Gender equality means that men and women should have the same rights and duties.
Also known as sexual equality, this is considered the basis for building a society free from prejudice and discrimination.
Men and women must be free to make their own choices and develop their personal capabilities without interference or limitation by stereotypes.
All responsibilities, rights and opportunities must be equally granted for all genders, without there is any kind of restriction based on the fact that a person was born male or feminine.
The struggle for gender equality intensified in the mid-twentieth century, driven mainly by the feminist movement.
An important icon in this process is the French feminist Simone de Beauvoir, who marked the consolidation of a new stage of Feminism with the publication of the book “the second sex” in the mid-1960s.
Find out more about the meaning of Feminism.
Many rights have already been achieved in the name of gender equality (such as the right to vote for women, for example), but there is still a long way to go to deconstruct the prejudiced and stereotyped view that is ingrained in the society.
Examples of gender inequalities are present in small everyday situations, where even the women participate as encouragers for the segregation between "male tasks" and "tasks women”.
For example, in many families, girls are responsible for tidying the kitchen, washing clothes and dishes after dinner, while the men go to watch television, read the newspaper or simply rest.
See also: meaning of gender identity.
Gender equality in Brazil
Brazil is one of the countries with the greatest inequality between genders.
According to information from the National Household Sample Survey (Pnad), in 2014, the Brazilian women workers receive approximately 27% less than men who perform jobs. similar.
The professional aspect is just one example of many existing in the country and that make the gap of inequality between genders remain huge.
know more about gender inequality.
gender equality at school
Education to make people aware of the importance of gender equality for the development of a more egalitarian and democratic society, must be present from the first years of child's life.
In 2014, the debate for the inclusion of goals related to combating discrimination and gender inequality in the National Education Plan (PNE) intensified.
According to the PNE proposal, all Brazilian municipalities and states must develop their teaching plans focused on education measures for sexual equality.
See also the meaning of Domestic violence and femicide.
