Although the United States may be one of the most progressive countries in the world, we haven’t met a standard in which all are given equal rights. Gender inequality affects both men and women in this country proving to us that we are not as perfect as we say we are.
The glass ceiling is one of the biggest problems when it comes to gender and economic growth. The glass ceiling is an imaginary barrier, in which people, such as women, can see the next level of advancement in a job or career, but not achieve it due to certain prejudices associated with their gender. A study starting in the 90’s and continuing for about 15 years found that a measly 1.3% of CEO’s were women. This problem arises from the practices of a few centuries ago. It used to be that men would go out and make the money while the woman of the house would stay home and raise the family. This is now changing. More women than ever are getting jobs and working the same amount of hours that a man might work in order to better themselves and their family. The association of household and women still lingers and causes many to look at women and less-than-viable options for high-level positions. In addition to the societal associations, women themselves are also the problem because they do not believe they can hold high-level positions. After years of oppression, the common woman may think that a top position is not achievable simply because of standards that are true now.
Another gender problem in our country is the percent of women in government positions. Currently, on a state level, women hold a little less than 25% of government positions. This is a major issue because not only are the voices of women not being herd by the masses, these numbers completely go against our ideals of a country to be equal, free and democratic. The problem is not that there aren’t any women that are capable of holding these positions; it is that our political parties do not encourage women to run for these roles as much as they should by not backing them as they would a man. Women have statistically been shown to introduce more bills and policy changes than men, so it is not a question of if they want to or if they can, it is a question of who will help them run.
A final gender inequality problem focuses not on the women, but the men. Just as looking at women as someone who needs to be at home is a huge problem, looking at a man as someone who cannot be at home is just as big an issue. Sometimes women do hold the job that brings more income to the house and thus spend more time out of the house than the man of the family may, making the dad the stay at home parent. The problem in our society is that this is frowned upon. A stay at home dad is looked at as weak and not providing for his family where he is doing something just as important. Paired with this judgment is the fact that a man cannot get any leave from a job to take care of a newborn, a task that is just as important if it were to be done by a woman.
In the end, gender inequality is a huge problem in society today and needs to be fixed. This affects both men and women in different ways and the standards associated with each gender need to be abolished to create a truly equal society.
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/glass-ceiling.html
http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/hole-glass-ceiling-getting-bigger
http://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2013/08/04/glass-ceiling-or-glass-cage-breaking-through-the-biggest-barrier-holding-women-back/
http://www.thenation.com/article/178736/why-does-us-still-have-so-few-women-office#
http://www.debate.org/opinions/is-gender-inequality-still-an-issue-in-america
Your point on stay home dad is extremely interesting because I have never really thought of gender issue as a problem for males. I agree that stay home dad makes him look week and it brings bad image to the family. If I would add more, stay home dad seems lazy and the idea of “head of the family” tends to be the father so if they are not out to do work, they are seen irresponsible. However, as much as it is important for this image to be more flexible, it is difficult to change because it has been engraved in in our mind for a long period of time. Therefore, it is important to understand that gender issue is not only a problem for females but also for males. Furthermore, glass ceiling is definitely evident in our society. I agree that females are not reaching for a higher status in society because of prejudices and stereotypes; therefore it is up to us to change this image and promote females on higher positions. Also, there should be more government officials that are women so that they can be role models for other women.
I believe that any women can hold just as high of a position (if not higher) as any man. But we cannot forget that women’s have the biological responsibility of becoming mothers, which makes holding these positions a much bigger sacrifice. While I do think it is shameful that only 1.3% of CEOs are women, I wonder if it a women’s guilt for leaving for leaving her children for long hours at the office which stops her from climbing the ladder of success. Is it that women are not attaining these jobs or is it that they are not taking them?
I really liked your point about women not being involved in enough government jobs. As women make up an equal portion of the population as men, it is vital that their needs and opinions be voiced as well. I agree with your argument that political parties do not back female candidates in the same way they back male candidates. We have become to accustomed to the social norm of men holding the power. The only way we can change this is to encourage more women to get involved in government positions.