A Call to Justice: gender inequality

It should be common knowledge that gender inequality has been an ever-present issue in societies worldwide, with the unequal access to opportunities, rights, and resources, all owing to a difference in gender. Included in these inequalities is the gender pay gap in the US, in which women earned an average of only 83% of the amount of money earned by men in 2024. Although this percentage has vastly improved over the past few decades, there is nonetheless still a difference, stemming from what have historically been considered “traditional” roles for women in society. While men would often be in charge of the moneymaking, women were subjected to a domestic role in the house, prioritizing homemaking and childcare. As women began to enter male-dominated career fields, these societal shifts, met with sexism, shaped how women would be paid for centuries to come.

As a result of unequal pay, cultural stereotypes, unconscious biases, and underrepresentation, women make up only about 28% of the global STEM workforce. Throughout much of history, women were unable to attend college and were discouraged from pursuing a higher education. In the 19th century, women were finally allowed to attend female-only colleges in the US. However, it wasn’t until the enactment of Title IX in 1972 that federal law guaranteed the right to an education free from sex discrimination. To put that into perspective, that was only 53 years ago—not even a lifetime away. Due to hundreds of years of an unjust education system, women’s achievements in the scientific world were often overlooked. For example, when discussing the discovery of DNA’s double helix structure, the two names that immediately come to mind are Watson and Crick. Rosalind Franklin’s critical contributions, such as Photo 51, were reduced to a mere footnote. Over the past few decades, women have begun to outnumber men in college, yet gender stereotypes continue to dominate the education system. These stereotypes not only hurt women, but the larger society too. There are a number of intelligent and successful women who would be a great fit for a STEM career. But, due to misallotment, our society misses out on their potentially groundbreaking contributions. Through greater encouragement, representation, and resources, our society can cultivate a future where women in STEM feel comfortable in pursuing their dream careers.

In a similar vein, worldwide gender inequality has restricted and discouraged women’s pursuit of athleticism. While women have participated in sports for many centuries, the development of women’s national sports has a long history of overcoming barriers, activism, and social recognition. Today, women’s sports are more popular than ever, yet, we still have a long way to go. One of the largest issues regarding women’s sports is limited media coverage. This generates a cyclical problem, where a lack of media coverage leads to less representation and lower public interest. The less popular a sport is, the more the media can justify its continued low coverage and online representation. However, even at large events where women’s sports are well-covered, women are often objectified. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Norwegian women’s beach handball team were fined for wearing shorts as opposed to the standard bikini bottoms. This protest sparked discussions about rules for all women’s sports, and demanded the repeal of sexist clothing requirements. In a similar protest against those who dismiss the popularity of women’s sports, Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel, and Sue Bird created a merchandise line to combat sexism. Their brand Togethxr launched the slogan “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” and went viral in early 2024. Now as we reach the end of 2025, this campaign has become a powerful movement that’s advanced the growth of women’s sports. Hopefully as more brands start such campaigns, we can generate the activism necessary for real change in the industry.

Similarly, despite the United States being known as the land of the free, the abundance of legal restrictions, health related barriers, and general discrimination toward transgender people has been devastating. In recent years, there have been a record number of anti-trans bills introduced in state legislatures, with over one thousand bills considered and 123 having passed in 2025 alone. These bills have targeted education, aiming to restrict gender identity discussion in classrooms; healthcare, seeking to ban gender-affirming care, impact insurance coverage, and restrict access to health services; sports, attempting to ban transgender athletes from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity; and bathroom access, prohibiting trans people from using public bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity. These bills are working to take away trans peoples’ rights as human beings to live freely, be seen and respected, access care, and exist without fear, denying them the basic freedoms and equality that every person deserves.

Gender inequalities continue to shape our society, limiting opportunities and fairness for over half of the world’s population; the persistent pay gap, lack of women in STEM, unequal recognition in sports, and daily challenges faced by trans individuals all reveal the problematic biases society continues to hold. Everyone, no matter their gender, age, ethnicity, or status, can work on this issue by recognizing and embracing our differences. Bit by bit, we can make our world an equal place for all