The craziest thing I learned today is that gender inequality makes us all poorer. Get this: according to the World Bank, every person in the world could be USD 23,000 richer each year, if all women fully participated in the economy. If women earned as much as men do, the global wealth could increase by 14%. That means that everyone in the world is significantly poorer because women in many parts of the world cannot participate fully in the economy, and even when they do, they are often discriminated against in earnings. This is crazy.

Questions for Discussion

1. Why do you think women in many parts of the world do not fully participate in the economy?
2. Why do you think women are often discriminated against in earnings?
3. What in your opinion can be done to fix these problems?
4. Does gender inequality in the workplace and economy affect society beyond just financial aspects? What about innovation or culture?
5. Can education play a role in shaping attitudes towards gender equality? If so, how?
6. What role do media and popular culture play in gender stereotypes?
7. Reflect on your own community or school. Can you identify any gender biases in how students are guided towards certain careers or subjects?