What is gender discrimination?
What is gender discrimination?
Gender discrimination is the unfair treatment of individuals based on their gender, impacting their access to opportunities and rights. This form of inequality limits access to education, work, and healthcare. It disproportionately affects women and girls, particularly those who also have other marginalised identities including women with disabilities, women with diverse SOGIESC (which stands for Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and Sex Characteristics), and women from minoritised ethnic groups.
Often beginning in childhood and continuing into adulthood, gender discrimination is reinforced by societal norms and institutional bias, that prioritise men over women and marginalised groups. Gender equality, in which all genders enjoy the same rights, the same status in society, have the same opportunities and has the same power to shape their lives. This improves individual well-being, boosts economic growth, and fosters a more just society.
What is gender discrimination?
Gender discrimination occurs when people are treated unfairly or unequally because of their gender. Gender discrimination can take place in all aspects of life including education, employment, and healthcare. In the UK, gender discrimination affects women and girls in various ways, limiting their ability to reach their potential. This systemic issue is embedded in cultural norms, workplace practices, and legal systems. Recognising gender discrimination is the first step towards challenging it and creating a more inclusive society.
Examples of gender discrimination
Gender discrimination is present in many areas of life. Some of the most common examples include:
Gender discrimination in jobs: Women often face unequal opportunities and pay compared to their male counterparts. For instance, the gender pay gap in the UK remains at 7.0% for full-time workers.(1) This gap widens for women of colour. Compared with White British men, women of colour consistently earn less per hour with pay gaps ranging from 10% for Indian women to 28% for Pakistani women.(2)
Women continue to face challenges in attaining leadership positions and equal representation in decision-making processes.(3)
Gender discrimination: Women are often marginalised in traditionally male-dominated fields such as tech, engineering, and leadership roles.
Sexual harassment: Women and girls face higher rates of harassment, particularly in the workplace or educational environments. (4)
Find out more about every day sexism with the everydaysexism project.
Intersectionality and gender discrimination
Intersectionality in terms of gender discrimination refers to the way that a person may experience several different forms of discrimination, such as sexism and racism, at the same time. For women and girls, each additional marginalised identity for example disability or diverse SOGIESC, compounds the discrimination they experience as a result of their gender.
It’s important to consider intersectionality to recognise specific needs and difficulties faced by individuals.
The impacts of gender discrimination
The consequences of gender discrimination extend beyond individual experiences and affect entire communities and societies.
Gender Discrimination and Early Childhood Development
Gendered expectations and stereotypes placed on children from a young age shape their development and aspirations. Girls may be steered toward nurturing or domestic roles as this is what society expects of women, while boys are encouraged to take on leadership or career-focused roles. These early experiences of gender discrimination and social gendered expectations limit their potential and reinforce harmful stereotypes that persist throughout life.
Gender Discrimination and Poverty
Gender discrimination plays a significant role in perpetuating poverty, particularly for women and girls. Lack of access to education and limited career advancement opportunities contribute to lower earning potential for women. Women are often the primary caregivers in households, and their restricted access to economic opportunities further deepens their vulnerability to poverty. Those who do access economic opportunities are often further disadvantaged by experiencing a double burden of economic and household labour.
Gender Discrimination and Health
Gender discrimination has serious health implications. Women and girls, particularly in low-income areas, may face discrimination gender biases that prevent them from receiving adequate medical care, including reproductive health services. This lack of access can lead to increased health risks, including maternal mortality, and exacerbate the challenges women face in achieving gender equality.(5)
Gender discrimination globally
Around the world, gender discrimination affects millions of women and girls, limiting their access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Gender equality remains a distant goal in many parts of the world, where girls face barriers to education, early marriage, and gender-based violence. International bodies such as the United Nations and global NGOs like Plan International UK are working to address these issues by promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls.
The importance of gender equality
Gender equality benefits not only women and girls but society as a whole. When individuals of all genders have equal access to opportunities, economies grow, communities are more resilient, and social systems are strengthened and more inclusive. Achieving gender equality improves overall well-being and ensures that everyone, regardless of their gender, can thrive. Gender inequality also negatively impacts boys and men, for example through creating gendered expectations around masculinity which can lead to gender-based violence.
What are the causes of gender discrimination?
The root causes of gender discrimination are deeply embedded in patriarchal societal structures, cultural beliefs, and institutional systems.
Why gender discrimination often starts at home
From an early age, children are taught what is considered acceptable behaviour for their gender. This early gender discrimination creates expectations that limit boys’ and girls’ choices. For example, girls may be expected to take on domestic roles, while boys are encouraged to pursue careers and leadership positions. These learned behaviours set the stage for further gender discrimination as children grow into adults. Gender discrimination is also reinforced and grown from a societal and institutional level.
Societal norms
Gender stereotypes and traditional societal norms often dictate the roles men and women should play. These norms shape everything from career choices to household responsibilities and can lead to systemic gender discrimination in areas such as employment, education, and public life. These rigid norms limit individual potential, especially for women and girls. Furthermore, other social norms inhibit opportunities for women and girls, such as early and forced marriage.
Institutional sexism
Institutional sexism refers to the policies, practices, and systems within organisations or governments that disadvantage women and other marginalised genders and groups. This can manifest in practices such as unequal hiring practices, lack of family-friendly policies, or the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles. Challenging these systems is crucial for promoting gender equality.
Gender stereotypes and discrimination
Gender stereotypes are oversimplified beliefs about how men and women should behave. These stereotypes fuel gender discrimination by reinforcing traditional roles, which restrict individuals from pursuing their true aspirations. For example, women may be expected to be caregivers, while men are expected to be breadwinners. These expectations contribute to unequal opportunities for both men and women.
Gender discrimination in the UK
In the UK, despite progress, gender discrimination remains an ongoing issue. Women continue to experience unequal pay, underrepresentation in leadership roles, and higher rates of gender-based violence . For example, a woman is killed by a man every three days in the UK, and violence against women and girls makes up just under 20% per cent of all recorded crime in England and Wales. Add stats to reference section.(6)
2010 Equality Act
The Equality Act 2010 was a significant step forward in protecting individuals from gender discrimination. The Act sought to create a legal framework that provides protection against discrimination on the grounds of gender, among other characteristics. However, challenges remain in fully enforcing these protections, especially in the workplace.(7)
Gender discrimination solutions
Eliminating gender discrimination requires a multi-faceted approach. Here’s how we can create lasting change:
How Can Gender Discrimination Be Stopped?
The fight against gender discrimination requires systemic change and a gender equitable approach. This is an approach based on fairness that intentionally addresses social and historical discrimination to speed up the shift towards genuine gender equality. This includes implementing and enforcing laws that protect against gender-based discrimination, promoting gender equality education, supporting women’s leadership, challenging cultural stereotypes that limit opportunities based on gender, and engaging men and boys to promote positive and transformative masculinities.
FAQs about gender discrimination
Is sexism the same as gender discrimination?
Sexism is a form of gender discrimination that involves the belief that one gender is superior to another, typically disadvantaging women. Gender discrimination is a broader term that encompasses all forms of unequal treatment based in which someone is discriminated against as a result of their gender or gender identity.
What is gender mainstreaming?
Gender mainstreaming is the practice of ensuring that gender is considered, monitored and gender equality promoted in all aspects of policymaking, programming and decision-making. It ensures that gender equality is prioritised in every area of life.
How does gender discrimination affect women globally?
Globally, gender discrimination disproportionately impacts women by limiting their access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Women are also more likely to experience violence, exploitation, and legal restrictions. These barriers prevent them from fully participating in society and achieving their potential.
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