General Paper

How far is it possible for societies to provide equal opportunities for all their citizens?

In October 2010, the British Government tripled university tuitions fees, sparking fierce protests amongst the population. Academics and politicians have been arguing that students will no longer be provided with equal opportunities of access to higher education. At that same time, in Somalia, one in every five children of less than ten years old had no access to education at all, and the probability of that child being a girl was, and is still near to one. Somalia and England are two very distinct societies; the former being one of the world’s poorest countries, while the latter is a key member of the G8. However, they are faced with the same dilemma: Are they able to really provide their citizens with equal opportunities? And the answer to this question lies in an in-depth analysis of how societies differ across the globe.

For over half a century, the question of equal rights has been at the forefront of ideological debates in most societies. While Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Emily Pankhurst have all been fighting for equal rights between whites and blacks, or men and women, the focus today is principally how these rights, once acquired, are to be accompanied with equal opportunities. No-one should be disadvantaged in any sphere of activity on the basis of his/her colour, race, creed, caste, age, income, impairment, religion, sex or sexual orientation. Some societies have been able to embrace changes which have permitted their citizens to benefit from the same chances. However, this is not the case for every society. For instance, while it is today possible for a gay couple to get married in Belgium, the mere fact of being gay in Iran, is punished by death. This simple example illustrates the extent to which opportunities of leading one’s life as one aspires, is deeply influenced by the prevailing culture, norms and laws of society.

Culture is one of...