Equal footprints: a better way forward for the world
Societies and cultures where women have equal rights tend to be healthier, wealthier and generally more successful. When women are healthy, educated and have money to spend, their families, communities and nations benefit. Countries where women are more equal and involved in political decision making also tend to have less corrupt and better organised systems of government. All this means that more equal societies develop more quickly and strongly.
Inequalities between women and men on the other hand tend to result in less successful economies with nations more likely to stay poor. Research in India for example found that in some Indian villages men are likely to spend a large part of their money for personal use such as smoking, drinking, or gambling while the women use almost all of their income on important family needs such as food, medical treatment, school fees and children's clothing.
Try to think about a world in which men and women were equal. What would it look like? Make a list, thinking about the following areas of life: at home, at school, at work, in government.
Which of the following was in your list?
- Women sharing equally in household decisions about food, health care, schooling and other family necessities
- Women and men not being stereotyped at home, school or at work because they are female or male
- Women having equal opportunities to do meaningful paid work – if that is what they chose to do – and would be paid as much as men for doing that work
- Women having their say and being listened to when it comes to decision making and politics
