Gender inequality has been ingrained in society for as long as we can remember. Even though we’ve come a long way, both men and women still fight for equal rights in everyday activities, including education, employment, fair pay and biased laws.

The UN Women – in collaboration with the European Commission – recently held a comic competition in which participants depicted what gender inequality meant to them. Students from all over the world sent in their entries portraying the struggle aptly through their illustrations. Here are illustrations by the 12 finalists and winners which prompt you to ask the question – are men and women really equal?

Emilio Morales Ruiz – Spain

David Ibanes Bordallo – Spain

Samuel Akinfenwa Onwusa – Spain

Aleksi Siirtola – Finland

Agata Hop – Poland

Aitor Lopez Gracia – Spain

Joanna Grochulska – Poland

Clara Mar Hernandez Lopez – Spain

Lawrence Herfs – Netherlands

Ogla Schikunov – Germany

Jakub Topor – Poland

Mariola Stachnik – Poland