There’s an Afghan teen who’s breaking down stereotypes by championing STEM education for girls in her war-torn country. This teenager is breaking stereotypes about what girls can do in school and breaking down barriers that prevent girls from achieving their dreams. The female empowerment news doesn’t stop there. There are stories of women demanding action on equal pay and education. In STEM education, for example, women are making strides and breaking down the glass ceiling.
Women’s empowerment
The UN women’s empowerment agency has just published its flagship plan for economic recovery and transformation, aimed at making the world a more gender equal place. The UNDP chief says it’s not that women are still sitting in corridors, but that the world is on the cusp of change. The goal is to ensure that every woman lives up to her full potential and that she no longer feels like a second-class citizen.
Gender equality
World Health Organization has announced multiple commitments towards gender equality and female empowerment. These commitments include reducing the prevalence of gender-based violence, advancing sexual and reproductive health, supporting health workers and strengthening feminist movements. These commitments lay a progressive roadmap towards the achievement of gender equality and female empowerment. What are these commitments? What can be done to further their implementation? The commitments of the World Health Organization are significant for several reasons.
Women’s rights in fashion
It’s not just small companies like Burberry and Calvin Klein that are pushing the boundaries of women’s empowerment. Many larger companies, including Neiman Marcus and Target, are trying to make the industry more inclusive, too. For instance, women account for 57 percent of the board of directors at Neiman Marcus, and sixty-one percent of its vice presidents and executives. These numbers have increased dramatically in recent years. This trend has led some companies to step up their efforts, too, by donating $25,000 to the Girls Inc. organization. However, more is required, and many brands are taking an action-driven approach to making a difference.
Women’s rights in STEM education
A critical component of gender equity is ensuring that girls have access to STEM education. Unfortunately, women are often left out of STEM education and careers, and are disproportionately underrepresented in fields dominated by males. These fields are characterized by gender imbalance in both postsecondary education and employment, with a vast imbalance of male students compared to females. However, there are initiatives underway to change this. A new organization called RightsTech Women is helping to overcome this imbalance through the promotion and development of programs that will enable more girls and women to pursue STEM careers.
Women’s empowerment in media
The role of women in media decision-making is a major challenge for gender equality. In the media, women hold only a quarter of all governance positions, according to the Global Report on the Status of Women in News Media. Women’s representation is expected to reduce stereotypical portrayals of women. This meeting sought to bring women to the forefront of media decision-making and promote gender equality in the media. In addition to the need to increase women’s representation in media, the meeting sought to improve the role of ICTs in a gendered world.
