117: Truth on Gender Equality (6)

【Action Creates Progress】
The outcome of last year's elections in the US and Japan was a genuine disappointment, allowing us to see through the thoughts, attitudes, and values of many who disregard gender equality and human rights.
 
And this result affects people across the globe.
 
It’s because, around the world, there are many people and children whose futures are closed off simply because they’re women.
 
For example, as you spend a minute reading this blog, more than 20 girls are forced into marriage before the age of 18. Early marriage significantly raises the risk for young girls, often already vulnerable within the family, to face violence, and the risks of health issues caused by early pregnancies/childbirth.
 
Moreover, due to the ignorant notion that “Girls don't need an education,” approximately 129 million girls are unable to attend school. Women forced to abandon their education tend to earn lower incomes, perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
 
What’s more, once married, many wives are subjected to abusive words from their unfair/petty husbands yelling, “Who do you think is putting food on the table!” or, worse yet, to domestic violence. As such, women continue to suffer, even though it’s the male-dominated society that creates this environment in the first place, where women have limited access to education and, therefore, tend to earn low wages.
 
In these ways, women are discriminated simply because they’re women, exposed to double/triple victimization, and have their futures closed off.
 
In light of this injustice, supporting women is supposed to be a duty that “Developed countries” like the US and Japan must take the lead. It’s because “Developed countries” should not only be economically wealthy, but also be “Nice countries” with progressive ideas and ways of thinking.
 
To be sure, a nice country is where more people are practicing a nice person behavior, and a nice person is someone who tries best to accept/help others in real need--even when it’s inconvenient, or at times unpleasant. [See #110]
 
However, the Trump administration and the Liberal Democratic Party administration, both winners in last year's elections, have not only failed to advance gender equality, but also cut support for people suffering injustices, as well as fostered even more discrimination. Their ideas/actions are completely backward that they stand out as blatant cruelty. Given this, it’s unfit to call these countries “Developed” under the current administrations.
 
This reminds us that a society that treats women horribly is not only found amongst radical terrorist groups riddled with extreme misogyny, such as the Taliban in Afghanistan or Boko Haram in Nigeria. Indeed, we can also find them much closer to home.
 
Even then, when men choose to hold women down, force upon them the unjust social norm, and prefer the maintenance of status-quo instead of joining women to lift themselves up. As a responsible adult, that’s awfully shameful. This, we must be fully aware.
 
And when we grasp the sweeping tide of history spanning over hundreds of thousands of years, we surely come to realize that this awareness is expanding. [See #38]
 
Of course, this doesn't just happen on its own. In fact, if nothing is done, nothing will change, and time will simply pass by.
 
This awareness is expanding precisely because the actions of each individual have created progress.
 
And building upon further, we can’t help but embrace infinite hope that more and more nice people with progressive ideas/ways of thinking will continue to take action to advance gender equality.

Read Previous: Truth on Gender Equality (5)【What Elections Tell Us】

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Read Theme: Discrimination