For me, equality is…

A label not already attached.

In Education it means the presumption of equal intellectual capacity. Access to information.

In Work it means the presumption of equal capacity to choose, follow and succeed on a career path.

The Power and its grotesque manifestations have no place near Equality. The concept of power automatically removes the concept of equality. Manifestations of power annihilate any equality.

Equality manifested and cultivated in Education and Work can lead to Power of understanding, to wise Power of decision, to Power of change.

For example, to attract more women to research careers, the European Commission launched in 2012 the communication campaign “Science: it’s a girl thing!”, which aims at encouraging 13-18 years old girls to study science. Girls tend to drop out of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) for various reasons linked in particular to the social roles they expect or are expected to play as well as the way STEM subjects are taught. In order to better attract and retain female students, science and educational institutions should reconsider their external communication and the way STEM subjects are taught.

For me thus, gender equality means made aware and accepted complementarities, publicly supported and promoted afterwards. It means respect and a label not already attached, as I said.

 by Raluca Filip