Gender Equality in the Global Educational System

Today, I woke up as I do every other day: In my dorm room at my university, where I am able to take classes and study for my degree with the rest of my friends. What is the catch? I am a girl.

It is difficult knowing that there are countries all over the world where women are discouraged from earning an education and are unable to learn in a school environment. Where women are looked down upon, beaten, and murdered for wanting to obtain a fundamental right that I often take for granted in the United States.

If you are not familiar with Malala Yousafzai, she is an eighteen-year old Pakistani who was shot in the head on a school bus one day because she wanted to go to school. To learn. To practice a right that should be available to both boys and girls.

One of my greatest passions is speaking out on behalf of women and gender equality. In lieu of this, I figured that now would be the perfect time to share some of my feminist views here.

Today, I woke up as I do every other day: in my dorm room at my university, where I am able to take classes and study for my degree with the rest of my friends. What’s the catch? I’m a girl.

It’s difficult knowing that there are countries all over the world where women are discouraged from earning an education and are unable to learn in a school environment. Looked down upon, beaten, and murdered for wanting to obtain a fundamental right that I often take for granted in the United States.

 Despite being critically injured, she survived and speaks on behalf of women all over the world today who struggle with not being allowed to attend school or who are looked down upon for being a female. Malala is not only a survivor - she is a warrior. She fights on behalf of women all over the world, including me, when she advocates for equal rights.

I find it heartbreaking that a young girl had to nearly die in order to learn about different subjects, simply because she was not a boy.

In America, one of the biggest issues that women have to worry about in high schools is their dress code. I find this topic to be an important issue as well, with administration claiming that showing too much shoulder is “distracting to the boys,” in some situations. I am an advocate for girls to be able to feel comfortable in their clothing, and not have to go and change their clothes in the middle of an important class so that the boys are able to learn.

 Regardless, there is no gender discrimination about who gets to learn. Both boys and girls of all ages have an equal opportunity to receive an education in the subjects they are passionate about and want to study.

Women aren’t allowed to learn in many places besides Pakistan, including Nepal, Afghanistan. Guatemala, Egypt, Haiti, and Papa New Guinea.

Suppression of basic rights is something that is easily taken for granted in a privileged society like America. We complain about having to wake up early for class, writing a long essay, or studying for tests when we’d much rather be doing something else.

I can be just as guilty when it comes to not wanting to do certain things, until I remember how fortunate I am. I don’t have to fear about earning an education, or even walking down the street simply because of my gender.

I am nineteen-years old. I am a woman. And I am thankful everyday that I am able to go to school and learn.