Progress towards gender equality is a slow and nonlinear process. Since 19th century, people in nations around the world have exerted collective efforts to promote gender equality. However, despite improvements in gender equality today in some arenas (e.g., education), large gender gaps exist in other arenas. In the chapter, we examine and analyze research findings and various international indicators using surveys and experimental methods, from the perspective of power basis theory (Pratto, Lee, Tan, & Pitpitan, 2011). This perspective allows us to account for the various degrees of gender inequality in different arenas. In power basis theory, power is the ability to meet one's needs for survival (e.g., consuming resources, belonging to a community). Because each human being has several needs, there are different kinds of power. We argue that whereas women and men are likely to achieve equality in some kinds of power (e.g., knowledge), it is more difficult for women to achieve equality in other kinds of power (e.g., community leaders, force) and for this we offer two explanations: 1) Attaining or exercising particular kinds of power (e.g., violence) violates gender norms; thus it is difficult for women to do so; and 2) The ease with which a person can translate power in one arena to another arena—a phenomenon called power fungibility—is higher for men than for women. We delineate various processes, both from the actor’s and perceiver’s perspectives that result in sustaining power inequality between women and men. Insights from power basis theory may provide potent ways to challenge gender inequality.
