Part 1 of these series can be found here.
I’ll start by approaching feminist issues in third world countries. At least 20.9 million adults and children are bought and sold worldwide into the sex trafficking industry, with 98% of victims being female. We cannot ignore that the whole industry has to be taken down, but the ratio between the genders shows that, across the globe, women are more vulnerable to be sold into illegal business trades that violate human rights. Additionally, education is the backbone to development and an essential stepping stone in overcoming sexism. Girls are underprivileged in this department as well, as was the case in Africa in 2010, when for every 100 boys at school, there were only 82 girls. Another statistic especially proving the need for feminism in third world countries is that in India, men are 3 times more likely to work than women. In 10 countries, marital rape is still legal and although this can go both ways regarding husbands or wives, statistically more women are raped globally than men, with 1 in 3 women being victims of sexual violence.
In developed countries, although not easily comparable to third world countries, women experience constant sexism with an ongoing “boys club” attitude, resulting in an ideology that justifies wolf whistling, the objectification of sex workers and a world where 4 times as many women are killed by former or current partners than men. The government in the UK can provide free condoms, yet there is still a tampon tax and numerous homeless shelters do not provide female sanitation products. A study done by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research shows that in the U.S., for every dollar a man makes, a woman only makes 77 cents. School dress codes sexualize young girls and their shoulders, legs, arms and ban items of clothing that expose these “inappropriate” areas for fear of distracting others, instead of teaching boys not to sexualize them.
We shouldn’t have to explain ourselves when demanding equality and more people should by know have realized that feminism is exactly that: equality.
