Thursday 27 June 2013

HOW TO PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY

 

How to Promote Gender Equality

 Great strides have been made in the area of gender equality, much more needs to be accomplished. Realize that many men and women still face an uphill battle as they aim to advance their careers and social status. Promoting gender equality helps ensure previous struggles were not waged in vain.






Instructions

    • 1
      Recognize inequalities that exist for both genders. Know that some people face discrimination or sexism on a daily basis. For example, male nurses or female mechanics may face greater scrutiny from coworkers as well as increased criticism from family members.


    • 2)  Sponsor awareness meetings and seminars. Invite guest speakers to share their experiences with community members and business leaders. Focus on bridging existing communication gaps concerning gender equality issues.


    • 3
      Show appreciation for gender equality efforts made by individuals and businesses. Offer special awards or incentives to those who work for the betterment of this important issue. For example, help organize ceremonies to reward businesses for instituting gender equality training into existing office curriculum.


    • 4
      Donate time and money to organizations that deal with gender equality issues. Seek out opportunities to help organizers have the best possible results from their efforts. Set an example for your friends and colleagues by taking a firm stand.


    • 5
      Encourage children to follow their dreams regardless of existing gender stereotypes. For example, let Sarah know that it is perfectly acceptable to work towards a career involving math or science. Allow Johnny to choose art class over football. This helps break the cycle of sexist attitudes and behaviors. 








Efforts to fight inequality

World bodies have defined gender equality in terms of human rights, especially women's rights, and economic developmentUNICEF describes that gender equality "means that women and men, and girls and boys, enjoy the same rights, resources, opportunities and protections. It does not require that girls and boys, or women and men, be the same, or that they be treated exactly alike."



The United Nations Population Fund has declared that men and women have a right to equality.
 "Gender equity" is one of the goals of the United Nations Millennium Project, to end world poverty by 2015; the project claims, "Every single Goal is directly related to women's rights, and societies where women are not afforded equal rights as men can never achieve development in a sustainable manner.







Many sources define gender as the sociological construction of sex, meaning how society ascribes certain roles for men and women. In its report entitled "Promoting Gender Equality," the United Nations Population Fund states: "... it is important to acknowledge that where gender inequality exists, it is generally women who are excluded or disadvantaged in relation to decision-making and access to economic and social resources." Addressing gender inequality in the workplace is an important goal for companies to build strong alliances with women so the entire team contributes to organizational success.




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Gender equality

Gender Equality


Gender equality, is also known as sex equality or sexual equality or equality of the genders which implies that men and women should receive equal treatment unless there is a sound biological reason for different treatment.The concept based on the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the ultimate aim is to provide equality in law and equality in social situations, especially in democratic activities and securing equal pay for equal work, and for example Equal Rights Amendment in United States.


The Shakers, a celibate evangelical group founded in America in 1774, practiced equality of the sexes soon after they began organizing into their own separatist enclaves. The head of the Shakers' central ministry in 1788, Joseph Meacham  had a revelation that the sexes should be equal, so he brought Lucy Wright into the ministry as his female counterpart, and together they restructured society to balance the rights of the sexes. Meacham and Wright established leadership teams where each elder, who dealt with the men's spiritual welfare, was partnered with an eldress, who did the same for women. Each deacon was partnered with a deaconess. Men had the oversight of men; women had the oversight of women. Women lived with women; men lived with men. In Shaker society, a woman did not have to be controlled or otherwise owned by any man. After Meacham's death in 1796, Wright was the head of the Shaker ministry until her own death in 1821. Going forward, Shakers maintained the same pattern of gender-balanced leadership for more than 200 years. They also promoted equality with women's rights advocates. In 1853, Shaker brother William Leonard wrote that Shakerism brought an end to the “degradation and oppression of WOMAN,” and suggested that the public discussion of woman’s rights, as well as other reforms, originated with Shakers and was due to their recognition of God as both male and female.