GENDER EQUALITY ESSAY
Role of women in the society
Sir: Women are the integral part of the society. Phenomenal changes have taken place across the
world in recent years, but the status and fate of women has not changed much. In Pakistan, their
situation has become much worse.
We were recently rated as one of the worst countries in the world when it comes to the way we
treat women. More than 60 years after independence, 80 per cent of Pakistani women are still
subjected to domestic violence. Our country is ranked 82 out of 93 countries on the Gender
Development Index and 152 out of 156 countries on the Gender Empowerment Measure. We are
also among a handful of countries where there is a negative sex ratio of 100 women to 108 men.
Though women have potential to play a multidimensional role from societal to organizational,
yet they have been neglected. Our country’s backwardness can directly be attributed to the
denied role of women in country’s development.
Quaid-e-Azam said in speech in 1944:
“No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you; we are
victims of evil customs. It is a crime against humanity that our women are shut up within the
four walls of the houses as prisoners”.
Patriarchal men say no to education for women. Not only this, many women are also denied the
opportunity for job and earn livelihood. Their occupational choices are limited due to social and
cultural constraints and inherent gender bias in the labour market. They also lack supportive
facilities such as childcare, transport and accommodation in the formal sector of the labour
market. Women’s labour power is considered inferior because of employer’s predetermined
notion of women’s primary role as homemakers. As a result of discrimination, their role is low
paid and leads to lack of potential upward mobility.
However, the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) strongly emphasized on education by saying that, “It
is the prime duty of men and women to acquire education”.
Islam is a comprehensive religion that gives women a great importance. However, the narrow-
minded and biased religious Ulemas have always misinterpreted it to serve their wicked
purposes. It amounts to neglect the real soul of Islam that gives women equality in every sphere
of life.
Women can play a greater role in the development of our nation. They have a great potential to
lift our nation, which is rife with problems. God has bestowed them with all capabilities and their
role in any sphere whether it is social, economic, political, cultural or educational cannot be
ignored. We need to utilize their talent in right place and admit their stake in country’s progress.
Women of Pakistan are highly devoted towards their role in the development of the country and
they are emerging as notable members of the society.
Furthermore, they are promoting the cause of women’s status and role in the society. It must be
admitted and applauded that these courageous women have not only created awareness among
the fellow women about their strength and importance, but have also embedded themselves into
the platforms where their demands could meet success. Now the time has come to actively
integrate them in countries affairs so that we can faster the pace of progress of Pakistan. The task
is very simple and women have to come out from the shackles of male superiority.
Gender equality is a human right, but our world faces a persistent gap in access to opportunities
and decision-making power for women and men.
Globally, women have fewer opportunities for economic participation than men, less access to
basic and higher education, greater health and safety risks, and less political representation.
Guaranteeing the rights of women and giving them opportunities to reach their full potential is
critical not only for attaining gender equality, but also for meeting a wide range of international
development goals. Empowered women and girls contribute to the health and productivity of
their families, communities, and countries, creating a ripple effect that benefits everyone.
The word gender describes the socially-constructed roles and responsibilities that societies
consider appropriate for men and women. (Source) Gender equality means that men and women
have equal power and equal opportunities for financial independence, education, and personal
development. (Source) Women's empowerment is a critical aspect of achieving gender equality.
It includes increasing a woman's sense of self-worth, her decision-making power, her access to
opportunities and resources, her power and control over her own life inside and outside the
home, and her ability to effect change. (Source) Yet gender issues are not focused on women
alone, but on the relationship between men and women in society. (Source) The actions and
attitudes of men and boys play an essential role in achieving gender equality. (Source)
Education is a key area of focus. Although the world is making progress in achieving gender
parity in education, girls still make up a higher percentage of out-of-school children than boys.
(Source) Approximately one quarter of girls in the developing world do not attend school.
Typically, families with limited means who cannot afford costs such as school fees, uniforms,
and supplies for all of their children will prioritize education for their sons. (Source) Families
may also rely on girls' labor for household chores, carrying water, and childcare, leaving limited
time for schooling. But prioritizing girls' education provides perhaps the single highest return on
investment in the developing world. An educated girl is more likely to postpone marriage, raise a
smaller family, have healthier children, and send her own children to school. She has more
opportunities to earn an income and to participate in political processes, and she is less likely to
become infected with HIV.
Women's health and safety is another important area. HIV/AIDS is becoming an increasingly
impactful issue for women. (Source) This can be related to women having fewer opportunities
for health education, unequal power in sexual partnership, or as a result of gender-based
violence. Maternal health is also an issue of specific concern. In many countries, women have
limited access to prenatal and infant care, and are more likely to experience complications during
pregnancy and childbirth. This is a critical concern in countries where girls marry and have
children before they are ready; often well before the age of 18. (Source) Quality maternal health
care can provide an important entry point for information and services that empower mothers as
informed decision-makers concerning their own health and the health of their children.
A final area of focus in attaining gender equality is women's economic and political
empowerment. Though women comprise more than 50% of the world's population, they only
own 1% of the world's wealth. (Source) Throughout the world, women and girls perform long
hours of unpaid domestic work. In some places, women still lack rights to own land or to inherit
property, obtain access to credit, earn income, or to move up in their workplace, free from job
discrimination. (Source) At all levels, including at home and in the public arena, women are
widely underrepresented as decision-makers. In legislatures around the world, women are
outnumbered 4 to 1, yet women's political participation is crucial for achieving gender equality
and genuine democracy. (Source)
The World Economic Forum recently ranked the United States as 19th in the world on its gender
gap index. (Source) With women comprising less than one fifth of elected members of Congress,
the report identifies political empowerment as the greatest gender equity issue for the United
States. The U.S. ranked higher in economic empowerment, but women's earning power remains
approximately 20% lower than men's. (Source) Women in the United States have a very high
ranking of educational attainment, though, with high levels of literacy and enrollment in primary,
secondary, and university education. At present, there are more U.S. women attending college
than men. (Source)
Globally, no country has fully attained gender equality.(Source) Scandinavian countries like
Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Sweden lead the world in their progress toward closing the gender
gap.(Source) In these countries, there is relatively equitable distribution of available income,
resources, and opportunities for men and women. The greatest gender gaps are identified
primarily in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. However, a number of countries in these
regions, including Lesotho, South Africa, and Sri Lanka outrank the United States in gender
equality.(Source)
Around the world, Peace Corps Volunteers are working with communities to address gender
equality and empower women and girls. In 1974, Congress signed the Percy
Amendment requiring Peace Corps Volunteers to actively integrate women into the economic,
political, and social development of their countries. (Source) Many Peace Corps Volunteers
implement the Camp GLOW program, or Girls Leading Our World, to help girls develop self-
esteem and leadership skills. Recognizing that men and boys must be equal partners in achieving
gender equality, Volunteers also teach leadership and life skills to boys through Teaching Our
Boys Excellence (TOBE) camps. Peace Corps Volunteers promote gender equality and women's
empowerment through health education, business development, and by raising awareness of
women's rights and contributions to their communities. Learn more about how Peace Corps
Volunteers are working with communities by visiting the Paul D. Coverdell World Wise
Schools resources.
Vocabulary
Gender : Socially-constructed roles and responsibilities that societies consider appropriate for
men and women
Gender-based violence : Violence against women based on their perceived subordinate status
(e.g., physical abuse, sexual assault, psychological abuse, trafficking)
Gender equality : Equal power and opportunities for men and women
Gender gap : Discrepancy between men and women in the areas of health, education, political
empowerment, and economic empowerment
Gender parity : Relative access to resources for men and women, often used for education
Maternal health : The health of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and during the postpartum
period
Percy Amendment : 1974 congressional amendment to the Peace Corps Act requiring Peace
Corps Volunteers to integrate women into the economic, political, and social development of
their countries
Women's empowerment : The fostering of a woman's sense of self-worth, her decision-making
power, her access to opportunities and resources, her power and control over her own life inside
and outside the home, and her ability to affect change.
Understanding Women in Today’s World
Do you feel it’s easy understanding women or you find doing so an uphill task? If you are a man,
I guess your answer will be – it’s tough to understand women – isn’t it?
Some would say understanding women remains a mystery, though I feel women are
understandable and undeniably the foundation of the world.
Women are for sure changing roles and evolving, or rather, re-discovering themselves. It is
bound to create some misunderstandings and confusion in everybody.
Gone are the days when a woman was supposed to be less than a man.
Women in today’s world are a paragon of total independence. Well, I don’t deny that there are
exceptions of women who are still facing the harshness of life.
Would you believe in some parts of the world women are still considered as lesser human
beings, and more to be as things or objects?
The sad reality of many women around the globe today includes domestic violence, honor
killing, prostitution, rape, degradation, and verbal abuse to name a few.
But this fact cannot be ignored that things and people have changed with time, and so have
women. Globally, women now strive and achieve real success, just like men.
Well then, what’s the new face of today’s woman! To know the answer you need to focus on
understanding women and their life.
The New Face of Today’s Woman
In ancient civilizations, women were considered as deities or goddesses. Ironically, in those same
places women are being mistreated and disrespected.
However, today’s woman can now lift her veil and see her real face in the mirror of society. She
deserves a prominent place and respect for what she is, and what she does.
The fact is, without women, men will cease to exist. With a woman’s support, a man feels
incomplete. Without a woman’s intuition, a man’s intellect lacks insight.
Women should be loved; but they’re no objects. They also need to be understood as well.
“Women are meant to be loved, not to be understood.” ~ Oscar Wilde
Today’s woman is the new superpower rising in the world, taking on the path of evolution. The
new face of women is promising.
She is the lifeline of this Universe because she is bestowed with the ability to carry a life within
her, which isn’t the case with men.
A woman is full of beauty, grace, love, care, simplicity, concern, tenderness, which is part of her
nature. She is quick to change her role, and is always happy to share responsibilities.
She is forever multitasking as she plays the role of being a daughter, mother, sister, friend, wife,
and grandmother.
However, today’s woman is even willing to work alongside men if she wants, or if it’s required!
With International Women’s Day coming up on 8th March, I thought being a woman myself; I
should let people know that it’s not as hard as you think to understand women after all.
No one is perfect, but what steps a woman can take to nurture the perfect woman within is
something I had written about last year. Hope you head over and read the article.
This post is about understanding women and her role in today’s world, and is meant for every
woman because all of them are perfect in their own ways. Yes, for men too, as they have women
in their lives.
“Nature has given women so much power that the law has very wisely given them little.” ~
Samuel Johnson
Who Decides What a Woman Does
Not only does a woman play multiple roles, but she also has diversified interests, multifarious
skills and talents – that she’s no less than a superwoman today!
That was my personal opinion. I would like to have yours.
Okay, in your bid to understand today’s women I’ll make it easier for you; let me ask you a few
questions that should get you thinking.
Should a woman always remain silent, only be a homemaker, bear kids and look after them? Will
a career make her happy and provide her with a personal identity she seeks?
Can a woman be a wife, mother, and run a career as well? Should her career come first, followed
by marriage, or should marriage be a priority over career?
Should she have kids or not, or she should concentrate only on her career?
Isn’t there so much confusion today about how women should order their life to gain fulfillment
and satisfaction? Who decides what she does in today’s world? Shouldn’t it be the woman
herself?
Except in some dark parts of today’s world, women decide for themselves about who they’ll be,
what they’ll do, and how they’ll live their lives.
Why leave anybody in the dark? Every woman on Earth should be able to decide for herself and
have a new face to her identity.
“Feminism is an entire world view or gestalt, not just a laundry list of women’s issues.” ~
Charlotte Bunch
Understanding Women Today
There are many layers to understanding women that you need to unfold before you really get to
know her. You need to get to the bottom – the core – of what makes a woman really tick.
It’s like the Russian nesting dolls, also called the Matryoshka Dolls, where you open one up, and
you have a smaller one inside, and then a still smaller one inside, and yet another one inside of
that one!
Women have lots of potential and power, but yes, sometimes understanding women is tough.
That’s because women are forever struggling within with the conflict between their true nature,
and what they have been taught about themselves.
More than men, I believe women are the victims of the rules laid down by our society,
which we’ve lived by for millenniums.
The true nature of women in today’s world is that they are equal to men in all aspects. However,
many women are brainwashed ever since childhood to behave differently.
They are taught to suppress their needs, and their internal conflict often leads to difficult,
irrational, unpredictable behavior, and mental problems.
Women need to understand that it’s not about breaking social taboos, but about being
themselves. She has to fight to live her own life.
Today’s woman has arisen, opened her eyes, and understood her real self.
“One is not born a woman, one becomes one.” ~ Simone de Beauvoir
Understanding Women’s Role Today
Women’s role in society has changed a lot from what it was a century ago due to feminism.
More women are moving out of their houses to work, and more percentage of them are
graduating from colleges as compared to men. They’re reaching top levels, and their salaries
have increased!
They aren’t just housewives and mothers, but career women, executives, Prime Ministers, and
Presidents of nations.
Women are financially liberated, self-sufficient, and are now very picky about their life partner.
If she does get married and things don’t work out, she knows that it’s easier now to get a divorce
and move away rather than stay in such a marriage and suffer.
She knows how she can find her own share of happiness without being dependent on anyone.
While a man today fights to keep his loved one, the woman thinks ahead about where she wants
to be 10 years from now!
She might want to be settled with a family and kids. But more likely, she would want to be a
powerful career woman, or be able to manage both fronts.
Men have been raised since the beginning to feel like they are the breadwinners, but the modern
women fails to understand this.
“Women have been trained to speak softly and carry a lipstick. Those days are over.” ~ Bella
Abzug
Problems that Women Face
The problem that women face today is that they are expected to multitask.
They are expected to raise a family, look after kids, clean the house, and do all other odd jobs!
And yet, they’re expected to contribute to the family income.
They even suffer emotionally as they have to leave their small kids at home, and stay out for
long hours pursuing their careers and jobs.
Hats-off to all those single Moms who are doing everything on their own – single-handedly.
The pressure to cope up with all these roles can result in anxiety, depression, stress, and a loss of
self-worth.
However, with changing times it’s expected out of men to contribute and help the women,
especially when they are married and looking after their kids and family.
But sadly, in some places men are unsupportive and not bothered. They prefer doing what they
feel or find is best, and wouldn’t care less for their wife or kids – leaving the poor woman to
handle things.
The changing role of Women today is mainly due to education, poverty, and the responsibility of
her home and family.
More women are poor as compared to men, as per surveys. It’s because of poverty that women
have now started to move out, find a job, and earn for herself and her family.
Women today are as educated as men in most countries, so they feel they have a right to similar
jobs and attain the same levels as men. This has led them to move out and seek jobs, just like, or
even better than men.
Initially men objected to women going out and working or pursuing their career outside home.
They still do at some places!
However, with the growing needs and less of money, they had no way other than to accept and
adjust.
Most women today have started working. That’s because their husbands can’t or don’t work
anymore, or because they are widows and separated.
Also, because she wants to contribute and earn as her husband’s income isn’t enough to support
the family.
“Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, “She
doesn’t have what it takes.” They will say, “Women don’t have what it takes.” ~ Clare Boothe
However, that’s what makes me proud to be a woman – I’m capable of doing everything that
perhaps a man cannot do. And, I feel its pure bliss being a woman – wouldn’t you agree, being a
woman?
For men, I’m sure you too agree with all that I mentioned above; after all you all have a woman
of substance in your life, whether she is your mother, sister, wife, friend, or granny!
It’s not difficult understanding women in today’s world. Just consider them as equals, give
respect and love, and the rest will be easy.
So, here’s rejoicing to womanhood with one and all.
Benefits of economic empowerment
Women’s economic empowerment is central to realizing women’s rights and gender
equality. Women’s economic empowerment includes women’s ability to participate equally
in existing markets; their access to and control over productive resources, access to decent
work, control over their own time, lives and bodies; and increased voice, agency and
meaningful participation in economic decision-making at all levels from the household to
international institutions.
Empowering women in the economy and closing gender gaps in the world of work are
key to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development [1] and achieving the
Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5, to achieve gender equality, and Goal 8,
to promote full and productive employment and decent work for all; also Goal 1 on ending
poverty, Goal 2 on food security, Goal 3 on ensuring health and Goal 10 on reducing
inequalities.
When more women work, economies grow. Women’s economic empowerment boosts
productivity, increases economic diversification and income equality in addition to other
positive development outcomes.[2] For example, increasing the female employment rates in
OECD countries to match that of Sweden, could boost GDP by over USD 6 trillion,[3]
recognizing, however, that. growth does not automatically lead to a reduction in gender-based
inequality. Conversely, it is estimated that gender gaps cost the economy some 15 percent of
GDP.[4]
Increasing women’s and girls’ educational attainment contributes to women’s economic
empowerment and more inclusive economic growth. Education, upskilling and re-skilling
over the life course – especially to keep pace with rapid technological and digital
transformations affecting jobs—are critical for women’s and girl’s health and wellbeing, as
well as their income-generation opportunities and participation in the formal labour market.
Increased educational attainment accounts for about 50 per cent of the economic growth in
OECD countries over the past 50 years.[5] But, for the majority of women, significant gains
in education have not translated into better labour market outcomes.[6]
Women’s economic equality is good for business. Companies greatly benefit from
increasing employment and leadership opportunities for women, which is shown to increase
organizational effectiveness and growth. It is estimated that companies with three or more
women in senior management functions score higher in all dimensions of organizational
performance.[7]
Gender differences in laws affect both developing and developed economies, and women
in all regions. Globally, over 2.7 billion women are legally restricted from having the same
choice of jobs as men. Of 189 economies assessed in 2018, 104 economies still have laws
preventing women from working in specific jobs, 59 economies have no laws on sexual
harassment in the workplace, and in 18 economies, husbands can legally prevent their wives
from working. [8]
Women remain less likely to participate in the labour market than menaround the
world. Labour force participation rate for women aged 25-54 is 63 per cent compared to 94
per cent for men. [9] When including younger (aged 15 years and up) and older women (aged
55 and up) , in 2018 women’s global labour force participation rate is event lower at 48.5 per
cent, 26.5 percentage points below that of men.[10]
Women are more likely to be unemployed than men. In 2017, global unemployment rates
for men and women stood at 5.5 per cent and 6.2 per cent respectively. This is projected to
remain relatively unchanged going into 2018 and through 2021.[11]
Women are over-represented in informal and vulnerable employment. Women are more
than twice as likely than men to be contributing family workers.[12] From the latest available
data, the share of women in informal employment in developing countries was 4.6 percentage
points higher than that of men, when including agricultural workers, and 7.8 percentage
points higher when excluding them.[13]
Globally, women are paid less than men. The gender wage gap is estimated to be 23 per
cent. This means that women earn 77 per cent of what men earn, though these figures
understate the real extent of gender pay gaps, particularly in developing countries where
informal self-employment is prevalent. Women also face the motherhood wage penalty,
which increases as the number of children a woman has increases.
Women bear disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care and domestic work. Women tend
to spend around 2.5 times more time on unpaid care and domestic work than men. The
amount of time devoted to unpaid care work is negatively correlated with female labour force
participation.
Unpaid care work is essential to the functioning of the economy, but often goes uncounted
and unrecognized. It is estimated that if women’s unpaid work were assigned a monetary
value, it would constitute between 10 per cent and 39 per cent of GDP.
Women are still less likely to have access to social protection. Gender inequalities in
employment and job quality result in gender gaps in access to social protection acquired
through employment, such as pensions, unemployment benefits or maternity protection.
Globally, an estimated nearly 40 per cent of women in wage employment do not have access
to social protection.[20]
Women are less likely than men to have access to financial institutions or have a bank
account. While 65 per cent of men report having an account at a formal financial institution,
only 58 per cent of women do worldwide. [21]
The digital divide remains a gendered one: most of the 3.9 billion people who are offline are
in rural areas, poorer, less educated and tend to be women and girls.[22]
Women are less likely to be entrepreneurs and face more disadvantages starting businesses: In
40% of economies, women’s early stage entrepreneurial activity is half or less than half of
that of men’s.[23]
Women are constrained from achieving the highest leadership positions: Only 5% of Fortune
500 CEOs are Women.[24]
Violence and harassment in the world of work affects women regardless of age, location,
income or social status. The economic costs – a refelction of the human and social costs – to
the global economy of discriminatory social institutions and violence against women is
estimated to be approximately USD 12 trillion annually.[25]
Sustainable Development
Almost a third of women’s employment globally is in in agriculture, including forestry and
fishing, but this may exclude self-employed and unpaid family workers. Yet, differences
across countries and regions are striking. The share of women workers in agriculture is only
9.5 per cent in upper-middle-income countries and 2.6 per cent in high-income countries,
while agriculture remains the most important employment sector for women in low-income
and lower-middle-income countries.[26]
Women farmers have significantly less access to, control over, and ownership of land and
other productive assets compared to their male counterparts. Land is perhaps the most
important economic asset; women account for only 12.8 per cent of agricultural landholders
in the world.[27]
Women and girls suffer most from the dearth of safely managed water and sanitation. Women
and girls are responsible for water collection in 80 per cent of households without access to
water on premises.[28] Menstrual hygiene management is difficult in the absence of water,
soap and gender-responsive sanitation facilities, whether at home, school or work.
Women and girls are more likely to carry the burden of energy poverty and experience the
adverse effects of lack of safe, reliable, affordable and clean energy. Indoor air pollution from
using combustible fuels for household energy caused 4.3 million deaths in 2012, with women
and girls accounting for 6 out of every 10 deaths.[29]
Environmental degradation and climate change have disproportionate impacts on women and
children. Women often bear the brunt of coping with climate-related shocks and stresses or
the health effects of indoor and urban pollution, which add to their care burden. As land,
forest and water resources are increasingly compromised, privatized or “grabbed” for
commercial investment, local communities and indigenous peoples, particularly women,
whose livelihoods depend on them, are marginalized and displaced. Globally, women are 14
times more likely than men to die during a disaster.
Women migrant workers
Women constitute approximately half of the 258 million migrants who live and work outside
their countries of birth. Migrant women and girls outnumber men and boys in all regions
except Africa and Asia; in some countries of Asia, men migrants outnumber women by about
three to one.
Despite gender inequalities in the labour market and gender wage gaps globally, women
migrant workers were responsible for sending half of the estimated $601 billion in
remittances worldwide in 2016.
Research has shown that women migrant workers are often more likely than men to remit on
a regular basis owing to women’s stronger links to family members and self-insurance
motives[33] underlining the link between a woman’s gendered caregiving role in the
household and her increasing propensity to remit.
Although many migrant women are highly skilled and well-educated, they face challenges in
accessing foreign labour markets. Employment restrictions for migrants coupled with the de-
skilling prevalent in gendered labour markets and pervasive stereotypes associated with
migrant women in countries of destination, can negatively impact their job prospects. Indeed,
many migrant women participate in low-skilled and precarious jobs characterized by low
wages, poor working conditions, limited labour and social protections, and exposure to
physical and sexual violence.
Women migrant workers are often concentrated in informal, low paid and unregulated work. The
main sectors in which women migrant workers are employed are: services and retail (18.8 per
cent), elementary occupations (17.3 per cent), craft and related trades (15.2 per cent),
professionals (13.9 per cent) and clerks (12.3 per cent). Of the estimated 11.5 million
international migrant domestic workers (in 2013), approximately 73.4 per cent were women.
Millions gathered around the globe a year ago on Jan. 21 for the historic Women's March to
show support for women's rights.
The harsh truth is that it would take at least 100 years to close the equality gap between men and
women, according to the World Economic Forum. Gender parity is closest in areas of health and
education, but major disparities exist in economics and politics.
Nevertheless, women persisted. Here are five recent wins for women's rights:
Iceland becomes first country to make it illegal to pay men more than women
Iceland started 2018 with a new law that requires equal pay for equal work — irrespective of
gender, ethnicity, sexuality or nationality.
The law covers about 150,000 workers in the country. The measure applies to 1,200 companies
in Iceland that have at least 25 workers, and the firms will have to publish their wage scales.The
measure intends to close the gender pay gap by 2022. Although other countries have made
similar moves, for now Iceland is the global pioneer.
Saudi Arabia allows women to drive for first time
Saudi Arabia announced in September that it will allow women to drive for the first time in the
ultra-conservative kingdom, ending a policy criticized worldwide as a human rights violation.
The change will begin in June.
Saudi Arabia, the only country to bar women from driving, has received negative attention for
years for detaining women who defied its ban.
The progressive development follows a decade of incremental change in Saudi Arabia, with
more women working in retail and being appointed top executive roles at the Saudi stock
exchange and the airport in Dammam. Women can now also be appointed to the Shoura Council
and run in municipal elections.
'Weinstein Effect’ goes global with #metoo
The sexual harassment and assault allegations against Hollywood's Harvey Weinstein that
sparked a flurry of allegations in other American industries, reached far beyond U.S. borders.
Nearly half of the “#metoo” mentions on Twitter since the movement launched came from
outside the United States, and decades-old accusations have led to the downfall of some
powerful men in other countries.
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Women in France increased their complaints about sexual abuse to police, on social media, in
street protests and through petitions. The French Interior Ministry said it saw a spike in women
reporting rape, sexual assault and harassment by almost a third in October, compared to October
2016.
Since news about Weinstein first surfaced, Paris has seen multiple protests with women
carrying signs saying, "My body belongs to me" and "no means no."
The hashtag #BalanceTonPorc (out your pig) has garnered thousands of Twitter comments in
France.
Child brides in India: Sex with minors now considered rape
Overturning an outdated law, India's Supreme Court ruled in October that sex by a man with his
minor wife, younger than 18, with or without her consent, is rape. Any husband convicted of
committing such an act can face up to 10 years in prison or even a life term.
The landmark ruling drew applause from human rights activists against child abuse and for
gender rights. They said the legal loophole had been routinely exploited to traffic minor girls into
sexual slavery both in and outside India.
U.S. sees surge in women interested in running for office
The number of women in political office has held steady in recent years, but experts say a record
number of women appear to be answering that call for 2018. More women are saying they are
running at this point than ever before.
The increase in female candidates is largely being seen in U.S. House and governor’s races and
driven primarily by Democrats, said Debbie Walsh, who leads the Center for American Women
and Politics at Rutgers University. In addition to the 56 Democratic and 16 Republican
congresswomen expected to run for re-election, there are 203 Democratic women and
25 Republican women running in primaries to challenge their current U.S. representative.
