Gender inequality is the unequal treatment based on an individuals sex. Systematically there is an unequal distribution of power and resources in society between women and men and this is called Gender Stratification. Not up until recently had we seen a profound change. The purpose of this essay is to discuss what is gender inequality, is there gender inequality now, and how we can change that.
Gender inequality originates from old-fashioned misperceived views that were set a long time ago that were socially constructed. Gender has been placed in boxes. Girls wear pink, boys wear blue. Boys play with trucks, girl play with kitchen sets and dolls. Women tend to the home, men make the money. Discrimination place women into many roles and leaves them disadvantaged to certain advancements that men are privileged.
Today in America after a long struggle by activists during the women’s movement were they able to change the expectations or ideal of the role of a woman and gain rights. Yes, now women have more freedom and are able to work jobs that men work but women are still far from being recognized as equal to man. There is an increase in women working but that is mainly because of its a necessity to make ends meet. Women face a lot of disadvantages living in this man dominated world. The “glass ceiling” has hindered women from advancing upward to leadership positions in businesses.
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This is notable in the largest corporations, which remain male-dominated. Out of 500 large corporations in the U.S., there are only 25 female CEO’s that is just 5%. Even when giving the resources to attain jobs or move up in job positions there still seems to be a gap in female employment and wage between men and women. Many will say the cause of this is a personal choice, but its deeper than that its a choice among limited options as a result of the way society is structured.
You would think with the access to higher education that would have closed the wage gap, but no. The only plausible explanation left is sexism and gender discrimination. Employers tend to think like this when it comes to hiring a woman. Women are not able to advance to a higher position because they don’t have time to focus on just work when they have children to tend to and most jobs consider that women will need more time off than a man. So employers tend to higher more men than women because they have fewer chances of being costly as in time or money.
Workplace discrimination that has been justified off of cultural norms that women are more emotional and unreliable then men. According to Ashley Crossman in “The Sociology of Gender” Gender, on the other hand, is a social classification based on one’s identity, presentation of self, behavior, and interaction with others. According to the functionalist perspective,(Parson) gender roles create stability, but it neglects to see the strain it puts on a woman.
It will take more than just an individual to close the wage gap and increase female employment. Many suffer at the hand of gender discrimination. In order to eliminate gender inequality which won’t be easy people need to be educated the same way, they learned their gender roles are the same way we can undo them and we as a society must promote equality between men and women.
