Unsurprisingly, there are factions, mostly consisting of men, who feel that progress has gone far enough.
Pilita Clark, in her article in the Financial Times, points out where and how views have shifted. The conversation was sparked by an eyebrow-raising vote in Ireland, where 73.9% of the population voted against changing the words of the constitution that assert a woman’s place is in the home.
According to new research conducted by the Global Institute for Women’s Health, over 50% of respondents believe that progress toward female equality has reached a sufficient level. This sentiment is echoed in countries like Sweden, Peru, Thailand, and the UK.
However, the outlook in the UK is bleak, with many feeling that efforts toward women’s equality have now become discriminatory towards men.
The truth remains discouraging for women, as we still earn 77 cents for every dollar a man earns.
“Although more than a third of countries have now had a female leader at some point, the latest data show that at any given moment in time, the share of countries where the most powerful leader is a woman has never risen above 10 per cent.”
Pilita Clark, FT.com
Political and economic inequality still contributes to the physical and sexual violence experienced by a large proportion of women.
Pilita’s conclusion is clear: more work needs to be done.
The question arises: How can we engage and bring men along with us?