We live in a now society that is looking to change our world for the betterment of our futures. There is no doubting the fact that there are a lot of great changes currently happening around us. Whether they are obvious...
…or not so obvious…
…the changes happening around us are building a name for our generation. I personally think it’s time to re-coin the term ‘Generation Y’ with ‘Generation C’; ‘C’ for change.
One change that we’ve been steadily working towards is equality for everyone, one group in particular being women. The idea of equality for women is an initiative that I think we tend to forget about often. However, with the recent World Cup win by the USWNT, the topic of women's equality, or lack thereof, is now getting the recognition that it has long deserved.
Did you know that only 4.6% of Fortune 500 CEO’s are women? That statistic is staggering, almost as staggering as statistics regarding the wage gap between genders; one of them being that women are paid 78% less than men. I wholeheartedly believe that this needs to change and it needs to change now. I've recently taken a look at a number of award winning ad-campaigns that revolve around change and starting conversations, a majority having to do with female empowerment. I was enlightened on the sad reality of women's inequality around the globe
It's not just inequality that we're dealing with, but a multitude of double standards. Double standards that still somehow exist. Double standards that I’m proud to see millennials, and our society as a whole, trying to put a stop to.
Take, for example, the UN Women Campaign Give Mom Back Her Name. In Egypt, men refuse to say or disclose their mother's name in public... not their fathers' names, just their mothers'. They believe the nonsensical taboo that it could bring about ridicule and embarrassment if used. Thus, over time, her name is actually forgotten. UN Women launched a film on social media that sparked immediate conversation and debate. Egyptian men and women began to proudly reveal their mothers name on social media, using the hashtag #MyMothersNameIs.
Another breakthrough campaign was Touch the Pickle, by Whisper India, an Indian sanitary napkin brand. The campaign comes from the fact that in India nobody talks about menstruation. It is treated like a curse word and the mention of it is unheard of. There are event traditional beliefs that when a woman has her period she is not allowed to enter the kitchen or touch the household pickle jar. This is due to the fact that during menstruation women are considered 'un-clean'. They believe that if a woman on her period touches the pickle jar, that the pickle will rot. This period taboo busting campaign is giving women in India a voice to challenge the misconceptions and taboos about menstruation. The campaign has started national conversations and debates.
The double standard that Sport England is looking to put a stop to with their This Girl Can campaign is that of gender gap between male and female participation in sports. The company created a 90-second film that confronted the female fear of being judged when exercising by showing women of all sizes enjoying exercise. The video inspires women to ignore the sweat, red-face, and struggle that comes with exercise and embrace the fact that at least they're out there doing it. The ad's most recognized slogan is, "I jiggle, therefore I am," inspiring women to look past judgement and become girls who can.
It is initiatives like these that spread awareness of gender discrimination that exist around the world. While America still has a long way to go some countries have an even longer way, but I am confident that Generation C will quicken the pace.
