Reflection on Gender Inequalities and the Initiatives Promoting Gender Equality and

Development

Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created
him, male and female he created them”. I think this is the proof if we talked about gender
equality if we based on the biblical narratives. And of course we cannot please everyone on this
notion for we have individual differences in perceiving things such as this topic. We are
different in culture, tradition, norm, and especially religion. Since we are a rational being, which
we can distinguish right and wrong, good and bad, the reason why we are unique and different
from other animals. We have free will and intellect that is innate in us. With regards to this, we
create a society which are man-made construction in nature. One of it is culture, a way of life.
And comprising a culture is gender, which is a social construction of what it means to be a man
and a woman in the context of a particular society. But because of the “Male Chauvinism”
concept same concept of a patriarchal society, which is a prejudiced belief of an individual or a
group of individuals that men are superior to women. Thus, gender inequality arise.
As I’ve read the whole topic, I was astonished gender inequality make its way to a global
problem. I noticed from the topic that most of the countries where gender inequality is
prevalent was located in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Bahrain etc.) where most of
the population was Muslim, practicing Islamic faith. With regards to this, I came to wonder?
What is the relationship between religion (Islam) and gender inequality specifically? Is there any
significant relationship between religion (Islam) and gender Inequality? As I dug deeper from
this topic and to fulfill my curiosity and wonder. I was surprise that there is a relationship
between the two (religion and gender inequality). And yes, religion (Islam) has a great
significant and massive impact in promoting gender inequality. For an instance, a surah in the
Quran depicts a woman’s father or husband as masters and portrays the superiority of men
over women. It is prohibited for every women to lead prayers. Furthermore, when a women is
having her usual menstrual period, she must not enter any mosque (Book: I9ntroduction to
World Religion and Belief Systems pg. 99-100).
“ Ikaw, kay baji man ka, ang imong buhaton manghugas ug plato, magdung-ag ug
manilhig”. This is the phase which I heard almost every day from my parents and grandparents
during my elementary and secondary years. And I keep on wondering why there is chores
intended for male or female? How about chores that I’m capable of, such as chopping of fire
woods? Fetching water? etc. Am I restricted to do it? These are some of the questions that
stuck in my head since then. Unfortunately, our parents already practice/promote gender
inequality by doing so. And of course we cannot blame them in such a way that those are the
result in the upbringing of their parents during those days, which means that gender inequality
is already prevalent years ahead of us. It is very disappointing to hear that the family, the very
basic unit of society was promoting already this kind of problem. By just simply commanding
parents to wash the dishes to their girl children, and chopping fire woods to boys. They are
unaware of promoting gender inequality by doing so.
I noticed from the topic that when we talked about gender inequality, it talked about
the superiority of men over women. Furthermore, gender is a social construction of what it
means to be a man and a woman in the context of a particular society. But how about on the
contrary? What if women is superior to men? In my humble opinion, I think it is better to write
also in the text the contrary situation for the readers to have the chance to weigh the
application on gender inequality on both sides.

I am thankful enough to read this topic. Through this, I already have some of my
answers to my questions about gender inequality, beside, I learned a lot. As a BS Criminology
student, a women, and as representing the victim of this problem, I am thankful on how the
position of women in the society evolve from its dark past. I never expected a women can be
one of the law enforcer because most of the time it was a male dominated position. I agree to
the World Economic Forum’s views, that it takes another century for gender inequality to be
totally eliminate from human mind and society. Despite of the negative effect brought gender
inequality most especially to women as victim in this kind of problem. I am thankful enough
that there is still hope. The government and non-government agencies paved its ways to lessen
if not totally eliminate gender inequality through varied activities such as seminars, initiatives,
programs,platforms,laws,conferemce, convention, declaration, summit, etc. to promote gender
equality. “Gender equality is not about women, and it is not about men – it is about making
workplace work for everyone. Together, we can fix work, not women” (Michelle King).