Equality in the household
Ensuring that women have a greater voice in household and community decisions is critical to fulfilling their rights as well as the rights of children. Ending the wage gap, opening higher-paying fields to women and allowing female workers more decision-making power will greatly benefit children. As women become economically productive, their spheres of influence increase. They become able to make choices not only for themselves, but also for their children. When a woman brings assets and income into the household, she is more likely to be included in decisions on how the resources will be distributed. Historically, when women hold decision-making power, they see to it that their children eat well, receive adequate medical care, finish school and have opportunities for recreation and play. Women who have access to meaningful, income-producing work are more likely to increase their families’ standards of living, leading children out of poverty. Ownership or control of household assets and income is an important determinant of household bargaining power. Ensuring that women have opportunities to earn income or acquire land, a house and other property can help to strengthen women’s bargaining power and influence in household decisions. Equal land and property rights would represent a significant step towards eliminating gender discrimination at the household level. For legal reform to change the lives of women and children, national laws based on human rights laws and principles must necessarily be upheld over male-biased customary laws and traditional practices. National legal reforms in property law and inheritance rights represent one of the most direct strategies for increasing women’s access to land and property.
Women's Voices - Malaysia Women's Stories - Global Women & Children - The Double Dividend of Gender Equality |
