What does Gender Equality mean to you?

Today is Women's Equality day in the USA and while gender equality is something very important to us at breaking perceptions, it is a phrase that can mean different things to different people. This post looks at what different organisations, people and religions say about gender equality but more importantly we want comments to hear from you what you think gender equality means and whether you agree with the other views shown on here.

According to the wikipedia article, "Gender equality (also known as gender equity, gender egalitarianism, or sexual equality) is the goal of the equality of the genders or the sexes, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality."

UNICEF defines gender equality as "levelling the playing field for girls and women by ensuring that all children have equal opportunity to develop their talents."

The United Nations Population Fund declared gender equality "first and foremost, a human right."

For Unifem "it is the fundamental right of every woman to live a life free from discrimination and violence".

The United Nations Millennium Project claims, "Every single Goal is directly related to women's rights, and societies where women are not afforded equal rights as men can never achieve development in a sustainable manner."

According to Gary Younge of the Guardian newspaper in Britain, "Black presidents and women MPs do not alone mean equality and justice" and he argues that "The relationship between identity, representation and equality is neither inevitable nor irrelevant, but occasionally contradictory and always complex."

In an article for the Independent newspaper in Britain, E Jane Dickson said that "Women behaving like men does not mean equality". She says that "It's not right that men sexually and economically exploit women in foreign countries. But turning the tables is not in itself constructive."

Pelle Billing, who blogs about women's liberation beyond feminism, says that "Assuming that equality means sameness is inherently problematic since if you want men and women to make exactly the same career choices, family choices and lifestyles choices, then you are basically trying to fit individuals into your own preconceived notion of reality." Instead, "Equality between the sexes simply means that men and women have equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities."

During a talk to Ithaca College on Islam, Women and Equality, Asma Barlas said the Qu'ran "designates women and men each other’s “guides” (awliya) and establishes love and mutuality as the basis of marriage."

In the essay "Equality, Submission And The Role Of Women", Allan Turner says that "Equality and subordination are not contradictions. The Bible teaches that, as image-bearers of the divine nature, the female and male are totally equal. It teaches, therefore, that she is totally equal with the male in her humanity. Furthermore, the Bible teaches that the female is not a second-class citizen of the kingdom of God. It teaches, in fact, that she is totally equal in her access to the salvation that takes place in Christ. Nevertheless, the Bible emphatically teaches that the female role is to be one of submission"

For me, Robyn, gender equality means that my gender is considered unimportant in my ability to do anything. Like feminists, I distinguish between sex and gender and accept that, being the female sex, peeing standing up and growing facial hair are things I will never be able to do as equally well as men. Gender however, is what my role is considered to be in society and I see no reason why a woman cannot do just as much as a man in society, whether in terms of economy & earning money, or careers, or raising children. I believe if there is to be gender equality then not only do women need have equal rights and opportunities as men, but men need to be given equal rights with women on things as well, for example giving longer paternity leave. In places like the USA and most European countries however, where women do for the most part have equal legal and political rights as men, gender equality is a state of mind. Its all very well you legally having a law that women can be stockbrokers if all male stockbrokers have the belief that women could never be stockbrokers.

What does gender equality mean to you?