THE VOICES
Media contributes to the problem of gender inequality throughout the world. Both male dominance and stereotypes undermine the power of women. Listen to the voices below to understand how gender inequality influences the lives of teenagers in the modern world.
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Mira
15 yrs, Jordan
Lulu
16 yrs, Britain
“Our parents are always afraid for us from the bball, from the society, from everything outside, and I think they like the idea of staying at home is better for us. It’s frustrating when you are at home and you really get bored because you can’t do anything at home and not like boys.”
“I’d like to be treated the same as boys. I’d like to wear what I want to without anything being expected of me. And I’d like to go where I want, do what I want, wear what I want as well without anyone saying, ‘No, you can’t do that. You’re a girl.’... A man approached me from behind and, at midnight, grabbed me from behind. And at first, I froze. I didn’t know what to do. And before I’d be like, “Aw, yeah, I’ll fight anyone off that says/does anything.’ But its that moment where your stuck, where you can’t.”
Shoeshoe
16 yrs, Lesotho
“There are things I feel that girls can’t do that boys are allowed to do because they are boys. Like ill behaviour, for example, or just clowning around in class. I feel like it’s more for the guys than it is for the girls. And I prefer to keep quiet because it feels like it’s more of the guys that is supposed to be loud and rowdy and all that... We can’t exactly stand up to our parents. I still have that fear of disrespectful if I try to stand up for it. So I just keep quiet and just let it go... What stands in the way of women being equal to men is, for the most part, is our culture.”
“I really believe that Iceland is going in the right direction and that maybe even in like 5,6 years, when I’ll be all grown up and work in a company or something, that I will, for example, get the money that I’m earning and people will judge me for who I am. We are one of the best countries in the world [at gender equality] but still we have so many things to fix.”
Shoeshoe
16 yrs, Lesotho
Listen to the voices and learn more below...