How can women focus on the development perspective in terms of growth?
Women are the adult females that are often told how to talk, behave and live in any society. Females are often asked to be patient and tolerant even if they are suffering or are being not given the opportunity. But nowadays women and the society's behaviour towards a woman is changing for good. Also women themselves are capable enough to face anything be it gender inequality or lack of opportunity. Today's woman stands for herself and is focused on growing.
How were women seen in history?
If we see in our history, women were just objects for men's pleasure. They were expected to be caretakers, who look after family and children, their decision did not matter, they were just mothers and wives. They were asked to be gentle, submissive and polite. They were valued for how they looked and not on what they did. Girls rarely went to school, had no education and no rights, not even the right to vote. They used to get no money in hand, had no profession, no power but despite all these they did many exceptional things.
Feminism and social changes have brought equality and opportunities for women. But still there are women who don't know about their rights as their mothers never get exposure to rights.
Women from a young age are told to act feminine that is being polite, gentle and kind to everyone. Women are asked to be quiet and adjust as women are supposed to not complain. But all these must be addressed so that every woman can grow.
What are the things to be addressed to ensure gender equality?
Gender equality is equal rights, treatment and opportunities to every gender. We are in the 21st century and it is still a task to accomplish. Women don't get the same treatment and opportunities as men and the irony is women themselves don't know about their rights and choose not to speak about any wrong happenings.
Things have changed for the better, but not for all women and not in all the domains of gender equality. Progress is slow and limited for some women in very poor countries, for those who are poor, for those who face other forms of discrimination because of their caste, disability, location, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
Gender equality can be achieved only if women get education and awareness about their rights. If they get equal opportunities and the same treatment in home, workplace and society then only we can have gender equality. Women in politics, and other fields where they take major decisions is a sign of change but there are still some areas which need improvement. The fact that we are talking about gender equality itself is an indicator of gender inequality prevailing in society.
Who can change the plight of women?
Women themselves can change their plight. If all the women stand for each other, they can make a change. For that they must be aware about their rights and must know how to protect it. To focus on development, we need more educated and healthy women who are confident and bold, are intelligent and smart, know about their rights and capabilities and most importantly have belief in themselves that they can make a move and bring a change. It just takes the determination that keeps women going despite the hardships and struggles they face.
How are women assets for the country?
The women of the country are assets in the development process. Women in various fields play a vital role.
Farmers and food providers – 80% of basic food is produced by women in some parts of the world. Indirectly women contribute to national agricultural output, general environmental maintenance and, most importantly, family food security. It is claimed that if men and women had equal access to the resources, there would be substantial gains in agricultural output for both men and women, their families and their communities.
Business people and traders – Up to 40% of the world’s labour force are women. Workers in factories, in the home, on the land and in the marketplace are women. Despite this fact, the majority of these working women remain dependent on men due to lack of access to necessary resources such as capital or credit, household resources and due also to patriarchal practices and traditions including those that relate to the economic position of women.
Heads of households – There has been an increase in female-headed households due to male migration, high death rates due to conflict or illness and abandonment or separation. Although female heads of households are much more likely to work than married women, they are ultimately more vulnerable to poverty, as their income would generally be lower than men.
Mothers, carers and support workers – Women volunteer to be carers or support workers for local hospitals, charity organisations, community projects etc. Some 60% or more of female workers in developing countries are in informal employment (outside of agriculture). In sub-Saharan Africa alone, 84% of female, non-agricultural workers are informally employed.
Community leaders, activists and role models – This comes from women’s role as mothers, carers and support workers. People within the community, these women work in would look to them for help or guidance. Despite the high number of female community leaders and activists, women are still under-represented at higher levels with only 19% of women in parliamentary positions in the world.
Conclusion
Women are the adult females that are often told how to talk, behave and live in any society. Females are often asked to be patient and tolerant even if they are suffering or are being not given the opportunity. If we see in our history, women were just objects for men's pleasure. They were expected to be caretakers, who look after family and children, their decision did not matter, they were just mothers and wives. They were asked to be gentle, submissive and polite. They were valued for how they looked and not on what they did. Gender equality can be achieved only if women get education and awareness about their rights. If they get equal opportunities and the same treatment in home, workplace and society then only we can have gender equality.
References
https://www.mylearning.org/stories/where-are-all-the-women/1432
https://developmenteducation.ie/feature/women-development/