Dear Future President,

Across the country, females are discriminated against, and put down solely because of their gender. The Fourteenth Amendment reads, “no state shall . . . deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws,” yet the Declaration of Independence proclaims, “...all men are created equal...” So, what does this mean for all the females in the world? Do women not deserve “equal protection under law”? Are females not “created equal”? Either way, discrimination against women is an issue, and it will continue to be one, unless our country makes an initiative to create an equal society.

Because of this discrimination, women, especially Hispanics and African-Americans, are more likely to have trouble paying off their student debt. Women receive less pay than men, which makes education a riskier and more difficult path to take, for women might not be able to pay off their student debt. According to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), three years after graduating from college, the average man has paid 44% of their student debt off, while the average woman has paid only 33%. For minority women, this is even worse. Latino women, on average, have paid 3% of their loans, and African-American women have paid 9%. Debt can harm anyone. For example, you might become unqualified for a job, or unable to pursue your dream job, because of the heavy debt that is laying on your shoulders.

Another area of concern for females is the lack of leadership positions given to them. There are only 23 of 500, or 4.6%, of S&P companies with female CEOs, and only 90 out of 535 Congress spots held by women, according to Forbes; this means that our country has created a favor for men over women in important leadership positions. The big question is why? Are women incapable of holding important leadership positions? Definitely not. Indra Nooyi is the CEO of PepsiCo, the second largest food and beverage business in the world, and has accomplished much more than many men and women. Are women just not as smart as men? Absolutely not. Marilyn vos Savant, an American writer, had the Guinness World Record for the highest IQ, with a astonishing score of 228. She was also called the world’s smartest human for a long period of time, because of her shocking score.This all shows that women are just as capable as men, but the stereotypes adults and kids grow up with teach them otherwise. Imagine how much more advanced, capable, and developed our economy would be if we actually utilized the knowledge women could provide, and not just male intelligence. After all, the more the merrier.

As a girl, hearing all the political policies swarming around my head and all the news channels buzzing about the same issues, the lack of effort put into solving our gender injustice concerns me. Our country focuses so much on inconsequential drama, and insignificant problems, while a basic right, female equality, is ignored. As told by the AAUW, Maxine Lampe, a public school teacher in the early 70’s, was denied the head-of-household pay, which males usually received, even though her husband was still in graduate school, and she was the main source of income in the family. After complaining to the administration, the board of administration explained to Maxine that she didn’t need the increase in salary, since her husband was a professor who could provide them with enough money. Situations similar to Maxine’s worry me, for one day, after working hard to graduate and pay for college, young women could get discriminated against just for being women, and then they would have to rely on men for their higher income, instead of making the most of their education. Whether you’re male or female, imagine your life, if everything you did or wanted was based off of your gender. What if you were highly qualified for your dream job, yet you were rejected because a person, of the other gender, with lower qualifications seemed “better.” What about if you were running for a leadership position at your, or your child’s, school, and you lost, simply, because voters thought that, because of your gender, you were unfit for the job. All of these situations will become less and less likely if, as a country, we forget about gender roles, and see each and every person for who they truly are. Otherwise, you, your wife, your daughter, your niece, or really any female in you life, could have their real abilities disregarded.

As the President of the United States of America, I ask that you take charge and create an equal nation, to the best of your ability. Discrimination and inequality are both inevitable in this world, but if you, the leader of our country, teach everyone that women and men are equal, then, I believe, our country would accommodate to this, and begin to practice what you preach. Unlike other issues, there is no policy or law you can create that would fix gender injustice, but we can voice our opinions and spread awareness. Female equality is a worldwide problem. We have to raise awareness of this problem everyone, regardless of their age, gender, nationality, sexuality, and ethnicity. Women around the world are getting treated so poorly; we are getting paid less, treated worse, deprived of education, judged by gender roles, and so much more. Together, as a country, we have to work to fix this injustice, and make sure that all genders get equal treatment.

Sincerely,

Shivali K.

Sources:

Bailey, Sebastian. "Who Makes a Better Leader: A Man or Woman." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

"Gender Inequality and Women in the US Labor Force." Gender Inequality and Women in the US Labor Force. International Labour Organization, 23 Nov. 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.

Olorunshola, Yosola. "7 Appalling Facts That Prove We Need Gender Equality Now." Global Citizen. CHIME FOR CHANGE, 25 May 2016. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.

Owens, Elizabeth. "7 Women Shortchanged: Personal Stories of the Gender Pay Gap." AAUW Empowering Women Since 1881 7 Women Shortchanged Personal Stories of the Gender Pay Gap Comments. N.p., 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.