Women's Rights are Human Rights

Women's Rights are Human Rights

I have been raised in a house by liberal and open-minded parents who hear me or my brother out on whatever stance we take. Politics is often at the center of our dinner conversations yet my brother and I are perfect examples of exact opposites when it comes to issues related to politics. We grew up listening to the same dinner table discussions, yet he aligns himself more with conservative beliefs. I, on the other hand,  was drawn to the political party that I thought made human rights a priority. I value social justice over economic policies, therefore I felt welcomed by the ideas of the democratic party because of their support for LGBTQ+ rights, preserving the environment, and universal healthcare. However, the issue I am most impacted by and passionate about is gender equality.

Gender equality means the most to me because it is essentially about the human rights that everyone is entitled to regardless of sex. Women and men should be paid equal salaries for working in the same position. Contrary to what many people may think, equal pay for women does not mean less money for men. Iceland recently made the unequal pay of women and men illegal. I think the fact that women made up about 50% of Iceland’s parliament helped this law get passed. In the United States, women make up just 20% of congress. I do not think the gender of a lawmaker should play a role in the passing of legislation concerning equal pay. We all should want equal rights for each other regardless if the issue does not affect us personally. However, I believe there is  a direct correlation between laws regarding gender equality and the gender of the lawmakers. When women hold positions of power, we see everyone benefit.

Equal pay is just one of many political debates that can be influenced by the gender of lawmakers. In congress, members are about 80% white, 80% male, and 92% Christian. Citizens are not being represented proportionally. Women are not a minority in this country; we are half of the population yet we are not adequately represented in Congress. Women’s reproductive rights are often up for debate within politics. I have still yet to wrap my head around the idea that men are making laws that influence women’s health; they hold more power over women’s bodies than the women themselves. Having female lawmakers ensures that legislation represents all genders.

There are so many issues with society that keep women out of positions of power. The lack of female leaders by no means is a result one gender being superior to another. Throughout history women have been treated as the inferior sex but we are making progress in today’s society towards obtaining equality. That said, we can of course make legislation in favor of equal rights, yet the bigger picture lies in how we raise our daughters and sons. Girls need to be encouraged to do things  that traditionally are associated with being a boy so that one day we will live in a world where men and women are truly equal in the workplace and beyond. Not only do we need to tell our daughters that they can do anything a boy can do, but we need to tell our sons that they can do anything that girls can do.