Male Bias and Development

This essay analyzes the significance of the problem of male bias in the development of a nation, focusing on the case study of Pakistan. It explores the impact of male bias on societal and economic growth, particularly in terms of gender inequality and limited opportunities for women. The essay also discusses the relationship between male bias and gender bias, as well as the historical and cultural factors contributing to male bias. The case of Pakistan is examined to highlight the specific challenges faced by women in a conservative Islamic society. The essay concludes by emphasizing the importance of addressing male bias for achieving sustainable development.

Running head: MALE BIAS AND DEVELOPMENT
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROBLEM OF MALE BIAS IN DEVELOPMENT: A
CASE STUDY OF PAKISTAN
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1MALE BIAS AND DEVELOPMENT
Introduction
As opined by Kabeer (2016), the notion of development, be it social, economic,
educational, environmental or others, had gained a significant amount of prominence within
the framework of the contemporary world. Bell and Adams (2016) are of the viewpoint that
the prominence held by the concept of development can be explained on the basis of the fact
that over the years not all the different nations of the world have been able to attain the same
level of development. This in turn is not only adversely affecting the growth or the
development of the concerned nations but at the same time the status quo of the entire world
because of the fact that by virtue of the higher amount of development that some of the
nations like USA, Canada, UK, Australia and others have been able to attain they are
wielding a substantial amount of influence on the other lesser developed nations (Bleidorn et
al. 2016). The resultant effect of this is that an unequal distribution of power had been
observed within the framework of the contemporary world which is greatly affecting its
stability and in turn had led to different wars, conflicts, terrorist activities and others over the
years (Benería, Berik and Floro 2015). In this regard, it needs to be said that there are various
factors which significantly affects the growth or the development level attained by the
different nations over the years. Some of the most important reasons or factors which had
contributed to the same are male bias, inadequate resources, lack of technical expertise, the
absence of industries or other sources of the economy growth, absence of a strong centralised
national government and others (Yargawa and Leonardi-Bee 2015). However, at the same
time it needs to be said that the factor of male bias is one of the most important ones which
not only adversely affects the societal and other forms of development of the modern nations
but as a matter of fact stunts it. This essay will analyse the significance of the problem of
male bias in the development of a nation in the particular context of the case study of
Pakistan.

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Discussion
Freedman and Maine (2018) have articulated the viewpoint that the problem of male
bias is one of the most important wicked problems that the world is presently facing and this
in turn is slowing down the growth or the development rate of the different nations of the
world or for that matter of the entire world itself. As opined by Elson (1995), the evil of male
bias can be defined as prejudice or the bias that the male members of the human population
hold against the female individuals because of their sexual orientation or the unique social
position that they hold within the societal framework. In this regard, it needs to be said that
the wicked problem of male bias and the concept of gender bias are significantly related to
each other however the major difference between the two lies in the fact that whereas gender
bias is a bias which the opposite sexes share for each other and on the other hand the concept
of male bias is primarily directed at the female members of the society (Bell and Adams
2016). More importantly, it is seen that the emergence of the construct of male bias can be
traced back to the ancient times particularly in the nations of Egypt, India and others
(Fägerlind and Saha 2016). For example, even at that point of time it was seen that the male
members of the society held a higher position within the framework of the society on the
basis of their sex and the females had to depend on them not only for their very basic needs
like food, clothing, security and even identity. In this context, it needs to be said that the
societal position of the women or the females is greatly determined by their husband and
apart from that they have no sperate identity of their own (Carnes et al. 2015). In the present
times although the national governments of the different nations of the world have formulated
various kinds of stipulations and also the advancements in the field of knowledge, societal
developments and others have greatly improved the condition of women by reducing male
bias yet at the same time it is seen that the situation is far from ideal.

3MALE BIAS AND DEVELOPMENT
Hall, Hall and Perry (2016) are of the viewpoint that one of the most important
reasons for the predominance held by the concept of male bias is the idea that the male
individuals are superior in physicality, intelligence level, better in decision making and all
other attributes in comparison to the women. More importantly, over the years it had been
seen that different kinds of theories have been used to justify the superior position held by the
male individuals within the societal framework like emphasised feminism and others. In this
regard, it needs to be said that the primary precept of the theory of emphasised feminism is
the fact that the women or the females have been created for satisfying the needs of the male
individuals and also for giving the desired kind of pleasure and apart from these there are no
other purpose for the existence of women within the societal framework (Van Den Besselaar
and Sandström 2016). This and other theories have not only directly contributed towards the
problem of male bias but also towards the other problems that the women had commonly
faced over the years like suppression, discrimination, oppression, deprivation of basic human
rights and others within the societal framework at the hands of the male members of the
same.
As per CNN.com (2019), the nation of Pakistan stands at the 2nd position among all
the nations of the women in terms of the high amount of gender inequality as well as male
bias that the women of the concerned nation had to face within the societal framework. As a
matter of fact, it is seen that the nation of Pakistan is one of the most conservative Islamic
nations of the world and the individuals within the societal framework of the concerned had
to still live by the Islamic rules or regulations dictated by the Quran, which is the sacred book
of Islam (Malecki 2018). However, the major problem arises because of the fact that the
entire Quran had been written keeping the perspective of the male individuals and the
resultant effect of this is that the women within the societal framework of the concerned
nation had to live under various kinds of restrictions (Agarwal 2017). For example, even in

4MALE BIAS AND DEVELOPMENT
the 21st century it is seen that the women in the nation of Pakistan had to wear burkhas, hijabs
and other kinds of similar garments which not only covers their entire body from head to toe
but at the same time had to cover their faces as well (Sen 2017). In addition to these, it is seen
that the women in the concerned nation do not enjoy any significant amount of freedom and
had to take the permission of the male members of their family for even in significant actions
as well. Furthermore, because of the high rate of male bias which exists in the concerned
nation the women if they want to go outside of their home had to take the male members of
their family to accompany them (Purewal and Hashmi 2015). More importantly, it is seen that
because of the high rate of male bias which exists within the framework of the concerned
nation the women are being deprived of some of their most basic rights like education, the
opportunity to select their husbands, property rights and others which in turn is adversely
affected the development of the entire nation itself (Islam and Asadullah 2018).
Ali and Kramar (2015) have articulated the viewpoint that one of the most important
negative aspects of the process of male bias is the fact that it significantly slows down or for
that stunts the growth or the development of the nations in an adverse manner. As opined by
Buzdar et al. (2016), the different nations of the world in order to attain a minimum level of
growth would have to offer equal growth or development opportunities to all its citizens,
regardless of the gender that they belong it. More importantly, it is seen that one of the most
common aspects of the different developed nations of the world is the fact that the evil of
male bias is being kept to a bare minimum level in these nations and also adequate as well as
equal amount of opportunities are being offered to both the male and the female individuals
of the nation (Khan and Khan 2019). This become especially important from the fact that if
all the nations are going to attain the desired level of development then both the men and
women have to take full responsibility and thereby contribute in an effective manner towards
the development of the concerned nation. However, within the particular context of the nation

5MALE BIAS AND DEVELOPMENT
of Pakistan it is being seen that the women are not offered adequate growth or development
opportunities on par with the male members of the concerned nation which in turn had
significantly stunted the development of the concerned nation over the years (Tribune.com.pk
2019).
Ortiz-Ospina and Roser (2019) have stated that one of the most important evil aspects
of the process of male bias is the fact that it not only stunts the growth or the development of
the nation but at the same time limits the number of growth or development opportunities
which are available to the women. As opined by Martin (2019), this is important because of
the fact that this in turn significantly affects the fulfilment of the basic psychosocial needs of
the women as well as the quality of life that they lead which in turn significantly stunts the
development of the concerned nation. One of the most important opportunities that the
different nations of the world need to offer to the women of their nation in order to attain the
desired level of development is the educational opportunities (Carnes et al. 2015). However,
in the nation of Pakistan it is seen that the women are being deprived of their basic education
rights since the Quran does not support the education of the women. As a matter of fact, it
had been seen that in comparison to the 78.9% boys who pass out secondary school within
the concerned nation only 31.2% women pass out of the secondary school (Tribune.com.pk
2019).
The discrimination which is being meted out to the women in the nation of Pakistan in
terms of educational opportunities becomes apparent from the fact that in the year 2012,
Malala Yousafzai, a 14-year old who wanted to go to school against the rules of the society of
Pakistan was shot in the head by the Taliban for her desire to pursue education so as to attain
her desired level of growth (Khan and Khan 2019). In addition to this, there have been other
similar instances in the nation of Pakistan wherein it had been seen that the girls have been
deprived of their basic education rights. This is important from the perspective of the

6MALE BIAS AND DEVELOPMENT
development of the nation because of the fact that the entity of education is generally
considered to be one of the most important tools which helps the individuals to effectively
work in the professional world (Hall, Hall and Perry 2016). However, the deprivation of
education in Pakistan in the particular context of the women not deprives them of their basic
education but at the same time is adversely affecting the economic growth or development of
the concerned nation as well (Kabeer 2016). This can be explained on the basis of the fact
that had these women being given adequate then after the completion of their education they
could have worked in the professional business sector and other areas and this in turn could
have significant helped in the process of the economic development or growth of the
concerned nation (Sen 2017). This as a matter of fact is one of the most important reasons
why the different nations of the world are increasingly insisting that all their citizens have
atleast the bare minimum level of education so that they can contribute in an effective manner
towards the nation economy of the concerned nation (Worldbank.org 2019).
Bell and Adams (2016) have noted that one of the most important concepts within the
framework of the contemporary development studies is gender and development and also the
manner in which this can be utilised by the different nations for attaining a higher level of
social, economic and other kinds of development. As stated by Freedman and Maine (2018),
one of the key precepts of this concept is the fact that the different nations in order to attain
the desired level of growth as well as development need to not only offer adequate level of
growth or development opportunities to the members of both the sexes but at the same time
work for the development of the sex group which had been marginalised over the years. The
concept of gender and development becomes an especially important one from the
perspective of the nation of Pakistan. This can be explained on the basis of the fact that
because of the highly conservative nature of society of Pakistan the women of the concerned
nation have been deprived not only of their basic education rights but also of other kinds of

7MALE BIAS AND DEVELOPMENT
rights which could not only have helped in their personal development but at the same time
for the development of the nation as well (Ali and Kramar 2015). In this regard, it needs to be
said that because of the high rate of male bias which exists within the framework of the
concerned nation it is seen that the women of the nation are not being allowed to work in the
professional field on par with the men and this in turn had significant slowed down the
growth rate of the nation (Purewal and Hashmi 2015). As a matter of fact, it is seen that it is
seen that there are more than 83.9% men working in the professional field in the nation of
Pakistan in comparison to the only 19.1% women who work on a professional basis whereas
in the other developed nations of the world it is seen that the literacy gap between the two
sexes is less than 5% (Khan and Khan 2019). It is pertinent to note that even in the 21st
century the women in the nation of Pakistan are being relegated to the completion of different
household chores and are not being entertained to work in the professional work.
Another important development problem that the women in the concerned nation had
to face is the problem of gender pay gap and as a matter of fact it is seen that the women in
the concerned nation receive 34% less wage than the average men for the same kind of work
that they perform (CNN.com 2019). It is pertinent to note that significantly reduces the
interest as well as motivation level of the women towards the work that they perform and this
in turn drastically affects the development of the concerned nation. In addition to these,
within the nation of Pakistan it is seen that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the
United Nations are not being followed in an adequate manner and this in turn had adversely
affected the condition of the women in the nation under discussion here (Martin 2019). As
per Tribune.com.pk (2019), more than 42.3 million women of the concerned nation are being
deprived of the basic SDGs which they are entitled to since the UN had made it mandatory
for all the nations of the world to offer them to the citizens. This in turn is causing various
kinds of problems for the concerned nation in the particular context of social development.

8MALE BIAS AND DEVELOPMENT
Carnes et al. (2015) have noted that the concept of social development can be defined
as process through the national government of the different nations of the world seeks to
bring about the development of their societal framework and thereby the development of the
entire nation itself. This becomes especially important from the perspective of the developing
nations like Pakistan wherein it is seen that because of the high level of male bias which
exists within the societal framework the nation is being unable to attain the desired level of
growth (Yargawa and Leonardi-Bee 2015). More importantly, the inability of the national
government of the concerned nation and also the other important authorities of the concerned
nation to bring about the much-needed change within the societal framework had
significantly reduced the rate of social development of the concerned nation which in turn is
hindering the effective development of the nation under discussion here (Islam and Asadullah
2018). Furthermore, the ineffective fulfilment of the basic rights of the women of the
concerned nation had deprived the society as well as the economy of the nation valuable
resources because of the fact that in the majority of the developed nations of the world it is
seen that the women make a significant contribution towards the societal development,
economic development and other forms of development (Purewal and Hashmi 2015). Thus, it
can be said that the concerned nation in order to effectively bring about its development
would have to mitigate the threat posed by the evil of male bias and also offer adequate
growth opportunities to the people, both male and female, so that they are being able to
contribute in a meaningful manner towards the development of the nation.
Freedman and Maine (2018) are of the viewpoint that the problem of male bias and its
resultant effect on the development rate of a nation can be associated to the lack of societal or
other forms of development attained by the concerned nation. This statement as a matter of
fact finds support from the case of Pakistan under discussion here. For example, the evil of
male bias which exists within the framework of the nation of Pakistan and the resultant

9MALE BIAS AND DEVELOPMENT
development problems that the concerned nation is presently facing can be attributed to the
lack of development of the nation over the years (Benería, Berik and Floro 2015). This can be
explained on the basis of the fact that even in the 21st century the national government of the
concerned nation tries to manage the affairs of the concerned nation on the basis of the
orthodox Islamic rules as well as regulations which were formulated centuries ago. More
importantly, because of these conservative rules or regulations which are being followed
within the concerned nation it is seen that the society of the nation even in the present times is
a very conservative one wherein women still have to perform the household chores and the
men have to be the breadwinners of the family (Khan and Khan 2019). It is on the basis of
this aspect only that the entire development plan and also the societal framework of Pakistan
had been framed. Thus, it can be said that the different kinds of development issues that the
nation of Pakistan is presently facing can be attributed to the lack of development in societal
outlook, rules and regulations and other aspects of the concerned nation over the years.
Summary
To conclude, the evil of male bias significantly affects the development level attained
by the different nations of the world and as a matter of fact it is seen that the nations with a
high level of male bias have failed to attain the desired level of growth or development. This
can be explained on the basis of the fact that the problem of male bias which exists within the
framework of the different nations adversely affects the women of these nations and often
hinder the effective fulfilment of their basic psychosocial needs and others kinds of needs. As
a matter of fact, it is seen that in the nations with high level of male bias, the women are
being deprived of their education opportunities, employment opportunities and others which
adversely affects the number or the kind of growth or development which are being available
to them. This is important because of the fact that within the framework of the different
developed nations of the world it is seen that the men and women are being offered equal

10MALE BIAS AND DEVELOPMENT
growth or development opportunities and this in turn had over the years helped these nations
to attain the desired level of growth or development. However, this is not the case in the
particular context of the different development nations of the world wherein it is seen that
because of the high level of male bias which exists within these nations the women are being
deprived of the basic opportunity that is their right. These aspects of the process of male bias
and its impact on the development of a nation become apparent from the above analysis of
the concerned concepts through the specific lens of the case study of Pakistan.

11MALE BIAS AND DEVELOPMENT
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