Keeping faith alive in a dark world…
I’m struggling to have faith these days. Truthfully, I never had it. I don’t subscribe to religion and don’t hold imaginary hopes (unless it is related to the existence of hobbits and unicorns). I’m… practical. Painfully so.
And I believe in practical ACTIONS. That’s why I went into humanitarian aid work–because I desperately wanted to make a difference where there was the greatest need. And I believed that I could make a difference. Naive? Surely.
Now comes the existential crisis. I’ve lost faith in this industry.
There is all of ZERO evidence that things are moving in the right direction in the world. Granted, it wasn’t all on me, but I wanted to believe that this was a cause worth fighting for (it is). And that our fight would nudge things in the right direction (it did not). Or at very least keep things from getting worse (they are!).
A recent article in the Guardian says it all. Just the title: “Gender equality stalling or going backwards for 1bn women and girls” says enough. And then the next line: “‘Dismal’ lack of progress leaves women and girls facing litany of abuses — with no country on track for equality.”
And there you have it. Should I say more?
Eek. What is this miserable prediction based on, you might wonder?
Every year, Equal Measures 2030, a coalition of non-governmental organizations, produces its Sustainable Development Goals Gender Index. The Sustainable Development Goals–or SDGs–are a collection of 17 goals to help us fix a world very much in need of repair. They were created in 2015, intended to be achieved by 2030. Here’s the surprise ending: we won’t get there. Reports show that not only are we “nowhere near,” we’re actually “woefully off track.”
The SDG Gender Index focuses on SDG 5–Gender Equality–arguably the hardest goal. They just released this year’s grim findings. Here are some high(low)lights:
No country is on track to achieve gender equality by 2030. Nope, not a single one. At the same time, between 2019 and 2022, gender equality “stagnated or declined” in nearly 40% of countries — home to over 1.1. billion women and girls.
I’ve worked on women’s rights for almost three decades. And never did I imagine that our world would get worse. In fact, I naively assumed I’d be one micro-element in ushering in a new world, one where equality, rights, dignity, freedom belong to all of us, regardless of where you live, what skin you live in, what’s between your legs, and all that stuff.
So much for my plans.
Being a woman in the world today means getting comfy with crisis. Every day, we hear a million stories of women denied their rights to study, to work, to access healthcare. Or simply to exist.
Sure, experiences vary widely. But in the end, none of us have full access to opportunities. None of us can make free choices. None of us are free from violence. It’s the unbearable ordinariness of life in a female body.
To start, school enrollment rates are lower for girls. They have limited access to education, and the quality of that education is questionable. Schools are hard to reach, and can be unsafe. Too many girls, in too many places, are risking their lives to claim their right to an education.
Women and girls are denied equal access to healthcare. Maternal mortality rates remain high–including in so-called “developed countries” like the US. Reproductive rights are scarce, or restricted, or denied. Or being reversed–yes, even in so-called “developed countries.”
In the workplace, women are still restricted to overly feminized sectors, and still earn less pay for the same work. The wage gap is real–everywhere. What’s more, women do the bulk of unpaid care work. This is, and has always been, work. We need to learn to value it.
At the level of leadership and decision-making, women have less say at every level, starting with the family and extending to the country. Women are nearly invisible in higher political positions, and are often denied rights to raise their political voices.
Practices like girl-child marriage, female genital mutilation, and honor killings continue to affect millions of women. And other forms of violence–namely domestic and sexual violence–remain as pervasive as ever. We are not safe in our homes, on the streets, in schools, in the office, in public office… Shall I go on?!
OK now what do we do about it?
Every day, I wake up to shitty news. And every day, I have to recommit to doing whatever I can to make things better in my tiny slice of the world. I am angry. But I’m still an activist. And there are many, many places where I direct my energy:
- Ensuring equal access to education–formal and informal–so we can make choices and raise our voices.
- Protecting access to the full range of healthcare–including reproductive rights–so we can make decisions about our own bodies and lives.
- Advocating for employment opportunities, access to financial resources, equal pay, and full family-friendly workplace policies.
- Increasing representation of women in government and decision-making bodies at every level–from community to country to the world.
- Recognizing intersectionality and addressing the ways racism and discrimination intersect with gender inequality. We’re all in this fight together.
- Supporting grassroots women’s organizations and feminist movements fighting for change in their communities.
- Preventing and responding to all forms of violence against women because, without this thing first, all the other stuff cannot be achieved.
Yeah, cool, I hear you say. But… how?!
Ultimately, we’re fighting to change a world that stubbornly refuses to change. It’s not gonna be easy. And we probably won’t see the kind of world we want in our lifetime. We need to be in this for the long haul. And it’s gonna take courage, persistence, strategy, creativity, and an ocean full of hope.
In my Feminist Firestarter, I talk about ways we can all get involved, even in the smallest ways. We can take action wherever we are, in whatever spaces we occupy. And no, you don’t have to leave your house. Couch Crusaders can still do the work! Here’s a start:
- Question stuff and challenge the status quo. No, it doesn’t “have to” be like this.
- Spread awareness about issues through social media, public events, campaigns, whatever!
- Organize and mobilize to amplify voices and exert pressure on decision-makers. Collective action works! Build coalitions for greater impact.
- Support grassroots groups making a difference on the ground. Lend them your time, talent, treasure–it makes a difference!
- Be patient (OK, admittedly I hate this one, even if I know it’s true!). And be persistent. It’s not going to be linear, there will be loads of setbacks. Brace for impact, and keep pushing forward, even if it’s slow.
- Celebrate small victories to keep up morale and momentum. The big changes are usually formed by a bazillion tiny ones.
- Take care of yourself and each other. Prioritize self-care. And–I’m always surprised that I have to say this, but… BE KIND.
Want more? Head to my website and click on Join the Movement — and there you’ll have it!
Together we can build a better world for women. Maybe not by 2030, but dammit, we’ll get there!
