Gender Social Norms Index 2020 was released by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The index measures how social beliefs obstruct gender equality in areas like politics, education, and work. It contains data from 75 countries, i.e., over 80 per cent of the world’s population. The report reveals new clues of the invisible barriers women face in achieving equality. It is an attempt to potentially forge a path forward to breaking through the so called ‘glass ceiling’.
Key Takeaways of the Index Some of the key takaways of the index are as follows:
(i) There exists some sort of bias against women, though efforts are being made for decades to bridge the gender gap. As per the report, close to 90 per cent of men and women hold the bias.
(ii) About half of the people polled, opined that compared to women, men are superior political leaders.
(iii) Over 40 per cent are of the view that men make better business executives and are more entitled to jobs in times of sluggishness in economy.
(iv) 28 per cent consider that it is justified for a man to beat his wife.
(v) The index points towards a bias shift in some 30 countries which shows that while there is improvement in some countries in others attitudes have degenerated. This indicates that progress cannot be taken for granted.
Economic ‘Power Gap’
There have been enormous and tangible progress in closing gender inequalities like in education, health, and other development areas, but there still exists power gaps, which is due to four basic reasons:
(i) Only 24 per cent parliamentary seats worldwide are held by women. There are only 10 female heads of government out of 193 Member States.
(ii) Women are paid less than men for the same job. However, they are also much less likely to be in senior positions.
(iii) Less than 6 per cent CEOs in S&P 500 companies are women.
(iv) About half the world’s population feel men make better political leaders.
Conclusion
It is an unfortunate situation that women do not have the same access to life’s basic needs as men; gender gaps are still all too obvious in other areas, particularly those that challenge power relations. Therefore, world leaders have to accelerate action to meet global targets on gender equality. New policy decisions should be implemented to change the discriminatory beliefs and practices through education. Besides raising awareness and changing incentives are also urgently required.