How Gender Inequality and Inequity Contribute to Peace and Security in the Sahel

How Gender Inequality and Inequity Contribute to Peace and Security in the Sahel
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Introduction
Inequality is one of the most controversial issues in the world today. It affects various aspects of life, including economic, social, age, racial, education, and gender inequalities. As these types of inequality suggest, people, institutions, and systems treat different groups differently, privileging and disadvantaging others. In the case of gender inequality, people experience unequal treatment based on their gender, affecting their representation in the political, social, and economic sectors, among others. Furthermore, people in various other contexts deal with gender inequity, which refers to the institutional, structural, and systemic perpetuation and reinforcement of gender inequality. In such contexts, this type of inequality gets so rooted that introducing different ways to treat people based on gender becomes profoundly challenging. As a result, women, especially, get seriously disadvantaged and suffer unequal access to education, economic opportunities, and political representation. Gender inequality has been chronically prevalent in the Sahel region in Africa, where women have confronted discrimination under the patriarchal systems in various countries. The Sahel region is also characterized by tribal clashes, armed violence, and terrorism, making women's lives in those areas profoundly challenging. For instance, terrorist groups in the region have always demeaned women, perpetrating sexual and gender-based violence against them, abducting, and forcing them into early marriages. The recent case of abductions by the Boko Haram terrorist group drew global attention to the plight of women in the Sahel region and their subjection to gender inequality and inequity. Countries affected by the insecurity have also committed to restoring peace in the Sahel region. However, gender inequity is a significant barrier to their efforts since they exclude women from the peace process, yet women are some of the most affected by insecurity.
Factors Contributing to Gender Inequality and Inequity in The Sahel
Several factors contribute to the prevalence of gender inequality and inequity in the Sahel region. To begin with, cultural norms have had a significant contribution to this problem. Most of the countries in the Sahel region are predominantly patriarchal, thus subjecting their women to oppressive practices. For instance, women and girls in Niger suffer from forced and child marriages, genital mutilation, gender-based violence, limited access to healthcare and education, and subjection to physical and mental torture. Similarly, women and girls in Mali face oppression from the country's cultural norms that mistreat women, including limiting their mobility, participation in decision-making, and restricting their inheritance rights. Such practices disadvantage women markedly, subjugating them to men.
Additionally, several countries in the Sahel region have discriminatory laws and policies against women. For example, Chad's legal system is unfair to women on various issues, including inheritance restrictions and marriage and divorce injustices. Consequently, women in this country experience reduced self-de...