The Nature of Humans 10. Equality
This essay examines if the Earth has equality between men and women in 2015. It examines data from 195 countries from various sources relating to women involved in decision making related to Male to Female Country Leaders, Sovereigns, Governor Generals, Heads of State, Heads of Government, Speakers of Parliament, Deputy Speakers of Parliament, Government Portfolios held by Women, and Parliamentarians. It then examines the ability of women to control their lives relating to Legal Abortion, Domestic Violence, Sexual Harassment, Constitution and Discrimination, Other Equality, Property and Work.
Conclusions are then drawn.
Male to Female Country Leaders
Male leaders 167. Female leaders 29.
Source: http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/
Sovereigns
Kings 27. Queens 2.
Source: http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/
Governor Generals
12 Male. 3 Female.
Source: http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/
Heads of State
9 to 10 out of 152 Female.
Source: http://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/leadership-and-political-participation/facts-and-figures
Heads of Government
14 to 15 out of 193 Female.
Source: http://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/leadership-and-political-participation/facts-and-figures
Speakers of Parliament
40 out of 271 Female.
Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union and UN Women, “Women in Politics: 2015".
Deputy Speakers of Parliament
88 parliaments out of 188 have Female Deputy Speakers
Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union and UN Women, “Women in Politics: 2015".
Government Portfolios held by Women
1096 portfolios in 189 countries were held by women
Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union and UN Women, “Women in Politics: 2015".
Parliamentarians
Male 34,751. Female 9,838.
Source: http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/world.htm
Legal Abortion
190 countries would allow a legal abortion to save the woman's life. 5 countries would not.
Source: UN Women's 2011 Progress of the World's Women report
131 countries would allow a legal abortion to preserve physical health. 64 countries would not.
Source: UN Women's 2011 Progress of the World's Women report
125 countries would allow a legal abortion to preserve mental health 70 countries would not.
Source: UN Women's 2011 Progress of the World's Women report
96 countries would allow a legal abortion in cases of rape or incest. 99 countries would not.
Source: UN Women's 2011 Progress of the World's Women report
95 countries would allow a legal abortion in cases of foetal impairment.100 countries would not.
Source: UN Women's 2011 Progress of the World's Women report
70 countries would allow a legal abortion for economic or social reasons.125 countries would not.
Source: UN Women's 2011 Progress of the World's Women report
60 countries would allow a legal abortion on request.135 countries would not.
Source: UN Women's 2011 Progress of the World's Women report
Domestic Violence
172 countries have legislation that specifically addresses domestic violence. 23 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
154 countries have specialized court or procedure for cases of domestic violence.41 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
164 countries have domestic violence legislation that protects women in unmarried intimate relationships. 31 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
165 countries have domestic violence legislation that includes emotional abuse. 30 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
143 countries have domestic violence legislation that includes financial abuse. 52 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
172 countries have domestic violence legislation that includes physical abuse. 23 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
153 countries have domestic violence legislation that includes sexual abuse. 42 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
Sexual Harassment
181 countries have legislation that specifically addresses sexual harassment. 14 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
160 countries have criminal sanctions for sexual harassment. 35 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
149 countries have a governmental office tasked with addressing sexual harassment.
46 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
128 countries have legislation on sexual harassment in education. 67 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
173 countries have legislation on sexual harassment in employment. 22 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
104 countries have legislation on sexual harassment in public spaces. 91 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
101 countries have legislation on sexual harassment in service provision. 94 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
147 countries have criminal sanctions for sexual harassment in employment. 48 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
Constitution and Discrimination
139 countries have a non-discrimination clause in the constitution. 56 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
181 countries have a non-discrimination clause in the constitution, that explicitly mentions gender.
14 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
184 countries have a constitution guarantee equality before the law.11 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
Other Equality
183 countries allow an unmarried woman confer citizenship to her children in the same way as a man. 12 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
179 countries allow a married woman confer citizenship to her children in the same way as a man.
16 countries do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
62 countries that require married women by law to obey their husbands. 133 countries that do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
Property
185 countries where married men and married women have equal ownership rights to property.
10 countries that do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
169 countries where sons and daughters have equal inheritance rights to property. 26 countries that do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
169 countries where female and male surviving spouses have equal inheritance rights to property.
26 countries that do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
Work
191 countries that mandate paid or unpaid maternity leave. 4 countries that do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
116 countries that mandate paid or unpaid paternity leave. 79 countries that do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
112 countries that mandate equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value.
83 countries that do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
121 countries that mandate non-discrimination based on gender in hiring. 74 countries that do not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
68 countries where it is illegal for an employer to ask about family status during a job interview.
127 countries where it is not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
181 countries where there are laws penalizing or preventing the dismissal of pregnant women.
14 countries where there are not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
166 countries where employers are required to provide break time for nursing mothers.
29 countries where there are not.
Source: The World Bank, Women, Business and the Law database. Data last updated April 2013
Conclusions
The data indicates that the Earth is ruled over and controlled by a male dominated decision hierarchy and political gender legislation base.
In terms of legal abortion the world view is in favour of women being able to have a legal abortion unless it was related to rape, incest, foetal impairment, economic or social reasons or on request.
In terms of domestic and sexual harassment the world view is in favour of women having a recourse under the law.
In terms of non-discrimination and work the world view is in favour of women having equal rights with men.
The data also indicates that the social history of humanity is a poor one and that it has had to admit its male dominated, abusive, nature.
This admission is listed in the legislation it has created to try to provide a legal recourse for women.
The legislation indicates that the female section of society has been deeply abused and maintained in a condition of fear by the male section of society. Females have been restricted from decision making, not given control over their own bodies or health, subjected to domestic, emotional, physical and financial abuse, restricted in citizenship rights, restricted in inheritance and property rights and discriminated against on genetic grounds.
The females have had to fight for equality with the male part of society.
Legal recourse is a weak alternative since it can still only be applied after the abuse causing it has occurred. The situation is therefore little better than the barbaric cultures that it evolved from. Pro-active, pre-abuse, pre-legal, solutions to alter the knowledge of cultures are the only way towards an equal society. The movement towards this society is incomplete. The Earth does not yet have equality between men and women but the move to equality must continue.
The outstanding immediate issues to achieving equality appear to be increasing the number of women in the decision hierarchy and political gender legislation base and also extending their personal legal recourse ability.
Ian K Whittaker
Websites:
https://sites.google.com/site/architecturearticles
Email: iankwhittaker@gmail.com
22/06/2015
14/10/2020
1724 words over 4 pages