Gender Inequality Essay

According to the United Nations Population Fund, gender is: ”the economic, social and cultural attributes and opportunities associated with being male or female…Gender attributes and characteristics, encompassing, inter alia, the roles that men and women play and the expectations placed upon them, vary widely among societies and change over time. But the fact that gender attributes are socially constructed means that they are also amenable to change in ways that can make a society more just and equitable. " (UNFPA n. p. ) The UNFPA also defines gender equality as existent when: “both sexes are able to share equally in the distribution of power and influence; have equal opportunities for financial independence through work or through setting up businesses; enjoy equal access to education and the opportunity to develop personal ambitions, interests and talents; share responsibility for the home and children and are completely free from coercion, intimidation and gender-based violence both at work and at home.

In the employment sector, gender inequality does not promote efficiency as it means reduced variety of skilled human resource which reduces competitiveness of discriminative institutions as their counterparts who do not discriminate on gender basis will have better access to wider variety of human resources which will, in turn, translate into increased productivity and potential for growth (Self & Grabowski 322). Karl Marx Theories While Marx did not address gender in the sense that it is currently seen, he wrote about women while addressing certain social issues. One of the theories by Karl Marx that applies to the issue of gender inequality is the theory of inequality. According to this theory, the society is in a constant state of conflict between the rich and the poor.

The rich are in control of all the resources as a result of their status while the poor have to work for the rich, gaining very little in reward for their labor. He suggests that it is important that the family concept in the upper social classes is changed from its oppressive nature if a better society is to be attained. Max Weber Theories The functionalist theory may be used to explain the issue of gender inequality. According to the theory, the society exists as a complex system made up of different parts working together to ensure its stability and solidarity. According to this theory, gender inequalities exist as a way to create a social system or division of labor whereby a given population segment is responsible for providing acts of labor while another segment is responsible for other societal roles.

While expanding on Marx’s conflict theory, Weber added that aside from economic inequalities, inequalities in social structure and political power also result in conflict. With the implementation of legislation to ensure gender equality, it would also be important to put into place structures to ensure the effective implementation, coordination, and adherence to the laid down regulations and policies. To ensure this, penalties should be put in place against any institutions and individuals who perpetrate any injustices against anyone on the basis of their danger. While at it, it would also be important to educate all members of the society and especially women as they are the main victims of gender inequality on their rights as this would equip them with the knowledge required to fight for their rights and ensure that they are not victimized anywhere on the grounds of their gender.