While 2018 was a great overall year for women, the unfortunate political backdrop in the US (with an overtly misogynist president) threatens to roll back several years of progress by legitimizing sexist attitudes across several countries. So, it’s still necessary to keep our guard up in 2019, when welcomed events such as the Women’s March are poised to advance the cause in the face of adversity. To give you some perspective, here are the best and worst moments for women and feminism in 2018.
Best
January
March
Via Pinterest.
April
Via Pinterest.
May
June
July
Women were elected to control 51% of the senate and 49% of congress in Mexico.
August
October
November
Women break all kinds of records in the midterms elections. Over 100 women were elected for the House, including the first Muslim women (Ilhan Omar & Rashida Tlaib).
Worst
After many women, most prominently Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct prior to his Supreme Court confirmation, a wave of skepticism and disbelief was raised in his defense. Following a trying hearing in which Dr. Ford bravely gave her testimony, and without allowing for any reasonable amount of time to conduct a thorough investigation, Kavanaugh was ultimately confirmed in spite of several irregularities in his declarations. The case sparked worldwide debates about the believability of female victims and the unfair standards to judge their accounts.
Serena Williams suffered from sexist remarks and rulings during the U.S. Open, receiving point penalties that eventually cost her the match and tournament against Naomi Osaka. The latter received her prize in tears of sadness due to the unfortunate circumstances of her victory—which was entirely deserved regardless.
Femicide, or the murder of women based on their gender, remains a worldwide problem. For instance, at least 57 women were killed by mid-2018 in Canada, according to a report by the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability. However, the problem is far more pernicious in Latin America, which was declared as having the highest rate of gender-based sexual violence in the world against women, according to a 2017 United Nations report. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean further reported that 12 women are murdered each day on average around the continent.
There’s still much to be done to advance women’s rights across the world. There remains a high rate of inequality in several countries, varying in severity from wage gaps to outright denial of basic citizen rights and welfare. But despite the obstacles, we’re all happy to see that the cause is slowly moving forward.
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