“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made”, R.B.G.
There are biographies that deserve to be reviewed and that provide us with endless life lessons. Such is the case of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an exceptional woman, a jurist of enormous relevance, who two weeks ago lost a long, hard battle against pancreatic cancer. This woman reminds us of the importance of fighting for equality and balance between genders. Her life is an example of resilience and is an inspiration to all of us who seek to build a more equitable society.
A seat on the U.S. Supreme Court is now vacant, and women’s rights, with the possibility that this very important power may be tilted to the conservative side. If this happens, there would be serious consequences on issues of great relevance to the country’s life: abortion, equal marriage, climate change, migration, pensions, health system. The world needs to continue with these efforts, there is still a wide path to achieve the rights that we women are entitled to. “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made,” Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Her vision and clarity were a distinctive feature throughout her career, and her contributions and efforts for gender equity are multiple. One of the greatest honors of my career was to be recognized by Refinery29 , alongside this giant of our times.
Thanks to their fight, today women can apply for a mortgage, a credit, a checking account or a bank loan without a man’s signature. These used to be required until this great woman raised her voice, in favor of all women. We also owe her the ability to keep our jobs during pregnancy, to obtain contraceptives without the partner’s permission, and to get the same pension benefits as men. There is no gender equity line where you don’t see her footprint.
In some interviews, she was asked, “what is the true sign of the United States?” Her answer is one more representation of her life mission. “I believe our sign is not the Golden Eagle, as many think, I believe we look better with the pendulum or scale. And when it is loaded in excess to one side, you can be sure it will return to the center.” This answer is full of intelligence and hope, the world needs to return to a more balanced state. Bader Ginsburg’s legacy is one of enormous wealth; her actions give us confidence that equity is possible.
The world will never reach 100% of its goals if 50% of the population cannot realize their full potential. By unleashing the power of women, we can secure the future for all. In Mexico, the road that women have traveled to build their rights has not been easy, there is still much to do, but the struggle has already begun and we have even won some battles, starting with asserting our right to vote.
Today, there are more of us women who have raised their voices and won their place, whether in business, politics or sports, to name a few. The sacrifices have been many and there is still work to be done. In Mexico, we are 62.2 million women. Women represent 42% of the economically active population compared to our counterpart who represents 76%. According to the OECD, our country has the most pronounced gap in terms of wages between men and women. This organization’s estimate is that men have an average annual income 54.5% higher than their female counterparts. On a general scale, only 29% of women have some type of credit, while for men the figure is 33%. The situation is worse if classified by type of credit: in our country only 17 out of every 100 women have some type of mortgage credit while the figure for men is almost 10 points higher (26 out of 100). 63% of women over the age of 15 have experienced an act of violence at some point in their lives.
The gender equity gap is beginning to close, but the road is still long. We must take the example of the great women who preceded us in the fight, such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and continue to build a more equitable society.
