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Why Gender Matters t was not very surprising when the video of Janusz Korwin-Mikke, a Polish member of the European Parliament, went viral in early 2017. On the floor of the EU parliament, the Polish right-wing extremist stood up and proclaimed that; “women must earn less than men because they are weaker, smaller and less intelligent!”.
I
At large, this story illustrates how long the journey really is towards gender equality. However, it is of course not only the EU that suffers, but gender inequalities are spread across the world and affect all branches of all societies. It is therefore vital that we consider gender impacts when we talk about development. For instance:
Responding to the Polish man, the Spanish EU parliamentarian Iratxe Garcia-Perez stood up and, after a few powerful lines, concluded that; “I am here to defend all European women from men like you!”. If it were up to Mr. Korwin-Mikke, she (and all women alike) should not have the right to be representatives in the parliament. Clearly, women are still
1. The economic inequality, where the world’s countries loose 160 trillion dollars (yes, trillion) in wealth due to salary gaps between men and women. 2. The legal inequality, as 104 countries still have laws preventing women from working certain jobs.
forced to defend their rights. 4
Photos: UN Women/Flickr.
An editorial piece by Fredrik Björksten
