Decision-making; community level through to legislation and parliamentary elections; needs to implement and adopt parity, equality and equity before gender equality can become a reality.
This is a three-part blog on why we all have a responsibility to challenge inequality wherever we see it, whether in our own lives or in the broader world around us. Furthermore, we all have a responsibility to propose changes where we see change can be made for the benefit of everyone.
I can hear you already: “Easier said than done, Madi!”.
Yes, I know, I have been on the battlefield for the last 40 years, and with two daughters and at least two granddaughters coming up behind me, I am not ready to depart this world until I see significant changes.
But bear with me and read on, and I will explain in part 2 how I lost I battle but still made a change, and in part 3 how I won and started to move mountains. I hope you can learn from my experiences – or maybe together we can work on your project.
Uncovering the Roots of Inequality: How Systemic Discrimination Impacts Equality
Gender inequality has been a part of our society for centuries, and frankly speaking it is unacceptable that we are still having to raise it as an issue, especially in the areas of the world that profess to be democratic.
We have tried multiple ways to rectify this issue, with little visible change. While parity - having equal opportunities between genders - is an important step in the right direction, it's not enough. We need equality in decision making if we are going to drive any real change for a more sustainable world.
Simplified:
Parity is an equal number of women and men in a given situation.
Equality is when everyone has the same opportunity to participate in decision making, regardless of their gender.
Equity is giving everyone what they need to be successful, based on their individual circumstances.
When it comes to achieving gender equality, we need a combination of parity, equality and equity in decision making.
Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Equality between women and men is essential for economic growth, improved productivity and reduced poverty. It is also vital for ensuring that decisions are made democratically and with the interests of all citizens in mind.
Books to understand more on Gender Parity, Equality, Equity
7 Books to consider for an overview of the topic
But don’t just take my word for it, here are some amazing books to learn more:
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission which supports our work in advocating for equality.
Gender equality is a moral and a business imperative. But unconscious bias holds us back, and de-biasing people’s minds has proven to be difficult and expensive. By de-biasing organizations instead of individuals, we can make smart changes that have big impacts. Presenting research-based solutions, Iris Bohnet hands us the tools we need to move the needle in classrooms and boardrooms, in hiring and promotion, benefiting businesses, governments, and the lives of millions.
2. Leading While Female: A Culturally Proficient Response for Gender by Trudy Tuttle Arriaga (Author), Stacie Lynn Stanley (Author), Delores B. Lindsey (Author).
Designed as both a personal and group discussion guide for taking action, Leading While Female draws on the research of feminism, intersectionality, educational leadership, and Cultural Proficiency to help us all:
Better understand the impact of faux narratives that foster lack of confidence among girls and women
Utilize the Tools of Cultural Proficiency to examine barriers to overcome and support functions to locate for your own career planning
3. Call Me a Woman: On Our Way to Equality and Peace by Laurie Levin (Author).
Call Me A Woman combines Laurie Levin’s personal story, including multiple sexual assaults, years of research, personal interviews, global studies, and activism to ramp up awareness and change perceptions of how we view what happens to girls and women world-wide.
A novel about how professional women are tired of being told to just lean in. What about…
the challenges that make it harder for women to lean in,
the unequal rewards and penalties when they do, and
the fact that “leaning in and acting more like men” ignores the stereotypically feminine traits needed for modern leadership?
5. Gender Parity and Multicultural Feminism: Towards a New Synthesis by Ruth Rubio-Marín, Will Kymlicka.
We see a 'participatory turn' in the pursuit of gender equality, exemplified by the adoption of gender quotas in national legislatures to promote women's role as decision-makers. We also see a 'pluralism turn', with increasing legal recognition given to the customary law or religious law of minority groups and indigenous peoples. To date, the former trend has primarily benefitted majority women, and the latter has primarily benefitted minority men.
6. Equal Partners: Improving Gender Equality at Home Kindle Edition
by Kate Mangino.
As American society shut down due to Covid, millions of women had to leave their jobs to take on full-time childcare. As the country opens back up, women continue to struggle to balance the demands of work and home life. Kate Mangino, a professional facilitator for twenty years, has written a comprehensive, practical guide for readers and their partners about gender norms and household balance. Yes, part of our gender problem is structural, and that requires policy change. But much of our gender problem is social, and that requires us to change.
A tribute to millions of women across the world who have been struggling and overcoming the odds of life in their recurring quest for empowerment and equality, firmly resolving to preserve their dignity and identity in a patriarchal milieu. Women who have raised their voice against oppression and discrimination are constantly striving to reclaim their rights by overcoming the challenges encountered in life.
We have to build a fairer, more just society for everyone.
Despite the progress made in recent years, gender inequality remains a significant challenge across the globe. In many parts of the world, women and girls continue to face discrimination and exclusion in all aspects of their lives. They are more likely to be poor and illiterate, to suffer from poor health and to experience violence and insecurity. They have less power and influence than men, both within their families and in wider society. This must change.
Achieving gender equality is not only a moral imperative, but also an economic necessity.
Women make up half the world’s population and therefore represent a significant untapped resource in terms of human capital. When women are able to participate fully in the workforce and are given equal opportunities to men, economies grow and thrive.
Studies have shown that companies with more women in top decision-making roles tend to perform better financially and are more innovative. Yet, women still only hold a small percentage of these types of positions. This needs to change if we are going to see real progress towards gender equality. Women have also proven to be amazing Entrepreneurs, providing jobs, innovation, and growth for the economy.
One key area where women continue to be disadvantaged is in decision-making positions, and here I specifically want to talk about community level decision making, through to legislation and parliamentary elections. The democratic process.
Democracy, and including women equally in the decision-making process, occurs at every level of society; from the school board to municipality elections, from hospital boards through to government legislative processes; and across all areas of civil society: from trade unions to publicly listed company boards, from publicly funded NGO organisations through to academia representation. Wherever a decision is made with a public interest issue, the decision must be made equally by 50% women and 50% men. …. anything else can only lead to discrimination.
Defining Parity, Equality and Equity
Let’s start first with some definitions, because it has taken me 30 + years to get my head around this. I know I want to be able to access my equal opportunities, but what exactly does that mean?
Parity refers to the equal representation of women and men in decision-making roles. This is important because decisions made at the top level have a ripple effect throughout society. When women are involved in decision-making, they bring a different perspective and set of priorities that can help to address some of the structural inequalities that hold back progress on gender equality.
Parity for me, means the woman gets one vote, and the man gets one vote ….and unless there is an equal number of men and women in the room, then one side or the other is going to lose out…. Yes, you have guessed it, with most parliaments around the world having less then 23% women, all legislation is voted for with a dominant male vote. …which means policies which are designed to give equality and equity, and even parity for women, are NEVER adopted!
The democratic model is broken, but we cannot fix it because the men won’t let us!
Equality refers to ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in economic, social and political life. This includes ensuring that women have access to education, health care, decent work and opportunities to participate in decision-making processes. While much progress has been made on increasing gender equality in these areas, there are still significant disparities between men and women. For example, women are more likely than men to be working in low-paid jobs and are less likely than men to hold senior positions in companies or government.
Here again, we see that equality, despite being a founding principle of democracy, is also not implemented. Governments, health services, education providers, allocation of funding, all favour the male over the female. As religion, read: all religions, are led by men, they are also guilty of preventing women from achieving their potential by restricting equality within their teachings.
Equity goes beyond equality to focus on ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to achieve their fullest potential. This means taking into account factors such as race, ethnicity, disability or socioeconomic background when making decisions about how resources should be distributed. It also means addressing systemic barriers that prevent certain groups from accessing their rights. Hence, we see women having less access to land, resources and wealth as traditionally women have always been denied their equity rights.
In short, if, as women, we cannot access parity and equality, then we have little hope of obtaining the equity which is rightly ours.
Overcoming the Barriers To Parity, Equality and Equity: Strategies For Change
There are many ways to achieve greater gender parity in decision-making roles. One is through affirmative action programs that specifically target women for these types of positions.
This can include through quotas, which set a minimum percentage of women that must be represented in a given group or institution. Having been the rapporteur of a document in the European Union on quotas for women on boards, which after more than 10 years has still not been approved for all the reasons above, I can share that I am not a supporter of quotas. I am, however, an advocate of targeted measures, with timelines to drive a change, and allowing it to gather momentum through some initial help.
That said, we see in many countries where quotas have worked and made an impact, but because they have been used in isolation – not as a wide range group of policy mechanisms centred around delivering gender equality - they have not had the full impact we would like to see: complete gender equality.
Another way is through affirmative action programs, which give preference to women or other underrepresented groups in hiring or education opportunities. The argument here is that you should give the best person the job, not favour one candidate over another for gender reasons. This I also agree with. But as many women have not been given an equal opportunity in life to this point, then hasn’t the other candidate already been privileged? Additionally, many women may have stopped in their career to have a family. This career break can never be equalled by men, but society never considers that.
No matter what methods we use to achieve parity, equality, and equity, it is important to remember that these are not just goals for women – they are goals for everyone. Achieving gender equality will create a fairer, more just society for everyone.
Taking up the gender equality baton for parity, equality and equity
So, now its over to you. My call to action is to ask you to please take action, don’t turn away or stay silent when you see inequality taking place.
First, educate yourself about the issues facing women today.
Then, speak up and stand up for what you believe in.
Be a role model for other women and girls. Show them that it is possible to achieve success despite the odds.
Each and every one of us has a responsibility to help take up the baton for parity, equality and equity:
YOU can challenge gender norms and stereotypes both in ourselves and in others.
YOU can support women-owned businesses and seek out female leaders in our workplaces and communities.
YOU can mentor young girls and women starting out in their careers.
YOU can use our voices to speak up against discrimination and violence against women.
YOU must demand parity in pay and promotions.
YOU must demand equal treatment in all areas of life.
YOU must do it not just for yourself, but for all women and girls.
Collectively, WE have the power to create real change.
I am not a certified coach, but I am an experienced leader who has been working on personal development and communication for several decades. Me and my team can guide and advise you. I don’t bite, and I don’t charge unless I know I can help. All initial conversations are free and confidential.
Our website and blog will keep you updated and informed with relevant guidance to support your development.
We will also provide you with templates, e-books and downloadables that we have created to add momentum to your quest – Meaning: You will achieve your ambitions faster, overcome any challenges, and be ready to grasp new opportunities as they appear before you. Gandhi said, “You must be the change YOU want to see”
Madi says, “You must be the change YOU want to see – NO EXCUSES!”
Founder Madi Group www.madisharma.org
Founder Women’s Eco-nomic & Social Think Tank www.westtworld.com
Author Madi No Excuses! www.madinoexcuses.com
Entrepreneur, International Speaker, Freelance Journalist
Listed as 1 of apolitical’s 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy in 2018
Linked In Madi Sharma
Twitter @MadiSharma1
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