Gender issues affect everyone, since everybody is either one sex or the other. It is impossible to escape the fact that your gender can affect the opportunities and choices you have in life. Unfortunately, gender inequality still exists, even in countries that have adopted progressive policies designed to promote a better gender balance. Usually, it is females who are at a disadvantage to males when it comes to education, jobs, pay and status, with males seeming to end up in the highest-paid, most powerful positions in society.

Inequality is clearly a big problem when it comes to gender relations, particularly in developing countries. In cultures where men are seen as being the providers, baby boys are preferred over baby girls and often boys will be given preferential treatment. Thus, when families are struggling to make ends meet, it is often girls that miss out on an education. In some societies, the idea that girls should get any kind of education is frowned upon, so that girls grow up to become ignorant women whose sole purpose seems to be having children.

Inequality continues to be a problem in the Western world, too, but perhaps the differences aren’t quite as stark. In the West, gender inequality is often viewed in terms of job opportunities and pay, as women are less likely to end up in influential jobs with high salaries. There are other issues, too, though, such as what women’s role in society should actually be. Some women want to get married and have children, while others don’t. There are other women who want the best of both worlds, while sometimes it is men who want to take on the role of main child carer.

Problems arise, too, when relationships come to an end. Quite often, primary custody of children is awarded to mothers, which can mean that men lose out. There also seems to be an expectation that men will continue to provide for their children even if the mother works, and so the legal system seems to be slightly behind the times in regard to how people live their lives. It is clearly not only women who face issues because of their gender. There are also expectations of men that don’t always work in their favour and can actually count against them.

Gender continues to influence the way individuals are treated in society and the roles they are ascribed. Women seem to be perceived as caring and nurturing, which affects the way they are perceived, which is just the same for ‘strong’ men who are seen as breadwinners. Not everyone fits neatly into such categories, though, which is why there are plenty of individuals willing to challenge preconceptions that come with the fact they belong to a particular gender.