Gender oppression

Gender oppression is a systemic issue deeply embedded in cultures, institutions, and daily interactions across the world. It manifests as a rigid set of expectations, limitations, and power imbalances that disproportionately disadvantage women, non-binary individuals, and gender-diverse communities. 

Rooted in historical structures of patriarchy, colonialism, and capitalism, gender oppression dictates who holds authority, whose voices are heard, and whose lives are valued. It operates through legal, economic, and social barriers, restricting access to education, employment, and leadership while enforcing norms that police behavior, dress, and self-expression. This oppression is reinforced through violence, discrimination, and exclusion, making safety and autonomy a privilege rather than a right.

In many societies, rigid gender roles suppress individuality and force conformity, harming not only those who are directly marginalized but also those who are pressured to uphold oppressive norms. The consequences extend beyond individual suffering, shaping entire economies, political systems, and cultural narratives in ways that normalize inequity and silence resistance. The intersections of race, class, disability, and sexuality further compound these struggles, making the burden of oppression heavier for some. The fight against gender oppression is not just a women’s issue; it is a human issue, demanding the participation of all in the pursuit of justice and equity.

Gender oppression has deep historical roots, shaped by social, political, religious, and economic structures that have systematically marginalized certain genders while privileging others. In many early societies, gender roles were fluid and community-based, but with the rise of agriculture and private property, patriarchal systems emerged, consolidating power in the hands of men. These systems reinforced rigid gender hierarchies, often tying women’s roles to domestic labor and reproduction while excluding them from political and economic decision-making. 

Religious and philosophical traditions further cemented these divisions, portraying men as rational leaders and women as passive or subordinate. Colonialism and imperialism spread these ideas globally, imposing Eurocentric, binary gender norms onto diverse cultures, often erasing Indigenous understandings of gender that were more expansive. The Industrial Revolution intensified these inequalities by separating labor into “public” and “private” spheres, with men dominating waged work while women’s unpaid labor at home remained invisible yet essential. 

Legal systems around the world codified gender oppression through restricted property rights, lack of voting rights, and control over reproductive freedoms. Even as feminist and social justice movements have challenged these structures, gender oppression persists through wage gaps, gender-based violence, restrictive beauty standards, and systemic barriers in education, politics, and leadership. Additionally, non-binary and transgender people face heightened marginalization due to the enforcement of strict gender binaries. Globalization, capitalism, and digital technology continue to shape how gender oppression operates, sometimes reinforcing harmful norms while also providing platforms for resistance and change.

In the realm of education, approximately 130 million girls worldwide are out of school, with a third of the world's poorest girls between 10 and 18 having never attended school. In rural areas, 61% of girls do not attend secondary school. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these disparities, leading to increased learning losses for girls and heightened risks of child labor, gender-based violence, early marriage, and pregnancy.

Economically, the gender gap in labor force participation among adults aged 25 to 54 has stagnated over the past two decades. Globally, less than two-thirds of women (62%) are active in the labor force, compared to 93% of men. This disparity is further highlighted by the fact that nearly 2.4 billion women worldwide do not have the same economic rights as men, underscoring systemic barriers to women's economic inclusion.

Violence against women is another stark indicator of gender oppression. In 2023, an average of 140 women and girls were killed daily by intimate partners or family members, totaling approximately 51,100 victims globally. This marked an increase from 48,800 in 2022, reflecting the persistent and pervasive nature of gender-based violence within homes.

Women are responsible for creating, educating, feeding, clothing and disciplining young people to prepare them to become part of the global labour force. They are used as cheap and docile labour for the most exploitative forms of employment, as exemplified in the maquilas – factories in the textile and microelectronics industries, particularly in Latin America and parts of Asia. Forced out of their homelands by the poverty caused by globalisation, many women seek employment in foreign countries, often as illegal immigrants, subjected to terrifying working conditions and insecurity. The world-wide trade in women's bodies has become a major element of world commerce and includes children as young as 10. They are used by the global economy through diverse forms of exploitation and commodification.