I was raised with the image of feminists as women burning bras

There. I said it. Load off my chest.

Brace yourself. This is a long one.

Even though both my parents worked and shared childrearing in what was a very forward-looking model those days (we are talking 1980's here); even tough my mom addressed 3rd party comments pertaining her appearance or attractiveness with the acidity they deserved; even though my dad did some of the cooking and cleaning, drove us to and from any activities, and spent quality time with us when my mom was working; in spite of having a nearly-working model of gender equality at home... when I heard the word "feminist" it was, I am ashamed to admit, reminiscent of women burning bras in protests.

Yes, you can say, and you would be right to assume that seeing it that way was due to the prevailing media narrative in my early years. But why then, did I try to behave as a man when I started having positions of whichever level of responsibility? Purposely not dressing in a ways similar to other women even after my mid 20s, to avoid objectification? And get this: not because I was worried with harassment, but because I was worried with not being taken seriously in my work. Shame on me.

And yet, I know I am not alone. I talked to dozens of women in my generation that have admitted to the same growing up and not realising, years into their careers, being a woman came with its own benefits in the workplace. Not better than men's - just different. Fortunately, we are way past that, and gender equality has come such a long way, hasn't it?

Or has it?

Gender inequality remains a pressing issue in society, and it impacts oh!, so many women in oh!, so many ways. From the pink tax to the gender pay gap, unpaid labor to childrearing, unconscious bias to mistreatment, there are a variety of factors that contribute to the disadvantages that women face.

For starters, let us look at the pink tax. Spoiler alert: not as fun as the name suggests! It refers to the extra costs that women have to pay for products and services compared to men.

This is particularly egregious in areas such as contraception and feminine hygiene products, where women are charged significantly more than men for similar or even identical products. According to a study by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, women's products cost an average of 7% more than men's products. This represents a clear example of gender discrimination in the marketplace.

Unpaid labor is another area where women face significant disadvantages compared to men. Women still perform the majority of household and caregiving duties, which can have a significant impact on their ability to work outside the home and pursue their own goals and careers.

If fact, it is 75% of all household work, caregiving, and family admin, which, if paid for, is calculated to represent 10, 000, 000, 000, 000 US dollars (yes, that's 13 zeros to represent 10 trillions). So basically it would be 3rd biggest economy in the world in GDP.

According to the United Nations, women around the world perform nearly two and a half times as much unpaid care and domestic work as men. This unpaid labor can also lead to a significant loss of income and career progression over time (in the US, women are estimated to lose 0.5M US dollars during the first 5 years of their child's life).

The gender pay gap is another major issue that women face, both generically and for the same jobs. Women continue to earn less than men for the same work, which is a clear example of discrimination and inequality. According to the National Women's Law Center, women in the United States earn just 82 cents for every dollar earned by men.

This gap is even wider for women of color, with Black women earning just 63 cents and Latina women earning just 55 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men.

Childrearing is another area where women face significant disadvantages compared to men. Women are more likely to take time off work to care for their children, which can lead to significant income loss (as mentioned above) and career progression issues over time. This can have long-term consequences for women, making it more difficult for them to achieve financial stability and security. In fact, women are 80% more likely to live their later years in poverty, compared to men. Fortunately, an increasing number of countries have implemented policies such as shared parental leave, which encourages both parents to take time off work to care for their children.

Unconscious bias is another key factor that contributes to gender inequality.

Assumptions and stereotypes about women and their roles in society can lead to a variety of challenges, such as assuming that women are primarily responsible for childrearing and cannot share this responsibility with others. Organizations such as Lean In and the Harvard Implicit Association Test are working to raise awareness about unconscious bias and provide tools and resources for individuals and organizations to address it.

Even the majority of medical and safety studies in the past have been conducted mostly on males, leading to women more frequently experiencing side effects from drugs or being over medicated, because dosage was calculated for the average male with the same illness.

Finally, it is important to acknowledge the mistreatment of women in the workplace and in general society, including objectification and assault. The #MeToo movement has sparked a global conversation about sexual harassment and assault and has led to changes in laws and policies in many countries.

According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 56% of women in the United States have experienced some form of sexual harassment. In late 2022, a journalist from Channel 4 called Ellie Flynn, followed by a disguised cameraman, pretended to be drunk on a night out and was preyed on by a number of men!

To address these issues, we need to work together to raise awareness, challenge harmful attitudes and stereotypes, and promote policies and practices that support gender equality. This includes advocating for policies that address the gender pay gap, providing better support for working parents, and taking a strong stance against mistreatment of women. We also need to hold individuals and institutions accountable for their actions and policies, and work to address unconscious bias in all areas of society.

In conclusion, gender inequality is first and foremost a matter of education: when we talk about these facts at home, in a classroom, in the workplace, we are furthering the conversation and making that unconscious bias, well... conscious. And that is the very first step towards making things right.

I am a feminist. How can I not be? How can I, daughter to a mom that showed me the power of relying on yourself more than anyone else, not be? How can I, mother to a girl that fortunately has endless opportunity ahead of her, not be?

I am a feminist. Because I know it is not about women being more capable or better than men, but because equality means all us coming together to improve the world we live in.

So Happy International Women's Day to everyone. And I mean every-single-one.

PS - Take 1 minute to consider how lucky you are to not have been in Iran, Afghanistan, or similar countries in respect to human rights and especially women's rights, and sign this petition on Change.org to help save Mohana Kameli: https://www.change.org/p/stop-executing-mohana-kameli-free-her