Before explaining the concept of gender, we must know that this concept has actually been everywhere in our lives since the past and appears before us whether we notice it or not. To explain this concept, gender refers to the states and roles regarding being a woman and being a man that are added onto biological sex and taught by individuals’ families, surroundings, and the society they live in. It is not like biological sex; it can vary across different geographies, cultures, and societies. In short, we can say it is the exact opposite concept of biological sex.
The concept of biological sex is universal and never changes; it refers to the genetic and biological characteristics of individuals that determine whether they are male or female. That is, it means the state of being biologically male or female. Gender, on the other hand, is socio-cultural, meaning it is a kind of “human invention” and is subject to change over time. Gender consists of the roles society assigns to women and men solely because of their sex and what is expected of them. The reason we call gender “changeable” is that there are different views regarding womanhood and manhood in every geography and different culture.
The concept of “gendered division of labor” refers to the roles assigned to women and men. To give an example, generally, public spaces, meaning outside work, belong to men; private spaces, meaning housework, cooking, and cleaning, belong to women. This example we have given is the clearest illustration of the gendered division of labor, and through it, we see that, unfortunately, there is a serious inequality. To give simple examples to compare biological and gendered sex, fertility is entirely biological, but the concept of motherhood is social. Likewise, having long hair, wearing pants, or the idea that only women should do housework is entirely social. To make a short and clear summary, biological sex comes from creation, while gender comes from society.
Gender equality is a normative expression of the process by which women and men access fundamental rights, freedoms, and opportunities. Conversely, to define our main topic, gender inequality, gender inequality means the structural differences and barriers that women and men face as a result of gender-based discrimination. These structural differences are of great importance, especially for women in the context of rights. This is because, as women, we desire an equal say with men in every field of life, and we have no doubt that this will eventually happen through our own effort and determination.
Gender inequality exists in every part of our lives, such as our family, society, and work life. This inequality assigns sharp roles to women and men and enters our lives even if we do not want it to. Women’s inability to fully enter the workforce, the thought that “a woman should sit at home and look after her child,” is the greatest example of inequality determined against women. If we look at the general results, this situation suppresses our characters and lowers our self-confidence. For instance, saying “men don’t cry” leads to the suppression of men’s emotions. Saying “women should deal with housework” is a situation that even affects women’s educational life and literacy rates.
In the present day, it is a fact that the internet and social media, which are at our fingertips, exacerbate this inequality. A woman seen without makeup or unkempt on social media can immediately be lynched in the comments. Or even in videos where a man shares himself doing housework, strange comments can sometimes appear. As we saw in the example, social media has both good and bad sides. In conclusion, it would be best to use social media not to sustain this inequality, but to end it. I believe from the heart that we will overcome these problems when we see everyone simply as a “human.”
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