Equal Rights are Human Rights
August 26th is Women’s Equality Day
Each individual has a perception of what women’s equality means. For many, it means equal pay for equal work. There are many more facets to equality than this single concept and equality needs to be a universal standard long before it’s time to enter the workplace. It won’t exist in the workplace if it also doesn’t exist as a societal and cultural norm.
It begins with very young girls. From birth, there are decisions made for girls that impact their present and future. Nearly every moment may contain a directive, expectation, or mandate that limits their experiences, development, and opportunities. In the West, girls are often expected not to get dirty, interfering with their sense of exploration and adventure, and are also often told to be “careful” and not to get hurt in their types of play which limits chances to learn and practice calculated risk. Often education, or the lack of it, carries some of the most impactful limits.
Education is universally acknowledged as essential for the elimination of poverty and yet around the world girls’ access to education is restricted, either by poverty, culture, or government. The United Nations’ 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to an education and yet 132 million girls age 6 to 17 do not attend…
