I am a 43 year-old entrepreneur, mother, partner, employer, sister, I am a global citizen. I am empowered, I am in control of my own destiny, I am self sufficient. 

Even though my position is that of a free empowered woman, I still come across sexism in every part of my life personal and professional. I feel that only with the help of male allies a real change in society can happen.

Here are the issues:  

As an employer in a small business, 

• I have encountered cases of female employees being psychologically abused by their partner

As a family member, 

• I have had a minimum of 3 of my family members being molested by men as children
• I know a minimum of 2 family members that have been victims of domestic violence

As a mother of a daughter, 

• I am trying to raise her as a free person, and show her she is of equal value to the boys in her class. She is as strong, as smart, as cultured and as funny as any of them, and she is better and more in many instances. However, when it comes let her walk the street by herself, (she is a pre-teenage), I am torn apart. I am scared she will be abused by a man, this is my worst fear. 
• I am stunned that my daughter puts her alarm clock at 5am to make sure she will be early at school to reserve the soccer ball to make sure she and her friends can play at recess and not only the boys. To my question, isn’t there a rotation? She says no and nobody cares, no teacher, no supervisor cares in any way. I am outraged that from a young age, it is ingrained, assumed and accepted that boys own the soccer field and that girls just need to shut up. 

As a professional, 

• I have been sexually harassed on a couple of occasions. Even though I am a strong woman, I always felt so surprised by these agressions. I was stunned by the impunity that these men felt. They always assumed I shared their feelings and never asked me my opinion. I still feel rage from these episodes

As a neighbour, 

• I have heard a woman, who was pregnant, being beaten by her partner as he was drunk. As I was telling my partner at the time to get out of our room and help her, he told me this was none  of our business. Today , even if it was 23 years ago, I still think of that moment with shame and despair. I should have moved regardless

As a global citizen, 

• I see slowly laws encouraging gender equality, however I see no financial means being allocated to the cause of women. Laws are passed in numerous countries to guarantee same salary levels for man and woman, but employers are rarely prosecuted if they don’t comply. Implementations of such laws are often not enforced.
• I am outraged to see the figures of violence against women being so dramatic. On average, one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner in Australia (source: https://aic.gov.au/publications/sr/sr002 . In France, 220,000 women per year are abused physically or sexually  

Today, I feel discouraged because I could continue this list forever, and this list could be so much longer. 

Today, I feel despair, because I rarely see men stepping up, raising their voice and being the change for a better world for women.

So today I ask you my dear male-friends, brothers, fathers, uncles, cousins, male entrepreneurs, employers, employees, neighbours, men in the street, men commuting to work, policemen, tradesmen, football players, politicians, global citizens, and whoever you are as a man to step-up and be the change.

I ask all of you men to support us, women and be our ally in our fight to gender equality. We can not make it without you. 

By signing this petition, you pledge to own and implement in your life, at least 5 of these 20 statements to : 

1. Raise your voice when a woman is being abused. Interfere against your father, brother, uncle, neighbour, peer, colleague and male-friends and put an end to domestic violence.
2. Step-up and share the household tasks at home with your partner to stop inequality in your own household. Gender equality starts at home.
3. ‘Grab them by the pussy’ statements are inacceptable. Step up to condemn publicly sexist statements pronounced by the man on the street up till the men in a position of power. Don't let impunity prevail.
4. Destroy “the little fairies will clean after me” myth and educate boys around you to take their share of workload and teach them how to cook, clean after themselves and be responsible for their own household duties.
5. Leave to women their share of space in the public arena, whether it is by not interrupting a woman speaking in an audience, or inviting a 50/50 audience in a panel, in a group or mentors, or as a speaker. 
6. Employ in your organisation 50/50 woman and man
7. Promote woman to management positions 50/50 in your organisation
8. Support girls that want to pursue careers in traditionally male-dominated industries
9. Be conscious of the space you take when sitting in public places, on a bus, on a plane, and make some space for the woman beside you.
10. Take your paternity leave and be involved in the education of your children and share the load with mothers
11. Support and let your male-colleagues leave work early and have their back, if they have a sick child to pick-up.  
12. Promote paternity leave in your organisation.
13. If you are a divorced father, take 50% of custody and dont leave all educational, financial and moral responsibilities to your ex.
14. Take part in the school pick-up routine, to support your partner in her professional career.
15. Explain to your boys that pornography on the internet is not what a normal sexuality is. Mutual respect and reciprocity is key.
16. Explain to your boys, sons, cousins and friends what consent is. Asking a woman or a girl for consent is cool. Teach boys around you to stop when a girl says no
17. Implement now a change in your own life that you think will have a positive impact for a woman in her own life, in her studies or career.
18. Vote for political parties that have a 50/50 representation of men/women
19. Vote for women 
20. Support your partner, when she is pursuing her professional career by relieving her of kids duties, and household tasks.