yet more taxing position such as secretaries, messengers, cooks, cleaners etc are predomitaly occupied by female while men continue to enjoy prestigious yet highly paid positions.
Changes have been dramatically taking place across the globe requiring more efforts towards production as the population continue to grow in an inverse proportion to available resources. Men alone cannot be depended upon to solely satisfy the needs of the population. There us thus a need for corrected efforts to cope with the current and concurrent situation.
GENDER DISCRIMINATION EXPLORED
The situation in which sex is a factor to determine potential capability of an individual implies gender discrimination. Naturally and according to history, gender discrimination is always in favor of men against women. Unfortunately, women and girls bear enormous hardship during and after conflicts and other humanitarians’ emergencies. Women and girls are considered weak based on physical strength potential. It intellectual potential was taken into consideration a lot of women surpasses enormous number of men.
Ironically, some women are physically stronger by far than some men. To cope with the changes and developments taking place around us, we need the participation of each and every potential and capability. This calls for equality.
WHAT IS EQUALITY?
Combined efforts, equal participation and shared responsibilities involving both sexes in decision making, implementation of policies aimed at maximizing potential production of goods and services. The fruits of these efforts should also be shared equally and should be given opportunities to exercise their rights. The gap between men and women, boys and girls, should be bridged. Control of resources and sharing of benefits of development should be equitably shared.
GENDER DISCRIMINATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
The division of adults’ roles along gender lines is injurious and waste of a substantial fraction of human potential. To restrict women to participate to the maximum in the activities of a community is to degrade them. This situation is far better improved currently than in the past. Women are now participating in more challenging position requiring both physical and mental skills. To come to this level was not easy for women. They had to first pursue careers outside child rearing, looking after husbands and general domestic chores. This was a deviation from ‘natural character” and they actually suffered from “male envy”
(Solsken, 121)
The appreciation of women contribution in socio-economic development is a crucial step of sustained development. Maximum development is only achievable if peoples’ capabilities are also maximized.
Gender inequality can hurt the interest of men as well as women and children. Some effects of enhancing women capabilities and potentials are:
· The health of the children is improved resulting to improved health thus lowering mortality of infants.
· The fertility rate goes down hence overcrowding reduces. This brings up the level of living.
Presence and participation of women in socio-political and socio-economical spheres of life has brought substantial developments in the fields of economy, education, health, etc. The minds and spirit of women have also been liberated.
When women are empowered through provision of micro-finance to boost their micro-business tremendous results have been observed. Their business proves financially viable with very high repayment rates and very competitive interest rates. Essentially the benefits of these undertakings have been noticed to boost nutrition and health of entire family. (Matthaei, 88)
Women exhibit a diverse range of social-economic activities. All these activities have a positive connotation to economic development. The paid, unpaid and underpaid socio-economic activities of women if fully quantified and noticed could significantly account for a substantial part of the economy.
To highlight discrimination to noticeable levels is very crucial as a means to combat it. Also to highlight its consequences is also healthy as a means of obtaining positive solution to the problem. Discrimination prevents gains of development and results to lost business opportunities.
The resources otherwise exposed to women are diverted to possibly less productive men’s, opportunities the possible collaboration and productive interaction between a certain male and female is sealed off, the excellence of women meeting their burdens, and responsibilities are curtailed.( Rhode, 51). Just as the global events are undergoing change, demography is not being left out. The results that have occurred are especially notable in the industrialized countries.
More women are currently working in the formal and informal sectors. This in essence has facilitated both men and women choose the number, spacing and span of children they want. The transaction in demography factors has greatly improved. Fertility rates and mortality rates have assumed as inverse variation to improved standards of living since the benefits of economic development no longer put in use such as medical care, upgrading nutrition of malnutrition children and vaccinations. This in essence has brought about a demographic bonus.
The number of dependent children has greatly increased with an increase in the number of working adults. Therefore, the per capita income of the country has improved enabling the government of these countries to save in fields such as education, training employment health and infrastructure. The apex result to this is improved living standards, health, and general well being hence the life-span of every individual is increased. (Matthaei, 44)
DRAW BACKS TO DISCRIMINATION ELIMINATON
The government of the United States has been in the front line, as a proponent to the eradication of gender discrimination in the past quarter century. Despite all these efforts noticed, hindrances have been unavoidable. All social institutions involving women factors of economic developments such as; the public sectors, private sectors, professional sectors has naturally and culturally discriminated women. Women have remained oppressed in areas of leadership, leadership positions economy and protection. The most predominant factor of denial of justice to these amenities is culture. There has grown a wide discrepancy between legal rights which is being advocated for and practical experience.
The legal right is out of humanitarian ground and eagerness to promote positive economic development. The practical and the wicked folly of women right that is embedded in human psychology these two factors are competing among themselves and human beings should put more weight to advocating and promoting legal rights while suppressing the cultural ideology.( Rhodes, 102).
It is only through respecting human legal rights that the human race will liberate man from old fashioned cultural practices and take a path to end gender discrimination. Only by realizing that the world’s economy is growing at a faster rate and every potential skill is required to bridge the gap between growing population and dwindling renewable that, the world will work towards eliminating all forms of discrimination. .
CONCLUSION
Every existing organization in the current social-cultural, socio-economical and socio-political arena should appreciate the positive gains of men and women participation to bring in economic development. Institutional rules that are gender biased should be reviewed. Power sharing, privileges and rights, norms attitudes and practices should be neutral.
REFERENCES
Deborah L Rhode (1997). The Denial and Gender Inequality. Harvard. University Press 1997.
University Press ISBN 13-978-0674831773.
Judith W Solsken (1993) Literacy, Gender and Work. Albert publishing
ISBN 13-978-089-3919184
Julie A Mattaei (1996) Race, Gender and Work. South End Press
ISBN 13-978-08960-85381
