A report of the United Nations (UN) It was lapidary in terms of the possible deconstruction with respect to traditional schemes. In effect, he resulted in no less than 9 out of 10 people of both sexes, maintain prejudices regarding women.
“Half of the world’s population still believes that men are better political leaders than women, and more than 40% believe that men are better executives than women,” says the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). in his latest report on the Gender Social Norms Index.
“Social norms that undermine women’s rights harm society in general and slow down the expansion of human development,” said the head of UNDP’s Human Development Report Office, Pedro Conceição.
Less equality, less rights
A staggering 25% of people believe a man is justified in hitting his wife, according to the report, which reflects the latest data from the World Values Survey.
The report argues that these biases drive the obstacles women face, manifesting in a dismantling of their rights in many parts of the world, with movements against gender equality gaining ground and, in some countries, an increase of human rights violations.
Prejudices are also reflected in the severe underrepresentation of women in management positions. On average, the proportion of women as Heads of State or Government has remained around 10% since 1995, and in the labor market women occupy less than a third of executive positions.
The report also sheds light on a broken link between women’s progress in education and economic empowerment. Women are more qualified and educated than ever, but even in the 59 countries where women are now more educated than men, the average difference in earnings between men and women is still 39% in favor of men.
“The lack of progress in gender social norms is taking place within the framework of a development crisis,” Conceição said, noting that the global Human Development Index fell in 2020 for the first time in history and again the following year .
The report underscores that governments have a crucial role in changing gendered social norms, from adopting parental leave policies, which have changed perceptions around care work responsibilities, to labor market reforms. that have led to a change in beliefs around women in the workforce.
“An important starting point is to recognize the economic value of unpaid care work,” said the head of the agency’s gender team.
Raquel Lagunas stated that “this can be a very effective way of challenging gender norms. In countries with the highest levels of gender bias against women, it is estimated that women spend six times more time than men on unpaid care work.”
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Despite Persisting Bias Against Women, Change Is Possible
In 27 of the 38 countries studied, an increase in the proportion of people without prejudice was observed in any indicator. The authors of the report stated that to drive change towards greater gender equality, a focus must be placed on amplifying human development through investment, insurance and innovation.
This includes investing in laws and policy measures that promote women’s equality in political participation, expanding safety mechanisms, such as strengthening social protection and care systems, and fostering interventions that are particularly effective in challenging norms. harmful social practices, patriarchal attitudes and gender stereotypes.
For example, tackling online hate speech and gender misinformation can help shift mainstream norms towards greater acceptance and equality, according to the report.
The document recommends directly addressing social norms through education and the implementation of policies that promote gender equality, and changes at the legislative level that recognize the rights of women in all spheres of life, and greater representation in decision-making. decision-making and political processes.
Source: Ambito
