Task 1

Analysis of “WHO Director General`s media briefing on COVID-19”

The opportunity to come together as one humanity

The world is going through a major crisis that affects everyone. In fact, over 9000
people have lost their lives due to COVID-19. The text tries to convince us about the
fact that we must follow the advice from the authorities, and stand together as one
humanity. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss the effect of some of the
language features and literary devices, and how the WHO Director General gets his
message across.

Overall, the WHO Director General tries to convince us that we must follow the
advice from the authorities, and stand together as one humanity. As well as,
informing you about COVID-19, and how it has affected the world. The Director
General has written an informative and persuasive text in which the writer tries to
inform, and make the reader want to help the situation by being at home and not
meeting many people.

To get his message across he uses language features and literary devices. In this
case, he uses simile to describe how COVID-19 has derived and affected us: “It is
like a darkness spreading across the globe” (line 3). This device appeals to the
feelings (pathos) and makes abstract concepts more concrete. In addition, he uses
personification, because he gives human qualities to COVID-19: “It threatens to
engulf us all” (line 4). This device also appeal to the feelings (pathos), and tries to
scare the reader in a way that makes them want to contribute.

He also uses language features, such as anaphora, repetition and tricolon to get his
message across. If we close-read the text, we can see that the writer repeats several
words to enhance the message. “We” is repeated numerous times and so is “you”.
This anaphora emphasizes the importance of standing together as one humanity,
and the fact that the writer refers directly to the reader. He continues to use
anaphora, and repetition later in the text. The writer uses anaphora and repetition to
emphasize the unity or agreement of action by repeating the word “solidarity”:
“solidarity between countries, solidarity between age groups” (line 20) “Thank you for
heeding our call for solidarity, solidarity, solidarity” (line 21). This appeals to feelings
(pathos) as well, because the reader gets motivated to make a difference. Lastly, he
uses tricolon to emphasize and convince the idea of standing together: “to work
together, to learn together, to grow together” (line 22). This is a strong pathos
appeal, and it makes the reader feel like a part of something important.

In conclusion, this analysis discussed how the WHO Director General got his
message across by using language features and literary devices, and the effect of
them. The language features like anaphora, repetition and tricolon, were used to
illustrate and emphasize the idea of standing and working together as one humanity.
The literary devices, simile and personification, were used to arouse feelings in the
reader (pathos), and use a hard and strong appeal to scare the reader in a way that
makes them want to contribute. Overall, the arguments that we must stand together
as one humanity is well represented in the text.

Sources:
Burner, T., Carlsen, E., Henry, J.S., Kagge, J., Lokuge, N.S., Raustøl, S.P., Weston,
D. (2017) Global Visions. Oslo: Aschehoug.

Task 2A

Gender inequality is the most important challenge in today's world

Those who are against the idea of equal rights may say that women do not have the
same rights as men, and they will never get it. However, gender inequality is a truly
global problem, and it can cause major consequences, for example, that we never
get to end poverty. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss the rights of young girls
and women as a global challenge, with the main focus on child marriage.

According to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals number 3 and 5 we want to

“achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”, and “ensure healthy
lives and promoting the well-being for all at all ages” by the year 2030. (Burner,
Carlsen, Henry, Kagge, Lokuge, Raustøl, Weston, 2017, s. 292) However, young
girls and women today have to go through sexual abuse, rape, child marriage and
other injustices, because some people claim that they are less worth.

In today's society girls are forced to get married at a very young age, for various
reasons. Each year, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18, and in the text
“Child, Bride, Mother: Nigeria” we meet a girl who is forced to marry at the age of 15
(Girls not brides, 2020). Hawa was sold by her family to armed fighters from the
militant Islamist group Boko Haram for 10 dollars along with 20 other girls.

The most common reason why parents in certain countries and cultures would want
their children to marry before the age of 18 is that the family is extremely poor, and
by marrying away their children they get money. More than half of the girls from the
poorest families in the world are married as children. As a result of marrying away a
child, it allows parents to reduce family expenses, because they have one less
person to feed. (Girls not brides, 2020)

Poverty is closely linked to laws and social norms that lead to poorer economy for
women and less opportunity to decide what to do with their own lives. Many women
are financially dependent on their partner, because they often do unpaid work at
home, such as housework and childcare, while the man is out working. According to
FN, women's access to paid work has increased, but they often work part-time or in
low-status occupations.(FN, 2019) By eliminating poverty, other goals such as zero
hunger, and good health and well-being could be solved, but to do this women must
also be allowed to contribute more in the society by working for example.

The child brides face many challenges, because they are married as children. In
other words, if a child gets married off too soon, their personal development and
wellbeing is put on risk. First of all, many married girls often feel disempowered,
because of isolation and limited freedom.(Girls not brides, 2020) Therefore, if we
continue with child marriage we will not be able to achieve peace and justice. Hawa
in the text “Child, Bride, Mother: Nigeria” was taken to a militant camp and later
married away as a award to a fighter. In such situations you may feel trapped and
scared as you do not know what will happen to you further. This also shows that
gender equality is a very important problem to solve, because it removes rights that
one has as a human being.

Girls are not physically or emotionally ready to become wives and mothers at such a
young age.(Girls not brides, 2020) They often face more risks of experiencing
threatening and deadly complications during pregnancy and childbirth. According to
“Child, Bride, Mother: Guatemala” Peten has the highest mortality rates for both
mothers and infants due to young girls giving birth. Referring to Stephanie Sinclair`s
visit at one of the hospitals in Guatemala, the text argues that the average birth
weight in Europe is 3500 grams, while the infants who were there only weighed 750
grams, and were all born by 14 year old girls. This shows how dangerous it is for
both mother and child to give birth at such a young age.

In the text “They sold my sister”, the main character Nyamalo experiences violence
the first night as a wife when her husband grabbed her and pulled her out of the bed,
and carried her to his bed. (Burner et al, 2017, s. 135) Following this example, child
brides often have to suffer from domestic violence. As a child, it is difficult to get
away from a grown man, and it can therefore result in major injuries. In Nigeria, 75
percent of suicide bombers are girls, as a result of escape from the militants` camps
or their husbands. (Child, brides, Mother: Nigeria, 2020) This shows that some
people look at girls as an object that they can easily get rid of. Therefore, we will not
end violence against children without ending child marriage.

In the documentary “Stuck” one of the girls named Chonda said that if she is not
pretty enough, her husband might lose interest and beat her up, and attract to other
women. This can lead to lack of confidence, depression and anxiety. In addiction, the
child wives can be left alone, which can result in them being vulnerable to rape and
sexual assault. In the text “Child, Bride, Mother: Guatemala”, we meet a girl named
Maria. While being 4 months pregnant her husband left her, and she had to raise the
child on her own. This results in many single parents in poverty without a job or
education.

At the same time, the girls that experience child marriage are not able to finish
school. As a result of little access to education and economic opportunities, them
and their families are more likely to live in poverty. (Girls not brides, 2020) Following
this, systems that undervalue the participation of girls limit their own possibilities for
growth and stability. Given that there are so many girls today who do not get
education, it will be very difficult to maintain a good economy in the world. The
countries that have many girls dropping out of school due to child marriage are often
very poor, and one of the reasons they do not get out of poverty is that they do not
give girls the same rights to education and jobs.

In conclusion, to achieve The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals we

need to focus on gender equality, and give young girls and women the same rights
and opportunities. We will not be able to overcome poverty or other goals unless
everyone in the community contributes. Therefore, we must stand together against
gender inequality to change the world for the better.

Sources:
Burner, T., Carlsen, E., Henry, J.S., Kagge, J., Lokuge, N.S., Raustøl, S.P., Weston,
D. (2017)Global Visions. Oslo: Aschehoug.

FN-sambandet (2019) Kvinner og likestilling. FN-sambandet. Downloaded

30.04.2020 from https://www.fn.no/tema/fattigdom/kvinner-og-likestilling

Girls not brides (do not say) Why does child marriage happen? and What is the
impact of Child Marriage. Girls not brides. Downloaded 30.04.2020 from
https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/what-is-the-impact/

Appendix 1 (2020) Child, brides, Mother: Nigeria, Child, brides, Mother: Guatemala
and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.