According to the UN figures, there is no country in the world that has achieved gender parity on all relevant dimensions, be it economic, political, and social indices. Moreover, gender equality has a long way to go before becoming a reality, and the Covid-19 crisis has affected its progress heavily. UN’s global data reveals that the pandemic could put gender equality back by 25 years, as a consequence of women doing significantly more domestic chores and family care. The need for change is stronger than ever since women around the world are facing economic and political fallout from Covid-19. Gender equality is a fundamental human right and the 8th of March is an occasion when the whole planet stops and pretends to care about this topic. We need to do more than celebrate the role and achievements of women in our societies, we have to make sure that the conditions are in place for all women and girls to succeed, both in the Global North and South.
The Global North has had a great impact in influencing the growth and developmental policies in the international sphere mainly in terms of politics and economy. Highly developed countries are also committed to promoting women’s empowerment in order to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5 – to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls. Covid-19 provided an exceptional opportunity to promote positive gender narratives and to be more ambitious. For this to happen, the gender gap needs to be actively addressed, since it has only increased due to the pandemic.
When it comes to gender equality there are so many issues and variables to tackle that many find it hard to pinpoint the actual problems as well as solutions needed. It is indeed arrogant and idealistic to assume there is a universal set of policy and social norms to address the issue of gender inequality. Oftentimes, Western equality legislation and policies proved inefficient in countries with weak institutions and ineffective law enforcement. Local culture also matters and influences the effectiveness of policy solutions and implementations. Since the North consists of democracies promoting human rights and equality as one of their core missions, it is their moral duty to provide assistance for the less developed countries not only in terms of economic development, but also when it comes to gender equality. But this assistance has to take the form of a true and equal partnership. The truth is that the Global North and the Global South have different challenges when facing gender inequality. Moreover, gender inequality is also associated with the country’s development itself. Even if patriarchal values are rightfully linked to gender inequality, in reality there are several other factors, such as the country’s development, education rates, economy and health that need to be taken into account. A new strategy could overcome the subordination of women if it starts with the right approach. Rather than incorporating women into development, the situation requires incorporating the gender perspective into development.
For instance, in developed countries feminism has helped achieve political participation, tailored healthcare and other women-oriented policies as well as a common understanding on the equal status of males and females. However, developing countries face greater responsibilities under much less favorable conditions, struggling to enforce the bare minimum in terms of women’s human rights.
While women in the Global North are advocating against the pay gap, their counterparts in the Global South have to deal with all kinds of oppression, unpaid work, lack of opportunities, financial dependency, to mention only a few of their daily struggles. Western NGOs may provide economic development for women in the Global South but fail to understand that gender equality is not merely an economic issue, it is one embedded in oppressive societal patterns. Furthermore, low wages for women in developing countries often forced women to withdraw from the formal sectors of the economy in order to do informal work. Most governments failed so far to tackle the gender equality issues mentioned above. The focus was either off or the measures were copied from a Western standard that did not apply to the national context.
In order to justify gender inequality in developing countries many make use of the culture differences argument. However, this should not constitute an excuse for human rights violations. The Global North should not be a bystander to these kinds of practices, it should be supporting communities in challenging these attitudes and promote the dignity of a human being. In their attempt to set the gender balance straight in developing countries, the Global North should possess a deep knowledge of the local culture, an overview of the women’s roles, and advocate against oppression from the position of allies to the local women leaders. There is not a quick fix, there should be a timeline for equality, a change in narrative through awareness-raising campaigns.
What the Global North often forgets is that the difficult situation of the women in the South is not only due to economical inequalities but to societal ones as well. By not tackling the power and status of men in developing countries, the Global North helped cover up the structural deficits of the dominant development model. Pretending to help women in the South access better paid jobs, to educate them and provide them with proper healthcare is not enough. Without analyzing and questioning the causes of subordination we will not fix the main issues of gender inequality but only correct a certain percentage of them. We have to support the women in the Global South in challenging systemic exclusion and institutional and cultural practices that go against gender equality.
The Global North should not only advocate for gender equality. Instead of exporting equality models to less developed countries, the North should provide its knowledge and assistance in developing tailored gender legislation and policies while being aware of the local cultural contexts. Gender needs to be a cross-cutting issue, considering the political, economic, social and cultural contexts in order to dismantle patriarchal mentalities, break stereotypes, and shape the development agenda. Moreover, proving a quota in terms of politics and job opportunities for women in developing countries is also a step forward. With more women in leadership positions, it will be easier to shape tailored policies and advance the cause.
If the Global North actually wants to change gender imbalances in the South, women from developed countries should take action and provide role models for less fortunate ones. The power of lived experience is important. The Global South should benefit from mentorship, societal education on gender and investments in women-led businesses at a large scale. Giving women greater economic empowerment means enabling them to have control over their lives, offering them greater access to educational opportunities and finance, which translates into the country’s economic development. The private sector can get involved as well, there is a crucial need for brands supporting opportunities for women in developing countries.
Therefore, the Global North is fulfilling its moral duty to the South when it chooses smart aid for development and gender equality. However, its approach might need to shift towards a more culturally focused one. The developing countries need to fight inequality by analyzing subordination of the woman and the overrepresentation of men in each society. This must be done by taking into account the importance of the economic, political, ethnic, cultural aspects of each and every country. In the search for new solutions, men should be educated and be brought into action in order to achieve real change. So, let’s not pretend to care about women’s rights only on the 8th of March. Let’s practice what we preach by also acknowledging that one size does not fit all.
