Words by Smiley Team
What would the world look like if we achieved gender equality? It’s difficult to imagine in societies where women receive less pay, a greater care burden and fewer rights. Elsewhere, however, examples prove that it is possible to achieve this goal, the UN’s fifth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to create a thriving world.
Early hunter-gatherers, ancient Sumer (now Iraq) and modern-day Iceland all offer hope that gender equality is attainable. But how to get there?
Perhaps a start to replicating equality in these societies would be to spread awareness. By building people’s understanding of what gender equality actually means and how to create it, we might sow the seeds for positive change.
Gender equality, more accurately referred to as equality of the sexes, is defined by the World Health Organisation as “the absence of discrimination on the basis of a person's sex in opportunities, the allocation of resources and benefits, or access to services”.
For people in different parts of the world, this can mean different things. Iceland, for example, is the world’s highest-ranking nation for gender equality today. This is largely thanks to the dedication of activists and campaigners, but also due to a historically-rooted concept of “strong women” that has passed down through Icelandic culture and tradition to influence society today.
Many agree that for people of all sexes or gender identities to have an equal deal, changes must be made throughout every area of social life, including the culture, economy, politics and legal system of a country.
For instance, Jane Kenyon, the founder of girls empowerment charity Girls Out Loud, tells Smiley News: “[Gender equality] means everyone has the same opportunity to progress across all areas of society- be it in corporates, business, entrepreneurship, politics, global strategy ie peace negotiations, Government positions and so on.”
“It also means real choice and men taking joint responsibility for raising the family and doing domestic chores – this is not women’s work,” she adds.
For many women’s organisations, the first step to tackling inequality is to educate people at the earliest opportunity. This means teaching children behaviours that favour equality from their very first learning experiences through to adulthood.
Jane explains that this implies teaching girls and boys as equals, raising children as equals and investing in employees equally regardless of their sex or gender. But all these preconditions for equality are yet to be seen, she says.
Gender equality charity Women in Sports shares this view, stating, “Women face barriers to participation at every stage of their life because of their gender. From restrictive uniform in primary school, a lack of understanding of puberty and periods through to the pressures of midlife and menopause.”
Girls Out Loud runs programmes designed to catalyse progress towards these goals and improve chances of achieving gender equality in the UK.
Women in Sport hopes to amplify the message of gender equality by raising awareness. It says: “The most powerful asset we have is our voice.”
Likewise, Jane explains: “Our work focuses on empowering young girls to know their value, find their voice and harness their full potential. This helps them make better choices, respect themselves and stand up and be seen and heard.”
They also connect teenage girls to powerful female role models in order to show them what’s possible and provide them with space and safety to express their views and share their concerns.
She says: “We are nurturing and inspiring the next generation, the female talent pipeline. We want them to learn, lead and thrive.”
Support one of these fantastic organisations striving to create gender equality.
Girls Out Loud are dedicated to teaching gender equality from an early age, raising the aspirations of teenage girls in the UK. They empower girls to find their voice through programmes designed to improve their confidence, emotional resilience, self-assurance and self-esteem.
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This charity distributes period products to those who can’t afford them and educates people who cannot otherwise access information about menstruation.
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The Fawcett Society is the UK’s leading membership charity campaigning for gender equality and women’s rights at work, at home and in public life.
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Women in Sport was founded in 1984, with the goal of giving every woman and girl in the UK the experience of the life-changing rewards of sport.
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This grassroots federation provides life-saving services and build a future where domestic violence is no longer tolerated.
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Imkaan is the UK’s only women’s organisation dedicated to addressing violence against Black and minoritised women and girls.
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This UK charity offers high-quality interview clothing and training for unemployed women facing barriers to work.
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Rosa is a charity that provides grants that fund grassroots women’s groups helping make the UK a fairer, safer place for women.
