day 3 - gender inequality

Hope you all have had a nice start to the weekend!

I want to refer briefly to the title of the book that moved me to want to do something about women’s education. The title refers to a piece of Confucian wisdom that “women hold up half the sky”.

Half of the sky. What a powerful statement. In the United States, men and women are theoretically equal (though gender disparities still exist to some extent). But gender disparities in developing nations aren’t even close to what we may consider gross injustices here, because women in developing countries may be denied rights to their property, their children, and their body.

But most prevalent is how women are often denied an education. This happens for a number of reasons: Women are frequently marginalized in developing nations because of a traditional patriarchal (and at times, misogynistic) social structure. In some developing nations, this patriarchal system may combine with reproductive technology to favor males: A couple may terminate a pregnancy upon finding out that they are expecting a daughter.

Because females are not valued in society as much as males, it isn’t a priority to send girls to school. Even in regions where education is available, girls are denied the opportunity to go to school in favor of sending a son instead. Girls are raised without learning how to read or write, and because of this, they have a disadvantage from the outset: they cannot contribute to society in ways other than cooking and having babies. They are not treated as equal human beings, but rather as a material, disposable possession. Thus perpetuates the cycle of women being denied basic rights, including the right to an education.

Gender disparity may be huge in developing countries, but we can help ensure that women enjoy a more equal status. All it takes is an education.

Janna