“Yes I am a Woman,” says Bruce Jenner

Bruce Jenner was the topic of discussion on social media as viewers tuned in to the 20/20 interview with Diane Sawyer this past Friday. Bruce tells the world his secret. His transition from a man to a woman. Bruce discusses his journey being confused as a child after wanting to put on dresses behind closed doors. He didn’t understand why he was doing it (cross-dressing), but it made him feel good.

“I want to reemerge as “her,” no more Bruce Jenner. Why now? “Can’t pull the curtain any longer.” He states he isn’t changing his sexual orientation. Gender identity has nothing to do with his sexual orientation. It is who he is, on the inside. He is not attracted to the opposite sex at all. He believed God gave him feminine traits yet trapped him in a masculine body. He believes his brain is more female than male and that his soul is as well. “Yes I am a woman,” he replied after Diane questioned “what” he was. ” Although he wasn’t genetically born a female,gender identity is who you are inside. He was given estrogen for 5 years.

As the greatest athlete in the world, winning a gold medal for the U.S. Olympics, he viewed that as running away from his life, from fear, not being aware of the future. He carried America’s hope and pride with a secret. “I’m not gay, I’m heterosexual, I’ve been married and I have children. “I will always be your dad,” it is a relief after asking their father what they should call him.

1st Female African American Attorney General

CNN announced the Senate confirming Loretta Lynch as the First Female African American Attorney General. It has been a 5-month process, more than any other U.S. attorney general which are most likely “Men.” Being a female in politics, she has held a reputation as “highly qualified,” but a low-profile. She has experience in law enforcement, good listener, skilled consensus builder, and handling policy matters. This job position is one of the most diverse in government, no wonder Lynch worked in the field to obtain this position.

Lynch has obtained an education from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Others share how tough she is as a woman to bare what she will be facing, which means she holds some power to handle her position. She is to address voting rights, white-collar crime, policy reviews, and public corruption. She has experience in fighting terrorism, financial fraud, cyber crime, and defending civil rights-> perfect candidate for the position especially because she is African American and especially because she is a female.

Hilary Changing Gender Inequality

 Hilary Clinton running for President!!! Little history of Hilary: Hilary has been an activist for promoting education for children, ran legal clinics for the poor, health care access and coverage. “Human rights are women’s rights, and women’s right are human rights once and for all.” She supported women’s rights and opportunities. Hilary seeks equality overall!!!

Taking the shot again to be the first female president! She attempts to plan for attending to women issues as her top priority to close the gender gap. The gender wage gap in the U.S., women earn 78.3 less cents then men! Why is this?

 Hilary seeks to support parental leave ! This gives women employees the opportunity to not be penalized of an emergency occurs with their child. This increases jobs for women and helps them move up in their career without the fear of losing their jobs when unfortunate circumstances happen with their children.

That Moment When Your Wearing A Dress With No Pants

  Jaden Smith (Son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith) has raised some brows. Wearing a dress is causing controversy in gender norms. This is not the first no-pants look, Smith has been creating a pool of controversy all over social media. He stated, he buys girl clothes, no wait just clothes. Smith believes there shouldn’t be gender labels on what should be considered female or male clothes. The controversial issue he sees is why can women wear suits, but men can’t wear dresses-let’s change gender expectations. We should not be slaves of what society expects us to be, it should be about what makes us comfortable.

#LeanIn Together

The NBA  and WNBA Cares and supports #LeanIn Together for equality. I think this is a great way for the NBA to support such a great cause and help promote awareness. It is so important for not only women but for their families.

The role of this organization is to step aside from the conversations of what women are struggling with today and highlight what women have accomplished. No more silence, its time to speak up and provide a connection between men and women and encourage one another to enhance gender equality. Active women and men coming together in their relationship increases improvement in health, in marriage, in employment, in education, in their children, and more.

The goal is to change gender stereotypes. It’s all starts by teaching are younger generations what 50/50 is. Raising your children to do everything equally will help enhance gender attitudes, and aspirations. Let’s continue to change the under representation of women.

Women devote their income to their children than men

Colonization alters languages and economies and negatively impact women’s status and power. Colonization replaced gender arrangements by removing women from the political decision-making sphere limiting access to and control over resources. With an education women can devote more of their income to their children than men could which can strengthen and improve health. Women have difficulty in gaining access to resources even though their role is to provide basic needs such as food.

Women’s environmental issues have customarily been a low or nonexistent priority. Women have been degraded, looked down upon in many areas of their lives and barely viewed as being important members of society. Improving the quality of women’s lives promotes empowerment of women which promotes women’s status and power. Women do not have accessibility to resources in which they are responsible for such as food and health. How can women grow to be better if they are not given the opportunity. This goes along with The GAD approach, in which promotes equality and provides ways for women to actively participate. Without having the opportunity to participate, there is no opportunity for improvement.

1.3 billion people in poverty, 70% Women or Men

Women’s primary work in household is consistently unappreciated. Women spend up to five hours a day collecting fuel wood and water and end up four hours a day preparing food. Yet developmental programs do not provide tools and technologies to women’s work. With women able to access resources can decrease poverty and increase health in the economy starting within their household.

Abandoned women are vulnerable to poverty due to lack of access to development resources. 23% of rural households are headed by women. Women are excluded from being educated on new technologies to promote development due to not being able to control or own land.

Women engaged in sex work-Blame Globalization

Globalization has created a number of violations of women’s human rights. Women migrating due to poverty to have economic opportunities. (mail-order/internet brides) Women have engaged in sex work for centuries but globalization has shaped the economics and practices of sex work. (Sex Tourism/Human Trafficking)

Globalization definitely affects individuals in how they are able to live their lives. Being in the Shona society, there are fundamental disadvantages as a women. “Traditionally African social practices dictate the oldest male child is deemed the future head of the family, which is obtaining an education and leading your family out of poverty.” Women make sacrifices to raise her family and arrange to the woman’s role in African society. Women have better opportunities in other countries and the possibilities of doing things that they couldn’t have done in the African society, being restricted to gender roles and expectations.

Lack of support in Male figures helping to raise kids

 Gender Equality is changing today! Over the years women have worked there way up to have the opportunity to participate in making changes in religion, education, workforce, and politics. The key is to transition women out of poverty especially women who are raising children on their own. Women lack support in male figures helping them to raise their kids “together.” Not being able to afford childcare, not having the time to obtain a higher education, or land a secure job that could pay off bills. There are programs created to help less fortunate families with providing care for their children and an accessible education for them yet there are not many or lack funding to assist. This is causing wage gaps in women and men. Women are not entering the higher-end job positions because they don’t have the opportunity to reach to the top with the barriers they face. Women today are still underrepresented. Discrimination of women equals women poverty rates to increase.

“I deserved being abused”

Nervous Conditions by T Dangaremba highlights the expectations of a women’s role in society. This book displayed examples discussing gender inequality and the disadvantages of females relative to males. Women are known to be child bearers. In Nervous Conditions, it discussed the roles of the women to not pursue their education, or a career but to maintain a household and take care of the kids. Women depend on their husbands to provide financially for their family which makes them hold more power. The characters stress how important education was for men to financially provide for their household. The men’s dependence was to bring wealth to bring their family out of poverty. This relates to  Women Across Culture and Nervous Conditions is “Son Preference.” Son preference is when parents value male children over female children and are less likely to provide an education for female children. Women are expected  to play the role of the other women in their family which is not pursuing an education but maintaining a household. In the household men were to wash their hands first and got their food first. Women ate in the kitchen when the males were done picking what they wanted first, the women helped themselves to what was left over. The importance of similarity is to “endure and obey, for there is no other way.” This quote reminds me of the video “Gender Issues/Cultural Relativism,” when women said they deserve the abuse because dinner wasn’t served on time. Visit Gender Issues/Cultural Relativism on culture’s traditional practices and if we should step in. A character in Nervous Conditions was physically assaulted by her father due to speaking to a young man. This sort of reminds us of Honor Killings although a death did not take place, her father did imply he was going to kill her. Honor Killings was a way to promote stability go unpunished and obligated to kill a female if dishonored family member such as wearing makeup, flirting, dating, or getting a divorce without parent approval. In Half the Sky by Kristof & WuDunn, discusses the investment in girls being educated equals highest return investment. Women’s empowerment helps increase economic productivity. A character made a change in this cycle by raising money for her education with the help of her teacher by cultivating a small plot of land and growing cobs of maize and selling them. Her father,  was against this. He suggested she conduct herself like other women in the family which is maintaining a household instead of trying to pursue an education. He was also afraid that if she goes to school, she’ll raise a lot of money and get married which the funds will go to her husband instead of her father. She did not see gender divide as a barrier, she believed she can do what she needed to do that was best for her. She believed that women should come together to stand up against the oppressive patriarchy instead of allowing their insecurities to divide them. An example is when her mother left and came right back because she depended on her husband. People were prejudice against educated women. In the Shona culture, you are considered “rude” if you speak up for yourself. “The men silenced their female counterparts and some women believed that they should be silenced.”