AP Human Geography › Cultural Beliefs on Gender
In which of these regions is the gender gap in literacy rates most pronounced?
The Middle East
Western Europe
Eastern Europe
Southeast Asia
South America
In several of the world’s wealthiest countries in the world literacy rates are very close to one hundred percent for both men and women. But, this is the exception rather than the rule as far as the world is concerned. Most of the world suffers from a gender gap in literacy rates, this is generally most pronounced in countries that are extremely poor, although a few of the world’s poorest countries have less of a gender gap in literacy rates than some of the world’s wealthier countries. How can we explain this? Well, the answer is that some cultures have certain social standards and expectations for women. Or, more accurately, some cultures have more strict social standards and expectations for women. The Islamic world, particularly the Middle East and parts of North Africa, experiences some of the worst rates of female literacy in the world, particularly when compared to male literacy rates in the same region.
In the United States women achieved notable cultural liberation in the immediate aftermath of World War I; however, this movement stalled in the 1930s because __________.
many states prohibited women from working so as to encourage employment of men during the Great Depression
the outbreak of the Second World War encouraged the suppression of progressive movements and a resurgence of reactionary politics
the generation who grew up during World War One feared any disruption of the established social order and so held women back
educational opportunities declined in the 1920s; meaning women were forced out of higher education facilities
None of these answers are correct; the movement picked up pace in the 1930s.
In the waning months of World War I and the immediate aftermath of the conflict women achieved notable cultural and economic liberation. This continued into the 1920s, but was disrupted by the outbreak of the Great Depression in 1929. Unemployment rose dramatically in the early years of the depression and, in an attempt to ensure as much employment as possible for men, most states in America prohibited women from working outside the home.
Which of these bodies or organizations is responsible for overseeing the Gender Inequality Index?
The United Nations
The United States of America
The International Monetary Fund
The European Union
The Red Cross
The Gender Inequality Index measures the disparity between the experiences of men and women in different countries around the world. It was created in 2010 by the United Nations Development Program and continues to be overseen by the United Nations.
Which of these areas of the world scores highest in gender empowerment?
South America
North Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
South Asia
The Middle East
Of these options South America scores by far the highest in relative gender empowerment. Europe, particularly Western Europe, tends to score the highest; closely followed by North America and Australasia. From there it is a rather precipitous drop off to South America and parts of East Asia. This is followed by another substantial drop to South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, and the Middle East where gender empowerment is at its lowest.
In which of these areas of gender inequality do women score higher than men in the vast majority of the world?
Life expectancy
University education
Social freedom
Income
Literacy
Generally men score higher than women in almost all areas of gender inequality around the world, although this is becoming less and less the case in the developed world. The only category in which women routinely score higher than men throughout the majority of the world is in life expectancy. Women, in almost all areas of the world, regardless of income levels and levels of education, outlive men.