How Women Can Take Action Against Inequality

One of the greatest things about food is its universality. Food reminds us that despite country borders and cultural divides, we are all human beings who, at the end of the day, need something to fill our stomachs. Unfortunately in 2015, inequality is still extreme and flagrant. About 1 in every 9 people in the world are living hungry. The gender gap is something even modernized countries struggle with. However, we can use our skills and passions to change that statistic and gain awareness for global inequality.

1. Oxfam America Hunger Banquet

The Hunger Banquet is a great event to not only raise awareness but also to make hunger a personal issue. Participants randomly select income levels which determine what meal they will eat that night. 50% of the audience are placed in the lowest income group, and have a simple meal of rice and water. 35%, or the middle income group, have a rice and bean dinner, and the highest income group, 15% of all participants, have a filling meal of pasta, salad, and bread. Through this simulation of inequality, people will understand if not empathize with the cause. Hunger impedes growth in communities and prevents people from making progressive changes to their world.

2. Live Below the Line

Live Below the Line is similar to the Hunger Banquet in that its participants to experience what millions of people live through. It is “a challenge to spend $1.50 on food and drink for 5 days… while raising funds for the world’s leading poverty-fighting organizations”. This global event is taking place from April 27th- May 1st, 2015. Get your schools involved too- take pledges from different classes, and make it a contest to see which class has the most participants. Remember, for some people this isn’t a challenge, it’s a reality they can’t just snap out of one day. You can- so use it to make a difference.

3. Inequality Bake Sale

This is good event to hold if you’re looking to raise awareness for inequality as a whole, and not just hunger. It’s an ordinary bake sale, but how you price things is the key. Price goods at $1 for men, and $.77 for women to reflect the pay gap in your country. It’s is a clever way to get the conversation moving about gender inequality. If you want to raise awareness for a different cause, you can always change the prices and goods to meet your needs.

Happy world-changing!

Emily Cheng is a senior in high school and an Amnesty International Student Activist Coordinator. She is passionate about human rights, the environment, and gender equality. In between figuring out her existential crisis, you can usually find her running, reading, or dreaming of future adventures.