By Soraya Bravo Rueda
Gender equality seems to be getting all the attention, not only at this year’s One Young World’s Education Plenary Session, but also in the Special Session: Women at the Top.
This year, the Education Plenary Session delegates spoke about the importance of digital literacy to empower women. Women and girls need to be considered as agents of change, and technology gives us the opportunity to access not only education, but employment too, as shown to us by Abeer Dawood Abu Ghaith. Her online platforms allow people to work from home.
Sadly. a gender gap is not the only obstacle in women’s lives around the world, violence against women is another problem we face too. Delegate speakers from Cambodia, Sotheary You, and Jordan, Lina Khalifeh, made it their mission to end gender based violence. For this reason Lina Khalifeh demands that we not accept it as the norm, that ‘Women should not live in fear’.
In the Special Session: Women at the Top, Ameenah Gurib-Fakim,President of Mauritius; Hope Solo USA Goalkeeper and Olympic Gold Medalist; and Fatima Bhutto, Author and activist, highlight the importance of judging women for their actions, not for their gender; and above all, the necessity of men and women fighting for equality.
After 3 days with the most inspiring people in the world I leave Bangkok. 18 hours later and having crossed 3 countries – I arrive at home where the reality for women is so very different.
Bangkok, TH, (Suvarnabhumi Intl)
According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2015, Thailand has increased the economic participation of women and has promoted women’s participation in decision-making processes. However, steps to end the violence against women, and the adequate inclusion of women in peace-building and conflict resolution processes remain a challenge.
Amman, JO (Queen Alia)
The Global Gender Gap Report 2015, ranks Jordan 140th out of 145 countries. Although the economic participation has reduced the gender gap and improvements have been made with regards to educational attainment and political empowerment since 2006, it is still one of the world’s least improved countries on the overall Index.
Madrid, ES (Adolfo Suarez Barajas) Terminal 4S
Spain is currently one of the only two countries that have gender equality in ministerial roles, however it has experienced the second largest decrease of political empowerment in women.
Whilst flying over these countries, I think of how much work there is left to do, but also how inspired I feel by all the men and women I heard speak in Bangkok, and how I truly believe that education is the tool we should use to end gender inequality. So let’s teach our future generations to judge women for their actions, not for their gender.
