Yesterday, Stony Brook University held a Presidential Lecture series on Gender Equality. The event was headed up by President Stanley and the guest of honor, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations.

There were two things she considered imperative to the progression of gender equality and women's rights: education for girls and a commitment from society.

Women's inequality is not just a women's problem, but everybody's problem. And for that reason, everyone has to be a part of the solution. She called for "Prevention from the potential perpetrators themselves." Men who might be arranged to marry a young girl must say, "No, I will not marry a child." Men must decide, "No, I will not beat my significant other."

I think we can interpret it further. Women can also be suppressed by other women. Matriarch's must decide, "I will not allow my daughter to undergo FGM." Mothers and families must decide, "It's ok for my daughter to put education before housework."

In light of our own context, young women could say, "No, I won't put down another girl for wearing that." Men could say, "No, I won't insult or assault a women who turned me down." With that, we can avoid tragic incidents like the student who was killed for telling a man to stop grinding on her or the woman whose jaw was broken for not kissing a man.