Seizing Gender Equality

Post-2015

Written by: Kidung Asmara (2014)

People shouts about human rights, people justify the harmony of living in diversity, but for whom those

addressed for? Human rights are humans’ truly. The God, the surroundings, or everything that we spiritually

believed in, has created Adam and Eve to complement each others, not to overcome nowadays’ true languages

of the world; gender discrimination, sex abuse, domestic violence, patriarchal and matriarchal orders. Gender

inequality has been rooted in our living and never been reversed with comprehensive solutions. Until this early

year we see bright attempt in the Millenium Development Goals number three. Now the challenge comes to

us, are we ready to respond and act for it’s continuance?

Gender equality—depart from the words it self—is an equal treats for ones without

determined by gender. Gender equality is achieved when women and men enjoy the same

rights and opportunities across all sectors of society, including economic participation and

decision-making, and when the different behaviors, aspirations and needs of women and

men are equally valued and favoured.1 However, certain literatures distinguish the term to

gender equity—the process of being impartial to women and men.2

Gender issue remains inequality across the globe. In compliance of civil rights,

women are still underprivileged. In labor force, women often stereotyped as a figure who

cannot leave the household matters when they are working and considered less powerful

than men which believed to be resulted in deficient working performance —these further

manifested in the low salary gained, hard time of finding job opportunities, and lack of

women in multisectoral areas (representatives in parliament, top ladder positions in

economic fields, etc).

          Both genders often treated as the object of sexual assault; forced sex workers in

conflict areas, female genital mutilation for non-medical purpose in Africa, sexual

harassment in public sphere across the globe, and even unjustified accusation towards men

whenever women feels offended if men looks at their inappropriate apparels and blame men

as ‘pervert’. 3

However, these issues are accepted as everyone’s responsibility. Comparing to the

rise of domestic violence which considerably dilematic whether in personal or even grander

scope. Both spouse may engage in abusive behavior, although women are commonly

victimized. Domestic violence against men often unreported due to the social pressure that

lingers on them—afraid of losing machismo and to maintain their stigma of masculinity.4 5

In 1979, the UN General Assembly adopted a solution known as The Convention

on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The

convention provides the basis for realizing equality between women and men through

ensuring women’s equal access to, and equal opportunities in political and public life,

education, health, and employment.6

Additionally, Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the United

Nations’ The Four World Conference on Women in 1995. The principal themes were the

advancement and empowerment of women in relation to women’s human rights and other

areas of concern.7 In accordance to review, United Nations Commission on the Status of

Women (UNCSW) hold the twenty-year review called Beijing+20 as proposed by the

Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), at it’s 59th meeting in March 2015.8

Non-governmental bodies has established countless international frameworks

regarding gender equality. Mentioned resolutions above are the substantial ones that triggers

the growth of it’s continuance frameworks.

Although efforts to ace gender inequality has been embarked over decades, it still

remains barriers. Gender equality is achieved when women—who are commonly

underprived—have received equal treatments. But if we want a gender equalable society,

empowering women is not enough, men should also be implicated.

         

The idea of women empowerment seldom involves men as the agent of sustaining.

Women struggles as they live on their own in a men’s world. However, by empowering

women, men are being empowered.9

Either way, desire comes from radical movements who wants to put women superior

in all spheres. Opposes the other gender as to ‘revenge’ the old time scars of how was

women been marginalized. Ideally, feminism is a way to reach gender equality—both ideas

created not to oppose each others.10

It still kept in the mind of society, that a state has even more complex matters in

prior—economic development, polemic on political situation, etc—than to combat the

gender gap. Gender inequality issue seen as it has no urgency for further destiny of a state,

but the truth is it’s reverse—gender inequality is not a current problem, it will goes even

rooted if it’s kept on the trail.

We figured out three main reasons to ace gender inequality immediately. First,

gender inequality remains major driver of women’s poverty. Women account for about two-

thirds of the 1.4 billion people globally who live in extreme poverty. Without specifically

addressing gender inequality, women’s poverty—and global poverty—will persist.

Second, gender inequality blocks progress on other key development goals. For

example, research by the Organization for Economic Co-operation dan Development

(OECD) found that women’s access to resources is strongly correlated with child health

outcomes. Countries where women lack any right to own land have on average 60% more

malnourished children; this rises to 85% where women lack access to credit. There is also a

clear link between levels of gender discrimination and rates of maternal mortality.

Third, there is a real risk that gender equality gains could be reversed. The 1990s

were a decade of huge possibility and political will on women’s rights. Now we are operating

in a darker international environment, marked by the resurgence of fundamentalisms, and

increasing attacks on women’s rights and women’s human rights defenders. There is a real

risk of reversals in progress unless we continue to make gender equality a priority.11

Efforts to eliminate gender inequality prospectively carried on a mission of creating

an equalable world’s society of non-gender based—which is poured in the Millenium

         Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs is centered following the UN’s Millenium Summit

in 2000, encapsulated eight goals including it’s number three; “To promote gender equality

and women empowerment”.12

As the MDGs expires in 2015, the UN iniciated the Post-2015 Development

Agenda—a process that aims to succeed the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) by the

end of 2030. In 2013, the High Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda released

“A New Global Partnership: Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies through

Sustainable Development”.

The report calls upon five major goals, including these two goals that leans on

gender equality issue; 1) Leave no one behind. We should ensure that no person—regardless

of gender or other status—is denied universal human rights and basic economics

opportunities, 5) Forge a new global partnership. A new partnership should be based on a

common understanding of our shared humanity, underpinning mutual respect and benefit in

a shrinking world. Involving the government and also others including women.13

We also have Sustaining Development Goals (SDGs) as a continuance and reflection

program of the MDGs. SDGs frameworks is now underway, but there has been several draft

goals on August 2015 that has been proposed and agreed by 193 countries.14 15 One of them

is lingers on the gender issue; “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and

girls”.16

We have taken eyes on international frameworks considered as the ‘letters of

encouragement’ to the UN member states to rightly succeed these global aims. However,

aiming visions without solving the past and happening polemic is like an owl yearning for

the moon. We have come to the challenge where implicating regulations requires different

treats in different states—regarding it’s inherent cultural system that the UN has no

mandatory to rules.

In most hemispheres, cases that sub-human women too often seen as a natural case

departed from a stigma of either women or men have different roles—and further rights—in

society; it is in order when women tend to follow men. Society have tendency to develop in

patriarchal order—why does men tend to predominant the occupation sphere? Because in a

         convention sense they have more brute strength, do not give childbirth, have the basic

instinct of seeking powers, and focused on the intangible knowledge which made them the

formers of some ‘thoughtful’ things – nationalities, religions, morality.17 However, gender

activists today are in favor of none gender, race, or other groups domination—the

egalitarianism order.18

On the other hands, these gender-dominated order brought to the kinship system.

Some of the world’s tribes still inheritance either patriarchy or matriarchy system. But

nowadays it’s been a hard time for men living in matriliny system, while the outside modern

society stresses in patrilineal—and also patriarchal—practices. Some tribes remains as they

tries their best to be more inclusive with outside customs, yet some are extinct.19 We also believed that gender gaps are flourished by region disparity. Most of times

the international forums raises topics about gender, there have hatched the pro and contra

blocks. Major states are aligned to gender liberation, while others tend to counter it. Islamic countries—in the Middle-East Asia and Africa—are under the law of Sharia

which sourced from the doctrine of Islam. In Sharia law, women are limited to some access

and dependence to their husbands. To travel, work, or going out of house, they should

accompanied by their spouse—or at least having their spouses’ permission if going on their

own. In social interactions, women are expected not to be an outspoken and physical contact

with non-relative men is forbidden. Restriction also comes to their apparels, women’s parts

of body except the eyes considered as aurat—something that should be hidden from public

to avoid sexual appeals—therefore Islamic women ‘uniformed’ in a long-covering robe.

We have recognized that inherent cultural systems mentioned above are big burdens

that even the world’s top ladders haven’t known yet on which side they should fallen to. The

other thing we see as a challenge to construct an equality is the causal relation of financial

and development—a sufficient gold-mine could sustain the progress of equalable society.

Gender equality matters in it’s own right but is also smart economics: Countries that

create better opportunities for women and girls can raise productivity, improve outcomes for

children, make institutions more representative, and advance development prospects for all.

The World Bank has given financial support to women in chance of education, health

         insurance, and access to credit, land, agricultural, services, jobs, and infrastructure. It’s World

Development Report 2012 also report the accomplishment on sustaining women’s

occupancy in agricultural in India and women enterpreneurship in Indonesia. The state and

IGO should mainstream the gender work and find other ways to move the agenda forward

to capture the full potential of half of the world’s population such as in labor participation,

maternal mortality, access to formal financial institutions and also development planning and

budgeting.20

Providing financial support is however not enough, we figured out that states are in

lack of budget allocated to this issue. Therefore, implementing commitments towards gender

equality requires intentional measures to incorporate a gender perspective in planning and

budgeting frameworks and concrete investment in addressing gender gaps. The UN Women

has provided support to gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) initiatives in cooperation with

local partners. Gender-responsive budgeting is not about creating separate budgets for

women, or solely increasing spending on women’s programs. Gender-responsive budget

analysis along with legislation, and other practical policy measures can address gender bias

and discrimination.21 As a leading organization with global mandate to promote gender equality, as well as

robust mainstreaming of gender considerations across all parts of the framework. UN

Women is a member of the UN Task Team—which was established to coordinate system-

wide preparations for a post-2015 UN development agenda. UN Women also advocates

with member states on integrating gender equality perspectives in the future development

agenda.

In 2013, UN Women has iniciated a position paper advocated for a stand-alone goal

in the post-2015 development agenda responding the gender equality goals. In this paper,

UN Women is calling an agenda that is grounded in human rights standards that

governments have already committed to and that can transform women’s and girls’ lives. UN

Women believes that it is critical to address the structural causes of gender inequality, they

have argued that stand-alone goal must establish minimum standards and push change

forward in the three critical areas that are holding women back which are ending violence

         against women, expanding women’s choices and capabilities, and giving women a voice

within households and in public and private decision-making spheres. Against each of these

core elements, a list of possible target areas and indicators is proposed.22 23

We have imposed plenty of frameworks and campaign by the UN’s organs, as the

world’s leading IGO, they are thoroughly going on the path to achieve those visionary goals.

But an equalable society is not merely created by authorized bodies, we are the major agent.

Efforts to minimize the gender gaps can be done in such ‘mini’ things.

First, is learning from the past study cases across the globe. Gender equality is

nothing before we complement the basic needs of civil rights for everyone. Women and men

are equal to have the same access to education and health, to get job opportunities, to shouts

their aspirations—and as the outcome there is no gaps between women’s and men’s

performance.

Living in comfort and security are also put highlights. Women has their rights to

decide which apparels to wear, it is simply in their preference. If men can wear more casual

clothes, why can’t women? Sexual harrassment in public areas or rape cases are truly

perpetrators’ fault. Women should not be taught how to dress up, but men should not sees

women as sexual object.

Domestic abuse and honor killings also remain high rate in crime. We believed that

household is spouse’s private entity, but when it comes to an abusive behavior that

disadvantage ones, there is no hesitate to bring it upon the law. None have the rights to

harm each others even if you do to yourself. Also, either male or female descendants are

blessings from The God, there is no shame of having a daughter or son –there is no honor

in the honor killings or gender preference.

Second, we have learnt what was happening, and now the challenge comes to us to

seize the gender equality that has been a big burden for us—to act upon the inherent cultural

system. Patriarchal or matriarchal system has mounted over debate on which one is more

suitable for a society. We believed that the practice of these gender-based order appears to

be one’s superior to another, but then again we believed that an ideal system can only be

taken over by a head, we cannot reach the point of aims if commanded by more than a

         leader. Therefore, deciding women or men to lead ideally based on their capabilities not

referring to a conventional stigma of which gender is more praised.

Freedom also lingers on us to decide which beliefs and religious doctrine we devoted

to. Responding to gender restriction by the Sharia law in Islamic countries, although the

world shouts loudly about endless freedom for all, but still we have no mandate to rule their

law and we shall respect every religions exist in the hemispheres. We believed if the muslims

sees Sharia law as the goodness and substantial source from their God, therefore Sharia law

would not harm it’s followers. What can we do is to ensure if the people from any religious,

races, and natives society received their rights appropriately.

Lastly, gender equality is not a wind blowing—it is real, struggling, and emerging. As

the MDGs expire this winter, new blank sheets comes to us to be written about our efforts

to pull back inequality. Goes with the UN’s vision on the Post-2015 Development Agenda

and Sustainable Development Agenda, let’s support these visionary aims by every single

casual things we can do. Here we present several illustration about the pro and contra of

gender equality issue.

         

References 1http://www.genderequality.ie/en/GE/Pages/WhatisGE

2 http://www.unfpa.org/fr/node/9348 3 Joan Chittister, “Gender inequality is a man’s problem”, http://ncronline.org/blogs/where-i-stand/gender-inequality-mans-problem, (November 4, 2014) 4 Lupri, Eugene; Grandin, Elaine (2004). “Intimate partner abuse against men” (PDF). National Clearinghouse on Family Violence. P. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 4, 2009. Retrived June 21, 2014. 5 Migliaccio, Todd A. (Winter 2001). “Marginalizing the Battered Male”. The Journal of Men’s Studies 9 (2): 1—18. Doi:10.3149/jms.0902.205. Retrivied June 20, 2014 6http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/

          7 http://wnc.equalities.gov.uk/work-of-the-wnc/international-articles/beijing-platform.html 8http://beijing20.unwomen.org/en/step-it-up/commitments#7868D4DE4BD54A13BA10530C786BF154

9http://huffpost.com/us/entry/6833450

10http://womenhistory.about.com/od/feminism/g/radicalfeminisn.htm

11http://www.womankind.org.uk/2013/05/post-2015-sights-set-on-gender-equality

12 United Nations Millenium Development Goals website, retrieved 4 February 2013. 13http://www.un.org/sg/management/pdf/HLP_P2015_Report.pdf 14http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2015/08/transforming-our-world-document-adoption/ 15https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgsproposal 16https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/6754Technical%20report%20of%20the%20U NSC%20Bureau%20%28final%29.pdf 17http://www.quora.com/Gender/Why-did-more-societies-develop-to-be-patriarchal-than-matriarchal 18www.city-data.com/forum/politics-other-controversies/1839527-patriarchy-matriarchy-egalitarianism.html 19http://firstpost.com/specials/married-in-meghalaya-feminist-dream-or-the-iron-fist-of-matriarchy-2368472.html 20http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2011/09/20/world-development-report-gender-equality-indonesia-improving 21http://asiapacific.unwomen.org/en/focus-areas/women-poverty-economics/gender-responsive-budgeting 22http://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/post-2015/un-women-position 23http://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/post-2015/frequently-asked-questions