Leadership Reports

Bulldogs Fight For Justice

This week's Social Justice topic is Women's Rights. For years as long as most can remember, there hasn't been much of a show of equality between women and men. Women's opinion on things and their ability to do stuff often get pushed aside because of the simple fact that they are women! A lot of the time this is a result of something called gender roles. Gender Roles are the roles or behaviors learned by a person as appropriate to their gender, determined by the prevailing cultural norms. An example for women is that "women should cook for the man and children", and an example for men are "men should provide for the family". Such toxic norms have put women in the dark and they sure have had enough. As a generation of change we have a chance to show that we will not tolerate inequality towards women.

An inspirational woman that has fought for women's rights is a woman I'm sure you've heard of. Her name is Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her sad death which was on September 18 this year, 2020. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a feminist icon. She gave many young girls and women hope that in such a world against them, they can overcome the struggles and one day be in power themselves. She was also nominated by President Bill Clinton, and at the time was generally viewed as a moderate consensus-builder. But Ruth Bader Ginsburg is just one of the many women's rights activists who have left a mark in history.

Now I do kindly encourage you all to spread awareness, get educated, and make change. You can do so by signing petitions at Change.org, or check out women's rights-based Instagram accounts such as @feminist. Most importantly do some self-examination of your own beliefs on women's rights, gender roles, and equality. Do you stereotype people by gender? Do you try to fit in certain gender roles or expect others to do so? Changing the way you think, the way you act, and how you treat others is the best way for our generation to make progress! As the great RGB said, "Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time."

Fast Facts:

1. Women are seldom included in formal peace processes. Women are usually not represented among decision-makers and military leaders, the usual participants in these processes.


2. Women gained the right to vote in America in 1920.


3. As of January 2012, women held 15.1% of all presiding officer posts in governments the world


4. Women account for 70% of the population living in absolute poverty (on less than $1.00 a day).


5. Over 60 million girls worldwide are child brides, married before the age of 18.^[


6. 603 million women live in countries where domestic violence is not yet considered a crime.


7. The gender pay gap in the United States is the ratio of female-to-male median or average (depending on the source) yearly earnings among full-time, year-round workers. The average woman's unadjusted annual salary has been cited as 81% to 82% of that of the average man's.

The LeyVa SJC is comprised of: Jemimah, Lara, Virginia, Julia, Sarah, & Jennife