The key issues men and women face

Lily Coleman
Jan 4, 2018
3 min read

Gender Equality is one of the main global goals set to improve for 2018, at least according to the launch of the the #TimesUp campaign, the #BehindEveryCity campaign to create a more equal society in London, and even Iceland's decision to make unequal pay illegal.

In the UK alone, efforts are being made by all the leading feminist and gender equality charities to raise awareness for key issues being faced in today's society. From the lack of funding in support for domestic and sexual crimes, or to raise awareness for the male suicide and mental illness epidemic; each movement focuses on a range of issues that affect the lives of women and men across the country.

Key feminist causes:

One of the leading feminist campaigns from 2017, carrying on into 2018, is the #MeToo and #TimesUp campaigns wherein Hollywood actresses are calling out sexual predators within the industry and encouraging more women (and men) to speak out about their experiences of harassment.. Sexual violence (including rape, sexual assault, and other violent crimes against women) are one of the key focuses of the feminist movement. According to Rape Crisis England & Wales, 85,000 women are raped every year.

The pay gap is at the core of the feminist movement, and despite the laws that have passed in previous centuries, women still earn less than men for the same kind of positions. Female university graduates can earn up to £8,000 less than a male student who had taken the same course. The latest research suggests that it will be at least 170 years until the gender pay gap closes.

Another key issue is the reproductive rights of women and the rights they have to control their own bodies - whether it be abortion or due to female genital mutilation. Whilst FGM is illegal in the UK, the World Health Organisation has estimated that over 20,000 girls across the globe have experienced mutilation; particularly in countries like Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt. Whilst abortion is more accessible in the UK than other countries, in parts of the UK such as Northern Island, the Abortion Act 1967 does not extend there. Therefore, abortion is illegal. Some steps towards advancements are being made, such as allowing Northern Irish women access abortions in the UK, but more needs to be done on their home grounds.

What about men?

As for men, charities are still demanding that male victims of sexual assault and other forms of violence get the support needed. The Mankind Initiative claims that whilst around 700,000 men experienced domestic abuse yearly, only 5% have access to support services such as refuge centres. Wandsworth Police shockingly announced that male victims of abuse are also 3 times more likely than women to not seek help or tell anyone about the abuse experience.

Men suffer disproportionally when it comes to mental illness and committing suicide. Back in 2013, of the 6,233 suicides recorded in the UK, 78% were male. Suicide is also the top cause of death in men under 45, so men's rights activists and mental health organisations are urging men to seek help and be more open to discussing their emotions, such as CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably).

Whilst women may suffer from a pay gap, men are subjected to an 'educational' gap. For example, at universities across the UK, girls are more likely than boys to go into higher education, and this is present in pupils as young as 13. John Mays of Parity suggests that this inequality is due to the shortage of male teachers and male role models in the educational system: