Dear next President,

As a young woman going into the Army in the next few years, and as a young woman in general I feel as though my rights aren’t as equal as the men around me. I’ve been differentiated against in many different ways and at different times. I’ve been told that I couldn’t do something such as pick up or carry something because I’m a girl. When I told a guy that I was going into the Army, he looked at me and said that I wouldn’t make it a day in the Army because the hardest thing I’ve ever done was clean something because I was a woman. I had been grouped in the stereotype of women that started back in the day when girls and women were looked at as men’s property more than an actual human. We are in the twenty first century. Shouldn’t it be different now President? I have some ideas that could be help to change the discrimination and violence against women and close the gap of equality between men and women.

The nineteenth Amendment was established in 1920 proclaiming that women are as equal as men. Here we are almost a hundred years later and women all around are still being discriminated against and treated badly. 92% of women have experienced some sort of physical sexual violence and 88% have experienced some sort of verbal sexual harassment. Globally only 22% of parliamentarians are women. Women on average only make 74% of what men make doing the same job. These are more than numbers; they are representations of how women aren’t being given the same opportunities as men. I’m not asking to change everything so that women can be treated better, nor have more than everyone else. I’m asking that we have equal chances to succeed. In order to do this I have a few ideas that could help achieve this goal.

Spreading awareness is the best way to let people know these numbers. Starting organizations to close these wage gaps and the stop the discrimination against women. We need more rights for the LGBT community also but that’s a separate issue. Funding organizations such as the National Organization for Women and the American Association of University Women would be a great way to spread awareness and for these groups of people do what they do best and help this cause. I hope this helps you President. I’m leaving the rest up to you to make a difference for women and girls like myself. I’m not asking to have more than everyone else; I’m just asking to have the same as them. That’s all.

Best wishes,

Faith