Gender and Globalization Essay

Globalization and its Impact on Women’s education Worldwide Globalization is defined as the worldwide movement toward financial, economic, and communication integration. Globalization has improved the lives of women worldwide, especially the lives of women living in developing countries. However, women remain disadvantaged in many aspects in life including health, employment, rights, and education. In this essay, I will discuss the impact of globalization on women worldwide, mainly on their participation in education. Although many advantages were gained, there is still worldwide inequality in education. According to the UNESCO, inequality in education is directly connected to poverty (Globalization 101)[1]. Studies have shown that more female children are not attending than male children in poor areas. Sub-Saharan Africa, Western Asia, and Oceana still face challenges reaching gender inequality for primary education. On the other hand, the Caribbean, Eastern Asia, and Latin America have more female students than male students going on to secondary education. In extremely poor or rural areas, females are less likely to have any type of education. In many of the world’s poorest countries located in Sub Saharan Africa, the Arab States, and West Asia the education of females in many is not valued because they are expected to contribute more at home, while males should gain skills to work and support their families. According to the UNESCO, the elimination of inequality in education would help lessen poverty in general. Also, female education has indirect effects for society such as improved fertility rates, improved child health, and improved educational opportunities for everyone in the household. In addition, increased skill levels allow women to participate more in the economy, which will increase the economic prosperity of the family (Globalization 101)[1]. Although globalization has opened markets worldwide, increased profits, and created more jobs for all countries and citizens, this neo-liberal model has increased poverty in many parts of the world and deepened the inequalities within the nations. Globalization has caused the rich to be richer and the poor to be poorer. Globalization mainly affects women because majority of the world’s poor are women (Shortchanging women WEDO)[2]. Also, structural adjustment policies with their elimination of subsidies, attendant price increases, and social services decreases, have increased the vulnerability of women and children where the distribution of the provision of health care and education favor income earning adults or men. Structural adjustment causes women hold responsibility of dealing with increased priced and income decrease. With increased unemployment and decreased wages for men, the responsibility is placed upon the women and children to take part of economic activity in order to support the household. In Peru, One study found that the effects of economic crisis and structural adjustment led to a significant increase in poverty. Structural adjustment policies and other forms of neo-liberalism are a major factor behind the â€Å"feminization of poverty†(Moghadam 1999)[3]. Although globalization offers women great opportunities, women are faced with equal new challenges. Women are still disadvantaged in many areas in their lives such as education. Gender inequality in education is still occurring in many developing countries, and it is directly connected to poverty. It is believed that eliminating gender inequality in education would lessen poverty. Neo-liberalism and structural adjustment are aimed to make economic and financial improvements worldwide, however, they are said to be a major factor behind women’s poverty in many areas in the world. In conclusion, Globalization with all its advantages to women’s education, it shares equal disadvantages and challenges that many women around the world will continue to face everyday. Works Cited: [1] http://www.globalization101.org/uploads/File/Women/Women2011.pdf [2]http://www.wedo.org/wp-content/uploads/shortchanging-women-factsheet.pdf [3]http://jwsr.ucr.edu/archive/vol5/number2/v5n2_split/jwsr_v5n2_moghadam.pdf