The R in Religion also Stands for Repression (Essay Sample)

📌Category: Religion, Social Issues, Violence
📌Words: 678
📌Pages: 3
📌Published: 24 June 2021

On January 20th, 2021, Kamala Harris made history as the first female vice president, energizing the fight against gender inequality. Kamala’s journey to leadership was much different from that of a man. Our society is implicitly and explicitly sexist against women, and religion is partly to blame. While our ever-changing world has made some commendable strides in the right direction, gender inequality persists as a global plague. 

Religion plays an influential role in the behaviors and norms of society, giving it an impact on the treatment and attitudes towards women. Authors Roberts and Yamane explain “The gendered nature of religion is not only seen in the religious sphere but is intimately connected with the gendered nature of society” in a 2020 publication by Sage publishing.  It might be tempting to look at how far we’ve come and think gender inequality is a thing of the past. I mean, women can vote and own property now. But basic human rights aside, this fight is far from over. 

Gender inequality is prominently displayed through gender-based violence, economic security, education, and employment. The World Economic Forum reports it will take 108 years to close the gender gap at the current progression rate. A 2021 study by Chaves, M. published from the ARDA, found that only 6.7 % of congregations have a female religious leader. Gender discrimination is happening inside and outside of churches, but we must look to the religion to understand why. 

Embedded gender attitudes and norms of religious institutions shape people’s everyday behaviors. Inglehart and Norris’ study published in 2003 by Cambridge press found evidence of cultural norms and social rules derived from religion having a measurable impact on gender roles and attitudes. Moreover, as the idea of civil religion explains, religion plays a role in legitimizing the social order of a society. While religion is often thought of as legitimizing needed stabilization, it also invokes social conflict. Theorist Karl Marx examined this through the idea of conflict theory. Marx centered his work around economics but concluded the overarching idea that religion pacified people to conceal the oppression they faced. 

Marx has an opinion more merciless than mine, but nevertheless, his theory exemplifies a crucial aspect of religiosity. Religion provides needed meaning and purpose for so many, but we can’t ignore its role in disadvantaged specific groups. 

Accordingly, a 2011 study published by ScienceDirect concluded greater degrees of religiosity result in a greater likelihood of gender inequitable attitudes. Connections between active religious membership and sexist attitudes have been documented in multiple studies from 1970 to the late 2000s. These influences on gender attitudes are also exhibited through religious institution’s contribution in reinforcing gender roles and norms. 

Religious leadership roles are often reserved for the men of the church, parading male dominance. Male dominance is just one of the components reinforcing gender inequalities. The concept of gender complementarity, where men and women are supposed to perform different roles is also identified in Christian evangelism. Consequently, gendered expectations about a woman’s purpose being to bear a child and a man’s role to be the bread-winner exude from the religious sphere into everyday life, as explained in a 2018 Springer link publication by McMorris and Glass.  

It is apparent how these gender inequalities are detrimental to women, but it’s not just a woman’s issue. Reinforced gender roles and stereotypes that constrain women are simultaneously adding pressure to men. There is pressure for them to be the provider of the house. There is pressure for them not the be emotional or expressive with their feelings.  These resulting pressures can adversely affect their physical and mental health. In the US, men are 3.5 times more likely to commit suicide than women. It is not just women suffering from this injustice.

We must adapt the perceptive that this is a united societal issue rather than a battle between genders. Addressing gender inequality addresses the mistreatment of every gender. Furthermore, the positive effects of addressing gender inequalities would be observed on a micro and macro level. A 2018 study published by the World Economic Forum and written by Christine Lagarde suggests closing the gender gap would increase individual incomes and increase the GDP by an average of 35%. Gender equality stands to provide us with universal improvements in the home and the workplace. We have surpassed the time where women can’t be educated and men can’t be emotional. It’s time to treat people as people, not as genders. 

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