In a blog post titled, “Gender Equality Is a Myth,” published on The Shriver Report, over the weekend, superstar Beyonce Knowles-Carter expressed her views on women equality, or the lack there of. She begins with, “We need to stop buying into the myth about gender equality. It isn’t a reality yet.”
“Today, women make up half of the U.S. workforce, but the average working woman earns only 77 percent of what the average working man makes. But unless women and men both say this is unacceptable, things will not change. Men have to demand that their wives, daughters, mothers, and sisters earn more—commensurate with their qualifications and not their gender. Equality will be achieved when men and women are granted equal pay and equal respect.”
The singer adds, “Humanity requires both men and women, and we are equally important and need one another. So why are we viewed as less than equal? These old attitudes are drilled into us from the very beginning. We have to teach our boys the rules of equality and respect, so that as they grow up, gender equality becomes a natural way of life. And we have to teach our girls that they can reach as high as humanly possible.”
What does she think should be the solution? “We have a lot of work to do, but we can get there if we work together, she again notes. “Women are more than 50 percent of the population and more than 50 percent of voters. We must demand that we all receive 100 percent of the opportunities.”
The article has sparked further speculation that the singer is a feminist. In fact, the singer has expressed much of the same upon release her unexpected fifth studio album, last December. Quoting famous Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, on unreleased single, “Flawless,” the singer notes…
We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller
We say to girls: “You can have ambition, but not too much
You should aim to be successful, but not too successful
Otherwise, you will threaten the man”
Because I am female, I am expected to aspire to marriage
I am expected to make my life choices
Always keeping in mind that marriage is most important
Now, marriage can be a source of joy and love and mutual support
But why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage
And we don’t teach boys the same?
We raise girls to see each other as competitors
Not for jobs or for accomplishments, which I think can be a good thing
But for the attention of men
We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are
Feminist: a person who believes in the social
Political, and economic equality of the sexes
In recent years, the singer has become noticeably much more outspoken in her political views — hoping to evoke change among us and inspire women to take control of their lives and careers. Whatever her reason or whatever change she hopes to encourage, one thing’s for sure, Mrs. Knowles-Carter has gotten our attention.
To find out more on what you can to and join the cause visit the ShriverReport.com.
