Nearly 90% Of People Biased Against Women: UNDP

News Desk

United Nations: Gender inequality has remained stagnant for a decade, with almost nine out of 10 men and women worldwide holding fundamental biases against women, according to a United Nations report.

According to the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in its latest Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) report, 69 per cent of the respondents still believe that men make better political leaders than women and only 27 per cent believe that it is essential for democracy that women have the same rights as men.

In 38 of the surveyed countries, the share of people with at least one bias decreased to just 84.6 per cent from 86.9 per cent. For example, nearly 46 per cent believe that men have more right to a job, 43 per cent believe that men make better business leaders and 28 per cent believe that college is more important for men.

The report also states that a staggering 25 per cent of people believe it is justified for a man to beat his wife, reflecting the latest data from the World Values Survey.

The degree of improvement over time has been “disappointing”, said report Co-author Heriberto Tapia.

Human development is slowed down by social norms that restrict women’s rights, further said UNDP Human Development Report Office Director Pedro Conceicao.

The report stated that these biases are to blame for the obstacles women encounter which have manifested in the dismantling of women’s rights in many regions of the world, the surge of movements opposing gender equality and a rise in human rights abuses in some nations.

The stark underrepresentation of women in leadership positions is another example of bias in action. Since 1995, the percentage of women serving as heads of state or governments has generally hovered around 10 per cent, and in the job market, they make up less than one-third of managerial positions.

The report also highlights a gap in the relationship between women’s educational advancement and economic empowerment.

Even in the 59 countries where women are now more educated than men, the average gender wage gap still favours males by 39 per cent, even though women are more talented and educated than ever.

Pedro Conceicao noted that the global Human Development Index (HDI) declined in 2020 for the first time on record and again the following year.

Without tackling biased gender social norms, we will not achieve gender equality or the Sustainable Development Goals, the report added.

The UNDP report noted that governments play a critical role in changing gender social norms, from enacting parental leave policies that have altered perceptions of the duties associated with child care to labour market reforms that have altered attitudes towards women in the workforce.

UNDP Gender Team Director Raquel Lagunas mentioned that recognising the economic significance of unpaid care work is a crucial place to start which can be a very effective way of challenging gender norms around how care work is viewed.

In countries with the highest levels of gender bias against women, it is estimated that women spend over six times as much time as men on unpaid care work, Lagunas added.

Change Is Possible

The report stressed that the data suggests change is possible despite the persistent prevalence of bias against women. In 27 of the 38 countries surveyed, there was an increase in the percentage of people who had no bias towards any indicator.

The report’s authors further said that the emphasis should be on advancing human development through investment, insurance and innovation in order to promote change towards greater gender equality.

This includes investing in laws and other policy initiatives that support women’s equality in political participation, expanding safety nets like bolstered social protection and care systems, and encouraging novel interventions that may be especially successful in combating negative social norms, patriarchal attitudes and gender stereotypes.

According to the findings, combating online hate speech and gender misinformation can assist in changing ingrained gender norms in favour of more acceptance and equality.

The research suggested confronting social norms directly through education to alter people’s perspectives, legislative and policy changes that recognise women’s rights in all aspects of life, and more representation in political and decision-making processes.

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