First person perspectives

We found 4 different people who feel gender inequality and they have different perspectives on this topic.

Asma Farid

I am Asma Farid and I am the Vice-President and Managing Partner of Farid's & Co. LLC, a leading developer, and management company. I am willing to speak about my unique experience on the topic of gender equality. I have experienced two different cultures. I was born in Pakistan and I moved to the USA so I will be introducing my experience through the two countries I have lived in.  

In Pakistan, there were many women who were victims of gender inequality. I would like to talk about my best friend and she is one of the victims as well. She used to write great poetry and maybe she still does now. However, she wasn’t allowed to pursue a college education because of their family’s tradition and she was a woman. Traditionally in Pakistani society, women were expected to get married by their late teens or early 20s. Even if they received high education many did not continue working or studying after marriage. I grew up in South Pakistan where the education is better than in North and there were more opportunities.

From my experience in the USA, gender inequality is prevalent here. It’s not unusual for women to have fewer opportunities or to be passed up for promotions for which they are well qualified. Men making you feel unheard and invisible in the office happens often and I would like to talk about my personal experience. A meeting was held soon after I was promoted as Vice President and a man came up to me afterward and said I must have practiced my speech for a long time. I thought that he was doubting my skill set and I felt that he was looking down on me because I am a woman. 

I take gender inequality heavily and I think women should have an equal amount of opportunity as men. It is important to know your rights and voice your concerns and beliefs in yourself!

Sources:

A. (2021, May 4). My Experience with Gender Inequality - Asma Farid | Tariq and Asma Farid Foundation. Tariq and Asma Farid Foundation | Tariq and Asma Farid Foundation. https://faridsfoundation.org/my-experience-with-gender-inequality/

Mayu Mori

Hello! I am Mayu Mori and I am in my third year in elementary school. I would like to talk about my experience in kindergarten with gender. I felt that it wasn’t fair and I was kind of sad. We had an opportunity to hit the Japanese drums and I wanted to hit the big drums for sports day. But the teacher said, "I would like a boy to hit the big drums.” I spoke out again and told the teacher I wanted to play on the big drums but didn’t allow me to. She just said, “The big drums are heavy so I want a boy to play on them.” I got frustrated because boys could do what they want but girls can’t because they looked weak. I think there should be more opportunities for girls as well and they should look for people who can play drums not because of their gender. I also thought that people have stereotypes of boys and girls and we should look at people as individuals and look at their good parts.

Sources:

平成17年度男女平等に関する作文コンクール小・中学生入選作品集. (n.d.). https://www.city.aizuwakamatsu.fukushima.jp/_files/00123815/H17sakuhinsyu.pdf

Futoshi Taga

　I'm a university professor studying "masculinities."

  When it comes to "gender inequality", most people focus on women's side. I know there is a lot of discrimination against women. Some people give up their dream because they are women. Even if they are good at studying and want to be a full-time worker, some people think marrying a rich person and having a family is the happiest way to live. So, I believe we need to understand women's perspectives and find solutions.

   However, also I feel inequality as a man. Some people say that "Man has to be strong." "Don't  show weakness." Most people think men have to earn money for a while for the family. Same as a woman, I want to have a free way of life regardless of gender.

  I think society makes gender differences and forces me to be a "man." To solve the problem of gender inequality, we have to focus on multiple perspectives.

Futoshi Taga. (JUly 1, 2021). 他人事ではない、男性にとってのジェンダー平等

https://institute.dentsu.com/articles/2016/

Silvia Andrea Mendez

  

    I always got the best grades in school and was great at math. I openly announced my decision to become an engineer to my mother and her friends. "Why don't you become a secretary? That is more suitable for a young lady like you. Hopefully, if you find a job in a good company, one of the executives will notice you, and ask you to marry him, and you will have the life you dream of."

    I was livid. This scenario didn't make sense to me. At all! Why should I wait until someone noticed me make my dreams come true? Why couldn't I be an engineer to become a secretary? Marrying a rich man is not all women's dreams. I don't want anybody to decide my life by my gender!

    

Silvia Andrea Mendez. (April 20, 2018). My experience with gender inequality (being a woman in tech)

My experience with gender inequality (being a woman in tech) | by Silvia Andrea Mendez | < div > ersity | Medium