Everyone knows that gender inequality is a global issue of the past, but what about today? Is gender inequality still relevant in our modern society? The answer to that is YES.
I’ve always known that gender inequality was an issue, but I recently became more aware of how prevalent it is within our society. Sure women can vote now and many take on the same jobs as men, but somehow women are still not respected in the same manner as their male counterpart.
About a month ago, I attended a public relations conference where one of the guest speakers, Dr. Hongmei Shen, spoke of her research on gender inequality. Although the public relations industry as a whole is women dominated, men still have an upper hand. According to her studies, women with equal level of skills and expertise as their male counterparts received about $8,000 less per year.
With this new-found realization that gender inequality is very much still present, I began looking for ways to adapt more feminist ideals and found myself never feeling prouder to be a woman. As I see it, now is our chance as women to show the world that we are just as good men. As women, it is our duty to stand up for ourselves and support each other.
Within the Cal Poly community female or male students can do the following to become a greater part of the feminist movement:
1.Attend Vagina Monologues:
One way to learn more about the feminist movement is to attend the Vagina Monologues, a play meant to address the social gender norms and experiences in a funny and relatable manner. According to Tammie Velasquez, a supervisor at Cal Poly’s Gender Equity Center, the Vagina Monologues is “the gateway drug to feminism. ” In her opinion, it is a great way to open people’s eyes to the current inequality.
2.Be a part of Woman Kind:
Another way to get in touch with your feminist side is to attend Woman Kind. The Gender Equity Center and Triota, a feminist club on campus, are beginning a program this spring quarter called Woman Kind. It is for women interested in feminism, but also a combination of self-care, wellness and career exploration. Velasquez says that the events held will have a sort of “organic, hippy” vibe so women can de-stress and participate in creative discussions and crafts in a “healing space.”
3.Following women empowerment users on twitter
Although Twitter should not be your only source of getting news, it is a great way of keeping in the loop. For example, HuffPostWomen shares articles and quotes meant to show “what it means to be female now.” One of their more recent articles, “11 inspirational stories of Women who’ve fought for gender equality,” shares stories meant to inspire other women to fight for gender equality.
4.Talk about feminism:
Lastly, but surely the most important, is to make sure to talk about feminism and woman empowerment. The more we share, the more people will be aware of the injustice that still occurs between men and women around the world.
Regardless of the ways you choose to participate in the feminist movement, it is important to remember that there is not one type of feminist. The more you educate yourself, the more you can develop into the role and decide what type of feminist you want to be.
“You really have to look into yourself and see what it means to you,” Velasquez said.
She believes that gender inequality “is an issue of power of privilege.”
“We don’t live in a society where everyone is equal so until women can say their opinion without being seen as bossy… feminism will always be needed,” she said.