Inequality is everybody's problem
Inequality is a major problem in the world right now. Many people are racist or sexist and don’t even really know it. Does anyone really want to spend their life hating people? Really, we are all the same, we have imperfections just as much as anyone else but they are perfect imperfections.
Everyone at school will have heard people saying “only boys can play football” or “only black people can rap” or “that’s so gay” at some point in their lives - but it's really important that we challenge these kind of ideas whenever we hear them. People need to talk about the importance of equality more and how we can be more aware that there is a lot of discrimination going on in the world and how we need to change that. Across the world there is discrimination between people of different religion, race, gender, different class, different sexuality, different region and different physical ability.
Gender inequality is still present today. Many women are working longer hours than men and in some cases are working harder yet they are still getting paid less. Unequal Pay Day fell on 4 November this year in Europe - with women effectively working for no pay from that date until the end of the year. This is a symbolic day to draw attention to the fact that women still earn 16% less than men.
But inequality affects girls from birth, not just in the workplace. Girls can’t help being born girls just the same as boys can’t help being born boys. The number of girls over the world who are allowed an education has increased significantly in recent years which is excellent because this means that girls are less likely to marry underage or experience violence. However in many countries men have a greater power over women and it can result in some atrocious cases. In 18 countries, women are forbidden by their husbands to work and this results in them having intensively hard labour and earning very little or absolutely nothing. They have to overcome many hurdles which would be unimaginable in this country. These can include sexual harassment and violence. If this happens, women cannot divorce their husbands because some countries need the man’s approval in order to divorce couples.
Racial inequality and discrimination is a significant issue globally. Studies suggest that as many as 75% of people from minority ethnic groups who live in Greater London, the Midlands and the north of Britain may struggle financially and may be in poverty. In some cases, people who are racially different strive to get jobs or to get paid equally. Many people in this minority do not get paid the same as someone who was born in this country. This can be a real problem because jobs that are low paid anyway will pay so little for people from minority ethnic backgrounds. We need to realise that colour and nationality do not define us. People can be brilliant wherever they are from and however they look.
Religious inequality is an exceptional issue across the world. The Equality Act 2010 states that no one should be discriminated if they are of a particular religion, hold any kind of philosophical beliefs, if anyone thinks you are part of a religious group of follow beliefs or if they are connected to anyone of a particular religion or belief. And yet many people who follow a religion or belief are harassed. In some countries, people have to follow a specific religion otherwise it is classed as wrong and could even lead to imprisonment. Here in the UK, if you accuse show prejudice towards someone because of their religion that would be discriminatory. Over the past few years the amount of religion hate crime has increased in this country, particularly towards Jewish people and Muslim people. This needs to stop. No one should be unkind to people of a different religion.
Those in the LGBTQ+ community also suffer a lot of discrimination. LGBTQ+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, queer or questioning and the + stands for those who are not questioning their sexuality or who are of a different sexuality that is not specified in the abbreviations. This community can also be called “Queer Community” or “Rainbow Community”. In some parts of the world, people in this community can be denied housing, jobs or service in public spaces or they may be verbally and physically abused. This is just because of who they are. One third of those who took part in a recent Trans Survey in the US said that they have been denied jobs because they are transgender. Nearly one third of the people said they were living on the poverty line and around 40% of them have attempted suicide. No one should feel like they should kill themselves because of the pressure they are being put under because of who they are.
Inequality around disability is a massive problem globally. Even though you may not think it, the majority of those with disabilities are just as capable as doing anything as other people are. It is essential that everyone gets the same level of support and recognition, regardless of their abilities. The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) was developed in the 1990s which was excellent because it paved the way to increasing equality. Since then the Equality Act 2010 has superseded that with laws relating to other groups that are ‘targeted’. As well as making laws that protect disabled people, it also makes people who employ, educate and provide services more aware that they should help people who have a disability (this can be physically or mentally) and give them the same chances and experiences that able people have.
All of these categories point to one thing - the importance of equality. Look through gender, skin colour, religion, sexuality and disabilities and into the person within. If you can’t do that, then consider how shallow you’re being. You need to remember what's really important: we are all human and we are all fundamentally equal. Only when people fully understand that across the world will there be an end to discrimination and prejudice.
Alice Cronin, Year 8
Everyone at school will have heard people saying “only boys can play football” or “only black people can rap” or “that’s so gay” at some point in their lives - but it's really important that we challenge these kind of ideas whenever we hear them. People need to talk about the importance of equality more and how we can be more aware that there is a lot of discrimination going on in the world and how we need to change that. Across the world there is discrimination between people of different religion, race, gender, different class, different sexuality, different region and different physical ability.
Gender inequality is still present today. Many women are working longer hours than men and in some cases are working harder yet they are still getting paid less. Unequal Pay Day fell on 4 November this year in Europe - with women effectively working for no pay from that date until the end of the year. This is a symbolic day to draw attention to the fact that women still earn 16% less than men.
But inequality affects girls from birth, not just in the workplace. Girls can’t help being born girls just the same as boys can’t help being born boys. The number of girls over the world who are allowed an education has increased significantly in recent years which is excellent because this means that girls are less likely to marry underage or experience violence. However in many countries men have a greater power over women and it can result in some atrocious cases. In 18 countries, women are forbidden by their husbands to work and this results in them having intensively hard labour and earning very little or absolutely nothing. They have to overcome many hurdles which would be unimaginable in this country. These can include sexual harassment and violence. If this happens, women cannot divorce their husbands because some countries need the man’s approval in order to divorce couples.
Racial inequality and discrimination is a significant issue globally. Studies suggest that as many as 75% of people from minority ethnic groups who live in Greater London, the Midlands and the north of Britain may struggle financially and may be in poverty. In some cases, people who are racially different strive to get jobs or to get paid equally. Many people in this minority do not get paid the same as someone who was born in this country. This can be a real problem because jobs that are low paid anyway will pay so little for people from minority ethnic backgrounds. We need to realise that colour and nationality do not define us. People can be brilliant wherever they are from and however they look.
Religious inequality is an exceptional issue across the world. The Equality Act 2010 states that no one should be discriminated if they are of a particular religion, hold any kind of philosophical beliefs, if anyone thinks you are part of a religious group of follow beliefs or if they are connected to anyone of a particular religion or belief. And yet many people who follow a religion or belief are harassed. In some countries, people have to follow a specific religion otherwise it is classed as wrong and could even lead to imprisonment. Here in the UK, if you accuse show prejudice towards someone because of their religion that would be discriminatory. Over the past few years the amount of religion hate crime has increased in this country, particularly towards Jewish people and Muslim people. This needs to stop. No one should be unkind to people of a different religion.
Those in the LGBTQ+ community also suffer a lot of discrimination. LGBTQ+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, queer or questioning and the + stands for those who are not questioning their sexuality or who are of a different sexuality that is not specified in the abbreviations. This community can also be called “Queer Community” or “Rainbow Community”. In some parts of the world, people in this community can be denied housing, jobs or service in public spaces or they may be verbally and physically abused. This is just because of who they are. One third of those who took part in a recent Trans Survey in the US said that they have been denied jobs because they are transgender. Nearly one third of the people said they were living on the poverty line and around 40% of them have attempted suicide. No one should feel like they should kill themselves because of the pressure they are being put under because of who they are.
Inequality around disability is a massive problem globally. Even though you may not think it, the majority of those with disabilities are just as capable as doing anything as other people are. It is essential that everyone gets the same level of support and recognition, regardless of their abilities. The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) was developed in the 1990s which was excellent because it paved the way to increasing equality. Since then the Equality Act 2010 has superseded that with laws relating to other groups that are ‘targeted’. As well as making laws that protect disabled people, it also makes people who employ, educate and provide services more aware that they should help people who have a disability (this can be physically or mentally) and give them the same chances and experiences that able people have.
All of these categories point to one thing - the importance of equality. Look through gender, skin colour, religion, sexuality and disabilities and into the person within. If you can’t do that, then consider how shallow you’re being. You need to remember what's really important: we are all human and we are all fundamentally equal. Only when people fully understand that across the world will there be an end to discrimination and prejudice.
Alice Cronin, Year 8