Student’s Last Name 1

Student’s Name

Professor’s Name

Sociology

DD MM YYYY

GNDR 1061-70: Discussion on Global issues and Activism

Question 1

Some examples of global issues that stemmed from gender-based discrimination are

human trafficking and the exclusion of women from the policymaking of communities. The

latter is demonstrated by the 1990 water crisis in Cochabamba, a city from Bolivia, where the

community was forced to sell off its water to foreign investors (Gillis & Jacobs 284). The

revolt of the Gochabamba community against inhumane water services transformed the roles

of the women, who unified the members of different neighborhoods in defending the water

systems (Gillis & Jacobs 284). Another example of a global issue that made me think about

gender is human trafficking for sexual exploitations. The inferior social standing of females,

especially in poor countries, make them far more vulnerable than males (Gillis & Jacobs

293). This rigid status of females can also be found in South Sudan where only male kids are

considered the real children of their parents, as described by the TED speaker Mary Maker.

In order to promote gender equality in poor and exploited countries such as South Sudan and

Bolivia, it is important to address poverty, lack of resources, lack of opportunity and

education.

Question 2

Trump’s proposed solution to the latest refugee crisis won’t solve the labor issues and

the spread of violence in Central America. Migrants from war zones are willing to cross

oceans illegally just to have a chance at life. Stories like these are no surprises to the refugee

named Mary Maker, who crossed the borders of South Sudan with her mother and three
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siblings and sought asylum in the Kakuma Camp. Social reforms must allow easier

accommodation of refugees and eradication of violence, killings and bombings in poor

countries. Race and ethnicity must not be used to discriminate whose life is more valuable

than the other. Since no country is free from human rights abuses (Gillis & Jacobs 304), we

must not make matters worse by removing the lifeline of the refugees and turning our backs

away from migrant crises.

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Works Cited

Gillis, Melissa J., and Andrew T. Jacobs. Introduction To Women's And Gender Studies: An

Interdisciplinary Approach. 1st ed., Oxford University Press, 2016, pp. 284-304.

TED. “Why I Fight For The Education Of Refugee Girls (Like Me).” Youtube, 2018,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEKy1AS75Zs. Accessed 14 July 2019.