At present, we live in a world that has witnessed significant progress in multiple fields such as commerce, medicine, aviation and transportation. Likewise, we live in a society where life is much easier with the advent of technology attributed by digitalization. Additionally, our societies shared aspirations and common goals such as eradication and achieving equality. Despite these progress, there remains a complex wave of social issues that shatter the very foundation of society as a whole. It is therefore the need of the time to shed highlight on these issues and assess how they could affect our society. For instance, among multiple issues that eclipse our progress, one of most pressing issue is social inequality.
Social inequality results from a society organized by hierarchies of class, race and gender that broker access to resources and rights in ways that make their distribution unequal. It is a situation whereby a specific group of people lacks access to financial and other various opportunities as a result of their gender, caste, race, religion, color and other characteristics. It is a global challenge marked by disparities in income, wealth, access to resources and opportunity fueling social unrest and undermines trust in democratic institutions and can destabilize social cohesion and harmony. Social inequality results when certain sections of the population are denied access to basic service on the account of their caste, sex, color, creed and geography while some section of the population can access these opportunities and basic services. This social issue undermines feelings of fulfilment and self-worth, jeopardizes long term social and economic progress.
Social inequality is prevalent everywhere- be it Asia, Africa, America or Europe- though the gravity of social inequalities varies from place to place. The social inequalities are high in the African and Asian countries as the majority of their population are illiterate. This amplifies the social inequalities to a large extent. In 2023, the adult literacy rate in sub-Saharan Africa was approximately 68.2% while the overall adult literacy rate in Africa was around 67.97%. In Asia, the average adult literacy rate in 2024 was 86.3%. The lack of education hinders their understanding about their rights and entitlements guaranteed by their resection constitution. When citizens are not aware about their rights and entitlements, they are not bothered about the basic services catered by the government.
There are two ways to measure social inequalities: inequalities of conditions and inequalities of opportunities. Inequalities of conditions refers to unequal distribution of income, wealth and material goods. Housing for example is the inequalities of conditions with the homeless and those living in housing projects sitting at the bottom of the hierarchy, while those living in multi-million dollar mansions sit at the top. Inequality of opportunities refers to the unequal distribution of life chances across all individuals. This is reflected in measures such as the level of education, health status, and treatment by the criminal justice system.
Social inequalities persist in many African and Asian countries due to a combination of historical, economic, and political factors. This includes the legacies of colonialism, discriminatory practices economic policies that favor certain groups over others. Unemployment, inadequate education, skills, and access to basic services also perpetuate social inequalities
In many African and Asian countries, the society is patriarchal, undermining the role and contribution of women in the decision-making process. The women do not have control over the resources. The women are viewed as subordinate citizens lacking access to the decision-making process that matters to them. The stereotype thinking and cultural acceptance that women are subservient to men has hindered the overall development of women, fueling social inequalities.
Discrimination at the individual, community, and institutional levels is a major part of the process of reproducing inequalities of class, race, gender, and sexuality. For example, women are systematically paid less than men for doing the same work, and sociologists have conclusively demonstrated that racism is built into the very foundation of our society and is present in all our social institutions.
Social inequality is a complex wave of social issues that calls for a multipronged approach. Every society is unique and has assorted needs and aspirations. Hence, a one-size-fits-all solution will not act as a panacea. However, to start with, the social inequalities can be reduced by engaging men in the social transformation process. Likewise, we can also build an environment to address inequality and drive meaningful change. Measures may include policy-making and recognizing gender inequality in media, the private sector, and other non-governmental sectors.
Girl education is one of the key solutions to address social inequalities. Every government across the globe must place high emphasis on girls’ education and introduce programs aimed at girls’ empowerment. An empowered girl can interface government, demanding accountability and transparency on issues that matter to them.
The other measures include the formulation and execution of plans in an effective manner. The social safety net is one such program. Likewise, the implementation of fair taxation and labor market policies ensures equal opportunities and wages for both men and women.
At the individual level, there is a need to educate individuals about social inequality and its consequences. Likewise, there is also a dire need to advocate for change, encouraging individuals to participate in advocacy efforts and support organizations working to reduce social inequality. Finally, we should develop the culture of reporting discriminatory practices and acts and ensure that every individual has access to legal remedies.
References:
1. https://www.developmentaid.org/news-stream/post/173559/social-issues-that-affect-modern-society
2. https://www.google.com/search?q=the+average+literacy+rate+of+asai+and+africa+in+2024&oq=the+average+literacy+rate+of+asai+and+africa+in+2024&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIKCAEQABiABBiiBDIHCAIQABjvBTIHCAMQABjvBTIHCAQQABjvBTIHCAUQABjvBdIBCTEzNzM5ajBqN6gCCLACAfEFshWrV-FhGnvxBbIVq1fhYRp7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
3. https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/grandchallenges/challenges2025/socialinequality/
4. https://files.commons.gc.cuny.edu/wp-content/blogs.dir/17873/files/2021/07/Wk-1-Social-Inequality.pdf