Joanna Sullivan
Inequality Essay
Over the course of my time in India, I have reflected a lot on the gender inequality
I have seen here along with that which I have experienced growing up in the United
States. On the surface, this reflection was characterized by feelings of distress, and the
overwhelming thought of how far we still have to go. Beyond this however, a tremendous
feeling of shame came over me as I began to think deeper about my ability to critique
another culture, especially having only experienced it for thirty days.
Throughout my life, gender equality has continually lit a fire within me. Though it
may be in small ways, I try to challenge myself daily to fight for equity, for the abolition
of gender norms, and for all human beings to be able to live the life they choose despite
the body that they happened to be born into. I was incredibly fortunate to grow up in a
loving and supportive environment, where the people who cared for me always
highlighted my strength, intellect, and ability, and truly believed that I was capable of
whatever goal I laid out for myself. Despite this bubble of compassion and
encouragement, I still repeatedly found myself victim to the underlying gender inequality
that is present in our modern western society. I understand what it is like to be given one
job and refused another due to my gender. I have experienced the confidence gap
between men and women that is alive and real in education and the workplace. I have
known the struggle of seeing only three other female faces in a thirty plus group of
engineers. For these reasons among others, I know there is much more to be done to
achieve true equality among the genders.
After already feeling a strong sense of unfairness in the United States, coming to
India and observing gender inequality from my uninformed foreigner’s eye, I felt
