Comprehension
Feminism is a meta-ideology that has been receiving attention in many areas of social sciences in recent decades. The starting point for introducing gender to International Relations is with respect to debate about basic inequalities between males and females and the consequences of such inequalities on World Politics.
The noted works on global gender issues argue that compared with men, women constitute the disadvantaged group. They own about 1 per cent of the world's property and less than 5 per cent head higher organizations and positions while they account for 60 per cent of all working hours but receive only 10 per cent of all income. Their condition is so deplorable as the illiteracy rate is high among them; that is 60 percent of all illiterates are women and 80 per cent of all refugees are women. This gender discrimination is apparent universally.
A gender-sensitive focus on the world politics seeks to bring such challenges into open. It points out the working of international political and economic systems that tend to produce an underprivileged position for women. Jacqui True pointed out that economic development policies of structural adjustment adopted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank and changes in the international division of labour contribute to an increased 'feminization of poverty'.
Low paid strenuous work in export processing zone, sex tourism and migrant domestic labour are examples of how development in international economy engages in exploitation of women. Different forms of gender inequalities and discrimination may be found in advanced industrial societies even after many decades of high rates of participation of women in workfares.
Women face gender inequalities and discrimination in :
