This article is an effort to explain about the level up to which women have achieved equality with men in five important sections like:

s Economic participation

s Economic opportunity

s Political empowerment

s Educational attainment

Even internationally, gender issues have achieved height, but it is shameful that no country yet have managed to eradicate gender inequality. The countries, which have achieved this, are northern European countries.

For lowering uneven levels of poverty of women, we should give importance to their presence in labor force in various terms. We should see the women as vibrant supporter of social transformation. Education, employment, and ownership rights of women have control over their environment to contribute to economic development. Globalization has generated the opportunities for local entrepreneurs to expand into international market. And some times, it actually intensifies the existing inequalities and insecurities for many poor women. Often the gain of globalization goes in the hands of the educated people those who have the easy access to capital, and poor are left aside. The gap between men and women in terms of economic participation can be measured by comparing the levels of economic activity, remuneration for equal work, and unemployment levels.

Beyond the presence of women as workers, they should be given economic involvement. There is a problem in developed countries that women are given employment but their employment is either poorly paid or is unskilled job, distinguish by the absence of quality and prospect. Internationally women are mostly employed in feminized professions such as teaching, nursing, office work, taking care of disabled and elderly. Naturally, they are the lowest paid and offer limited or no opportunity for advancement. At the other end the advancement with in professions like medicine, law, and engineering in which women increasingly well represented in developed countries is of great concern.

Political empowerment means the impartial demonstration of women decision-making structure, and their voice in the formulation of policies affecting the societies. The absence of women in the government structure is inevitable that includes national, regional, and local priorities. Their life experience gives them the awareness of the community’s needs, concerns, and interests. In order to change priorities their must be a mass of women representatives. Thus, they have an impact on discussion and decision at all levels.

Educational attainment is the most fundamental requirement to empower women in society, without quality education women cannot advanced and can’t gain political influence. There is increased risk for the next generation of children will be similarly ill educated. Literacy for women is all the greater, considering that women are still illiterate. Information and communication technologies have become a powerful force of the development process represents another dimension in which knowledge gap has emerged between men and women.

-By Sana