As young women in America, we have different rights and freedoms than women in other countries across the globe. These rights and freedoms include being able to speak our minds, marry for love, and even be involved in political matters.
As Americans, we tend to take advantage of these rights and use them as excuses for misconduct. Women act lewdly and dress provocatively in public, and say that their public indecency is a part of their freedom. In other countries, women aren’t fighting a battle for personal appearance; they’re asking to be treated as equals to their male counterparts in areas where it counts, such as careers and education.
When was the last time you were forced into a marriage, or to have babies even when it is considered a medical risk? Has a guy ever turned you down because your parents couldn’t provide a sufficient dowry?
Not only do young girls in America not have to worry about arranged marriages, we also have the freedom to continue our education as far as we wish and still be accepted at home and in the eyes of the general public. Education is encouraged, not denied to women in the U.S.
A seventeen year old girl in India named Rajyanti Bairwa has refused her parents’ efforts to have her married. Rajyanti aspires to become a doctor, not a mother. She is one of many young girls in India fighting for their education. India isn’t the only place in the world where this battle is being fought, Malala Yousafzai lived in Pakistan and was shot when she was only 14 because of her will to be educated.
Some readers are wondering why this even matters to them, but I’m tired of the complaining over the sexism in America while young women in third world countries have it ten times worse. Instead of fighting against sexism in America or other core regions such as the UK, we should be combating it in places such as Pakistan and India.
In the United States, the argument against sexism is that women are equal to men, then it should include women and men of all countries being equal, not just the more privileged ones. Compared to what other young girls go through, life here is a walk in the Garden of Eden.