The 19^th Amendment was passed in 1920 giving women the right to vote. Easily a Top 5 Amendment, if we’re ranking them with respect to major civil rights impact. Since then, women have still been fighting for respect and equality. 2018 will be the year we finally give women the respect they deserve.

Women in the workplace are often paid less than men and sexually harassed. Recently, many big name actors, directors, news reporters, business men and others have been accused of sexual harassment or otherwise inappropriate behavior in the workplace. This hostility comes from a lack of respect from males to their female counterparts. They feel threatened because women are rising through the ranks in the corporate world and no longer being complacent at lower-level jobs. This rise, however, should be welcomed as it brings a much-needed new perspective to the business world.

One reason it is important to respect women is because without them, no one would be alive. They are the mothers to every person alive. In most cultures, women are the ones who stay home with the kids and teach them their morals. Without women, there would be no George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, or Bill Gates. Women are indirectly the cause of the greatest inventions ever, by birthing the people who came up with them. Elsewhere in the world it is even worse than what we see in first world nations like our own. In many countries in the Middle East, women aren’t allowed to drive or leave the house without permission. They can’t even speak out about this discrimination without the fear of being killed. In order to achieve true equality, respect must be given on a global scale.

The saying, “Behind every great man, there is a woman” was coined for a reason. People have historically strayed from this line of thinking and this is where the world’s problems are stemming from. That is why 2018 must be the Year of Respecting Women.