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Equality feminism

[See Feminism]

 Movement that arises from the historical claim of women in the 17th and 18th centuries and that is reflected in the Declaration of Women Rights and citizenship of Olympe de Gouges (France, 1791) and in the Vindications of Women rights by Mary Wollstonecraft (England, 1792), where is claimed the right to be recognised equal to men. It relies on the definition of equality, solidarity and freedom understood as personal autonomy and respect to the other. It denounces the development of gender differences constructed by patriarchal reason as natural categories, when in fact they are social and cultural constructs. The European Union and democratic countries policies are based on this idea of equality and feminism. The most representative feminists of this movement are Simone de Beauvoir and Seyla Benhabib or the Spanish Celia Amorós (Hacia una crítica de la razón patriarcal, 1985) and Amelia Valcárcel (Sexo y filosofía. Sobre mujer y poder, 1991). (Vocabulario Violeta. Ciudad de Mujeres). http://www.ciudaddemujeres.com/vocabulario/A‐H.htm).
Equality model in women terms

It is a model that has as its goal the life quality of the entire population. This requires the full entry of men in non-paid activities. Given that these activities require a variable dedication thorough active life, the social-labour structure has to adjust itself to the needs of men and women that assume in equality conditions domestic familiar work, which allows carrying out the commercial and non-commercial activity, keeping an harmonious balance for every person.
Equality model in men terms It has as its goal the entry in the labour market. It means that women would progressively enter the labour market, participating in occupation in equal conditions with men. The idea is that women “become equal” to men regarding to what has been basic activity for them. Now, the model of men participation model implies freedom of time and action to dedicate to the market; therefore, there is not much space left for activities related to the attention to people.
Equal opportunities Principle that presupposes that men and women have the same full participation guarantees in all spheres. It is a basic concept for the application of the gender perspective, as seeks to benefit equally men and women, so that they can fully develop their capacities and improve their relations (both between genders, as well as the environment around them). Equality of treatment and opportunities between women and men is a informing principle of the legal system and, as such, it will be integrated and observed in the interpretation and application of the legal regulations (LOIEMH, art. 4).
Equality plans Equality plans will establish the equality goals to achieve, the strategies and practices to adopt for its achievement, as well as the establishment of efficient systems of monitoring and evaluation of the established objectives (LOIEMH, art. 46.1). They appeared in the European Union to improve equality between women and men. They are also called Equal Opportunities Plan. Both the State as the autonomous communities has approved them. They can be of general character for all the State, European Union or autonomous communities’ policies, or also for companies and public administrations.
Empowerment Term coined in the 4th World Conference of Women of Beijing (Peking) in 1995, to refer to the increasing participation of women in decision-making processes and in the access to power. Currently this term entails another dimension: the awareness of power that individually or collectively have the women and that has to do with the recovery of their dignity as persons.

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Feminism Feminism has its own theoretical referents that date back to the Enlightment. Is a thought of equality, or in other words, is a tradition of political thought, with three centuries of antiquity, that arises at the same time that the idea of equality and its relation with citizenship, raised for the first time in the European thought. Once admitted equality among all human beings, which was the reason for half of the humanity, all women, do not have the same recognised rights that the complete human collective has? This question is the origin of feminist thought (Amelia Valcárcel). Feminism confirms the gender inequality that involves a situation of cultural inferiority of women compared to men. This fact leads women to claim and defend the equality of gender rights opportunities. The vindication of women rights comes from the inequality of women rights throughout history, in the laws that regulated it and in social relations. Feminism implies, therefore, a different way to look and understand the world, power and gender relation-ships. Feminism is not a monolithic school of thought, if not that present different currents, and that also has evolved over time (www.educastur.princast.es).

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Gender Concept that refers to social differences (as opposed to biological) between men and women, which have been learnt, change over time and present great variations both between cultures and within the same culture. (Glosario de términos relativos a la igualdad entre hombres y mujeres. European Commission, 1998). The 4th World Conference on Women held in Beijing (1995) adopted the concept of gender stating that “gender refers to social roles constructed by man and woman based on their sex and dependent of one particular context socio-economic, political and cultural, and are affected by other factors such as age, class, race and ethnicity.”
Gender-based harassment Any behaviour carried out on the basis of the gender of a person, with the purpose or effect of violating their dignity and creating an intimidating, degrading or offensive environment (LOIEMH, art. 7.2).
Gender diversity It raises the need to incorporate gender values as a useful way to address the complexity and ambiguity of different environments. Women are not considered as a disadvantaged group, as a collective that claims rights, but as individuals who have values that contribute to society, in general.
Gender gap Difference between male and female rates in the category of a variable rate. It is calculated with this formula: female rate - male rate. The lower the gap, the closer we get to equality (Andalusia Women’s Institute). It refers to the different positions of men and women and to the unequal distribution of resources, access and power in a given context. Finding a gender gap in a context means that there is an unequal distribution where the female group is left with fewer resources, power, etc. (Dictionary on gender and related issues).
Gender impact It consists on identifying and evaluating the different results and effects of a regulation or a public policy in one or other gender, so to neutralise them to avoid its possible discriminatory effects. Decisions that apparently are not sexist can have a different impact in women and in men, although this consequence was not foreseen nor whished. For this reason, an evaluation of the impact according to gender should be carried out to avoid non-intentional negative consequences and to improve the efficiency of the policies (Guide for the evaluation of the impact according to gender of the UE). Spain approved the Law 30/2003 of 13 October about measures to incorporate the gender impact evaluation in the normative dispositions created by the Government, example that has been followed by most of the autonomous communities.
Gender indicators or equality indicators Gender indicators have the function of making visible the social changes in terms of gender relations over time. Its utility consists on showing the specific situation of women and men, as well as the changes that are produced in the two population groups (…). The knowledge that provide these indicators supposes an approximation to the situation of women and men, and as influence of determinant factors that explain the differences of behaviour, attitudes and values between both genders (…). These are indispensable tools for the planning of the policies, both for preventing and set forth on actions as well as evaluate other guiding parameters on the current situation of women (Cristina Carrasco).
Gender mainstreaming The organisation (reorganisation), the improvement, development and evaluation of the political processes, so the perspective of gender equality is incorporated in all the policies, at all the levels and all the stages, by the actors that are normally involved in the adoption of political measures. (Final report of the activities of the Specialists Group in Mainstreaming (EG-SMS), European Council, Documents Series, number 28, 1998). It means the integration of the gender perspective in the set of policies, considering, systematically, the situations, priorities and necessities corresponding women and men, in view of promoting equality between both genders and taking in account, actively and openly, from the planning stage, its effects on the situations respective to ones and others when applied, supervised and evaluated.
Gender violence Every act of violence, based on the fact that the abused person is female, may or not may tend to have as a result physical, sexual or psychological damage or suffering, as well as threats of such acts, coercion or the arbitrary privation of freedom, whether if they happen in public or private life (Organic Law 1/2004, of 28 December, on Comprehensive Protection Measures Against Gender-Based Violence, art. 1). Gender violence is expressed as the more brutal symbol of inequality existing in our society. It is a violence directed to women just by the fact of being it, for being considered by their abusers as lacking rights of minimal freedom, respect and decision-making capacity.
Glass ceiling From the 80s onwards many research studies carried out by diverse Social Sciences have tried to give an answer to the question of why women are under-represented in positions of power and decision-making, using the term “glass-ceiling” (Segerman-Peck, 1991; Pwell, 1991; Davison and Cooper, 1992) metaphorically referring to the transparent barriers that prevent many women with a high qualification to access and promote in the economic power, political and cultural spheres. There exists agreement over the main foundations that support it through two analysis categories: explanations based in internal personal factors (that take as starting point the influence of socialization in the development of differential characteristics between men and women). And, explanations based in external social factors (consequences derived from the patriarchal culture, creator of asymmetric power relations between men and women based on the establishment of differential and complementary gender roles). (Maite Sarrió).