gender inequality and discrimination

An Assignment On
Gender Inequality & Discrimination
Course Title : Rural Sociology
Course code : FIMS 3109
Session : 2015-2016
Year : 03, Term: 01
Group : 01
Submitted by :
PARTHO BANIK
ASH1602012M
Dept. of Fisheries & Marine Science
NSTU.
Submitted to :
MD. AKRAM ULLAH
Lecturer
Dept. of Fisheries & Marine Science
NSTU.
Submission Date: 05-04-2018
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES & MARINE SCIENCE
NOAKHALI SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY

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index
Serial no. Content Page
no.
01. Introduction 03
02. Gender Inequality 03
03. Gender Discrimination 04
04. Difference Between Gender Inequality & Discrimination 04
05. Causes of Gender Inequality in Bangladesh 04
06. The Field of Gender Inequality 04
07. Solution How We Can Lower The Gender Discrimination 06
08. Certain Federal Laws 07
09. Conclusion 08
10. Bibliography 09

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Introduction
Gender is a common term generally refers to the socially constructed roles, behavior, activities and
attributes that a particular society considers appropriate for men and women. Gender basically refers two
sexes‟i.e men and women. Well biologically both are having different roles and some major
responsibilities which they have to fulfill. Physically a female role is to look after house, children, family,
relatives and on the other hand men are made for bread earner, for hardship and for struggle for earning.
Well all these thinking made our women weaker and deprived from basic things. Both are equal in human
right. Women are discriminated in this male dominating society. The distinct roles and behavior may give
rise to gender discrimination. Gender discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual or group
due to gender. Gender discrimination is not biologically define to anybody rather than it is society, norms,
culture, people, etc. who create the atmosphere of gender discrimination. Generally, gender inequality or
discrimination word used for “women”, because they considered being most inferior and weaker section
of our society. From our total population fifty percent are female population. Among them two-thirds are
illiterate. It‟s really very unbelievable. India is a male dominant society and gender discrimination is
customized habitually. In our country, a woman holds a unique and important position in society.
Women are not treated equally as they deserve. They need equal respect too because somewhere women
are losing their status. They are considered inferior section of our society. This is the reason that most of
the women face discrimination in this society. Our society and law of nature has accorded different status
and role to men and women. Gender includes both men and women. For example, when a child birth takes
places in a family, then the process of gender differences arose automatically and the process of gendering
starts. When a son was born in a family it was celebrated with lot of fun just like festival, and on the same
hand when a birth of a daughter takes place in a family, then on the very first day of her birth she was
considered as a burden, which they had to carry till their marriage. Sometime the gender discrimination
begins itself from the family not from the society.
Gender inequality
Gender inequality is the idea and situation that women and men are not equal. Gender inequality refers to
unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals wholly or partly due to their. It arises from differences in
gender roles. Gender systems are often dichotomous and hierarchical. Gender inequality stems from

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distinctions, whether empirically grounded or socially constructed. Women lag behind men in many
domains, including education, labor market opportunities and political representation.
Gender discrimination
Any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of
impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital
status, on the basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the
political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field.
Example: Sexual harassment falls under the umbrella of gender discrimination. A woman might be
entitled to the same perks, advancements, pay, and other benefits as their male counterpart according to
company policy, but behavior toward her in the workplace is untenable and it's related to her gender.
“Gender Discrimination is a result of gender inequality. Gender inequality on the other hand refers to
a general idea/theory, which is largely thought to be accurate - women are treated as inferior to men in
almost all sections of society”
Causes of Gender inequality in Bangladesh
 Structural and Social Institutions
 Lack of Explicit policy Initiatives
 Preoccupied Mindset
 Early Marriage
 Low parental education
 Political instability
 Socio-economic condition
 Fundamentalism
 Family education
 Negative attitude
 Parasite nature of the women
The field of Gender Inequality
 Gender Inequality in Health
 Gender Inequality in Education
 Gender Inequality in Employment
 Participation and Representation in
Politics
 Discrimination and Violence Against
Women etc.

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Gender inequality in health
In 2011, 24% of births were attended by a professional health physician. Sex selective health care and
infanticide suggest a correlation between the number of females to males in Bangladesh. In Europe where
men and women are given similar health care and nutrition, women outnumber men 105:100. In
Bangladesh, that ratio is 95:100. In terms of the population, that ratio accounts for approximately 5 million
missing women. Economist Amartya Sen argues that this low ratio is primarily due to insufficient health
care provided for young girls but nowadays NGOs are encouraging equal health care. He reported that
men, followed by boys, is the largest group of people admitted into hospitals. Women family members
are less likely to receive modern medical care and are generally recipients of traditional remedies.
The health situation for urban women is worse than that for rural women, especially those living in slums.
The urban population living in the slum areas do not have adequate sanitation, water and health facilities
which results in poor health.
Gender inequality in education
The percent of the literate children also various according to the gender. The literacy of the male children
was 49.5% and for female it was 40.1% in 2000 which has been increased to 65.77% for male and 60.68%
for female in 2014.
Gender inequality in employment
Labor force participation for females has been driven primarily by the growth of approved export industry
jobs in textiles and the spread of micro financing operations by NGOs including the Grameen Bank.
Women's participation in high skill, managerial, and government executive positions have increased only
to a limited extent. Income inequalities between women and men are still existent in Bangladesh. The
2012 Human Development Report shows that in the small business sector, for every dollar earned by a
male, women make 12 cents in comparison. However, overtime gender earning gaps have decreased in
favor of women.
Participation and representation in politics
Since the 1990s, women have become increasingly influential in the political arena. Despite the barriers
that come with patriarchal rules and the purdah, the system of quotas has ensured women's representation
in the national parliament and local governments. Since 1991, all the prime minister elections have been
won by two female prime ministers, Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia. Elections in December 2008 resulted
in the election of Hasina, who is currently serving
Despite these successes, there remain several factors that limit women's political participation. The
political culture based on vengeance, distrust and corruption has ideological, political, religious and
institutional dimensions that are rooted in the whole of society. The result is an institutionalisation of
violence as a means of political expression. In 2007, 192 cases of women being attacked with acid were
registered. Intimidation by conservative parties and religious and socio-cultural norms are used to cut
down and intimidate women, limiting their rights to vote. High rates of illiteracy have also acted as
limiting factors.

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Discrimination and violence against women
Cultural and traditional factors heavily influence how women are treated and regarded in Bangladesh.
Once married, women, adolescents, and girls become property of the husbands family. This limits
opportunities for schooling, thus perpetuating dependence and disempowerment. Domestic violence and
discrimination are difficult to measure, acts of violence can be accounted for in court proceedings and
police reports. Violence in Bangladesh ranges from acid throwing, physical and psychological torture,
sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape, related violence, trafficking, forced prostitution, coerced suicide
and murder.
Solution How We Can Lower the Gender Discrimination Are As Follow:
 Talk to women and girls
A fundamental reason we have not yet achieved gender equality in every realm is that women and girls’
voices are too often excluded from global and national decision-making.
 Let girls use mobile phones
The majority of girls in India don’t have access to using basic technology such as phones and computers
because of infrastructure related challenges and economic reasons. Can girls and women access equal
resources, opportunities and rights without access to technology?
 Stop child marriage and sexual harassment
If we want girls to be able to complete education we have to end child marriage. We also have to seriously
address sexual harassment of girls.
 Make education gender sensitive
There has been much progress in increasing access to education, but progress has been slow in improving
the gender sensitivity of the education system, including ensuring textbooks promote positive stereotypes.
 Raise aspirations of girls and their parents
One of the key strategies must be to change how girls, families and society imagine what girls can be and
can do. We need to give girls images and role models that expand their dreams.
 Empower mothers
When mothers are educated and empowered to make choices in their lives, they enable their daughters to
go to school.
 Give proper value to ‘women’s work’
The unpaid work women and girls do provide the foundation for the global economy. This fact needs to
be highlighted more in the media, with the private sector and in communities.

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 Get women into power
A proven way to overcome many systemic barriers to a woman’s success has been increased participation
by women in local, regional and national legislation as empowered change agents.
 Encourage women into non-traditional vocations
Supporting women in non-traditional jobs is crucial in not only making long-lasting change in their lives
but also help break social taboos.
 Work together
Between 1999 and 2010, the ratio of girls in secondary school fell from 83 to 82 girls for every 100 boys
at the secondary level and from 67 to 63 girls for every 100 boys at the tertiary level. This is stalled
progress and a reversion to the deep gender equalities that characterized previous eras. To address this
gap, our efforts cannot be done in silos, but must involve the people (girls in this case).
 Stop the violence
Gender inequality allows for violence against women to continue unabated. The UN has found that
globally, one in three women will experience violence in her lifetime, with most violence against women
perpetrated by a current or former intimate partner.
 Beware the backlash
One of the realities that we need to remember and address is that, when women “trespass” in spaces that
were previously completely male-dominated there is often a penalty. In education and in the workplace
that backlash often takes the form of sexual harassment, humiliation, violence. Looking at a local level or
specific situation we can see how that slows the pace of women’s entry to that sector or opportunity.
Certain federal laws have attempted to level the playing field, including the following:
 Civil Rights Act of 1964: Title VII - Prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of gender
 Equal Credit Opportunity Act - Prohibits discrimination against credit applicants on the basis of
gender
 Fair Housing Act - Prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of housing based on
gender
 Equal Pay Act of 1963 - Requires equal pay for equal work, regardless of gender
 Family and Medical Leave Act - Employees given the right to take time off from work for an
illness or to care for an ill family member
 Pregnancy Discrimination Act - Prohibits discrimination against women who are pregnant,
perceived to be pregnant, or who plan to become pregnant

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 Title IX - Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, added in 1972, requires parity among educational
programs with respect to gender
Conclusion
Gender inequalities exist in rural areas. Regrettably, this has led society to place greater emphasis and
value on the role of men and boys in public life and in the work place, as opposed to women’s role in
unpaid family labor, care giving, and community work. Since factors that perpetuate gender inequality,
especially in rural communities are manifold (e.g., cultural practices, traditional gender roles, gender
socialization, poverty and discrimination in access to land) they have implications for policy and
research. Structural inequalities continually deprive women of having equal access to social and
economic opportunities and services. Gender inequalities could have both short and long-term
consequences not only for women but the entire society. Reducing gender inequalities implies benefits
not only for women but also for all vulnerable persons and groups. The respondents were found to be
able to realize their problems and suggested probable solutions. It is important for government to
understand and find out the extent to which this problem is prevailing

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Bibliography
1. http://employment.findlaw.com/employment-discrimination/gender-discrimination.html
2. http://socialsciences.scielo.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1806-64452007000100004
3. https://www.fairlawnareachamber.org/the-evolving-scope-of-
discrimination-%E2%80%9Cbecause-of-sex%E2%80%9D.aspx
4. https://www.slideshare.net/JibonKhanBuzz/gender-inequality-in-banglad
5. http://wikieducator.org/Thread:Causes_of_gender_discrimination_in_Bangladesh_(1)
6. https://givingcompass.org/article/12-steps-to-achieve-gender-equality-in-our-lifetimes-global-
development-professionals-network-the-guardian/

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