The state of gender equality: Stories from across the globe

March 8th marked the 109th anniversary of International Women’s Day, which was first celebrated in 1911 with gatherings in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. Since 1911, the world has witnessed vast improvements in gender equality with respect to women’s suffrage, workforce participation, and access to education. However, there is still a long road to universal equity and inclusion. In honour of this anniversary, it is prudent to reflect on the status of gender equality across the world and recognize both the highs and the lows experienced in the last year. The following is a sample of recent headlines from four countries over the last twelve months that reflect some of the contemporary issues relating to women’s rights and gender equality.

Chad 

In February 2019, the United Nations published a story about the all-girls school of Lycée de Bol where young women and girls in Chad now have the opportunity to receive valuable and lifesaving information about their sexual and reproductive health. After-school classes instructed by Muslim teachers from the League of Women Preachers cover topics relating to menstrual cycles, sexual and reproductive health, and gender-based violence. Chad is a country with some of the greatest societal barriers to gender equality, as practices such as child marriage and non-consensual sexual intercourse remain extremely common and widely accepted. Furthermore, the devastating practice of female genital mutilation continues to affect 44 per cent of all women in Chad. While there are significant and embedded cultural norms to overcome in the push for gender quality in Chad, initiatives such as those by the League of Women Preachers give women access to the information that is critical to their health, safety, and empowerment.

India

In the state of Kerala, on New Year’s Day 2019, estimates claim that between 3.5 million and 5 million women joined hands in solidarity and formed a line stretching 385 miles in a demonstration that pushed for women’s equality. The protest came on the heels of a decision made by the Supreme Court of India to overturn a ban that prevented women of menstruating age from entering the Sabarimala temple. For centuries, women of child-bearing age were barred from entering the temple as they are viewed as “impure” or a “temptation” to the celibate Hindu god Lord Ayyapa, to whom the temple is dedicated. While the Supreme Court stated that their decision was a matter of civil rights, as the ban infringed upon women’s right to equality and worship, protestors lined the temple and prevented women from entering. Early in the morning on January 2nd, following the ‘wall of women’ demonstration, two women gained entry to the Sabarimala temple to pay their respects. This case study in India provides a unique commentary on the interaction between religion and gender equality, and the mobilization of women seeking access to the free exercise of their religious rights.

Saudi Arabia

One of the most publicized headlines in the last twelve months emerged from Saudi Arabia in June 2018, when the country’s ruler announced the dissolution of a twenty-year ban which prevented women from driving. The monarchy’s reversal of its position on this issue was heralded internationally as a substantive step towards women’s empowerment in a country which is known to have arrested and imprisoned women’s rights activists. In addition to the social freedom of being able to travel greater distances independently, the ability to drive will expand women’s economic freedom, by decreasing barriers to workforce participation and gaining employment further away from home.

However, while some stated that this policy brought the country “in line with the rest of the world”, the reality is that women in Saudi Arabia are far from enjoying social freedom. In a country where youth are taught that women have smaller brains that make them incapable of high-level critical thinking, women often have little decision-making power in social, economic, and political settings. In some areas of Saudi Arabia, women are subject to guardianship laws, which give them a legal status comparable to minors and permit men to make decisions on their behalf. Men also have the ability to digitally track their wives and daughters through an app called Absher, through which they can use women’s passport numbers and identification documents to restrict women’s ability to travel. The uses of Absher to violate women’s rights to freedom of movement gained international attention in early 2019, when it was discovered that the app was available for download from the Apple app store and Google Play store.

The United States of America

A little over a year ago in January 2018, world watched in shock and outrage as 156 women read impact statements at the sentencing of Larry Nassar, a former team doctor for U.S.A Gymnastics who pled guilty to multiple charges of criminal sexual conduct. Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman read one of the most powerful statements, which not only described the physical, psychological, and emotional implications of Nassar’s abuse, but also pointed to people within the athletic community who discounted the experiences of young women who came forward, and turned a blind eye to Nassar’s crimes for decades. Eight months later, in October 2018, the former president of U.S.A. Gymnastics was arrested on the charge of evidence tampering to impede the investigation of Nassar’s crimes. Although heartbreaking, the impact statements read by Raisman and countless others are a landmark recognition of women’s experiences of sexual assault and the need to examine organizational cultures that work to suppress these experiences and perpetuate abuse.

Later in 2018, the U.S. experienced a significant advancement in women’s political representation during the November 2018 midterm elections. First, the number of women running for office was a historic high, with 234 women running for seats in the House of Representatives, and 22 women running for Senate. Furthermore, the results of the midterm election set a national record for the number of women who won seats in Congress. The 116th Congress now includes a record high of 127 women, which accounts for approximately 24 per cent of the total seats. Among these women are Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who broke down immense gender, racial, and religious barriers to become the first Muslim women to serve in the U.S. Congress. In a country which has never elected a woman to serve as president, this unprecedented level of women in political office, although still comprising less than a quarter of all seats, is a major step towards equitable political representation.

Towards Multidimensional Gender Equality

While just a brief overview of a select number of stories on gender equality from around the world, these case studies illustrate that gender equality is an issue that affects everyone, everywhere. As described above, however, different cultures and communities around the world experience the journey towards gender equality differently. Often, women’s economic empowerment dominates the discourse on gender equality, particularly in Western contexts. Statistics such as gender wage gaps, labour force participation rates, and industry specific employment rates are frequently used as indicators for societal progress towards gender equality. While these discussions are extremely valuable, true gender equality across the globe will require progress across a multitude of social dimensions, including women’s religious rights, freedom of movement, political representation, and access to sexual and reproductive health services. The cases above demonstrate the degree to which gender equality necessitates a multidimensional, international, and intersectional lens. On International Women’s Day, it is important that we recognize the experiences of women everywhere, and work to advance both economic equity and social inclusion for women and girls both at home and abroad.