Post Corona Gender Equality
The world economy has, for many years, been inclined towards one gender, leaving out women. Men have dominated the economic world, which gives them an advantage in other aspects of life. The dominance can be attributed to their dominance in economics and mathematics, while most women are in lower-paying jobs. Economic dominance and ability is not an independent entity but comes with numerous benefits; it is unfair when the world economics present a platform that is only fair to one gender and not to another. The Corona Virus has affected both the social setting in the economics of the world. The journey to economic equality between genders has, therefore, suffered a blow. It is, however, utterly essential to ensure that there is economic equality between men and women and, therefore, essential for stakeholders to come together and determine how they can increase equality during and after the pandemic. Though women have been historically left behind economically, Covid-19 presents an opportunity to change the way we do business in terms of reducing gender-based violence, use of technology, globalization, economic equity, and resource allocation.
Stakeholders of the world economy must ensure that they reduce or eliminate gender inequality, which is currently rampant in the economy. Gender inequality in the world economy is on the rise as the coronavirus pandemic continues taking the lives of people and destabilizing the global economy. In 2017, only 12 banks in the world were under the leadership of ; however, this was a drop from 17 women bank CEOs in 2012 (Tett, 2017). Though countries have enacted laws and policies to reduce inequality, little progress has been realized; it is even harder to achieve progress now as most resources have been channeled towards the pandemic. Due to the reduced efforts effected in the economy, the achievement of economic gender equality is likely to take 55 more years (Roy, 2020). All is not lost, and it might be possible for the world to increase economic equity between men and women, the economies have been adversely affected by the virus, and they will require to be restructured and rebuilt. Therefore, policies can be implemented to ensure women are included in the economy and prevent male dominance while rebuilding the economy. There are three significant reasons why the economy will have to be rebuilt. First, their quality of jobs has been adversely affected, where most people will either be underpaid or overworked (Roy, 2020). Countries will, therefore, be working to restore the quality of work. Second, the quantity of work is also under threat, with many people losing their jobs (Roy, 2020). Many companies have broken down and in the processes firing most of their employees. Lastly, most women are more affected by economic problems than their male counterparts.
It is essential to note that women deserve economic equity just like men; this is because women have proven their ability economically, socially, and politically (Larson, 2016). Women have established women’s movements to fight for the economic rights of women. These movements have been partly successful but mostly unsuccessful. In as much as women are generally disadvantaged in the financial world, women in ethnic minority groups are more affected and find it tougher to survive and prosper. For instance, black women are significant victims of economic inequalities, and most of them live in poor neighborhoods, disadvantaging them (Larson, 2016). Single women are also under a lot of social and economic pressure. These parents have to play the role of parenting and, at the same time, remain the breadwinners for their children.
Economic freedom and equity are also crucial for women through the reduction of gender-based violence, reduction of gender-based violence will help in the recovery of the economy. Women are more vulnerable to abuse in society than men are; this is because of their social responsibilities, which may act as a barrier to economic freedom. This vulnerability can be attributed to the economic inferiority of women in society (Reyes, 2019). Though gender profiling has been reducing, there are traces where women have been discriminated against because they are seen as weak or incapable (Basu, 2018). Women are discriminated in almost all aspects of life; there is discrimination against women in politics, finance, and even socially. Discrimination, profiling, and violence against women have external origins, which can be traced from financial disability. Economic empowerment will reflect on the social and political abilities of the women.
Globalization is on the rise, and countries are looking towards increasing their financial ability and influence on the world. Globalization requires both market and labor worldwide. Women’s population in the world is high; if all the women are empowered, it would positively impact the rate of globalization (Darian-Smith & McCarty, 2017). The world is also headed towards a global culture which aims at equating all people regardless of their ethnicity, social status, gender or sexuality, to achieve these women empowerment and gender equality is essential (Darian-Smith & McCarty, 2017).
Governments and organizations should use technology to increase gender equity at their workplaces through the collection of data. 78% of CEOs have placed gender equity at their workplaces in a bid to empower women, and some of the best-performing companies’ inequity has embraced the use of technology (Dishman, 2020). Companies should use technological devices to collect data from all the employees and ensure that their interests are considered, and the decisions made to promote gender equality. The data should also be used to vet job aspirants in a bid to increase the number of women in the task force. Women have more social responsibilities and should be treated as so; their schedule should be adjusted to allow them to perform both duties at home and work.
The government, organizations, and individuals have the power to ensure that to determine how economic resources will be shared equally among all people. Legal agreements shape political power, showing that energy can be defined and developed according to a specific way (Reyes, 2020). Governments should, therefore, embark on the formation of agreement policies that allow women to actively and constructively towards building the economy. There are some measures that the government can take to ensure that women are involved in building and maintaining the global economy.
Governments and other entities must first appreciate that women are economically oppressed, and there is a need to achieve economic equity (Roy, 2020). After this appreciation, companies, and governments will include women in decision making, where they will give their insight and help in mitigation. For instance, negotiations involving women have shown a 64% possibility of going through, which is higher than the men’s only discussions (Roy, 2020). Second, women should be cushioned against economic shocks during the pandemic, most women, particularly single mothers, have more obligations, and they should be considered when distributing relief. Women carry more societal burdens than men and hence should be treated as such. Assessments conducted by the government and other organizations should consider gender when conducting evaluations. There are many factors that disadvantage women; for instance, women are prone to more burdens than men; more women are likely to be single parents than men (Thaler, 2020). Assessing policies should, therefore, ensure that men and women are not treated equally.
Women have proven that women are as economically capable as men; however, they have not been treated so despite their efforts to achieve economic equity. Backgrounds and ethnicity determine how much women are financially stable, and the barriers they are likely to face. Women from minority groups are more likely to be affected by economic inequality. There are ways in which the stakeholders can work together to empower women during and after the coronavirus pandemic.
References
Basu, S. (2018). Hiding in Plain Sight: Disclosure, Identity, and the Indian Men’s Rights Movement. QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking, 5(3), 117-129.
Darian-Smith, E., & McCarty, P. C. (2017). The global turn: theories, research designs, and methods for global studies. Univ of California Press.
Dishman, L. (2020, April 23). Women will play a critical role in the U.S. economic recovery. Retrieved May 25, 2020, from https://www.fastcompany.com/90495469/women-will-play-a-critical-role-in-the-u-s-economic-recovery
Larson, S. (2016). The Fractured Values of Best Interests: Struggles and Spaces of Transnational Adoption.
Reyes, V. (2019). Global borderlands: Fantasy, violence, and empire in Subic Bay, Philippines. Stanford University Press.
Roy, K., & Pipeline. (2020). Here’s how to achieve gender equality after the pandemic. Retrieved May 23, 2020, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/how-to-achieve-gender-equality-after-pandemic/
Tett, G. (2017, December 08). Why economics is still a man’s world. Retrieved May 25, 2020, from https://www.ft.com/content/60ff4736-da13-11e7-a039-c64b1c09b482
Thaler, G. M. (2020). Equifinality in the Smallholder Slot: Cash Crop Development in the Brazilian Amazon and Indonesian Borneo.