by Julie Dancer

Created on: July 04, 2007

Men and women are equal, and should be treated accordingly. Being equal does not mean that they are the same, it simply means that they should be accorded the same resources, respect and help appropriate to their needs. It means that both genders should be given equal opportunity to express themselves, to educate themselves, and to advance themselves.

It means that both genders should be allowed to freely pursue the goals that they believe will make them happy.

Equality also means not allowing prejudice and stereotypes to get in the way of how we treat people. Whilst many women may want children, not all of them do. Equally, not every man wants to succeed in the workplace. In many families, the man may prefer to stay at home and help change nappies and spend quality time with the children, while the woman may prefer to return to their career. Paternity leave should always be available, on a par with maternity leave. Having a child is a hugely important event in both a mother and a father's life, and both should be able to have time to deal with the changes that will be coming.

Equality also means taking into account individuals fears and needs. Women are more at risk from domestic abuse - this is a fact, and in order to deal with it we need to start working out how we can protect women from abusive situations. Some would argue this is preferential treatment, but I believe it is part of the fight for equality.

As well as domestic abuse, women are more at risk from sexual abuse. This isn't to say that men do not get raped, because they do. However, abuse towards women has often been placed as high as 1 in 4 - meaning 1 in every 4 women in the world experience a form of sexual abuse at some point in their lives.

Equality for women means looking at those countries where women are kidnapped and sold into prostitution, often from very young ages.

It means discovering why women earn less than men, and why work that is frequently done by women is valued less highly than work frequently done by men.

Equality means allowing every person to live according to their preferences, and giving the opportunities to succeed in whatever they want to do. It means supporting each other as human beings, and giving each other the basic respect and rights we would wish for ourselves and our children.

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