TOW 21

Are rights equal between all genders, races, and ages yet? Although some may say so, the truth is that there is still a great deal of inequality. Women have made major progress in society: it is more common for women to have a job than to stay at home, our rights are protected by the constitution, yada yada yada. But it is not enough. Things are not equal until society, as a whole, acknowledges the worth of EVERYONE and lets go of stereotypical thinking. As pointed out by Tamara Shopsin in her article Emoji Feminism, even our phones have the mindset that women are inferior.

The women emojis are a Flamenco dancer, three playboy bunnies, a princess, and a “normal” woman with her hands in various positions. This is not nearly enough. There is enough room for a robot, a cake, a four-leafed AND three-leafed clover, yet there isn’t enough room for the woman lawyer, construction worker, scientist, etc. The emojis fail to recognize women doing anything besides conforming to age-old gender roles and stereotypes. This shows the disparity between women and men, and shows just how much work is still left to do. We often are content to sit back on our laurels and be content with the progress that has been made so far. This issue, although may seem trivial, is but one piece of the puzzle, one instance in a much greater issue. Tackling an issue that is so wide-spread and large is extremely difficult. We must start small, we must ensure emoji equality.