But in an age when women still fear speaking out about sexual harassment, when the pay gap is real, and when having a family and a career is still more difficult for women than for men, can we really be talking about gender equality yet? Or in the words of one very influential lady: do girls now “run the world”?
Exposure worked with students at The Compton School in Barnet, north London, to explore all these questions.
Scroll down and use the slider tool to see how this group responded, and to view relevant facts, statistics, and advice they wanted to share. The images on the left show how the young people felt while the images on the right provide information on each issue.
Women have had the vote for 100 years! — by Hannah Rot
Britain has some of the most pro-equality laws around the globe and British women have achieved a great deal. For example, more women than men attain the best degrees from the UK’s top universities – and have done so for the past two whole decades!
Don’t shout “Girl Power” too soon though, as these achievements seem to make little difference in everyday life. The workplace is an especially cruel world. Women are more likely to be employed on lower pay and in low skilled work than men, according to the Women and Equalities Select Committee. It’s more difficult for women to get promotions or see other progression in their career, too. Working women who have children are more likely than men to experience unlawful discrimination or even lose their job.
All one has to do is look at our country’s leaders to see the patriarchy at play. In the last general election, a record of 208 women MPs (32% of all MPs) were elected to the House of Commons. The fact that 32% is a record and a statistic the government is proud of already seems ludicrous. If we carry on at this pace, we’ll be waiting until 2062 for equal representation. There are currently only 206 female peers in the House of Lords (compared to an intimidating 595 men), and our current Prime Minister is only the second ever woman to hold this job in the history of this country.
I believe the reason for such limited progress in equality lies within our government. If the majority of those making decisions and making laws are male, it’s no wonder women’s voices aren’t heard.
We have a female Dr Who — by Arjan Arenas
One might think that we’d have reached gender equality by now. However, statistics show this is not the case when it comes to equal pay.
One notable event this year that has brought attention to the progress that still needs to be made is the ongoing pay gap between staff at the BBC. In July 2017, the corporation released a list of its highest earning employees, which featured only one woman in the top 20, namely Strictly Come Dancing presenter Claudia Winkelman, who earns between £450,000 and £500,000 a year. Compare that with the overall highest earner on the list, Radio 2 host Chris Evans (who takes home between £2.2m and £2.25m a year), and the inequity becomes alarmingly visible.
Ironically, all this came to the fore in the same month that Jodie Whittaker was announced as the first female Doctor Who; in January this year, Whittaker, a fervent supporter of equal pay for actresses, revealed that she had to fight to be paid as much as her male predecessor Peter Capaldi, which seems to prove the skin deep nature of the BBC’s commitment to female equality.
The BBC pay scandal continues to dominate discussions about equal pay, and tensions have continued to rise since BBC News’ China editor, Carrie Gracie resigned in January after learning that her own salary fell £100,000 behind her male colleagues. How much longer will it be before meaningful changes are made?
Which is less dignified – stealing tampons, or not having one at all?
— by Aleksandra Borkowska
One poll calculated that British women spend over £18,000 on managing their periods over their lifetime. While this includes other products, such as pain relief and chocolate, and so the actual amount will vary from one woman to another, the fact remains that buying pads and/or tampons every month really adds up. It would be difficult not to spend at least £10 per month (£120 per year).
No wonder that many girls from poorer families are unable to afford sanitary products, leading them to seek help from teachers or make their own makeshift protection. One in ten girls in the UK have been unable to afford sanitary products, according to Plan International UK.
It’s even worse for the 20,000 homeless women in London. Many of them have limited or sometimes no access to sanitary products, forcing them to make do with emergency alternatives like ripped up cloth. This is according to
The Homeless Period campaign, which raises awareness of the issue. As one woman explains: “I used to feel very depressed… Why can’t a woman get sanitary towels anywhere?”
It’s good to see people trying to do something about this. Flow Aid works to provide sanitary products for the homeless, and is trying to create donation points where people can give sanitary products to local schools. And Amika George, an 18-year-old student, recently started the FreePeriods campaign. She wants the government to give free menstrual products to all girls in the UK on free school meals.
Women’s reproductive rights: Have we gone back in time?
— by Ellen Mortimer
Donald Trump, current president of the United States, deems abortion laws ‘wrong’, telling pro-life protesters that they were supporting a ‘beautiful’ cause and that he would always defend the ‘right to life’.
Given that 1 in 20 American women have an abortion by age 20 (2014 figures), this policy will seriously affect many young people’s lives.
But Trump’s policies aren’t just impacting American women. He has expanded laws that prohibit US aid going to foreign organisations that offer abortion services (or even information about abortion).
Since then, health care workers around the world say the policy has had “disastrous effects”. Clinics are closing down, unsafe abortions are expected to rise and families will no longer have access to vital services.
Marie Stopes International, a London-based charity that provides family planning services in 37 countries, estimates that over two million women it serves will lose their access to contraception, and that this could result in 6,900 maternal deaths.
Even in the UK, reproductive rights aren’t guaranteed. In Northern Ireland abortion is still illegal, despite the UN saying this is a violation of women’s rights. And last year Theresa May signed a deal with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party, which is against abortion – suggesting that women’s rights mattered less to the Conservatives than staying in power.
Who Run The World? Girls!
If you are affected by any of the issues listed above or want to share a story of your own, we’d love your feedback! Comment below, visit our Facebook page or tweet us to let us know your thoughts.
Remember: Exposure is always looking for young writers so if you feel strongly about something email fran@exposure.org.uk.
