Gender inequality is a global challenge requiring immediate response from political and social principles from different countries. This inequality could not be more prevalent if a positive means of whistle-blowing from concerned personnel. There is an increasing imbalance between male and female workers in the security sector. This has been the modern trend leading to gender inequalities, thus delimiting women’s rights in security sectors. Gender inequality is an international norm that highlights the unequal ownership of women and men of opportunities and resources. In the context of the security sector, gender inequality has been experienced in the management and oversight, security needs of women and men, and participation in the provision of various personnel need to be based on their gender. It is essential to address gender inequality as a social problem, especially in the security sector. This has been identified as a developmental problem that integration measures can only solve.
The security sector is one of the most sophisticated environments which requires professional etiquette. The fallacy surrounding this sector denotes that it is the dominant male environment. However, good security sector governance requires that the specific security and justice needs of men, women, boys, and girls be addressed in the provision of equal opportunities (Huang et al., 2020). This permits gender quality principles by providing equal employment and management opportunities. Applying gender equality is not an attempt to apply western values to non-western social contexts. Instead, it tries to expand choices and options and remove barriers based on gender.
Labor inequalities result in socio-economic challenges, especially for the most affected gender. There is a need to enhance, integrate, and formulate principles to guide recruitment based on individual interests to improve performance. The international community has responded by acquiring a framework for addressing women, peace, and security, including United Nations Security Council resolutions and binding international law. To build a developed robust framework around gender equality and women’s rights, there is a need to initiate developed advocacy for equality between women and men in the security sector.
Data from the study showed that almost ten out of 100 military personnel in any security sector are women. This represents 10% of the total population, which is minimally low to the international gender equality guidelines. This begs the question: How can global labor regulation allow men to have more opportunities than their gender? There is, however, a much darker side to the inequality in the military, which goes beyond the required minimum rate in labor regulations. Statistical analysis indicates an estimated 15% of women in security management. This is very low regarding socio-economic considerations and gender biases. While there is a need to improve gender equality in the security sector, inequality continues, especially in the most sophisticated careers, such as military and police departments.
Every country globally has a security sector that plays a critical role in promoting peace and harmony. Given such circumstances, there should be a better approach to solving gender inequality issues within this sector. “When girls are valued less than boys, women less than men, they face multiple risks throughout their lives, either at home, at school, from families, and strangers”-Bukky Shonibare. The challenge of gender inequality is perceived as a global problem that can only be solved through integration measures and positive mitigation principles guided by international laws.
Given the legacy of international law, it is no surprise that most countries still don’t have a legal system that embraces gender equality in the security sector. Results from the International Women Day’s conference indicate various challenges, especially when discussing the issues of women’s inclusion in the security field. Some women professionals in the security sector who work as experts want to be considered equal to their male counterparts. About 60% of women professionals think of similar opportunism to promote career growth; this eventually determines the results in labor market dynamics.
Without an equal employment opportunities between male and female candidates, there will be no gender equality, thus delimiting child career growth and development. This means the girl child will be forced to consider an alternative profession. The security sector is a male dominant; those female counterparts who can afford opportunities are low-ranked, thus unable to be on a trajectory of professional success. To achieve success in the security profession while adhering to the set rules and standards on employment, there is a need to set the minimum required gender balance. This should involve both active and non-active personnel. With well-resourced information and more appealing security professionals with their sizeable paychecks, gender inequality in security sectors should be a minor factor to discuss in the modern environment.
The assumption of gender composition in the security sector has been linked with the apparent norm that women cannot explicitly work in the military. However, there is a need to minimize fallacies based on traditional standards and beliefs. International organizations should harmonize civil laws to improve performance and create trust in the child. What is clear is that the current social environment considers the male gender for security professions compared to the female gender. We should encourage equal opportunities based on professional qualifications to end this norm.
Reference
Huang, J., Gates, A. J., Sinatra, R., & Barabási, A. L. (2020). Historical comparison of gender inequality in scientific careers across countries and disciplines. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(9), 4609-4616.