Why Gender Equality Is Still an Issue

Women's rights have taken great steps in the past few decades and we should be proud of the progress we have made. Recent events are a reminder, however, that in the world of politics and religion, and in everyday life as well, there is plenty more work ahead of us.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.
Dr Rowan Williams, centre, the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury speaks during a meeting of the General Synod of the Church of England in central London, Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012, - where a vote on whether to give final approval to legislation introducing the first women bishops will take place. The leader of the Church of England appealed for harmony among the faithful as it went into a vote Tuesday on whether to allow women to serve as bishops, a historic decision that comes after decades of debate. The push to muster a two-thirds majority among lay members of the General Synod is expected to be close, with many on both sides unsatisfied with a compromise proposal to accommodate individual parishes which spurn female bishops. (AP Photo/PA, Yui Mok, Pool)
Dr Rowan Williams, centre, the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury speaks during a meeting of the General Synod of the Church of England in central London, Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012, - where a vote on whether to give final approval to legislation introducing the first women bishops will take place. The leader of the Church of England appealed for harmony among the faithful as it went into a vote Tuesday on whether to allow women to serve as bishops, a historic decision that comes after decades of debate. The push to muster a two-thirds majority among lay members of the General Synod is expected to be close, with many on both sides unsatisfied with a compromise proposal to accommodate individual parishes which spurn female bishops. (AP Photo/PA, Yui Mok, Pool)

Last week, there was some stunning news from the other side of the Atlantic. The Church of England's General Synod decided to ban women from becoming bishops. It was a close decision, lost by just six votes in the House of Laity (the other two Houses were in favor). Because of the way the rules work, it may be five years before a similar vote can be held again.

The result has wide implications in Britain. The Church of England is the established church of the land and its bishops have a public profile, presiding over many ceremonies and state occasions. Twenty-six bishops sit in the House of Lords, and since women may not be bishops, this amounts to discrimination at a political level.

Within the Church there is already talk of figuring out a way to turn the situation around. But the vote is a reminder of the discrimination that women continue to encounter, and the inequalities that persist in so many different realms of life and in almost every corner of the world.

Sunday November 25 was the UN's International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It was a day to reflect on the challenges and sometimes the hostility that women face: up to seven in ten women report experiencing physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives, and as many as one in four women endures violence during pregnancy. The list goes on.

Women's rights have taken great steps in the past few decades and we should be proud of the progress we have made. Recent events are a reminder, however, that in the world of politics and religion, and in everyday life as well, there is plenty more work ahead of us.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot