Still, decisions are made for women rather than by them. Because of This, We Are Suffering
A
pattern can be seen when you examine the headline-grabbing stories of recent
months: a widespread pandemic that is disproportionately eradicating women's
means of subsistence. a Taliban regime that denies fundamental liberties to
women and girls. The Russian military intentionally commits rape as a form of
warfare. The face of pain is still so frequently a woman in this string of
global crises, while the face of power is still most frequently a man.
Take
a look at what is going on right now in our own nation. Many of us are
preparing for the news that Roe v. Wade has been reversed by the Supreme Court,
stripping women of control over their bodies and futures.
Take
into account the wider power structure as well. Yes, the Supreme Court recently
made progress toward gender equality. But regardless of gender, every justice
currently sitting on the bench—indeed, every justice who has ever done so—was
chosen by a male president and confirmed by a Senate that was at least 75%
male. These presidents, lawmakers, and justices have all made outstanding
contributions to society. However, they have never truly represented the
variety of the nation they served. This is not a country where women or people
of color now have an equal voice, even if I believed that the government did
not have a say in such a highly personal matter (which I do not).
One
of many instances of the breakdown that takes place when judgments are made for
women rather than by them is the leaked court opinion. Basic childcare is still
difficult to acquire and expensive in the United States. Compared to white
mothers, black women have a three times higher risk of dying during giving
birth. We are the only developed nation without any type of paid leave
guarantee.
I
have seen variations of this injustice all around the world in my work as a
global advocate for women and girls. The attack against women's power can
occasionally be plain to see, as it is right now in Afghanistan and with the
violence in Ukraine. Other times, it’s difficult to notice, like in the myriad
little decisions that render women disproportionately vulnerable to the
economic shock of the pandemic or the bias and inertia that keeps political
representation mainly male.
In
either case, I have repeatedly learned the same lesson: Suffering too has a face
when the face of power is unchanged. Additionally, laws that limit women and
girls ultimately hurt everyone. Women's abilities and contributions are taken
from the world when women's authority and influence are restricted. In both
subtle and profound ways, her absence is felt by her family, community, and
nation.
Today,
I support initiatives and grantees working on a variety of topics through my
philanthropic efforts, including women's economic opportunities in the United
States and abroad as well as access to healthcare and contraceptives in low-
and middle-income countries. But throughout the course of my career in charity,
I've come to realize that by concentrating solely on one problem at a time,
it's hard to end long-standing patterns of injustice. I make related
investments that are intended to add up to more than the sum of their
individual components. In order to give more women from all backgrounds the
opportunity to make decisions, manage resources, and influence policies and
viewpoints, they aim to change the very nature of power.
Instead
of fighting each of the several branches that inequality has sprouted, an
agenda to guarantee women's power and influence targets injustice at its
source. This all-encompassing strategy is the only way to stop the series of
crises that keep women from catching up.
Top-down
and bottom-up approaches are required for this endeavor. We must make an
effort to promote various groups of women to leadership roles not only in the
government but also in the business world, the media, and global health.
Supporting the grassroots movements of women who are banding together to demand
reforms from the formal structures of power that have kept them out is also
necessary.
It
also entails shutting off the sexist myths and customs that make it more
difficult for women to be viewed as truly equal or deserving of a voice in the
choices that affect our world. We can encourage men and women to begin
visualizing a more inclusive range of faces when they conjure an image of power
and assist them to start to expect more from those who have it by elevating a
varied collection of voices and stories that challenge outdated prejudices and
understandings.
Women,
families, and our nation would all take a significant step backward if the
Supreme Court reversed Roe. However, I also think that no single legal ruling
can ever guarantee or disprove equality. In the long run, the population that
our government represents will determine whether or not our society lives up to
its democratic promise.
Millions
of individuals who were shocked by the decision's release are currently
recommitting to the struggle for a better, more equal future. Women's
reproductive rights will not just be preserved in that future; the entire
system that makes women's lives so insecure will also be destroyed. It is a
future in which women's views are acknowledged and heard at all levels of
society, including in their homes and places of employment, legislatures and
executive offices, and even in the privacy of a clinic or doctor's office.