Gender Inequality in the Global South

This chapter attempts to provide a comprehensive survey of gender inequality in the Global South, focusing on both social structures and cultural traditions in selected countries from Africa, South and South-East Asia, South America, and the MENA region. It examines existing institutions and cultural values that perpetuate women’s subordination, rendering them undervalued and invisible in public life. The chapter explores gender disparities across various domains, including health, income, material resources, power, education, law, bureaucracy, politics, and the domestic sphere, where women consistently face subordination and discrimination. Gender hierarchy remains a fundamental basis for inequality in many of these societies. Despite an increase in women’s labor market participation compared to previous decades, gender inequality persists to varying degrees across most countries in the Global South. Discriminatory laws and labor hierarchies continue to hinder women’s socio-economic transformation. The global COVID-19 pandemic further exposed and exacerbated gender discrimination and inequality in many of these regions. Nevertheless, some countries in the Global South are challenging this trend. By examining variations in gender inequality, the chapter highlights social and economic factors, as well as state policies, that have contributed to reducing gender disparities. Additionally, the chapter addresses how the twenty-first-century climate crisis has reinforced gender inequality in certain countries. It explores the intersection of poverty, gender discrimination, and climate change, revealing how these factors entrench barriers to gender equality. This multifaceted analysis aims to shed light on the complex dynamics of gender inequality and identify pathways toward greater equity in the Global South.