Gender equality vs. equity: learning from the Western perspective

In 1st world countries, men and women are treated equally, and women's rights are widely recognised. However, in developing countries such as Bangladesh, women still struggle for gender equality and rights, and most women in rural areas are unaware of their rights. Only 35 per cent of women participate in the workforce in Bangladesh, even though it has been more than fifty  years the country is independent. In the United Kingdom female workforce participation rate is 58 per cent, and in the United States, it is 55 per cent, according to the 2021 data from the World Bank 2022 report.

Despite having an explicit gender equality policy in developed countries, women still fight for gender equality. For example- women in the USA are still fighting for reproduction rights. This raises the question of whether ensuring equal education and workplace opportunities is enough to reduce gender gaps. Do we need a more need-based policy for each gender? What can developing countries learn from the West?

It is vital to have a clear idea about gender equality to answer these questions. Gender equality means that the different behaviour, aspirations, and needs of women and men are considered, valued, and favoured equally. It does not mean that women and men have to become the same but that their rights, responsibilities, and opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female (ILO, 2000).

Assuming we divide this definition into two parts, the first mentions the equal treatment of each gender irrespective of sexual identity. Most developed countries can fulfill this criterion by giving males and females equal education, workforce participation, and leadership opportunities. However, this is still challenging for underdeveloped and developing countries because of poverty and the lack of resources for accessible education. In the light of Bangladesh's growing economy, achieving gender equality in education, employment, and leadership should not take much time. The World Bank's 2022 report confirms that Bangladesh has already taken strides in reducing maternal mortality rates and gender disparities in education. Although Bangladesh, like Western nations, still contends with gender pay gaps.

Despite providing equal opportunities to both genders in developed countries, the government still faces challenges in eliminating the gender gap. Why is that? The answer to this problem can be found in the second part of the definition, where it is mentioned that "men and women are not the same. Still, their rights, responsibilities, and opportunities will not depend on their sexual identity".

Men and women are not biologically identical, and as they mature, society assigns different gender roles to them. Historically from the perspective of evolution, different gender roles were assigned by the society based on a person's sexual identity. Ten-thousands years ago, there was a division of labour between males and females (simply psychology, 2014). Men were the breadwinners, while the women used to play the child-rearing role. With the advancement of science and education, the gaps between genders in the workforce have been reduced but not fully diminished. Still, women biologically have special needs that must be incorporated into their workplace. 

If men and women are biologically different, isn't it important to let women be equally involved in making gender equality-based decisions? When women's and men's opinions are not considered in making decisions, the government making policies on gender equality often discounts the biological role each gender plays in the society. As a result, society subconsciously created a system where women are encouraged to be "Wonder Women" while expected to be both breadwinners and child-bearer or nurturers. On the contrary, men's gender roles remained the same. This conflicting role might increase job dissatisfaction. A recent study found increased job dissatisfaction in women, but job satisfaction remains relatively constant in men (e.g., UK data from 1991-2000; Sousa-Poza & Sousa-Poza, 2010). There was no plausible explanation for this, but conflicting gender roles could be one of the causes.

One way to solve this problem is by incorporating gender equity while ensuring equality. We must be careful not to misrepresent the concept of equity. It is not about doing a favour to a particular gender but creating a societal system where men and women can still play their biological roles and have equal opportunities to participate in different sectors and decision-making processes.

Gender equity can be defined as "fair treatment for men and women according to their needs. This may include equal treatment or treatment that is different, but which is considered equivalent in terms of rights, benefits, obligations, and opportunities" -(International Labour Office [ILO], 2000).

In summary, it can be said that gender equality cannot be ensured by only providing equal opportunities, and more research is needed in this area. It is also crucial to redefine the gender roles of men and women by accommodating current social roles with their core biological roles. A new gender-need-based policy could be formulated where both genders' biological roles will be acknowledged but not discounted.

Naima Nigar is  Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology University of Dhaka, She is currently on study leave (PhD) at the University of Nottingham, UK. naima.nigar1@nottingham.ac.uk