The History of Well-Being and the Global Progress of Women

Abstract

Documenting the history of well-being from a gender perspective, as well as tracking the global progress of women’s rights and circumstances, requires an analysis of the diversity of transformations in gender relations across time and space. Much of this change has resulted from women being active agents in their own destinies, individually and collectively, and assuming leadership roles in polity, economy, business, and education. Women create the milestones (such as gaining female suffrage) in one context that set the benchmark for women in other communities. These incremental gains parallel developments in human rights associated with class and race. The geographically uneven dismantling of patriarchal and discriminatory social structures and attitudes is highlighted in historical examples from ancient times to the present. Human rights, politics, health, economy, work, family, religion, education, violence, and body image are the key domains explored in this chapter to illustrate disparate rates of progress toward gender equity. It is the consequences for women and girls, and for men and boys, of this unequal history that led to the international call for the United Nations Beijing Conference on Women in 1995 and framed the areas of concern in its Platform for Action. The remaining challenges to gender equity were also a key impetus for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs 1990–2015) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2015-2030). Dramatic progress has been made in the past century toward gender equity in most fields, and in many countries, but further opportunities exist for enhancement of physical, emotional, and social well-being for both women and men of all ages. These opportunities are highlighted in this chapter. Current trends point to a future of greater attention to gender relations in the incorporation of subjective well-being data in community, national, and international policy and decision making; enhanced visibility and social inclusion for marginalized women; and a shift in research focus and resources from developed to developing countries.