Over the past 50 years, women have been striving for gender equality, a movement that gained momentum during the Industrial Revolution of the late 1800s, as women began entering the public domain traditionally dominated by men. Despite this sustained effort, progress has been slow. According to a 2024 World Economic Forum report, it will take another 131 years—until 2154—for women to achieve parity with men. Over the past year, the overall gender gap in the areas of economy, politics, health, and education has narrowed by only 0.3 percent.

Seeking "gender equality" involves advocating for equity within a system originally designed to separate men and women into distinct public and private spheres based on biological differences. This hierarchical system privileges men as the dominant sex. By the mid-20th century, sociological research introduced the concepts of "masculinity" and "femininity" to explore how individuals conformed to or defied traditional gender roles, such as the male breadwinner in the public sphere and the female homemaker in the private sphere. Gender equality, as understood today, often equates to achieving the same privileges as men, implying that to be equal is to adopt traditionally male roles and characteristics.

Women Have Changed, but the Gender System Remains Static
Most shifts in the gender system over the past five decades have come from women stepping into roles historically occupied by men, with little reciprocal movement.

The 2024 *Women in the Workplace* report, produced by McKinsey in partnership with LeanIn.org, sheds light on the trajectory of women in the workplace over the last decade:
- Corporate representation of women has improved modestly.
- Women remain underrepresented at all levels of the corporate ladder, with pronounced disparities based on race and ethnicity.
- Persistent barriers, like the “broken rung” in hiring and promotion, continue to hinder women’s advancement, especially for women of color.

Several social indicators illustrate the stagnation in the push for gender equality:
- Preference for the male breadwinner/female homemaker family model has risen to 40%, up from 34%.
- The proportion of full-time working mothers who prefer part-time work has grown to 60%, compared to 48%.
- By 2007, only 16% of stay-at-home mothers expressed a desire to work full-time.

Regardless of their choices, women remain disproportionately burdened with "care work"—tasks associated with caring for children, the sick, and the elderly.

Historian and author Stephanie Coontz observes that the modern feminist movement has shifted its focus. Rather than pursuing equal involvement of men and women at home and in the workplace, it now emphasizes empowering women to choose between career aspirations and full-time motherhood.

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/a-marriage-of-equals/202412/gender-equality-isnt-working