Generally, gender roles and relation in society means how we are expected to act, speak, dress, groom and conduct ourselves based upon our assigned sex. Gender roles and relations are the product of socialization or the way, by which children (male and female or men and women) learn what norms and behaviors are considered appropriate in society. Before undertaking a Gender analysis, it is important to understand the concept of Gender. According to World Development Report 2012, gender is defined as socially constructed norms and ideologies which determine the behavior and actions of men and women. Understanding these Gender roles and relations, the power dynamics behind them is a pre-requisite for understanding individual’s access to and distribution of resources, the ability to make decisions, and the way men and women, boys and girls are affected by political processes and social development etc. Compared with men, women control fewer political and economic resources, including land, employment and traditional positions of authority. Gender inequality is the social phenomenon in which men and women are not treated equally, those treatment may arise from distinctions regarding biology, psychology or cultural norms prevalent in the society.

Higher level of inequality is associated with higher risks of internal conflict. Acknowledging and incorporating these Gender inequalities into program, analyses is therefore, extremely important, both from a human rights perspective and to maximize impact in socio economic development. To reduce Gender inequalities, United Nations Millennium Development Goal called for promotion of Gender equality and women’s empowerment .Women empowerment can be defined to promoting women’s sense of self worth, their ability to determine their own choices and rational decisions to influence social change and development for themselves and others. Women empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social, educated, economic strength of individuals and communities of women. Empowering girls and women is the key to economic growth, political stability and social transformation. Gender equality is also important for sustainable peace and development. Gender equality is a fundamental human right that is also key to achieving a more peaceful and prosperous world. Gender equality can enhance productivity, improve development outcomes for the next generation and make institution more representatives.

Gender has become a development issue because the roles that women play are different at any given society and their situation is determined by their legislation , religious norms, economic status of class, cultural values, ethnicity and types of productive activity of their country, community and household. Women are usually responsible for domestic work, the care of children and family, cooking and providing food and other household services. In most societies, they also play major role in the productive activities of the family in farming, paid domestic labor services, industries and income generating activities etc. In some societies, they also have community roles and only few have political and other challenging roles. To understand gender, the activities of men and women need to be addressed separately. The reproductive, productive and social or community roles which women are playing must be looked as the roles played economically and socially by men. Social change and women empowerment can balance Gender inequality and actual Gender relation can be assessed.

Gender is an important consideration in human and social development in any society as well as national development. It is a way of looking at how social norms and power structures impact on the lives and opportunities available to different groups of men and women .It seems, globally more women than men live in poverty. Every society, ethnic group and culture has Gender role expectations but they can be very different from group to group. Gender role are social constructs developed over time and are not based on natural human behavior. This is because Gender role evolved as a way to organize the necessary tasks done in early human society. Some may say that due to the fact traditional Gender roles have been practiced for so long, they should not be changed and now a key element in human development. Nevertheless, in many of the modern societies today, there is no need of traditional Gender roles because both men and women are able to do many of the same necessary tasks, thereby making Gender specific behaviors irrelevant.

Gender roles maintain a social hierarchy in which men hold power over women in personal and political, private and public settings. Socializing men and women into these roles influences them to internalize their social hierarchy and replicate power dynamics which perpetuate Gender inequality and discrimination. Gender roles are influenced by social beliefs and generalizations that have been in use.
To determine Gender, social and cultural perceptions of masculine and feminine tracts and roles must be taken into account. Gender is learned through a process of socialization and through the culture of the particular society concerned. Gender not only varies from one culture to another but also varies within cultures over time. Culture is not static, the roles played by men and women are not only determined by culture but by socio political and economic factors.

Many of the Gender stereotypes, we know today were not always present as in the past, they are relatively new trends in human society, This is because social expectations of each Gender that change over time and often develop differently in cultures around the world. Past Gender roles do not apply any more now a days because both sex ,male or female, are now equally capable of contributing to society as doctors, lawyers, businessmen, politicians, engineers, scientists, teachers etc.

Without equal opportunities to learn, income inequality and dependence on men to provide keeps girls in a cycle of poverty and confinement to their homes to perform unpaid domestic labor. Lack of outside opportunities limits the ability of girls to reach their abilities. Often girls and women are confined to fulfilling the roles as mothers, wives and caretakers. Gender norms and positions of girls and women as caretakers which lead to gender inequality in how roles are distributed at the household level. This also results in a lack of education due to the restriction of outside opportunities. Gender equality is a fundamental human right and that right is violated by gender based discrimination. Gender is of key importance in defining the power, privilege and possibilities that some people have and some people do not have in a given society. It affects progress towards equality and freedom from discrimination. Gender is way of looking at how social norms and power structures affect different groups of men and women. Gender enters into all over social relations, when people interact themselves including their identity, their view, their rights and possibilities, comes up against the way they are perceived by other people and the way others behave towards them. Gender is a concept which can change over time and can be broken down into three categories i.e.
(i) Gender identity
(ii) Gender expression
(iii) Physical sex.

Gender roles have often been defined by a separation of men into public spheres such as business and leadership and women into private spheres such as home making and motherhood. But the new ideas in the nineteenth century like nationalism, communism, industrialization, urbanization and modernization challenged their roles. The reproductive, productive and social or community roles that women are playing must be looked at as well as the roles played socially and economically by men. Gender inequality is the social phenomenon in which men and women are not treated equally; that treatment may arise from distinctions regarding biology, psychology or cultural norms prevalent in the society.

Gender issues include all aspects and concern related to women’s and men’s lives and situation in society, to the way they interrelate, their differences in access to and use of resources, their activities, and how they react to changes, interventions and policies. Gender equality prevents violence against women and girls which is essential for economic prosperity societies that value men and women as equal are safer and healthier. Gender inequality and discrimination faced by girls and women put their health and wellbeing at risk. WHO (World Health Organization) figures show that about 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non partner sexual violence in their life time. Girls and women face greater risks of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, cervical cancer, malnutrition, lower vision, respiratory infections etc. Girls and women also face unacceptably high levels of violence rooted in gender inequality and are at grave risk of harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, and child, early and forced marriage. Gender inequalities has a profound effect on mental health worldwide, Some of the psychological effects of Gender inequality include higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women and people of marginalized Gender. Hence, concrete action is needed to ensure girls and women in all their diversity that can enjoy right to health.

A Gender equal society is needed in which both men and women, as equal members of the society have equal opportunity to participate in all kinds of social activities and enjoy political, economical and cultural benefits and share responsibilities. In such society, the human rights of men and women are equally respected and women who desire to have an active role in society may participate in activities of their own choosing, while men could enjoy a fulfilling home and community life. In a Gender equal society, men and women are equal partners. In many societies, Gender relationships are changing and inequalities between men and women are questioned in virtually every sphere – in the home, at work and in public affairs. Older ideas and assumptions about men and women and their relationships are going to end due to new emerging economic and social arrangements.

Women are now taking leadership roles ad participating in decision making at all levels. Today Nepalese women also are defying cultural traditions and are becoming community leaders, environmentalist, politicians, business owners, different professions personalities etc. There has been increased government involvement to increase accountability and monitoring of Gender equality commitments and to establish and strength linkages between the normative and operational aspects of Gender equality and women’s empowerment. However, roles and status of women in modern Nepalese society has undergone a massive transformation and their rights have been secured by the constitution.

The struggle to attain global Gender equality has been a century’s long battle. Although the world has significantly progressed in women’s advancement and its goal of Gender equality, girls and women disproportionately suffer from discrimination and violence. However, these injustices do have a chance to be corrected through following nine ways to fight Gender inequality:-
1. Provide girl’s and women’s access to education.
2. Provide girl’s and women’s platforms to be in power and achieve economic status.
3. End violence and sexual assault against girls and women.
4. Assure girls and women to have access to menstrual health facilities.
5. End child, early and force marriage.
6. Change, modify create flexible life styles according to time and need.
7. Improve girls and women leadership and management skill.
8. Improve strength of girls and women and provide opportunities to expose them.
9. Understanding and relations between men and women, boys and girls should be cordial and good.

The creation of new womanhood has to do with democracy, urbanization and growth, inclusionary policies within the government, political parties and other agencies, feminist movements as well as global and international effort for the betterment of women’s lives. Further, the relatively rapid social change and development which weakening of tradition and grafting of new ways of thinking and doing also encourage women to take a leading role, have more access to education, health care services and job opportunities. Even then, Gender disparities remain in our society.

Above nine ways to fight gender inequality are crucial to help girls and women around the world to have their full potential and ultimately attain Gender equality. Finally, men and women both could be able to do work together, participate household and outside work and activities together so that Gender roles and relations in our society can enhance and promote socio economic and national development which is essentially needed.

By Mrs. Minoo Amatya Piya
Executive Chairman
NPL Social Welfare Organization