Name: Sophia Gibby-Loughrey
Community/State: Uralla, New South Wales
School: Camden Haven High School Distance Education Program
Age/Grade: 17 Years, Year 11
“Life is a roadtrip with twists and turns. How can we support one another to navigate the road to gender equality?”
The concept of gender equality is about treating every individual in a way in which they gain something equitable in their outcomes. An outcome should be unbiased, and as equal as any other individuals around the world. Although we have had great gains in gender equality over the last few generations, our society still remains individualistic not collective, believing we are entitled to something more advantageous than those around us; men being the superior. But in saying that, we know we are not given an atlas of society to help us navigate its roads and highways.
Whether it be woman by birth or woman by choice, women make up around 50% of the worlds population. This appears to be an an equal number, so the question is; why are the rights of equality disproportionate to the number of women who occupy our society? More so inequitable for women with greater disadvantage; women of colour, trans women, LGBTQI+ women, mentally or physically disabled women, mothers and women in the workforce. Women display blatant signs above their head proclaiming the injustices experienced by themselves and their sisters. These reveal the agony and angst woman feel in society.
The question is, how are we, as an individualist society, able to support one another in the fight for equality? How do women gain the strength to push against the systems domineering womens rights….We advocate not exclusively for our sisters rights, but for all human and equality.
By using the resources currently available, we advocate for minority groups that do not have access to these resources. We support and encourage other women, we do not let the system push us back to the side lines. Speaking up when we witness inequality and using the voice within, giving voice to those that are voiceless. Society as a whole needs to recognise that there is room for everyone of every type in this world, to be what we want to be, allowing our fellow humans to have total and unconditional acceptance between each other.
It is not solely up to women to fight against the injustices of inequality, but also for men to stand proudly next to them as fellow human beings, fighting the system in which society believes is a well-founded and fair concept. It’s up to our brothers to also have the freedom of speech to help reinforce the ever evolving equal society.