The fight for women’s rights has made groundbreaking progress this year and while we have generated a powerful voice in the United States, we must use it to help our sisters overseas as well.
After the participation of more than 4.5 million people worldwide in the Women’s March on Washington, the topic of women’s rights has expanded throughout print, digital and commercial media.
Feet of every age, background, gender, religion, sexual identity and political party marched in
unison through the streets of major cities around the world, all with the same goal in mind–equality
for all.
While women are fighting for equal pay and retaining the right to have a choice about abortion, women in other countries are still without the right to vote, receive an education or leave the house without the presence of a man.
Fox News reported that in Syria, the government regularly utilizes rape and other forms of sexual violence and torture against women as a tactic of war. Women of Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive, travel without a man or participate in politics and they will be physically punished for not wearing specific clothing.
In Sudan, like many other places, domestic violence is not policed. Girls can be married off as young as the age of 10 and there is no minimum age of consent. Fox News also said 88 percent of women under 50 have undergone female genital mutilation in Sudan.
In the United States, women have had the right to vote since 1920 and no longer have to conform to the role of a stay-at-home housewife if they choose not to do so. Women can go to college, be independent and have a steady income without the assistance of a man.
No signs or commercials reflected the reality of what is happening overseas. While the future of our country seems unclear to many at the moment, with the recent inauguration of President Donald J. Trump to many, our rights will still remain strong compared to others. Americans should be utilizing our right to free speech, a right that many do not posses around the world and to bring light to the women’s issues while continuing to fight for our own rights.
So many people live unaware of what is going on in the world around them. It is our job to educate and inform others on world issues. As demonstrated in the recent Women’s March on Washington and around the world, together our voices can ring loud and be heard. The more well-known this issue, the more changes can be made.
