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    Now reading: jack white joins nashville gender equity council, pens thoughtful essay

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    jack white joins nashville gender equity council, pens thoughtful essay

    The American musician has taken to Facebook to speak out about challenging systemic gender inequality at work.

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    Jack White — guitarist and singer of the Raconteurs, the Dead Weather, and formerly the White Stripes — joined Mayor Megan Barry in launching the Nashville Council on Gender Equity, a new committee that will help offer “data-informed recommendations and advice” to address systemic inequality in the benefits and opportunities that are available to men and not women.

    Taking to Facebook, White reflected on his new position. “All human beings on this planet, and in this society that we live in deserve to be treated the same,” he writes. “They deserve to be treated the same in their social lives, and in their financial and business careers as well… it is embarrassing that in 2016 there are any differences in benefits or wages between genders in our society.”

    Using his own record label, Third Man, as an example of a small business that provides all employees with health insurance, regardless of sexual orientation or gender (whether male, female, trans, or gender neutral), six months paid maternity leave for new mothers, and three months for new fathers, White goes onto to call out larger businesses such as Walmart, McDonald’s and General Motors for not doing the same. “Gender equity is something that should’ve been solved a century ago worldwide, and it is sad that we even need to address it,” he adds. “If the person does the work, the benefits of doing that work should be equal among all human beings.” Preach!

    Credits


    Text Tish Weinstock

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