Equity: A Goal Worth Working Towards

Hazel McCallion Senior Public School
Mississauga, Ontario

By Emily Heenan, Grade 8

 

Women and men should be treated equally. So why is it that men have always been the leaders?

Women have always been discriminated against. Parents have always preferred a son, and men have always had more opportunities in life. As the years go by, women are starting to be treated more fairly, but in Asia, Northern Africa and the Middle East, the problem is still very grave.

Women should have more chances in life. In India, women have very few opportunities for success because they are usually uneducated and have no freedom. When a girl is born, she is considered a burden on the family, and it is expected that she will never amount to anything more than a housewife.

Because people think of girls this way, there is no pride in bearing a baby girl. In most third world countries, men have all of the power. Men run the country, the farms, the businesses and the families. If women could be more independent, live more productive lives, and have the same opportunities that men have, then women would be thought of more highly.

One of the main problems is the women's attitudes. Many of them think about the way they are treated as "the way of life" and just take it. Even though some don't agree, it is very hard to complain when you have no rights. If all of the women in these countries where women are really discriminated against fought back, then maybe it would help the situation.

It will be very difficult to stop the discrimination, because this is the way people have been doing things for centuries. Most won't just change their beliefs overnight so it will take a while. In the mean time, it is our job, our duty, to educate people and use outside pressure to force them to change.

The best way to stop discrimination is to educate people. If men realized that women are equal to them and women started sticking up for themselves, then we could all live fairly.

 

 

Front Page