Tracking Gender Equality

Gender equality is a fundamental human rights issue that should be at the forefront of every society. Unfortunately, many countries around the world still suffer from crippling patriarchy, which adversely affects women's rights and opportunities. There are many paths we can take to eliminate this inequality. We should embrace gender diversity and promote gender equality in all aspects of life, including education, employment, and leadership. There are many successful policies, programs, and initiatives that support women's empowerment around the world, but there is still much work to be done to achieve gender equality in every country. The men are not the problem when it comes to gender inequality; the patriarchy is. Rather than just blaming men for their role in perpetuating gender stereotypes and discrimination, we need to acknowledge the importance of cultural change and create a more inclusive environment for men and women alike. To bring true gender equality to our society, we must encourage men to be open advocates for women’s rights and empower them to step up as leaders and role models for women everywhere. Women are an underrepresented minority in the world, especially in politics and business. We need to break down these barriers and encourage more women to participate in civic life by encouraging them to run for office. The gap between male and female representation in government and politics is far too wide, with only 22% of parliament seats worldwide occupied by women. We need more women in the legislative branch if we are to create fairer laws for everyone. We also need more female political leaders in business, academia, and other professions. Encouraging women to enter these fields will help reduce the overall gender pay gap and increase opportunities for women in leadership roles. A recent report found that men earn more than women in 77% of the countries analyzed. There is still a long way to go until we achieve pay equity in the workplace. Businesses need to be held accountable for paying men and women equally for the same job, regardless of their gender or ethnicity. Women are far more likely to experience violence at home, at work, and on the streets than their male counterparts. They are more likely to be victims of sexual and domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and human trafficking. We need to end the culture of violence against women and create safer environments for women in all communities. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 3 women will experience physical violence from their partner in their lifetime. We need to do more to raise awareness about the prevalence of domestic abuse and create safe spaces for victims to seek help and support. Women are often stereotyped as being less intelligent and less capable than men, which contributes to feelings of self-doubt and prevents them from reaching their full potential. We need to remember that there is no difference between the brains and abilities of men and women—they are all capable of achieving great things! The vast majority of leadership positions in major businesses are still held by men. Many women still face discrimination in the workplace, are paid less than their male counterparts, and are often excluded from positions of power and decision-making. This needs to change! Businesses need to embrace equality and empower women to achieve their dreams. 

The Tillotoma Foundation is firmly committed to upholding gender equality in all its endeavours. It is the strict policy of the Foundation to make all our initiatives gender-inclusive.

Today, we are witnessing a momentous transformation in the way women are impacting the world. More and more women are stepping up to take on the roles of leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation. In fact, the world is rapidly becoming a "woman's world" and it is about time that we celebrate and honour our female leaders and innovators who have paved the way for future generations. In this article, I will be discussing the many reasons why we should consider women to be the true "leaders of the future." According to the website CNBC.com, "a report by the World Economic Forum reported that in 2017, there were just 25% of women leaders across all sectors of the economy." While this statistic may sound disheartening at first, it is important to keep in mind that things have been much worse in the past. As recently as the mid-19th century, only 3% of leadership positions were held by women. To put it into perspective, the percentage of women in leadership roles is now higher than it was during the era of the Roman Empire! It is also important to keep in mind that the rate of progress has been steadily increasing over the past several decades. In 1997, there were still only 8% of leadership positions were held by women, but that number had increased to 14% by the year 2018. Today, there are nearly twice as many women in the workforce as there are men, and nearly 60% of all college degrees in the world are now awarded to women. This demonstrates that women are more educated than ever before and that they are quickly gaining the power to impact the world around them. In recent years, there has been a sharp increase in the number of women pursuing careers in fields such as politics, science, and technology. For instance, more than 20% of scientists employed in universities and research laboratories are women and the number of female engineers has tripled over the past two decades. Even in Silicon Valley, the female share of programmers has increased from 6% in 1990 to 18% today. This shows that women are entering many traditionally male-dominated fields and that they have the talent to be successful at virtually any career they choose to pursue. There are many famous women throughout history who have made tremendous contributions to society and helped to change the world for the better. Here are just a few examples: Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and was the first person ever to discover radioactivity. Albert Einstein is regarded as one of the greatest physicists of all time and is known for his theory of relativity. Rosa Parks is remembered as one of the most important civil rights activists of the modern era. The temples to many Goddesses have been an important part of Indian culture and tradition for thousands of years and they have played a crucial role in shaping the identity of the people of India. India’s first female Prime Minister Indira Gandhi also played a key role in the country’s independence movement. As you can see, there are many women who have accomplished amazing things throughout human history. Women have been at the forefront of every major movement for change throughout history and they continue to play a vital role in our society today. Inclusivity is essential in achieving true equality in the workplace. By celebrating and promoting the contributions of women both past and present, we can empower future generations and make real progress towards a more equitable world. Creativity and innovation have always been part of a woman's nature. Since the beginning of time, women have helped shape history through their creativity and vision. It is widely recognized that women are natural leaders and problem solvers and are often considered to have better interpersonal skills than men. Given these facts, it's no surprise that women in leadership roles are more effective than their male counterparts when it comes to fostering a positive work environment and encouraging their employees to reach their full potential. When women are involved in decision-making roles, they are more effective at reaching more solutions and promoting collaboration among their team members. Every business should strive to create a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued and respected. Feminism is about improving the lives of women and giving women a voice in the social and political arenas of society. Recognizing the important role that women play in society and the workplace is essential to achieving greater gender equality. There is no question that women play an integral role in the modern workforce but increasing the number of women in leadership positions is another important way to ensure gender equality in the workplace. Increased representation in management roles can also help attract more top talent and improve the overall quality of the workforce. As per recent data, many organizations have a long way to go when it comes to achieving gender parity in management ranks. A lack of diversity in management may lead to poor decision-making and a lack of innovative solutions. Achieving gender parity in management is not only a matter of fairness but also of profitability. According to the World Economic Forum, eliminating gender inequality could add $12 trillion to global GDP by 2025, with benefits for both employees and companies. In a recent study, Ernst & Young found that companies with more women on their boards outperformed those without in terms of return on equity, return on sales, and return on invested capital. This suggests that the presence of women in leadership roles can have a positive impact on a company's performance and lead to higher returns for investors. Diversity is an important driver of innovation and economic growth in today's world. South Asia has been experiencing rapid economic growth in recent years, but some companies are still struggling to address the low representation of women in senior management positions. Countries like Bangladesh and India have the highest numbers of women working in executive roles in Asia, but this still represents only a small percentage of the overall workforce in these countries. There are a number of reasons for this imbalance. Many women in this region still have limited educational opportunities and they are discouraged from pursuing careers in business by their families and society in general. In addition, cultural norms in some Asian countries make it difficult for women to take leadership roles. According to a report by the International Labour Organization, female workers in Asia face significant challenges in the workplace due to sexist discrimination and gender-based violence. Research shows that equal representation of men and women in the leadership pipeline can help businesses attract and retain top talent and can lead to improved financial performance. The good news is that many companies are taking steps to promote gender equality in the workplace and encourage more women to pursue leadership roles. SDG No.5 is targetted for Gender Equality: Improve Gender Equality in Economic Opportunities for Women. The economic empowerment of women is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN in 2015. Studies show that achieving SDG 5 is critical to addressing poverty and improving development outcomes around the world. Women represent a significant portion of the world's poor. They have fewer resources than men and access to education, training, and health care is limited. As a result, they are less likely to be employed and earn lower incomes. Advancing gender equality is a key step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of ending poverty by 2030 and reducing inequality. There are many initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality and encouraging women to enter the workplace. Businesses play an important role in these efforts by making gender equality a priority in their policies and programs. Theories tested include; stereotype threat - namely that being identified as a woman could reduce performance under pressure. Direct societal pressures to conform - as highlighted in a study by Sullivan et al, women were negatively evaluated on their presentation skills by a panel of judges for minor flaws in their attire and grooming. Further to this the study also highlighted that the women who conformed to the more masculine norms were more likely to be promoted. A critical issue to note is the support that women receive from friends and family when it comes to taking on a leadership position at work or home. Sylvia Walby has conducted multiple studies which show three biases contribute to gender disparities in hiring practices. The first bias is that women are perceived as less competent than their male counterparts and thus unable to perform at the same level as men. The second bias is the belief that women are not committed to their careers and therefore not deserving of promotion or equal pay for work of equal value. The third bias stems from the notion that men are better leaders than women and therefore should be promoted to management positions, regardless of their qualifications. In a study conducted by Deloitte, it was found that when companies set goals that are clear and quantifiable, it improved the number of women in leadership roles by 50%. Another study found that having a female CEO increased shareholder value by 35% compared to companies with male CEOs. There is a debate about whether the feminist movement is necessary for changing global politics. Some feminists argue that the global feminist movement has empowered women and helped to improve their quality of life in countries all over the world. Other feminists claim that progress had been made without the global feminist movement and that issues such as gender inequality should not be politicized. Despite the success of the global feminist movement, there are still many areas where gender inequality remains an issue, including access to education, healthcare and employment. The World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report provides a detailed analysis of gender gaps around the world and provides a detailed breakdown of each country's gender gap score and its ranking on the overall index. The Global Gender Gap Index measures gender equality across four key areas - economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival and political empowerment. If current trends continue, it is predicted that the gender gap will shrink to 91% by the year 2050. However, there are many factors that are impacting this prediction. These include increasing rates of population aging, shrinking labor forces and growing educational attainment levels among women. It is important to address these factors in order to ensure the future of the global economy. The Partition of Punjab showcased a major violation of Women's rights in India after the country became independent in 1947. The partition of India into India and Pakistan resulted in the creation of two new nations and over two million refugees. Millions of women were forced to flee their homes as it became unsafe for them to stay behind and face an uncertain future in Pakistan or India. The refugee crisis had a profound impact on the lives of these displaced women and required the involvement of humanitarian agencies to provide them with humanitarian assistance such as food and shelter. While providing such assistance was important, it also raised questions about the conditions under which the refugees had to live and the discrimination against them due to their gender. In the report titled "Refugee Women and Girls Repatriation in the South Asian Region", the United Nations High Commission for Refugees stated that women were often the victims of sexual violence and abuse while in transit and sought to find ways to protect their legal rights and ensure their safety. This report provides an insight into some of the challenges facing refugee women in South Asia and highlights the need for international action to address their needs and protect their rights. The Partition of Punjab and the subsequent exodus of millions of refugees led to the creation of a diaspora community living across the globe. Over the years this community has grown in size and diversified in ethnic and religious composition and is now considered one of the largest migrant communities in the world. The community has made valuable contributions to many societies around the world and has helped to build thriving multicultural societies characterized by peaceful coexistence between different religious groups and ethnicities. However, the rapid growth of the diaspora population has also created some challenges that need to be resolved to ensure its long-term survival and growth. On the other hand, Urvashi Butalia’s book “The Other Side of Silence” provides a vivid account of the cultural clash that existed between the members of the Indian and Pakistani diaspora at the time of partition. Despite their differences, the members of the two communities were able to overcome the obstacles created by their different cultures and live together peacefully in their adopted countries. According to her book, the conflict between the two communities was primarily rooted in differences in religion and politics and was not based on hatred towards each other as people generally perceived it to be. At the same time, she also talks about the impact that this conflict had on the lives and minds of the younger generation on both sides of the border and their alienation from the larger society as a result of it. Within the Indian subcontinent, several major reforms have been introduced over the last decade and a half to protect the fundamental rights of women and empower them to make their voices heard in society. Although there is now a greater push for gender equality in all facets of society, there is still a significant disparity between men and women in the workforce. If we want to make the world a better place for future generations, we must do everything we can to support and encourage more women to pursue a career in whatever field they choose. I hope we can all work together to create a more tolerant and inclusive society where everyone is treated equally regardless of race, gender, or religion.