We’re all aware of the many problems that countries outside of the United States face, such as starvation and disease and lack of education. But why is the lack of gender inequality in these countries not talked about more? If you ask your average American what gender inequality their country faces, chances are they’ll say that women get paid less than men, but in other countries, gender inequality takes on a whole new meaning.
Yes, we have come a long way in the United States since women have been able to vote. Since then, women have achieved milestones such as serving on the Supreme Court, becoming the Secretary of State and winning the popular vote in the 2016 election. But Americans have been so focused on the gender pay gap that we completely disregard the gender inequality problems that other nations face everyday. And yes, those are serious problems that America should be focusing on and trying to solve, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be aware of what other countries are going through. For example, I’m sure you know about the very unfortunate loss that Hillary Clinton recently took, but did you know that Fadumo Dayib is the first woman running for president in Somalia?
In Pakistan, Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern countries, honor killings against women still happen nearly 1,000 times a year, and those are just the ones that are recorded. Honor killings take place when a woman does something that brings shame to her family. That can mean anything from adultery to being a victim of rape. Although honor killings in these places are technically illegal, there were loopholes in the law that allowed thousands of ruthless killers to walk free. Pakistan has recently passed a law to attempt to close these loopholes, and while it’s a big step in the right direction, it will not completely erase the problem.
Dowry deaths occur when a woman is murdered or commits suicide due to not being able to meet the demand of her dowry after marriage. When a woman can not pay her dowry, the groom and his family will constantly harass and torture her, which can eventually lead to death. In some cases, women are burned to death with their murders disguised as “kitchen accidents” because their dowry was not enough for their groom’s family. This is a serious problem in South Asia, where 20 estimated deaths occur each day in India alone. Once again, loopholes allow the victim’s murderers to go free.
Americans’ lack of knowledge with this topic comes from a lack of understanding.
We are so used to hearing about violence that we’ve become desensitized to it. It’s hard to imagine these situations when they don’t happen anywhere near you and when you don’t hear about it as often as you should. Even when we do hear about these global problems, they go through one ear and out the other. Do women around the world a favor and read up on the treatment of women everywhere and spread awareness as much as you can. Women deserve it.
