Hello, I am an 8th grade student from ISM (International School Manila) working on a project to advocate for change. I choose gender inequality because it's something I'm really passionate about and think is completely unfair.

Although gender inequality has decreased over the years, its 2022 and gender inequality definitely still exists.

 Women/girls are being killed(UN figures show that 137 women across the world are killed every day by a partner or member of their own family – a total of 50,000 women a year murdered by people they  should be able to trust.), hurt, paid less and are unable to freely do what they want just because of their gender  -  something that is completely out of their control.I  made this petition because I have personally witnessed the effects of gender inequality on girls, which is completely unfair, and don’t want this to happen to others. 

 According to global statistics, just 39 percent of rural girls attend secondary school, far fewer than rural boys (45 percent). Not only that, but 129 million girls around the world stay at home instead of going to school. This can be due to many factors. For example, stereotypical cultural influences cause some families to withdraw their daughters from school to take care of their siblings, do chores or help financially support the family. The girls sacrifice their education to meet all these adult responsibilities. Poverty is another big factor affecting uneven access to education. Struggling families with limited resources are more likely to prioritize educating their boys than their girls. Similarly, struggling families may not be able to buy proper sanitary napkins, causing girls to not be able to go to school.  Safety is another key concern for parents, who often don’t let their daughters go to school if they have to travel far. Statistics indicate around 246 million children – a majority of whom are girls- are harassed and abused on their way to school every year. Not valuing girls’ education can take away countless opportunities in their future. For example, by restricted opportunities to good jobs and a lack of important development skills such as  self-management, critical thinking, and communication. 

There is no state in which women earn more or the same as men. In fact, according to US news in Wyoming, women who worked full-time made 63.4 cents for every dollar a man made.  It is already hard enough for women to get jobs because they have uneven access to education and the harmful stereotypes exposed to children even at a young age that discriminate girls from doing “male jobs”. Even if women excel, they do they will always be paid less than their male colleagues just because of their gender. This can lead to many mental health conditions such as chronic stress, negative self-image anxiety, depression.

By signing this petition, you are helping spread awareness about gender inequality.  Spreading awareness about gender inequality allows both men and women to take control of their lives. For example, by letting their own objectives, develop new things, gain self-confidence, solve problems, and develop self-reliance.  A large fraction of women aren’t aware of their rights. You can help empower women, and we can collectively take a step closer toward ending gender inequality. Let’s help girls reach their full potential.  Equality is a basic human right, every individual deserves to be treated with respect, regardless of their gender.