A World of Endless Wonder

Raya is 13 years old and has had dreams of becoming a scientist at NASA since she was 10. She shared her ambitions in a letter she sent to the Minister of Education of the Maldives in 2017.

Over the years, Raya’s perspectives have changed to the noble profession of becoming a doctor. “I would like to be able to help heal people,” she said.

Education, equality and empowerment are the fundamental principles behind the message of the day, “My Voice, our Equal Future” of the International Day for the Girl Child of 2020, it is important to note that even when occupation and work hours are accounted for, the gender pay gap is at 11%.

In order to empower motivated individuals like Raya, policy changes are imperative to bring about a positive change to the medical industry. At a crucial juncture such as this, i.e., the global COVID-19 pandemic, it is even more necessary that such changes be brought about as soon as possible.

In the letter that Raya wrote to the Minister, she eloquently says, “I always hear that men are getting more opportunities than women in each and every field, especially for the high posts. Since women are capable of doing everything that men do, women should be equally treated in the society.”

Equality and equal opportunities set examples to the younger generations, who are quite sensitive to the decisions and non-verbal cues that are norms in society. While a change in ambitions is quite understandable, it is important to nurture as many talents that a child displays, and for policy makers to clear the path to their ambitions.