The Girl Effect



 
I learned about The Girl Effect when I was searching through TED, specifically under TED: Ads worth spreading. This amazingly brilliant ad grabbed my attention in just 5 seconds and by the end of 3 minutes I had goosebumps down my arms. I then posted the ad to over 70 of my friends on facebook (I would have posted more but it was 4 am at the time and sleep came over me). I watched the video the next day, if not 20 times, then I really don't know as I lost count.

When something so timely and so informative is paired with such soulful music (creating a physiological reaction in my body), it brings me to want to tell the whole world about it. I feel that The Girl Effect (expressing the need for gender equality) is something close to my heart and deserves my full support, including others who share these similar values. I consider myself a modern feminist and an advocate for the young and old, but mostly those who have no voice in the face of gender inequality (regardless of developed or developing nations).

Gender equality is key if we want societies to prosper. People come and go, some live longer than others, but we all are only but temporary visitor on earth. It is then logical and our individual responsibility to live happy and enjoy our short visit. But in doing so, through one's lifetime, as if you left your MasterCard at the check-in counter, and if we destroy anything in our temporary living space, it will be charged to your account. Right? Well, this is how I see the world we live in and it is a personal choice to live altruistic.

Plus, the next generation(s) (or call them tenants, clients, visitors) would like to enjoy a clean and prosperous living space and not the dirty motel on some forgotten old dirt road or on the dumping grounds.

12 year old girls, boys, anyone for that matter, do not choose the situations they are born into. (So what am I trying to say?  What is the bigger picture?) 

Current ideas of gender equality, in my opinion, cannot be applied to societies in a way of mass deforestation to harvest natural resources (in the long term, it is not a sustainable harvesting technique, so why WOULD it work in changing social and cultural norms). To talk about gender equality is to discuss it in the presence of hard sciences as well as the soft sciences: sociology, anthropology, psychology, and even the individual 'lived experience'.

A sense of common sense.

After all, I really hope that our ability to carry out fine-motor skills thanks to having thumbs, is not the only thing separating us from other species.

I really hope, that our ability to think both logically and critically has been keeping pace with the ever so exponential growth of today's technology. Microbiology and binary fission seems like now natures primitive form of evolution in the eyes of Steve Jobs. However, that is no excuse for humans to rid of logic and critical thinking. It is deep and hard work, but just like The Girl Effect, we have a situation (the clock is ticking) and solutions are in reach.  The only criteria: we have to choose to being active critics and live by example.

The next video introducing a group of boys who chose to listen and become active critics of today's society. 




Step 1: they acknowledged their misconceptions

Step 2: they took interest to learn about present situation with the help of hard and soft evidence - statistics, qualitative research, and recognizing their own personal biases

Step 3: working as a small group, conducting further investigation and presenting their findings to individuals belonging to their own sub-groups (young men alike)

= Change to cultural and social norms


Gender Equality Action Project


I am not disregarding the advances made by the long list of pioneers who have advocated for gender equality throughout history.  However, we are still discussing Gender Equality as being equal in all matters of life, which I believe is an archaic notion for the 21st century.

Women and men are significantly different (proven by all forms of scientific evidence).  To have gender equality is to respect the differences while providing equal opportunity to all human beings regardless of the sex, gender, or personality characteristics of  that individual.

Chivalry works both ways.  Therefore, why eliminate it?

Gender equality does NOT automatically means that men stop opening doors for ladies.  Let's not de-evolve, but keep kindness and respects part of our daily routine. 



These boys have pin-pointed the type of characteristics males (young boys) possess (something occurring 'naturally', keeping in mind the uniqueness of individuals) which can promote Gender Equality. Their approach is extremely logical and evidence-based which is a good combination to have in support for change in our super-technologically-evolved society amongst hyper-educated human beings.

There is no excuse not to.  We have the freedom to choose.

-Remi  :-)