1. Gender in the 21st Century

2. The world is a better place that at the start of the 20th century
• Spread of education and literacy • Progress in science and medicine toward disease • Freer exchange of information • Greater voice for women in public and private arena • Women’s issues are being discussed – Female genital mutilation – Women sex workers and trafficking – Dowry deaths and “honor killings”

3. BUT … Inequalities Persist
In developing areas women do NOT enjoy equal rights (i.e. rights to own land etc)
Higher female mortality rates in some regions
Female-run businesses usually funded less than male-run
gender wage gaps still
Women underrepresented at all levels of government

4. Defining Gender Equality
Gender refers to socially defined roles and learned behaviors associated with females and males
Sex: Men and women are different biologically
All cultures use these biological differences to create expectations about what behaviors etc

5. What does the World Bank say?
Gender equality is defined in terms of equality under the law, equality of opportunity and voice

6. Education
Female primary and secondary enrollment rates and years of schooling have increased
Increases are slow and uneven in poorer regions
In developed countries, representation of women in colleges and university is equal

7. Health Women tend to live longer than men (biological differences) BUT
often have less nutrition in developing countries, frequent and complicated pregnancies, etc
“missing” number of girls in Asia (prefer boys)
Gender-based Violence major issue

8. Employment and Earnings
Men have higher labor force participation rates
Men and women commonly perform different tasks and work
Women tend to earn less than men, with a wider earnings gap in developing countries
Wage gap between men and women doing SAME work in developed countries is closing