Gender Equality

Equal Rights for All!

By: Mary McGregor

On Sunday, February 22, 2015, Patricia Arquette gave the world something to talk about during her acceptance speech at the Oscars: equal rights for everyone. She said, “To every woman who gave birth. To every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else's equal rights. It's time to have a wage equality once and for all, and equal rights for women in the United States of America.” This speech began a lot of controversy throughout America and the world, the topic being one that has been brought up multiple times before; women have so-called “equal rights” but an unwritten rule states that women receive less income than men, even if they both have the same qualifications, schooling, etc.

I feel as though everyone should know that women deserve to receive just as much as men, both being human and gender being the only difference, but believe it or not specific men all around the world feel that women are less than them, treating women like their personal grab bag to be disposed of and nothing else. This treatment is completely biased and degrading to women.

The case where men think women can just be used and then discarded from their lives is an issue I find more often today rather than a few decades ago. As a woman myself, I of course feel equal rights should be for everyone, no matter what sex you are. My mind is open for anyone to live whatever lifestyle they prefer, no matter how different it is to my own. This is something I can only hope everyone in the world soon sees: if someone is genuinely happy then let them be themselves and enjoy the life they have chosen, instead of bringing them down and questioning their life decision because someone’s unimportant opinion said it is wrong.

Women are not meant to cook in the kitchen while men go to work. Women are meant to be who they chose to be, even if that’s a CEO, giving orders to all the men and women in her company.