A gender-equal society would be one where the word ‘gender’ does not exist: where everyone can be themselves.
Gloria Steinem
To be a girl today is still paved with obstacles due to gender differences. Girls are not always valued for their thoughts and ideas.
While in politics we mostly hear about job and wage inequality, the problems of gender discrimination go much deeper than that. They involve the unwillingness to treat women and young girls with respect.
It starts when girls are very young and follows them throughout their lives. How girls are treated in school and at home by their teachers and parents is a huge part of where they will wind up and their outlook on life.
For example, if a young woman wants to succeed in math, science, public policy or a variety of male dominated careers they still have an uphill challenge. They especially need the support of other women.
But that support must be honest and genuine. To be anything less puts women right back to square one when it comes to female gender degradation. It’s phony.
That is why the recent remarks by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Gloria Steinem, both women who stand as positive role models for young women, were so destructive.
Both were speaking in support of Hillary Clinton, another female success example for young girls to observe.
In speaking of women and equality Albright said:
We can tell our story of how we climbed the ladder, and a lot of you younger women think it’s done. It’s not done. There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other!
She was, of course, referring to support of Clinton. But I bet there isn’t a woman among us who doesn’t remember being bullied into acceptance if we did just the right thing to get the invite to the party, or to fit into the group. It’s encouraging follower mentality and girls can be their own worst enemies with this stuff.
Even more shocking was women’s right activist Steinem, who in talking with Bill Maher said When you’re young, you’re thinking: ‘Where are the boys? The boys are with Bernie.
I found it ironic that she said this when young women are being considered for the draft. I guess the girls will follow the boys into service too. Would she say it’s because that’s where the boys are?
Steinem apologized for her comment. She said, What I had just said on the same show was the opposite: young women are active, mad as hell about what’s happening to them, graduating in debt, but averaging a million dollars less over their lifetimes to pay it back. Whether they gravitate to Bernie or Hillary, young women are activist and feminist in greater numbers than ever before.
The problem is young girls are still not given the credit they deserve for the ability to think for themselves. They are smart enough, so why we are still behind as a nation to acknowledge it?
Why are there those who still insist women need help to think and make correct decisions? Young girls are still listening. They hear this message.
Consider that the 2013 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found 15-year-old girls around the world outperform boys in science except in the United States, Britain, and Canada.
Why do girls do lousy in these countries? They traced it to poor self-concept. It is nurture, not nature, holding young women back.
Does this mean that Hillary Clinton deserves a blanket vote from all women?
No! Young women and old should not be political pawns. Women can think for themselves and young girls need to know that!
To her credit, I think Hillary Clinton stated it well in the debate when she said that you should vote for her if you felt she was the right person for the job. As nice as it would be to finally have a female President, choosing the right person for the job is true gender equality.
If young women believe Bernie Sanders is the right person for the job, they should not be cast as weak girls, or as not being supportive of women. We should be beyond that.
Gender equality goes deeper. Women must be respected for their thoughts. Their ideas and beliefs are what matter. They should make decisions based on what they know as people!
Being able to support a male or female for President due to their platform, and not just because they are female, is the strong, thoughtful decision.
It is as simple as that.
Stay tuned. I will be presenting a list of what we can all do to help girls become strong women in school and at home. Let me know your ideas and I will include them if they are appropriate.
Thank you.
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