Some small actions with big impact for

Gender Equality
From the Liberian women’s sex strike paving the way for peace to the Icelandic “Women’s
Day Off” demading economic equality to the global impact of the #MeToo movement,
history has taught us that change can happen through collective activism. Change, however,
isn’t just about big headline moments, legal victories and international agreements: the way
we talk, think, and act every day can create a ripple effect that benefits everyone. As we usher
in the new decade and take stock of global progress on women’s rights, join us, as Generation
Equality, in getting to gender equality through these simple everyday actions.

• Share the care:

Ever heard the saying “a woman’s work is never done”? Well, it’s true: women take
on three times more unpaid care and domestic work than men. That’s time and energy
taken away from women to advance their careers, earn more money and enjoy leisure
activities.
Show you care: Commit to evenly sharing household chores, parenting
responsibilities and other unpaid work. Here are some strategies to get you going:
✓ Start with a family or household discussion. Identify care needs and domestic
responsibilities.
✓ Consider and discuss your strengths when sharing caregiving responsibilities.
✓ Lay out the household activities through a chores roster.
✓ From setting the table to cooking, encourage children of all genders to be involved
equally in household chores.
✓ If one partner works full-time in the home, recognize and acknowledge the value of
their labour.

• Call out sexism and harassment

From catcalling to mansplaining to inappropriate sexual jokes, women are faced with
all kinds of sexist and disrespectful behaviours in public and private places on a daily
basis.

You can be an active bystander by disrupting the status quo and challenging your
peers. Start by calling out any inappropriate behaviour in a safe, respectful manner.
Challenge any stereotypical notions of gender, such as “a woman should know her
place” and “stop getting emotional”, through open dialogue. When it comes to
 engaging in conversation, learn the facts, so that the next time someone makes
statements like the “wage gap is a myth!”, you can eloquently squash that
misinformation in its tracks.

If you witness harassment, speak up and step up. Get the help of others if you feel
unsafe doing so. Take the time to listen to the survivor and ask how you can support.

• Demand an equal work culture

From sexual harassment to the gender wage gap, women face a full roster of
discriminatory practices when it comes to the workplace. Demand a progressive work
environment through the equal representation of women in leadership and
boardrooms, equal pay for work of equal value and education courses on gender
equality.

Women often make significant professional sacrifices to have a family, with

consequences for their economic and personal wellbeing. One way to level the
playing field is to push for unified parental leave policies that offer ample paid leave
to both biological or adoptive parents. It’s important to encourage fathers to take
parental leave to play an active role in caretaking.

• Exercise your political rights

Women remain woefully underrepresented in the highest political positions. As of

2020, women only hold around 25 percent of seats in national parliaments and
account for less than 7 percent of the world’s leaders. What’s the easiest, most direct
way you can make a difference? Vote! And consider voting for women!

• Teach girls their worth

Before even hitting puberty, girls across the world already carry internalized beliefs
about their place, worth and role in society as dependant, vulnerable or incapable and
are told to act accordingly, reinforcing gender stereotypes and keeping girls from
realizing their full potential.
It’s hard to unlearn these kinds of beliefs. That’s why it’s so important to start
addressing them early. Remind girls in your life that they are strong, capable and
deserving of the same respect as boys. Make sure they know they are more than their
appearance: praise them for their intelligence, strength, leadership, athleticism and so
much more.
• Challenge what it means to “be a man”
Man up. Boys don’t cry. Boys will be boys.
 These traditional notions of masculinity often discourage boys and men later in life
from openly communicating their feelings.

Whether in your friendships or relationships or within your family, support

expressions of masculinity that involve vulnerability, sensitivity, caretaking and other
traditionally non-masculine traits. Foster an environment where boys and men feel
safe expressing their emotions: let them know their feelings are valid and give them
the opportunity to share. Don’t mock or dismiss them, and call out others who do.

• Challenge beauty standards

Though beauty standards vary from place to place, they almost always promote a
narrow, unrealistic vision of femininity. Women are often expected to devote far more
time, energy and money to their appearances than their male counterparts. This kind
of double standard proliferates the sense that women’s bodies aren’t really their own–
–that they’re objects intended for public consumption. Unrealistic physical ideals can
also manifest in serious mental and physical harm.
Rethink your beliefs on what it means to be beautiful. Start in the mirror: notice the
way that you think and talk about your own appearance, and the next time you catch
yourself being critical, try to give yourself a compliment. Treat all bodies as equally
valuable and deserving of celebration—regardless of size, ability, or colour—and call
out body shaming when you see it.
• Respect the choices of others
Every person has the right to make decisions about their body, well-being, family and
future. When someone’s choices make you uncomfortable, ask yourself why.
Examine the biases that may be driving your reaction and consider the circumstances
that make their life different from yours. Listen to their reasoning.

Excerpts taken from:

https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/2/compilation-small-actions-big-
impact-for-generation-equality