About gender equality I took a weekly radio address from President Obama as listening material last week, its title was “Let Girls Learn”, an initiative launched by Mr. and Ms. Obama to encourage more girls to go to school. The appeal was touching and really necessary, at least in my home country, women are not so valued for their minds, and as people know, the Chinese have a distinct preference for boys when a family gives birth to new babies. The situation today is getting better admittedly. Compared with the ancient time, when women were fairly treated as appendants of men, prevented from school or walking out frequently or even behaving too impressive, women living in a modern society enjoy more freedom and human rights. When Mr Obama said that girls in many parts of the world were under risk of being suppressed by men who would do anything to stop girls from learning, or were forced to quit school so as to raise kids, i thought “Oh that’s horrible, such kind of evil only happens in rural areas of China i suppose.” But wait. The absence of violence from men doesn’t equal to gender equality. I don't suffer direct threats from men or commands from my parents who refuse to send me to school, but i’m indeed surrounded by people—parents, relatives, males, even some women—who hold a firm thought that it is unnecessary for girls to get a too high educational degree and a high pay job, no need to be smart and competitive but gentle and virtuous instead, doing a stable and decent work and getting married with a man with good money. Put the feasibility aside, what on earth makes them think girls cannot do higher demanded jobs as men do? It’s true that few women stand on peaks of most industries, but i truly believe it’s a result of barriers that stand in the way of women who want to learn more, who want to share the same opportunities with men, but so distracted by doing laundry, raising babies and all the so-called responsibilities coerced by society. It’s plain wrong to brain wash girls with some stupid stereotype or suppress their nature however talented and inquisitive they are, regardless of their craving for chasing dreams on the career path. Because every girl deserves respect and equal rights to choose her own way to make things happen.