The Essential Role of Gender Equality, Feminism and Women Empowerment

in Addressing Social, Economic, and Political Inequalities.

Jhemrick V. Quezada

“Women will only have true inequality when men share with them the
responsibility of bringing up the next generation.” This quotation from Ruth Bader
Ginsburg greatly embodies the need and importance of gender equality, feminism and
women empowerment to create a better society. In today’s world, the issues of
gender inequality, feminism, and women empowerment remain widely discussed and
debated across the world. Feminism refers to the belief in gender equality, and
women empowerment is about giving them power and freedom. While many people
argue that these movements were already achieved, I still believe that these
movements were not only necessary, but are essential in tackling inequalities in
today’s world, whether socially, economically, and politically. And that without these
movements, a truly equal society can’t be achieved.

Over the past centuries, gender inequality, feminism, and women empowerment
remains a prevalent issue all around the world despite the progress that has been
made to acknowledge and accept these movements. But still, some people argue that
these movements were no longer needed in society since women were already
acknowledged in many aspects such as in education, politics, workplaces, etc. Some
also argue that these movements, especially feminism, may lead to discrimination of
men’s rights where men are marginalized and that empowering women sometimes
results in discrimination against men. Additionally, others claim that focusing on
women's issues covers up other important concerns especially on social aspects.

Despite the progress that has been made about these movements, it can’t
change the fact that inequalities still exist in many areas, whether socially,
economically, or politically. The thought that these movements weren't essential
anymore denies the fact that acknowledging these movements creates a better
society where inequalities were addressed and given importance. A good example for
the gender equality that remains until today was the legal protections and
discriminatory laws against women. In the study of the World Bank, in many countries,
laws still discriminate against the rights of women, especially on limiting their ability
to own property, work, or even travelling freely. The Women, Business and the Law
2023 report found that nearly 2.7 billion women, especially those of working age, still
live in countries where gender-based legal restrictions still exist.

Another, feminism or women empowerment doesn't claim to be superior but

advocates the idea that these movements actually promote equal opportunities,
responsibilities and rights. And that these movements do not promote discrimination
to men, but seek for the rights for both genders to have equality in many aspects, and
that regardless of the gender, all can reach their potential without being
discriminated against and disregarded. Additionally, these movements don't detract
from other important social concerns. However, these movements were actually
connected with other forms of social concerns such as poverty, racism, inequalities in
different aspects etc. As stated in the World Economic Forum, Global Gender Gap
Report of 2023, gender equality, feminism, and women empowerment are
interconnected, as addressing these movements often involves addressing other forms
of social, economical and political inequalities. The Global Gender Gap Report also
emphasizes how gender equality contributes to overall societal well-being, including
reducing poverty and improving education.

The movements; gender equality, feminism, and women empowerment was very
essential for addressing ongoing social, economic, and political inequalities that
women or even both genders, especially those who were marginalized.

Gender equality, feminism, and women empowerment were necessary for

addressing the continuous gender pay gap and economic inequality. Despite the
progress that has been made in women’s education and work, women still earn less
money than men. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women earned
approximately 82 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2023, and the gap was even
wider for women of color. Black women earn about 63 cents and Latina women earn
just 54 cents for every dollar a white man earns. This economic difference is not just
about an individual income but a broader representation of preventing women from
reaching their full economic potential. This issue about economic inequality in gender
only shows that it is still essential to address gender equality, feminism, and women
empowerment. And that it is important to advocate equal pay for equal work,
pensions, affordable childcare, and an end to occupational gender discrimination,
pushing for changes which can ensure that women have equal opportunities to thrive
economically. Additionally, when women are empowered economically, they can
contribute more to their family, community, and economy, creating a better society.

In challenging gender norms and stereotypes that limit an individual's potential

and negative social expectations, it is critical for gender equality, feminism, and
women empowerment in addressing these types of social inequalities. From an early
age, girls and boys were taught and socialized about gender roles that limit their
potential, opportunities, and choices in life. According to the study of Balabantaray
(2024), it shows that men are more likely to be hired for leadership positions in
industries which were considered “masculine", while women should be in “feminine"
careers like in education, health, and social work. This only proves that social
inequalities were still happening until today, meaning addressing these inequalities
were still essential, especially with the movements of gender equality, feminism, and
women empowerment. These societal expectations contribute to limiting the
opportunities available to both men and women. In this type of issues, movements
like feminism can be applied since feminism seeks to break gender norms by
promoting a more inclusive and fair society, where individuals are free to pursue
careers and life choices based on their skills, interest, and passions, rather than
basing it to societal expectations.
 Achieving political equality needs movements like women empowerment and
feminism to promote policies that address issues, especially those that affect women.
As stated in the study of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, even though women make up
half of the global population, they are still more likely to be inexperienced in political
offices, leadership roles, and decision-making positions because of their gender. In the
U.S., women currently hold just 27% of congressional seats, while a significant
increase in the past years, if far from their population and that globally, there was
only 25% of parliamentary seats held by women. These gaps only show inequalities in
terms of politics wherein women weren't given that chance to have a seat in
government, although some countries already have women in their government, these
inequalities still remain an issue in today's society.

In addressing issues of inequalities in terms of social, economic, and political

inequalities, gender equality, feminism and women empowerment contributes and is
essential in addressing these kinds of issues. These movements were still essential in
today's world to solve different inequalities since; it is necessary for addressing the
continuous gender pay gap and economic inequality;it challenges gender norms and
stereotypes that limit an individual's potential and negative social expectations; and
achieving political equality needs movements like women empowerment and feminism
to promote policies that address issues, especially those that affect women.

In conclusion, gender equality, feminism, and women empowerment are still

essential in addressing the social, economic, and political inequalities that we face
today. Despite the improvements and progress that has been made, issues about
inequalities remain a pivotal problem and that the need of these movements were
very crucial to solve these inequalities, allowing both genders, especially women to
get what they really deserve rather than facing discrimination and inequalities in
different aspects. By empowering women and advocating for gender equality, society
can create a fair and more functionable world where inequalities can no longer be
seen.
REFERENCES

1. Balabantaray, Subhra. (2024). Breaking the glass ceiling: Analyzing gender

stereotypes and bias in contemporary work environments. International Journal
of Multidisciplinary Comprehensive Research. 2. 1-9.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373799414_Breaking_the_glass_ceiling_A
nalyzing_gender_stereotypes_and_bias_in_contemporary_work_environments

2. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Highlights of women’s earnings in 2023." (2024,

August) U.S. Department of Labor.
https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/womens-earnings/2023/home.htm

3. Global Gender Gap Report 2023. (2024, September 10). World Economic Forum.
https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gender-gap-report-2023/

4. Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) - Women in Politics (2024). IPU.

https://www.ipu.org/women-in-politics

5. Women, Business and the Law - Gender Equality, Women Economic

Empowerment - World Bank Group. (n.d.). World Bank.
https://wbl.worldbank.org/en/wbl