The first ever all women spacewalk was scheduled to take place March 29th. Astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch had been set to make this walk, but then the milestone was canceled by NASA due to a shortage of space suits that would fit these women. Both women needed to wear a medium sized spacesuit, and since only one medium-sized space suit was able to be space ready by the 29th, Ann McClain was removed from the mission and replaced by astronaut David Saint-Jacques. NASA tweeted that it was "safer and faster" to change astronaut assignments than to push back the space station upgrades that needed to be made.

Still, the question is, why aren't there enough space suits prepared that fit women? NASA stopped making suits in a size small after they had to redesign in the 1990s, and now suits only come in sizes medium, large, and extra large. About one-third of female astronauts cannot fit into the space suits that NASA has available. Although creating new suits is a costly process, and one might argue that the money might be better allocated elsewhere, the fact is that more money has been put into making extra large suits for presumably larger men and as a consequence, smaller women have lost their opportunity to have a chance at walking in space. Prepping a suit for space is extensive and expensive, however, it seems that throughout history there have always been enough suits prepped and available for men. Switching the astronaut assignments probably was the faster, safer option but the fact that NASA has not invested time or money into making space walking a more gender-inclusive area is a questionable decision.

Following NASA's choice to remove McClain from the mission, many took to social media to protest what they viewed as sexism. Stephanie Nolen is an author who wrote "Promised the Moon," a book about the accomplishments of women astronauts. In response to NASA's decision, Nolen tweeted, "NASA has been sending women into space since 1983. "Oops, no suit" 36 years later is absurd and entirely indicative of a failure to take gender inclusion seriously." Hillary Clinton tweeted, "Make another suit." Despite the many ways NASA or others can rationalize this choice, it is pretty disappointing that in 2019 women are still being held back because their workplaces are designed and optimized for men.

Perhaps this event is not the most vivid depiction of gender inequality, but it provides proof of a deeply ingrained social system that continues to oppress minorities like women to this day. Until this social system has been completely dismantled, and the playing field leveled, we can not ignore the continuing existence of gender inequality. Although women have made many strides towards equality, when events like this occur we are reminded of the divide that still very much exists in the United States, and even more so across the world.

We have reached a point where we need to stop justifying why there is inequality, and instead, invest in a more fair future for all.