9 Pivotal Issues Affecting Women around the Globe

There was a time when men dominated society. All the rules and laws suited to men. However, change took place as it always does. Girls and women who had been living their lives in obscurity started coming to the fore. They made their way into the higher echelons of society. When Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the first women Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (erstwhile Ceylon), the Sun had started to rise for women. However, things have not been so rosy today. Still, certain aspects of our society do not provide women with the rights and the status that they deserve. Cate and Chloe taking a serious note of the women concerns and the pivotal issues affecting women around the globe attempt to highlight them in this article. 

The Issues

Education: As per a UNESCO report, 31 million girls never went to school, and 1 out of 4 girls never completed their primary school even. Education not only provides an understanding of books, it raises the mental level of human beings. Educated girls tend to marry late, grow healthy kids, and earn like their male counterparts. Earning women are self-dependent and can make decisions by themselves. This in turn develops a positive attitude in them to which they are entitled.

Employment: In developed or developing nations, women still seem to be lacking opportunities of employment as compared to men. The ratio is 1:9 in favour of men. Women are mothers not of a single family but of a society as a whole. The families in which women are earning are better off than where only men earn. Women will always invest more into their families than men. 

Health Issues: As of date, there are 74 million unplanned pregnancies and 36 million abortions. Women need to be aware of their rights regarding reproduction and health care. As per a study if women take decisions regarding their reproduction, there will be 70% less abortions and maternal deaths. In addition, the money and medicine wasted on abortions could be utilized elsewhere.

Economic Justice: There are a wide range of issues that pertain to the economic freedom of women. These include maternity leaves, paid sick leaves, pay equality, and financial literacy.

Racism: Colored Women in the Dark continent, India, and other places undergo a double burden of discrimination that of race and sex. Women deserve more than this. They should not be judged on colour or sex. Women deserve to get equal opportunities in employment, education, and reproductive rights.

Child Marriage: Child Marriage affects girls in a double way. Girls being married while they are still minors do not get the required education. Also, they might have to suffer premature deliveries which they might not be able to handle. This is on the decrease but it has to stop altogether. Even one single child marriage will fail the mission to provide justice to these little girls. 

Female Genital Mutilation: Tampering with the female genital organs because of some non-medical reasons should not be tolerated and the guilty must be bought before the law. Such religious and cult groups need to be banned as tampering with the female genital organs leads to disastrous health problems, and above all violates a girls’ rights.

Sanitation: Lack of clean water and sanitation facilities lead to a great many problems for women. Without the girls having access to sanitary pads, they might have to skip school or college during the menstrual periods. Any kind of weightlifting work should not be given to women when they are due with a baby or even during their menstrual periods. 

Violence Against Women: Violence against women is a common problem in developing countries. Not only men are responsible for this, sometimes its women pitted against women. Forcing them to do tasks they cannot is against their basic rights. Women deserve a lot better than this.

Summarizing

In this changing society, all of us have to stand for one or another cause to help women. We cannot just stop with a single Kalpana Chawla, Lilian Bland, Sunita Williams, or Malala Yusuf. The world needs many of them. Besides being mothers and wives, women have shown they can reach for Everest or the sky even when given a chance.