Role of NGOs in Gender Equality: Every individual in society dreams of equal rights and access to resources available at their disposal, but there is a lot of discrimination. This discrimination can be due to cultural differences, geographical differences, the colour of the individual, social status and even gender. The most prevalent discrimination is gender inequality.
It is not a localised issue and is limited to only certain spheres of life but is prevalent across the globe. Even in progressive societies and top NGOs in India, we can see many examples of gender bias.
Gender equality refers to equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities for both women and men. It implies that the interests, needs and priorities of both women and men are taken into consideration, recognizing the diversity of different groups of women and men. Worldwide, women’s fundamental rights continue to be violated, and they face discrimination in access to education, work, social protection, inheritance, economic assets, productive resources, and participation in decision-making and society.
Women spend two to ten times more time on unpaid work than men, which is one of the main obstacles to economic and political empowerment.
Table of Contents
Historical Overview: The Struggle for Gender Parity
Gender equality has its roots in ancient civilizations, where women played crucial roles in governance, religion, and social structures. However, as societies evolved, patriarchal systems emerged, relegating women to subordinate roles. The 20th century saw a renewed focus on gender equality with women’s suffrage movements, legislative changes, and the rise of feminist ideologies.
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Key Issues in Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
Achieving gender equality and empowering women requires targeted efforts at various levels of society, including in policy-making, social systems, and economic structures. The following key issues are central to advancing gender equality and fostering women’s empowerment globally:
1. Reproductive Health
A woman’s control over her reproductive health is fundamental to her empowerment and equality. The ability to make decisions regarding family planning – such as the number, timing, and spacing of children – allows women to have greater autonomy in their personal and professional lives. Without access to reproductive healthcare, women face significant barriers to participating fully in society.
Every two minutes, a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth, underscoring the urgent need for improved healthcare services and protection of reproductive rights. Denying these rights constitutes a violation of both health and life, and represents a form of gender-based discrimination.
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2. Challenging Social and Gender Norms
To achieve gender equality, it is essential to challenge and transform harmful gender norms that perpetuate inequality. This involves reshaping social roles and relations to promote a more equal distribution of resources, opportunities, and responsibilities between men and women.
Changing perceptions around gender roles requires a concerted effort to address the societal norms that limit women’s participation in various sectors, including education, politics, and the workforce. Initiatives that promote positive masculinities and encourage men to take on a greater share of caregiving responsibilities are vital to transforming entrenched gender dynamics.
3. Economic Empowerment
Women’s participation in the economy is still constrained by both formal and informal barriers. Many women receive lower wages than men for similar work, and their unpaid care work, such as child-rearing and household management, is often undervalued. The unequal burden of unpaid care work also leads to a significant gap in labour-force participation, which deepens when women become parents.
Economic empowerment for women requires recognizing their contributions to both the formal and informal economy and creating systems that allow for better balance between caregiving and employment. This can be achieved through more equitable sharing of domestic responsibilities and the implementation of gender-responsive social protection policies that support women’s participation in the workforce.
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4. Educational Empowerment
Education is one of the most powerful tools for advancing gender equality. However, women and girls still face significant barriers to education, with two-thirds of the world’s illiterate adults being women. Lack of education limits a woman’s access to opportunities, information, and decision-making power.
Conversely, higher levels of education for women lead to numerous benefits, including lower infant mortality rates and better health outcomes for children. Investing in education for girls and women not only transforms their individual lives but also has a ripple effect on the well-being of future generations.
5. Political Empowerment
Gender equality cannot be fully realised without addressing the lack of women in positions of political and legal authority. Globally, women are underrepresented in political institutions, with only about 26 per cent of parliamentarians being female.
Even when laws are in place to protect women’s rights, they are often inadequately enforced, particularly in areas such as domestic violence. Promoting women’s participation in political processes and ensuring that legal systems support gender equality are essential steps toward achieving meaningful empowerment.
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How is Gender Equality Determined?
Gender equality is an important factor in determining a country’s overall growth. There are several indexes to measure gender equality.
Gender-Related Development Index (GDI)
GDI is a gender-centric measure of the Human Development Index. GDI considers parameters like life expectancy, education, and income in assessing the gender equality of a country.
Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM)
This measure includes many details like the proportion of seats that women candidates hold in national parliament, the percentage of women in economic decision-making roles, and the income share of female employees.
Gender Equity Index (GEI)
GEI ranks countries on three parameters of gender inequality, those are education, economic participation, and empowerment. However, GEI ignores the health parameter.
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Global Gender Gap Index
The World Economic Forum introduced the Global Gender Gap Index in 2006. This index focuses more on identifying the level of female disadvantage. The four important areas that the index considers are economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, political empowerment, health, and survival rate.
Some NGOs Making Society Equitable For Women
Gram Vikas Trust
Gram Vikas Trust is an NGO for women in India that directs its efforts towards child rights, education, health and hygiene, sustainable livelihood, and women empowerment. Since its inception in 2001, GVT has been working with people from marginalised communities within complex socio-political climates, and vulnerable to exploitation.
The Trust strives for integrated development through people’s participation and has developed lasting associations with government, non-government and corporate organisations as well as concerned communities and groups.
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Aarti For Girls
Since its start in 1992, Aarti for Girls is an NGO for women that have been on a silent crusade against injustice to women and children in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh.
Operating in a region steeped in poverty and discrimination, this NGO for women has only grown from strength to strength and has impacted over 100,000 women and children across the district.
Visvodaya Trust
Operational since 1998, Visvodaya Trust is a charitable NGO for women that promotes self-reliance and sustainable development in society with a special focus on education and auxiliary contribution in the areas of women empowerment, environment, and holistic health care.
Its objectives are to serve the underprivileged and oppressed sections of society, work for the community development and welfare of economically and socially backward sections through education and help the physically and mentally challenged.
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Conclusion
To build a future where gender equality is a reality, societies must foster environments where both men and women can access equal opportunities and are free from biases. It isn’t merely a women’s issue; it’s a human issue. Embracing gender equality leads to healthier, wealthier, and more educated societies, ensuring a brighter future for all.
