Gender Justice in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities

For centuries, governments and organizations have implemented various initiatives to address gender justice, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls) and Millennium Development Goal 3 (Promote gender equality and empower women).

 

Defining Gender Justice

Gender justice is the systematic redistribution of power, opportunity, and access for all people, regardless of gender. It promotes equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities for all genders.

 

Challenges Facing Gender Justice

Despite efforts to address gender justice, several challenges persist:

 

Lack of Women in Leadership: Women hold only 27% of parliamentary seats and 28% of management positions.This leads to lack of diversity in policy making and limits the full understanding of the various problems and challenges that women and girls face.

 

Poverty and Lack of Economic Opportunities: Over 340 million women and girls live in extreme poverty,highly affected women and girls are in marginalised societies with little to no access to education and employment opportunities.

 

Workplace discrimination and inequalities persist: with 61% of prime working age women participating in the labor force, vs 91% of men.Women earning only 51 cents for every dollar earned by men (2019 data).This affects economic growth and social progress.This results in women experiencing higher levels of deprivation of basic needs,poverty and exploitation which increases the vulnerability levels of women and girls.

 

Social Norms and Cultural Practices: Harmful practices like child marriage and female genital mutilation persist.Globally 1 in 5 young women are married off before age 18.The prevalence of child marriage highlights the need for attitudinal shifts and the promotion of legal frameworks that safeguard women and girl’s rights.

 

Inadequate Access to Education and Healthcare: An estimated 110 million girls and young women may remain out of school by 2030.This births a halt in development progress by reducing maternal mortality and educational opportunities.

 

Food Insecurity: Nearly 24% of women and girls will experience moderate to severe food insecurity by 2030.There is a need to empower women in food and agriculture systems by enhancing access to land and resources is vital for ensuring food security and economic growth for women and girls across the globe.

 

Violence Against Women and Girls: 245 million women and girls experience physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner,relative or stranger older women and younger girls face higher rates of poverty and violence,this inturn affects the social,mental and emotional wellbeing of women and girls which affects the rate of development

Inadequate Funding for Gender Equality Initiatives: Only 4% of total bilateral aid is allocated to gender equality and women's empowerment.This highlights the neglects of the various resources,programs and initiatives that need to be implemented in order to combat Gender Based Violence and achieve both SDG and MDG.

Legal Barriers and Poor Enforced Legislation: At least 28 countries lack laws granting women equal rights to enter marriage and initiate divorce and 67 countries lack laws prohibiting direct and indirect discrimination against women,where legislation does exist to promote gender equality,effective implementation remains a challenge.

 

 

ACTION POINTS

Addressing Lack of Women in Leadership

Implement quotas: Enforce quotas for women's representation in parliament and leadership positions.

Mentorship programs: Establish mentorship programs to support women's leadership development.

Training and capacity building: Provide training and capacity-building programs for women in leadership positions and young girls aspiring to take up leadership roles.

 

Eradicating Poverty and Ensuring Economic Opportunities.

Education and vocational training: Provide access to education and vocational training for women and girls.

Microfinance initiatives: Implement microfinance initiatives to support women's entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.

Equal pay policies: Enforce equal pay policies to ensure women receive fair compensation for their work.

 

Ending Workplace Discrimination and Inequalities

Anti-discrimination laws: Strengthen and enforce anti-discrimination laws to protect women from workplace harassment and discrimination.

Flexible work arrangements: Implement flexible work arrangements to support work-life balance for women.

Parental leave policies: Enact parental leave policies that promote shared responsibility and support for caregivers.

 

Eliminating Harmful Social Norms and Cultural Practices

Legislative reforms: Enact and enforce laws that prohibit child marriage, female genital mutilation, and other harmful social and cultural practices.

Awareness campaign: Launch awareness campaigns to challenge and change harmful social norms and cultural practices.

Community engagement: Engage with communities to promote positive change and support for women's and girls' rights.

 

Ensuring Access to Education and Healthcare

Free education: Provide free education for girls and women, including access to quality healthcare services.

Scholarships and grants: Offer scholarships and grants to support women's and girls' education and healthcare.

Healthcare infrastructure: Strengthen healthcare infrastructure to ensure access to quality healthcare services for women and girls.

 

Addressing Food Insecurity

Agricultural support: Provide support for women in agriculture, including access to land, credit, and markets.

Food assistance programs: Implement food assistance programs to support women and girls affected by food insecurity.

 

Combating Violence Against Women and Girls

Legislative reforms: Enact and enforce laws that protect women and girls from violence, including domestic violence and sexual harassment.

Support services: Provide support services for survivors of violence, including counseling, shelter, and legal aid.

Awareness campaigns: Launch awareness campaigns to challenge and change attitudes and behaviors that perpetuate violence against women and girls.

 

Increasing Funding for Gender Equality Initiatives

Allocate resources: Allocate a significant portion of the national budget to support gender equality initiatives.

International cooperation: Collaborate with international organizations and donors to secure funding for gender equality initiatives.

Private sector engagement: Engage with the private sector to leverage resources and support for gender equality initiatives.

 

Strengthening Legal Frameworks

Legislative reforms: Enact and enforce laws that promote gender equality and protect women's and girls' rights.

Judicial training: Provide training for judges and law enforcement officials to ensure they are equipped to handle cases related to gender-based violence and discrimination.

Access to justice: Ensure women and girls have access to justice, including legal aid and support services.

 

 

Conclusion

Addressing these challenges is crucial to achieving gender justice and empowering women and girls worldwide.With only 5 years left to clock 2030 and review our Sustainable Development Goals it is vital to begin to address these challenges and find strategic solutions that can be implemented to ensure these challenges are curbed and eradicated.

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