How do different countries vary in their fight for gender equality? What factors impact the daily lives of women? The United States, India, and Afghanistan each have different situations for women’s education, work, and political representation. A transnational perspective also gives insight into gender equality in each country. The average life of an American woman highlights the impact of societal trends on achieving gender equality. Sociologists can explore gender issues in various countries in order to better understand gender inequality worldwide. 

The fight for gender equality is leading to changes in the daily lives of women in the United States. Women’s education, work, and political representation are adapting to reflect Americans’ views. However, a recent Supreme Court decision is causing a trend towards less gender equality for women. Increased female representation in government (Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, Carr 2019), more women joining the workforce (Giddens et al. 2019), and even more women attending college compared to men demonstrated a trend towards gender equality for women. However, recent events such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have created more barriers towards the United States achieving full gender equality.

 
When comparing women’s political representation in 2018 to 2001, an increase is present. In 2001, women made up 72 of the 535 members of Congress. In 2018, that number jumped to 107 members of Congress (Giddens et al. 2019). Women are seeing more women represent them in the federal government, but are their voices and opinions being heard? In June of 2022, the male-dominated and conservative-dominated Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, thereby granting the states the right to control abortion access. Were women represented in this issue that mainly affects women? The Pew Research Center reports that a majority (63%) of women feel that abortion should be legal in “all or most cases” (Pew Research Center 2022). In such a life-changing case, it can be argued that many women’s views were not represented in politics. 

With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a negative trend for achieving gender equality was set into play. Both women’s work and educational opportunities are impacted by their access to abortion resources. For instance, if someone is interested in receiving a college education, but gets pregnant and cannot obtain an abortion, their education, and therefore employment opportunities, are impacted. The United States will see a backwards trend for women’s work and education in the aftermath of restrictive abortion access. 

India is another example of a country where women’s education, work, and political representation have been affected by a recent event. The COVID-19 pandemic caused India’s gender gap to increase, at least in terms of education. 320 million students in India were impacted by school closures caused by the pandemic (Ghatak, Yareseeme, Jha, 2020). While both boys and girls were affected, “interruptions in learning have been seen to have a greater impact on girls as compared to boys” (Ghatak et al. 2020). Factors such as not having access to devices or the internet and financial struggles determined who could receive an education. Girls had unique struggles tied to gender roles; many girls were asked to complete domestic chores that left less time for studying. 

Education has a direct link to the employment an individual can obtain later in life, and therefore their income. A growing gap between girls and boys in terms of education will create a gap in the career opportunities of women. It is also vital to consider how Indian mothers’ careers could have been impacted by school closures during the pandemic; with 320 million children out of school, who was responsible for watching them? As for trends in women’s political representation, the United Nations noted an increase in the percentage of women in parliamentary political positions and the percentage of women in managerial positions (United Nations 2020). However, both percentages are considered low performance for gender equality. India has demonstrated both progressive and regressive trends in terms of gender equality. 

Afghanistan is an instance of a country where trends are leading away from gender equality. In education, work, and political representation, women are losing their rights and opportunities following the Taliban’s seize of Afghanistan. A report from the Malala Fund reports that the Taliban’s ban on secondary education for girls has “cost Afghan girls more than 200 million days of learning to date” (The Malala Fund 2021). The political climate and leadership in Afghanistan have led to an increasing gap between girls and boys in terms of education.  

The Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan has also led to increasing gender inequality in terms of work and political representation. Rules regarding what Afghan women can wear, if they should leave their homes, and if they can work have impacted women’s ability to be employed. Before the pandemic, 22% of women were employed; however, by late 2021, it is estimated that women’s employment had dropped by 16% (Nader 2022). Women in politics have also suffered due to the Taliban’s strict rule; previous leaders have had their lives threatened. Afghanistan is trending away from gender equality, but organizations and leaders are continuing to fight for women’s rights. 

Understanding a country’s relationship with gender equality may be influenced by having a transnational perspective. Transnational feminism is defined as, “a branch of feminist theory that highlights the way that global processes-including colonialism, racism, and imperialism-shape gender relations and hierarchies” (Giddens et al. 2019:279). When having a transnational perspective, an individual notices the global phenomena that affect a country’s women. For instance, someone with a transnational perspective would notice how imperialism has affected Indian society, specifically how it has affected Indian women’s fight for gender equality. Holding a transnational perspective could give insight into the historical forces influencing a country’s trends. 

On an individual level, a country’s trends can greatly affect the daily life and available life paths for a woman. For instance, the perceived life history of the average woman in America may differ from her current condition. Perhaps she had an abortion at an earlier age, which then became part of her life story. In her current condition, she may not have that same access. However, in her lifetime, she gained more rights in other areas. She may have been alive to witness the passing of Title IX, therefore providing more equality in education. With that education, she can become employed. Gender inequality in employment persists, however. While working in America, she may experience sexual harassment or the glass ceiling. She also witnessed more women enter government leadership positions, including Vice President Kamala Harris’ inauguration. The average woman has seen many victories for gender inequality in American society, but still faces sexism in other areas of life. 

By exploring differences and similarities between countries’ treatment of women, sociologists can find solutions to gender inequality. The United States, India, and Afghanistan all provide examples of how work, education, and government representation differ for men and women. Gender equality can also vary between countries due to global factors; a transnational perspective enables sociologists to explore global factors’ impact on women. Finally, observing the life history of women from a country can demonstrate how daily lives change with trends in achieving gender equality. What does having this knowledge mean in the fight for gender equality?  
 
REFERENCES 

Giddens, Anthony., Duneier, Mitchell., Appelbaum, Richard., and Carr, Deborah. 2019. Essentials of Sociology. New York City: Norton 
 
“Girls’ Education and COVID-19 in India” 2020. Ghatak, Neha., Yareseeme, Achala., and Jha, Jyotsna. Retrieved July 26, 2022  
(malala.org/newsroom/girls-education-and-covid-19-in-india). 
 
“India” 2020. United Nations: Women Count. Retrieved July 26, 2022 
(data.unwomen.org/country/india). 
 
“Public Opinion on Abortion” 2022. Pew Research Center. Retrieved July 26, 2022. (pewresearch.org/religion/fact-sheet/public-opinion-on-abortion/). 
 
“Rights in Jeopardy: How the International Community Should Respond to the Girls’ Education Crisis in Afghanistan” 2021. The Malala Fund. Retrieved July 26, 2022 
(malala.org/newsroom/rights-in-jeopardy-how-the-international-community-has- compounded-the-girls-education-crisis-in-afghanistan-and-what-they-should-do-now). 
 
“’We Have to Fight Back!’ Afghan Women are Losing Their Hard-Won Right to Work Under the Taliban” 2022. Zahra Nader. Retrieved July 26, 2022 
(time.com/6177133/afghan-women-workforce-challenges-taliban/).