MPH: Reason number one - the G20 Osaka Summit, 2019

To me, this is a public health crisis.

Of the 38 people important enough to be in this photo representing the top 20 most powerful and wealthy nations of the world, 3 are women.

In 2019!  This is not 1919 - this is current time.

What about our world, our society, our education structure, our perspectives, our access to opportunities allows this inequality to happen?  From my perspective, it must be everything.  Our sexism is so engrained that this group of 20 nations has less than 8% of its representation as females.

This is not just. This is not fair representation.

Let's dig into this a little deeper.  What is the G20 summit?  Here is what Wikipedia says:

Membership of the G20 consists of 10 individual countries plus the European Union... Collectively, the G2) economies account for around 90% of the gross world product, 80% of world trade..., two-thirds of the world population, and approximately half the world land area. 

What voices are not being heard at this summit?  
The female voices.  That means two-thirds of the world population is only being expressed at the table of decision and policy makers by 3 women.

Who is not being represented at the summit?
The female.  Two-thirds of the wold population are being represented by 3 women.

What issues will not be brought forward at the summit?
The important female issues.

As Melinda Gates, the co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,  (and my new personal hero) states in her book "The Moment of Lift"

Being a feminist means believing that every woman should be able to use her voice and pursue her potential, and that women and men should all work together to take down the barriers and end the biases that hold women back.

To me, then, it seems that feminism is a public health platform and mandate.  Until every woman has equality, and is living up to her capacity, then policy and systems need to keep changing.  Until 50% of the people in the G20 photo are women, then there is work and change to be done.

I want to help with that.  I want to be involved with this discussion in a more meaningful way.  That is my first reason for wanting to pursue my Master In Public Health.