Gender Equality and Public Policy
We all agree that everyone has a stake in the public policies implemented by the state, local, and federal governments worldwide. But this may not be the case on the ground. When it comes to matters such as gender equality, the issue is described as being so near yet so far. Various public policies have managed to respond effectively to gender equality by creating programs that empower women, referred to as gender mainstreaming. However, it is saddening that some customary discriminatory mentalities still exist and have deep roots in some communities hence acting as barriers and contributors to the slow achievement of the process.
An issue?
Development is greatly influenced by the concept of gender equality. Equality does not just include matters concerning social justice but good economics as well. These discriminatory acts have greatly contributed to losses in productivity as well as welfare for women, their families, and the entire community at large. The gap may be narrowing in sectors such as education and health, but we cannot deny the existing gap between men and women in terms of their levels of education, wage gaps, and many other areas.
Public policy; A Contributing factor
The COVID-19 crisis has managed to reveal and amplify gender equalities across the globe. Notwithstanding the weight of cultural and social factors intensifying the issue of equality among men and women, public policy can significantly affect women’s status and well-being. Therefore, governments are assigned the role of making available opportunities for women and extending services that are crucially essential to them to help deal with the issue.
Race and class in Latin America
Race and class can be a pair of inseparable twins in places where one or both are being practiced. Ever driven a car without gas? Well, that’s how these two correlate. A healthy relationship bears positive fruits, whereas an unhealthy one brings about constant issues, which later, as we all say, one thing leads to another; everything comes crumbling down. Nobody can choose their race; it is one of the things that we can’t decide or make prior plans, but how you treat others based on their race is upon us, and the same applies to class.
Latin America is one of the continents where inequality has been pervasive, constant, and essential, just like breathing. This leads to injustice, which becomes so normalized to the extent of trying to imagine a world without it becomes impossible. ‘He who is not white is black’ is more of their slogan in a racial democracy, in a hybrid society that has an array of colors; African, European, and Indigenous origins. Race and class, maintained and manipulated, have been linked to a concatenation of social, political, cultural, and economic effects, which are negative.
Ideally, the future seems bright. They have pulled out all the stops just to see that race mixture has been promoted extensively, thus denying racism and discrimination a chance. This shift of direction is bringing on board a sense of belonging, though it’s a process, the result is worth the wait. Equitable share of resources and improved living conditions is an antidote of class, which for now is a hard nut to crack in Latin America.
Public Health Policy
Over the years, numerous policies have been put in place to help deal with specific healthcare goals in society. The health of nations is significantly influenced by these policies. For instance, acts such as the Affordable Care Act have been made available for citizens in the United States of America to be able to better health outcomes through attaining the goals of preventing the illness as well as the consequences that may arise from environmental, natural or human-made hazards. The COVID-19 pandemic is an example of a disaster that has had many states working towards developing policies that will help prevent the spread of the virus so as to manage the number of individuals who will succumb to the illness. Some of the policies that have been
Benefits of public health policies.
Investing in public health policies has proven advantageous not only in ensuring safe and quality care to a population but also help in the development of mitigating strategies for future preparedness. With public health policies, individuals’ welfare is protected, ensuring their security and safeguarding from infectious illnesses and hazards. Some loopholes may, however, be present in existing policies, but such can be rectified with the help experts in the sectors as well as giving a listening ear to opinions of those in the community.
Lessons learned
Many lessons have been learned across the various disasters, hazards, or pandemics that have struck since. As the coronavirus pandemic abates in numerous countries across the world, many have engaged in assessing the response policies that were used or are being used and how they can promote better preparedness in case another pandemic strikes. This continues for other health issues that continue to be a threat for various populations such as HIV/AIDs or malaria, among many others. Meanwhile, the maintenance of public health should not only be the obligation of the governments but society as a whole.
Education and Social Policy
With the changing and rising needs in society, the concept of social policy is becoming of great concern. More issues and concerns surrounding various individuals and different causes raise awareness of the need for government or concerned authorities to implement policies that will solve these issues. Social issues can include concerns about education, poverty, or even crime. In this context, we focus on the relation between education and social policy. As many say, education is the key to success, and success can be gauged in various contexts. For instance, having an education can help boost the development of an individual either socially, economically, or intellectually. Additionally, with individuals having all the mentioned successes, then directly or indirectly, they are able to influence others or even impact the development of the country as a whole.
Within the social policy, education has been an essential instrument. These policies not only focus on welfare but also on matters concerning the structure of society. Education, with its many purposes, can be essential in developing children both socially and intellectually so that they can fulfill their fullest potential across varying environments. Similarly, with education, it is possible to transmit norms and values, also referred to as socialization. All these and many others, not to mention, have been greatly influenced by education hence the rising need to provide literacy to the larger population.
Issues in regard to education access and quality have been in existence, raising the alarm to a wide range of societies. For most communities or states, matters on corruption and biases surrounding race, class, gender, or even disabilities have been major contributing factors to rising illiteracy rates. However, with time many have realized the role education plays in social policy and engaged in formulating approaches of various kinds to help individuals of the society access even basic education