Gender inequality in developing countries

In many less economically developed countries (LEDCs), women face significant disparities compared to men across various aspects of life. These inequalities highlight the uneven impact of development on different genders, often placing women at a disadvantage in social, economic, and health contexts.

Key areas of gender disparity in LEDCs

• Life expectancy differences - In certain countries, women have a shorter life expectancy than men, which contrasts with the global trend where women typically outlive men.
• Economic and educational gaps - Women often receive lower wages and have less access to education compared to men, limiting their opportunities for advancement.
• Health and healthcare access - Women's health tends to be poorer, and they have restricted access to medical services, exacerbating health inequalities.
• Reproductive rights limitations - Women frequently lack control over reproductive choices, such as whether to have children or how many, often due to cultural or religious opposition to contraception and abortion.
• Selective abortion risks - There is a higher likelihood of abortion if a foetus is identified as female, reflecting deep-rooted gender biases.

Measures of gender equality in development

To assess the progress towards gender equality in development, specific indices have been developed. These tools measure various social, economic, and health indicators to provide insight into the relative status of women and men in society.

The Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM)

• Focus on social indicators - GEM evaluates gender equality through participation in decision-making, economic involvement, and financial power.
• Key metrics assessed - It examines aspects such as the right to vote, the proportion of women in parliamentary positions, the number of women in senior management roles, and the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita for the female population.
• Findings on equality - GEM consistently reveals that women have not achieved social equality with men, highlighting persistent gaps in empowerment.

The Gender-related Development Index (GDI)

• Development factors measured - GDI tracks indicators like life expectancy, literacy rates, years of schooling, employment rates for women, and income levels.
• Progress and disparities - While men generally have higher income and literacy levels, women have shown improvement in most categories, including better literacy and numeracy skills.
• Health improvements - The risk of maternal mortality during or after childbirth has decreased for women, reflecting advancements in healthcare access in some regions.

Impact of technology on women's employment

Technological advancements, particularly in information and communication technology (ICT), have reshaped employment patterns for women in LEDCs. These changes offer both opportunities and challenges, influencing how women participate in the workforce.

Effects of ICT on female employment

• Flexible work arrangements - As noted by researcher Swasti Mitter (1995), computer technology enables women to work from home and adopt flexible hours, accommodating other responsibilities.
• Outsourcing opportunities - Many ICT roles, such as call-centre positions, are outsourced from more economically developed countries (MEDCs) to newly industrialised countries (NICs), with a significant number of these jobs going to women.
• Hierarchical challenges - Despite increased participation in ICT sectors in countries like India, Malaysia, and Brazil, women are often concentrated in lower-tier roles, limiting their upward mobility within the industry.

Feminist perspectives on gender and development

Different feminist theories offer varied interpretations of how development impacts gender roles and equality. These perspectives critically analyse the structures and systems that shape women's experiences during development processes.

Radical feminist views

• Development as dependency tool - Radical feminists argue that development often reinforces women's dependence on men by prioritising patriarchal structures.
• Exploitation by TNCs - They suggest that transnational corporations (TNCs) deliberately employ women due to lower costs, perceived efficiency, and docility, perpetuating inequality.
• Conditional improvements - Any advancements in women's status, such as better healthcare or income, are seen as concessions by developed world patriarchy, allowed only to boost productivity.
• Criticism of perspective - This view is critiqued for overlooking the exploitation faced by men, presenting an incomplete picture of systemic issues.

Socialist feminist views

• Vision of equality - Socialist feminists advocate for a society without gendered divisions, achievable through socialism, where traditional notions of 'men's jobs' and 'women's jobs' are dismantled.
• Critique of existing systems - According to socialist feminist Mies (1986), both traditional Marxism and capitalism undervalue women's contributions, particularly in unpaid domestic roles.
• Revolutionary change - They push for a socialist revolution to shift ownership of production means from employers to workers, aiming for equitable treatment of all genders.

Marxist feminist views

• Disproportionate impact - Marxist feminists highlight that women often bear harsher negative effects of development compared to men, facing a dual burden of paid employment and domestic duties.
• Shift in workload - As countries industrialise, men transition from agricultural to manufacturing work, while women take on paid jobs outside the home in addition to ongoing housework and childcare responsibilities.
• Structural inequality - This dual burden reflects deeper systemic inequalities that development can exacerbate rather than alleviate for women.