4/30/2020

GENDER CONVERSATION NECESSARY : MELINDA GATES


''A few minutes of your day could have an outsize impact on inequality'' :

THE World Economic Forum recently projected that it will take 208 years to close major gender gaps in the United States - but this should only take a few minutes .

Take a moment from your Sunday routine to join me in marking International Women's Day in a small but potentially important, way :
''Start a conversation about gender equality.''

Even better, talk about it with someone you've never discussed it with before.

You could talk about the unequal distribution of  unpaid labor in our homes. Or the need for paid leave in the United States. Or the many ways our unconscious biases shape our understanding of who deserves to be hired, promoted and invested in.

You could just ask a question :

''Did you know today is International Women's Day?'' ''How changes do you hope to see for women and girls in your lifetime?'' ''How do you think I could be a better advocate for the women around me?''

What will this accomplish? The honest answer, of course, is maybe nothing. But another honest answer is that  social change depends on interactions exactly like these.

Think about the ways in which gender inequality is perpetuated. Formal structures like the laws and policies are certainly play a role.

But it's also reinforced by millions upon millions of  routine encounters between everyday people -between husbands and wives, employers and employees, candidates for office and the people determining their ''electability,'' village leaders guarding traditional norms and the young women who should challenge them.

When enough of us are determined to be a voice for change, it sets the stage for broader transformation.

One example, ofcourse, is the millions of people around the world who, by sharing their #MeToo stories, have put systemic problems in the spotlight and amplified pressure on business and government leaders to be part of the solution.

The honor and serving of the latest conversations on gender equality, continues. The World Students Society thanks author, Melinda Gates.

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