Breaking the chains: How women are still held back by inequalities

As we mark International Women's Day on 8 March, the world pauses to reflect—not only on the victories we've won but also on the steep climb that remains in the fight for true gender equality. It's a day to celebrate progress, yes, but it is also a moment to confront the uncomfortable truths that linger just beneath the surface.

Because behind the speeches, hashtags and headlines lies a deeper reality: women everywhere are still up against systems designed to hold them back. These barriers don't appear by accident. They are the deliberate, overlapping results of patriarchy, capitalism and racism—forces so profoundly embedded in our societies that they can feel invisible until we start pulling at the threads.

And once we do, it becomes impossible to ignore how these systems work together to keep power, opportunity and safety out of women's reach, especially for those from marginalised communities.

The heavy weight of patriarchy

Picture this: a mother juggling her full-time job, childcare, and ageing parents. Sound familiar? Across cultures, women are still expected to carry the emotional, physical and mental burden of unpaid care work—work that keeps families, communities and economies running but is rarely acknowledged, let alone fairly compensated.

Even as women enter the workforce in record numbers, patriarchal norms quietly dictate where they belong and what roles they should play. Women are often tracked into lower-paid, undervalued jobs. And when they break free and climb higher? They are met with glass ceilings, double standards and questions about their "likeability."

During the Covid-19 pandemic, these inequalities exploded into view. Women were forced out of jobs at higher rates than men, shouldered most of the caregiving and found themselves back where patriarchal systems have always tried to keep them—at home.

Capitalism: When profit comes before people

For all its promises of meritocracy, capitalism has been no friend to women, especially those from marginalised communities. Around the world, women are overrepresented in precarious, low-wage work with little security. They dominate industries such as garment manufacturing, domestic labour, retail, and caregiving—sectors that power economies but rarely deliver fair wages or protections.

And the gender pay gap? It is not a glitch in the system. It is the system working exactly as designed. For women of colour, immigrants and working-class women, these wage gaps deepen into economic chasms.

As technology transforms industries through automation and artificial intelligence, there is a looming threat that women will once again be left behind. Without intentional investment in skills training and leadership pipelines, the future of work may replicate the same old inequalities in shiny new packaging.

Racism: the double bind

For women of colour, the fight is never just about gender. Racism compounds everything. Whether it is the persistent wage gap between Black women and white men in the United States or the caste-based discrimination faced by Dalit women in South Asia, layered identities mean layered oppressions.

In healthcare, this is deadly. Take maternal mortality, where Black women in countries such as the U.S. are far more likely to die in childbirth than white women, regardless of education or income. The same story repeats in education, housing and politics: systemic racism ensures that opportunities are not just unequal—they are strategically withheld.

Movements such as Black Lives Matter have forced the world to acknowledge these intersections. But acknowledgement is just the start. Action, policy change and accountability must follow.

Why politics still looks like a boys' club

It's 2025, and women still make up a shockingly small percentage of political leaders worldwide. And for those who do step into the arena? They face misogyny, harassment, and violence both online and offline.

True gender justice requires not only getting women into power but also ensuring they have the resources, support, and safety to lead. That means creating political systems where diverse women's voices are not just heard but respected and prioritised.

What will it take to change this?

The solutions are as clear as the problems, and yet they remain painfully out of reach for many. But this Women's Day, let's move beyond slogans and look at real steps we must take:

Stronger laws and protections: Enforce pay equity. Protect informal workers. Ensure maternity benefits. Criminalise workplace harassment with real consequences.

Invest in education: Girls' education is a proven tool to disrupt cycles of poverty and inequality. And yet, millions are still denied it.

Support women's leadership: Gender quotas, mentorship programmes and affirmative action are not just nice to have—they are necessary to dismantle centuries-old power imbalances.

Hold power to account: Governments and corporations love to make promises. It is up to us—through activism, journalism and civic engagement—to make sure they follow through.

This isn't just about women

When we dismantle systems of oppression, everyone benefits. Economies grow. Democracies strengthen. Communities thrive. It has never been clearer: the fight for women's rights is the fight for a better, fairer world.

This International Women's Day, let's honour the progress. But let's also name the truth: the work is far from over. And so, our task is clear.

To create a world where every woman—no matter her race, income or background—has the freedom to thrive, we must keep pulling at the threads of inequality until the whole oppressive fabric unravels. Because when women rise, everyone rises. And that is a future worth fighting for—not just on 8 March, but every single day after.

Happy International Women's Day!

Mohammad Ekram Ul Sadiqe Bhuiyan  is the Fmr Trade and Information Officer at Malaysia High Commission, Dhaka

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.