IndexAbstractIntroductionDescription of the chosen subjectAnalysis of the subjectSocial action theoryLife course theoryGenerational theoryDiscussion and conclusionsReferencesAbstractGender equality is a state that helps bring out greater decision-making and economic participation for all people regardless of their sex. Younger generations of women advocate for gender equality and women's rights in an effort to spur economic growth and development. They participate in creating awareness, educating women to give them some form of independence, and encouraging them to end gender-based violence. Others are fighting to achieve equal rights in the workplace to avoid the situation of women working longer hours but being paid less. In an attempt to explain gender equality, this article will use generational theory, life course theory, and social/youth theory to explain the actions of young women. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayMannheim's generational theory is appropriate as it explains growth through various generations and the refinement of concepts of interests. Youth/social and action theory is appropriate for this topic as it focuses on social change and explains how young women carry out certain actions and ascribe meaning to them. Life course theory explains how individuals tend to build the social relationships that shape their present and future biographies. Introduction Gender equality is a precondition for addressing the challenges of building good governance, achieving poverty reduction and sustainable development. According to Breitenbach, Brown, Mackay, and Webb (2016), it is important to ensure that the needs, aspirations, and behaviors of both men and women are well valued, fostered, and considered without discrimination. While this does not necessarily mean that women and men will become equal, it does mean that their opportunities, rights and responsibilities will not depend on whether one is male or female. Studies show that gender equality stimulates economic growth, which is relevant to development. While gender equality is pertinent to economic development, most women are subjected to abject discrimination and mistreatment. Statistics show that most women work longer hours than men but are paid less. They constitute approximately two-thirds of the total illiterate population in the world. Although many leadership positions require the expertise of women, only 10% of world leaders are women (Breitenbach et al., 2016). There is a power imbalance between both genders that has become a problem locally, nationally and internationally. Inequality affects the lives of children and society, while hindering economic growth and development. This is why gender equality has been given importance as one of the SDG (United Nations Sustainable Development Goal) goals. To achieve desired growth and sustainable development, it is essential to combat discrimination and promote gender equality. This will help promote better access to education, healthcare and employment opportunities. In an effort to promote gender equality, young women have taken bold steps to stop gender-based discrimination at work, among other places (Furlong, 2012). They have started forums that fight thegender violence and instead promote the emancipation of women. Young women have created initiatives to stop female genital mutilation, especially in Africa, a practice that has long incapacitated women. Most of these women have grown up in a society that makes them believe they can succeed with the help of a man. Most of the initiators of these initiatives have been victims of gender inequality or have seen people close to them face the consequences of this behavior. This document will address gender equality and the contribution made by young women in trying to promote gender equality. Description of the chosen topic Women, and particularly young women, continue to face structural discrimination due to the patriarchal nature of most societies. Research shows that young women are among the most vulnerable and marginalized people in the world (Van der Vleuten, 2016). Although they make up half the population, most of them are denied access to basic services and decent work. Most of these young women grow up witnessing women's intense struggle for gender equality. Most of them have turned to feminism with which they fight to improve women's lives by freeing their choices to have and do what they want. Historically, women's power has increased significantly to the point that women today have more choices than ever (Furlong, 2012). Many women have managed to break the glass ceiling and occupy positions of power if they have the skills and determination necessary to execute the goals. expectations as required. While some have pursued their careers successfully, women have found themselves caught in trade-offs between mutually exclusive choices in combining career and parenthood. On the other hand, men have faced fewer difficulties in terms of reconciling career and parenthood, in which case they feel more free. This created the need to liberate women and introduce gender equality as the norm. According to Polcuch, Brooks and Bello, (2018), it is necessary to free women from sexism, social norms, discrimination in the workplace and provide more flexibility in their activities. screw. Women's empowerment and the promotion of gender equality are fundamental to women's liberation and intrinsic to development. Young women are working to defend women's rights, to challenge various stereotypes and roles that could influence exclusion and inequalities, and to fight discriminatory practices that are the reason for gender inequality. According to Young (2016), gender equality is an essential development goal for sustainable development. To achieve advanced human development, it is important to encourage young women to realize their rights and understand their potential. It is also crucial to consider the inclusion of women as an important factor towards empowerment. Topic Analysis This section will attempt to answer the research questions, “the contribution of young women towards gender equality using theoretical perspectives”. The author will analyze Max Weber's youth/social and action theory, Karl Mannheim's generational theory, and life course theory to explain why young women care about promoting gender equality. Action Theory socialAccording to Weber, social actions are actions that are carried out by individuals and are often associated with meanings. This means that actions that people do not consider serious cannot be called social actions. Weber sees the development of modern societies as arationalization process and argues that most human actions are guided by meaning. It is possible to identify actions based on the meanings attributed to them (Fuchs, 2017). For example, most actions focused on gender equality are often directed towards affective action. Explain that emotional or affective action often arises from an individual's emotional state at a particular time. Other actions by feminists and young women are guided by traditional actions that are based on the assumption that people tend to behave in a certain way as a result of innate habits or because they are used to doing things in a certain way. Most young women are born into patriarchal societies where they see women facing discrimination and inequalities in society. Their actions to fight patriarchy are driven by the need to free women from the actions they have seen growing up. People's actions can also be guided by rational action which is awareness of a goal. This is the main action that guides women's actions in the fight to achieve gender equality. Social action theory provides a better understanding of most actions taken by humans. This theory explains the youth engagement strategy which emphasizes participatory practice, youth voice and community building which represents efforts to stimulate youth initiatives to work for community change (Craib, 2015). Social action is a valuable framework for youth engagement. as it places emphasis on youth voice and community building. In the recent past, commitment to youth participation in promoting gender equality has increased significantly. For example, the United Nations Development Program for the Promotion of Gender has included the empowerment of young women as it is critical for development. She recognized the importance of young women in promoting gender equality around the world. Other institutions have also become more flexible and responsive to the opinions and views of young women to promote gender equality. Life Course Theory This theory is a multidisciplinary paradigm that studies social change, structural contexts, and people's lives in general. This perspective includes various observations and ideas from a broad scope of sociology, disciplines, biology, and developmental psychology, among others. This theory views life as a sequence of socially defined roles and events that an individual encounters over time. Although these events do not proceed sequentially, they constitute an individual's actual experience. This theory delves into the importance of context, process, and time, as well as the meaning of family life and development. According to Wasserman & Wasserman, (2017) development and aging in an individual are continuous processes that are often experienced throughout a lifetime. This theory is appropriate for the topic of gender equality as it shows the relationship that exists between inequality and influence in an individual's early life. This perspective explains that decisions, conditions, and opportunities often experienced early in life can influence an individual's later outcomes. This means that the life the girls have lived has the potential to shape their present and future lives. This can affect them at different levels, such as generational or family. For example, one generation of women can pass on to the next generation the consequences of various historical circumstances such as violence and female genital mutilation, among other activities. A generationof women who have experienced violence at the hands of their husbands will likely pass on the norm of violence to the next generation. Likewise, generations of young women who speak out against gender inequality after seeing older women suffer are likely to pass this attitude on to other generations. This theory also explains that the conditions and times in which various behaviors and life events occur, such as family violence and discrimination against women, can create a reaction of experiences for an individual (Wasserman & Wasserman, 2017). This simply means that past experiences can influence an individual's later life outcomes such as socioeconomic status, marital patterns, and mental health, among others. Young women who grow up seeing their mothers endure suffering and beatings from their fathers will likely see normality around violence among other undesirable actions. In the future, these young women are likely to suffer similar gender-based violence and discrimination if necessary actions are not taken. Generational Theory Mannheim's generational theory is another theory that can be applied in this study. Mannheim uses the concept of generations to understand the differences between different age groups and as a way to place groups and individuals in historical time. It explains a generation to be a population group that has experienced together, in youth, noteworthy events in a specific period of time. According to Mannheim, older generations are likely to form a social context with which the younger generation tends to establish new contact (Mironova, Bogdanova & Kolesnikov, 2019). As a result, the new generation alters the social context by emphasizing only particular aspects of social life. seems advantageous for younger generations. In this way, each new generation introduces new opportunities for both cultural and social change and continuity. For example, when an important event occurs simultaneously in the lives of a particular group of women, they are likely to acquire a collective consciousness. This may explain the growing interest among young women in gender equality. The generation of young women is ready to unite and fight all forms of undesirable behavior towards women such as violence, abuse and discrimination in the workplace in a bid to promote gender equality. This theory is ideal for the topic of gender equality as it explains that a generation is a social place with the potential to influence the consciousness of individuals in the same way that culture or social class does. This means that things one generation agrees with, such as violence against women or discrimination in the workplace, are likely to influence the next generation. Mannheim explains that the younger generation will likely modify the older generation's concepts that they believe are important to them. This explains the growing interest in fighting gender inequality among younger generations of women. Mannheim argues that generations are often affected by significant historical events in such a way that they can alter the response to the surrounding environment. This theory can best be summarized using the idea that people are more likely to resemble their times more than their parents. For example, most young women are likely to resemble their times of fighting gender inequality rather than their mothers who endured the consequences of gender. inequality. Mannheim agreed with Marxist thinking that an individual's beliefs can be changed depending on.