Gender Discrimination is still Prevalent
As prevalent as the inclusion of trans and other gender identities are in mainstream media, so is gender discrimination. This indignant reality is omnipresent and the only way to eradicate it is through accurate and consistent education.
That’s why we’ve created this guide today and made sure that this piece would be easily digestible. Now, if you simply want to further your knowledge about this topic, you’re also most welcome to keep reading.
What is Gender Discrimination?
Gender discrimination is exhibited in many ways. It doesn’t only deal with lascivious actions. It encompasses anything that harasses, ostracizes, and discriminates against an individual based on their gender, or gender expression.
Albeit the common targets of gender discrimination are cisgender women, transgender women, and non-binary individuals, some men may also experience it.
Some common examples of gender discrimination are stereotypes such as women are not good drivers. Another one is that transgender women just want to use the women’s bathroom to voyeur other female bathroom users.
We will expound more on the examples as we go. Because this is a societal issue, governments should be heavily involved in its eradication.
Laws Fighting Gender Discrimination Around the World
Many countries are fighting against gender discrimination. That’s one piece of information that can be seen as the light at the end of the tunnel. But the question is, how big of a fight are governments making and what strides have they taken already?
Are these enough to get rid of the stigma placed against people who just want to be treated equally?
USA
Americans are known for having a progressive society. But one must understand that it is a melting pot of different cultures and states that have different stances on social issues.
As of April 2022, 28 states don’t have laws protecting LGBTQIA+ individuals from discrimination. Imagine living a life where establishments and service providers may refuse solely because of your gender identity and expression.
Added to that, there are reports of elder LGBTQIA+ individuals who have been mistreated in nursing homes. Because of the lack of protection, they couldn’t file an official complaint on the basis of being mistreated because of their gender.
However, in the same year, The Equality Act passed congress. It aims to fill gaps in public accommodation non-discrimination laws for everyone. It will also help protect people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity by adding related projects to federally funded programs. Lastly, when it becomes a law, explicit non-discriminatory messaging will be required of businesses and other key areas of life.
United Kingdom
Just like the US, the UK is also known for its progressive societal strides. They have the FCDO (Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office) human rights law that aims to promote and defend the full range of universal human rights.
The UK also encourages its commonwealth states to follow the blanket law. However, it doesn’t focus on the gender discrimination aspect that individuals experience. But the law explicitly opposes all forms of discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and all people from all walks of life.
But this doesn’t mean that it’s an empty message as the UK has programs supporting:
- sexual and reproductive health and rights
- women’s rights organizations
- promotion of women’s rights
- legislation reforms
- women’s political empowerment
- reduction of violence, hate speech, and harassment against LGBTQIA+ individuals
- increasing minority groups’ participation in political issues
- gender-based violence eradication and more
Japan
Even though Japan’s known for technological advancement, its progression in terms of protecting people against gender inequality is stagnant. According to the World Economic Forum, Japan’ sits at 121th place out of 153 countries with a gender equality gap of 65.2%.
Moreover, wage parity is prominent as Japanese women were reported to only earn 44% of what men do at work. They’re also not encouraged to participate more in decision-making positions in business or politics.
Added to that, for LGBTQIA+ individuals, same-sex marriage and change of gender markers are still not allowed in the land of the rising sun. However, the fight for gender equality in Japan may be a long shot.
Of most Japanese women, 59% of them account for not finding the importance of gender equality and a staggering 69% of Japanese men share the same sentiments. Its neighboring countries albeit not having the same economic status such as Taiwan, the Philippines, and Thailand, have taken bigger strides in championing gender equality.
What about Transgender People?
Sadly, transgender people are one of the groups that are most affected by gender discrimination. And the hardest part is that they’re not only trying to rise against preconceived societal conventions. But most of them are battling against laws crafted upon religion.
The gender discrimination against transgender people comes in many different forms. Some of them even affect basic human necessities such as education and work.
Gender Discrimination Examples
In this section, we will cite examples of the most common gender discrimination actions.
These are but are not limited to:
- The use of a trans person in a public bathroom of the gender they identify with
- Sexism against cisgender women
- Wage parity between men and women
- Women not being allowed to drive
- Transgender students are not allowed to study in a school because of their gender identity expression
- Some workplaces don’t hire transgender individuals based on their gender expression
- Businesses refusing service to LGBTQIA+ individuals
- Establishments not allowing transgender, especially transgender women, to enter
- Businesses that prefer hiring cisgender men to avoid the risk of pregnancy and shelling out money for benefits
- No healthcare for transgender individuals
- Transgender men not being allowed to serve in the military
- Women above 18 years old are not allowed to travel internationally without the permission of their father, brother, or other male guardians
- Transgender people not being allowed to enter countries based on their gender identity
- No laws protecting women from being cat-called and harassed publicly
The examples above are only the most common ones. There are still more shocking gender discriminatory actions happening around the world. Some may not even be documented. If you want to help end gender discrimination, the first and easiest action that you can take is by sharing this article.
Spreading awareness is very important and as long as you have an internet connection, you have the power to end gender discrimination.
