Gender equality is often identified as a major factor in the economic growth of the United States. This is often illustrated by the participation of women in the workforce. When women are not directly immersed in our labor force, only part of the capable population is utilized and as a result, economic resources are wasted. Gender equality gives women equal opportunities in the work force, allowing them to fill every sector available and applicable to their skills. This leads to an expansion of the labor force and increase in economic productivity. (Source 1).

Despite the data found that shows that gender equality correlates with economic growth of a nation, gender inequality in the American workforce is undeniable. In 1979, women made about 62 percent as much as their male counterparts did; however, as women’s rights and feminism continued to grow and women became empowered this percentage improved. In the 1970s and 1980s, women’s participation grew exponentially, reaching 60 percent in 2000. (Source 1) The equality in pay has increased greatly since the 1970s. In 2013, women were paid seventy-eight percent of what men were paid. (Source 3) This shrinkage of inequality gap might seem like a step in the right direction; however, women’s participation in the U.S labor force has been declining. In 2010, women’s participation in the work force dropped to 46.7 and economics predicted that it would not increase significantly until 2018. (Source 2)

Women’s presence in different sectors of the work force also impact social views and economic growth. Women are mainly present in three main areas: education and health services, trade, transportation and utilities, and local government. They are under represented in professional, scientific and technical services and construction, which are mainly dominated by men. (Source 2) The inequality of the representation of sexes in the work force often leads to occupational inequality, which is the unequal treatment of people based on their gender or race in the work force. Women are also under-represented in leadership positions. In 2009, only 24 percent of CEOs in the United States were women and they earned 74.5 percent as much as male CEOs. (Source 2) Although there has seem to be progress in closing the gender gap in their overall presence in the workforce, the progress in closing the gender gap in leadership presence has been stalled. There hasn’t been much change in the percentage in the past decade. In 2007, companies with three or more women on the Board of Directors averaged 28 times more money in philanthropic donations than those with no women. Companies with 25 percent or more women in leadership positions as Corporate Officers averaged 13 times more philanthropic donations than those with none.

The evidence for the positive impact that gender equality has on our economy and overall nation is overwhelming; however, these problems persist. It is necessary to address these problems if we want the American economy to flourish and grow.

Sources

1. Economic Growth: Gender Equality and Economic Growth. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2015, from http://sitemaker.umich.edu/sec006group4/gender_equality_and_economic_growth
2. Gender Inequality and Women in the US Labor Force. (2011, November 23). Retrieved April 9, 2015, from http://www.ilo.org/washington/areas/gender-equality-in-the-workplace/WCMS_159496/lang–en/index.htm
3. The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap (Spring 2015). (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2015, from http://www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/
4. Fact Sheet: The Women’s Leadership Gap. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2015, from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/report/2014/03/07/85457/fact-sheet-the-womens-leadership-gap/

Although over the past years the gender disparity in education and the workplace has decreased it still remains an issue largely in need of radical change. Some problems relating to this gender disparity include the significant wage gap between men and women, gender inequality in education, and lack of women in leadership positions.

The statistics regarding the wage gap between men and women are alarming. On average, women earn 30% less than men in the same occupation. Women experience the pay gap in every state, with Louisiana at the end of the spectrum where women are paid only 66% of what men earn. Women face this issue in nearly every occupation regardless of whether the workplace is female-dominated, male-dominated, or gender balanced. The pay gap hasn’t budged in nearly a decade.

Another major problem is inequality in education. Although gender parity has been achieved when it comes to primary education, as students grow older the disparity widens. For example in Sub-Saharan Africa only 64 girls for every 100 boys pursue a college education. The gender inequality in education, where there is less female education at each level of male education, leads to less educated mothers which fail to provide intellectually stimulating environments for their children. This in turn results in a lower quality of students which leads to a lower quality labor force which ultimately results in lower economic growth. Another problem in education is the lack of women pursuing careers in STEM. Due to conditioning that starts at a young age, girls are led to believe that a technical education is something that is more suitable for men. As a woman in a STEM field, I can attest that the males largely outnumber the females in all of my classes. This huge aversity that women have developed towards pursuing a technical career leads to the world losing out on potentially great minds and this needs to change.

Lastly another major problem is the significant gap of women in leadership positions, whether it be in the business world or the political world. According to a study conducted of 1,660 business school graduates, which examined the nature of projects given to high potential employees, it was found that men received more of the critical assignments that lead to advancement than women. Even more alarmingly, data from Kinsey’s survey of 60 major corporations showed that only 19% of executives in the C-suite where women. In relation to the political world women remain vastly underrepresented in national and local assemblies. Although it has been shown that women’s participation in public office promotes cleaner government practices and less corruption the unequal rights and socioeconomic status of women limit their ability to influence decisions in their communities and national level.

These are all issues that should concern not just women but also men. As Hillary Clinton said in the UN Fourth World Conference on Women “As long as discrimination and inequities remain so commonplace everywhere in the world, the potential of the human family to create a peaceful and prosperous world will not be realized.”

Sources:

http://www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/

http://www.ravishly.com/2015/03/16/gender-equality-isnt-just-womens-issue-interview-elizabeth-nyamayaro-un-heforshe-founder

https://hbr.org/2013/09/women-in-the-workplace-a-research-roundup

The Gender Inequality problem is a long and ongoing problem thats been affecting society, arguably, from its very foundations. There is a sense of an engrained culture of gender inequality, with females and males both being subjected to it. Gender Inequality itself also greatly affects economic growth, not just on a personal, day to day levels, but on a whole society wide scale. This way of thinking only deepens the divide between an equal assessment of males and females, and creates a culture that chastises anything for being “too” feminine. One of the most prevalent problems is the proliferation of the gender pay gap.

The gender pay gap is a very real and serious issue. According to various NY Times articles, blog posts, and even governmental sources, women, on average, receive 77 cents of every dollar that men receive. Despite women being employed for the same job, doing as much or even greater work then their male counterparts, women are consistently paid less. And this inequality goes beyond the private sector, as female members of Congress, the literal law makers of our country, are also consistently paid less. This is just an unfair burden upon women. In this era of capitalism, a worker’s value in the corporate scheme is to market their productivity, what does it say to women that their productivity, no matter the amount of success they garner, is inherently less then men? What’s worse, is that companies and higher ups, while acknowledging the problem, do nothing about it.

In the article, “Vigilant Eye on Gender Pay Gap, writer Robert Neubecker explains that very little is being done to close the gap, unless in the private field. He contends that only about 46% of instituted agencies that are dedicated to closing the pay gap actively work to shut it down. In fact, Neubecker explains, the want to fight against the pay gap is working with a response, not an active participation. “They are doing it proactively, but it is a proactive response to risk,’ said Brian Levine of Mercer’s work force strategy and analytics group, who said more companies had become interested in the reporting over the last five years.” Neubecker basically explains that the work coming from the private sector against the pay gap is out of fear of lawsuits. Anything created in response to fear does not tend to carry over well.

Another issue in the economic climate is the absence of paid maternity leave. it is almost hypocritical to expect a woman to be as productive as possible, pay her less than a male counterpart, and then not give her the benefits of paid maternity leave when she becomes a mother. Economic principle that does not offer some sort of long term pay and benefits for a mother simply does not understand the social implications and practices of humans. It glosses over human experiences and livelihood, just to keep productivity up. They literally treat a employees as machines, and any complications in finishing their tasks, be it a very real, involved, and very human experience, is not valued or understood, but punished. According to the article “In Paid Family Leave, U.S. Trails Most of the Globe,” the writer even suggests that only maternity leave furthers a divide between men and women: “When only the birth parent can take paid leave, you put people in a situation where they have to follow traditional gender roles, which doesn’t always make sense,” Dr. Matos said. “If the male partner has a more flexible job it doesn’t matter, because she is the one who gets the leave. A lot of people are beginning to talk about how these issues need to be looked at as overall family issues, and the decisions need to be made in the context of all of the people involved.”

These are very serious issues that take place in the economic world, and this unfair practice of looking down on another gender must be resolved.

Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/23/your-money/us-trails-much-of-the-world-in-providing-paid-family-leave.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/15/business/keeping-a-vigilant-eye-on-pay-equity-for-women.html?_r=0

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/03/21/rising-wealth-inequality-should-we-care/the-gender-complication-in-wealth-distribution

As a student who will be entering the workforce within the next few years, I am horrified to hear the discrimination that plagues the workforce, particularly that which hinders the success of women. Growing up, the adults in my life always reminded me of my great talents. They told me I could do or be whatever I dreamed of. It wasn’t until I got older that I learned some of my dreams, while still achievable, would take extra effort to obtain because of my gender.

We live in a society where fifty percent of the population is considered second-class citizens. Equality for women is long overdue, but before we tackle the more complicated issues, we need to address the most elementary problem in the workforce to date: the gender pay gap. It could not get any simpler. Women deserve equal pay for their equal work. Today, women make seventy-seven cents for every dollar a man earns. The United States, in comparison to other nations, has one of the lowest wage gaps. While this is something to be celebrated, we cannot forget that the US wage gap has not shrunk since the mid-1990s. Additionally, the wage gap affects women in every state, every occupation, every race, and every age. Across the board, all women are being underpaid for work that is equal to that of their male coworkers. It is hard to believe that something like this could continue to persist in a nation as advanced as the United States. Interestingly, President Obama, who spoke of the gender pay gap in his state of the union address, recently signed an executive order that requires contractors to report salaries based on gender. This is a great step to closing the pay gap.

Another interesting issue regarding gender and economic growth is the lack of women in the United States who hold office. The statistics speak for themselves: we currently have five female governors, twelve (out of 100) female mayors, and less than twenty-five percent female state legislators. Not only are women not fairly represented in government, but also, as a consequence, neither are their ideas and influences. Research has shown that representation of women in congress affects the types of policies that pass. Correlations have been shown between higher female presence in office and the passing of more progressive policies in areas such as environment, health, labor, and incarceration. Additionally, nations with women in higher government positions have shown to turn out better economic growth. At the rate we are progressing, it will take the United States a projected 500 years to obtain equal representation in office. However, I don’t think our economy or nation can afford to wait that long.

The glass ceiling is a phenomenon, astutely described by Ann Morison, as being “so subtle that it is transparent, yet so strong that it prevents women from moving up the corporate hierarchy.” Across the country, women are not crossing a certain threshold of upward mobility. This so called “glass ceiling” is thought to be responsible for the few women who hold top managerial positions. Women earn almost 60 percent of this countries undergraduate and masters degrees, yet they lag substantially behind men in their representation in leadership positions. 4.6 percent of CEOs at fortune 500 companies are women, 14.6 percent are executive officers, and 8.1 percent are top earners. These numbers are extremely low. Especially when taken into account that 52 percent of the workforce is comprised of women.

References:

http://www.summer.harvard.edu/blog-news-events/gender-inequality-women-workplace

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/government-workforce-is-closing-the-gender-pay-gap-but-reforms-still-needed-report-says/2014/04/13/59281484-c1b2-11e3-b574-f8748871856a_story.html

http://www.thenation.com/article/178736/why-does-us-still-have-so-few-women-office#

http://www.feminist.org/research/business/ewb_glass.html

Gender equality is an admirable goal to hope to achieve in the future. One that will benefit our communities socially, economically, and politically. However as we examine issues surrounding gender and economic growth we realize we are far from reaching said goal.

One issue that is apparent is implicit bias in the workplace. Historically, women have been discriminated against in the workplace. However modern discrimination is more subtle. Women receive less challenging work assignments. Women are promoted less often. Women are also hired less often because employers fear her work performance would suffer should said women have children. In a study conduced by the Columbia Business School, subjects were asked to hire a candidate to perform a math task. Men were twice as likely to be hired for this position than women. The reason for these biases are long held beliefs that women share certain characteristics such as “…caring, warm, deferential, emotional, sensitive…” While men are thought to be “…competent, assertive, decisive, rational, objective…” Men’s characteristics are more appropriate for leaders which is why we see more men than women in leadership positions. When we do see women in leadership positions they are thought of as “pushy” as they are seen to have “…violated their prescribed norms.”

Just as there are male dominated industries as there are female dominated industries. In 2009, women compromise 78 percent of persons in the healthcare industry, 69 percent in education, 73.8 percent in social assistance, 95.8 percent in child day care services and 66.9 percent in advocacy, grant-making, and civic organizations. It is easy to identify a pattern in these industries. These are jobs in care-giving and jobs where relational skills are necessary. These are soft skills which are typically thought to be exemplified by women. While men are typically thought to possess hard skills. This may be a contributing factor to why the STEM industry is dominated by men. This is also the reason why men need to play an active roll in the struggle for gender equality. These industries as thought of as feminine. This prevents men from entering these rewarding fields as to maintain masculinity. If more men were to enter these fields, it would end the stereotypes concerning the type of skills which are possessed by either gender. This would also require women to enter male dominated fields. Gender inequality is an issue which must be tackled by both genders.

The most lethal issue in gender inequality is violence against women that is so common around the world. 35 present of women throughout the world have been the victims of physical abuse. 1 in 10 girls worldwide are forced to have sex before the age of 18. The World Health Organization has found that 35% of women who are murdered are murdered by their partners. There are different causes for these alarming statistics. In some areas, for example Nigeria, it is legal for a man to beat his wife. However, we see domestic violence even in places like New York City. From 2002 to 2013, there were 851 domestic homicides in NYC. The victims were largely female. The reason for this is that in many areas in the world, violence against women is under-reported as it is seen as a shameful thing. A study conducted in 28 countries of the European Union found only 14% of women reported instances of domestic violence.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3031101/the-future-of-work/the-new-subtle-sexism-toward-women-in-the-workplace

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/10/world/un-finds-alarmingly-high-levels-of-violence-against-women.html?_r=0

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2009/01/26/10-industries-where-women-rule/

http://www.nyc.gov/html/ocdv/downloads/pdf/Statistics_9th_Annual_Report_Fatality_Review_Committee_2014.pdf

Gender inequality has been a prevalent issue in our world from the very beginning of time. In the United States especially, women have been faced with such problems as unequal payment, discrimination in certain fields of work and sexual harassment, particularly in college campuses.

According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, women earn much less than men in the workforce for the same occupation. According to their calculations “in 2013, female full-time workers made only 78 cents for every dollar earned by men, a gender wage gap of 22 percent. Women, on average, earn less than men in virtually every single occupation for which there is sufficient earnings data for both men and women to calculate an earnings ratio” (IWPR). While this is certainly unconstitutional and a violation of human rights, many workplaces, especially corporations practice this form of monetary discrimination in their own cities.

In terms of the types of jobs women usually obtain, there is a major gap in occupations that accept women in the fields of sciences and mathematics. According to the ISeek Careers website, women are faced with such problems as shortage of mentorship, lack of acceptance from coworkers in STEM jobs that keep many women from obtaining math and science related occupations. This can be seen as IStem says, “for example; just 17 percent of chemical engineers and 22 percent of environmental scientists are women. But that doesn’t mean it’s hard for women to get jobs in those fields. In fact, many companies want to hire and keep qualified women for STEM jobs” (ISTEM) This means as well, that though there are jobs, which are available for women, women are not well informed of these job openings. This shows that as well as a lack of opportunities, women do not receive enough information about opportunities available to them in these occupations.

Lastly, women face large amounts of sexual harassment. This can be seen most clearly in college campuses across the United States. According to the AAUW “sexual harassment and sexual violence disproportionately affect college women and impede their ability to participate fully in campus life. Both sexual harassment and sexual violence are forms of sex discrimination covered under Title IX. Title IX protects students from sexual harassment and violence that occur in the course of a school’s education programs and activities” (AAUW). Situations like this have occurred recently in the news in many campuses such as Wesleyan University and UCLA.

While many steps can be taken to help fix these issues, I believe that these three problems will be difficult to eliminate without a change of attitude towards gender inequality on a large scale. Because sexism is an underlying principle both on an individual and social level, and a principle that influences both women and men, it will take a radical change in culture as well as individual thought to fully reach gender equality.

Sources

http://www.iwpr.org/initiatives/pay-equity-and-discrimination

https://www.iseek.org/careers/womenstem.html

http://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/legal-resources/know-your-rights-on-campus/campus-sexual-assault/

Having a fair number of women in professional fields tends to increase success and productivity in those fields. However, there are still factors that block women from entering and staying in certain fields. Most stem from a belief that females are inferior or should only hold certain roles, and both men and women propagate that belief. I will list three problems and how they relate to this incorrect belief.

The first problem is the culture of domestic violence. Many people live in cultures that support the idea of women being submissive to their husbands and that a man beating his wife in some instances is acceptable. This belief is held not only by men, but by women as well. An NPR article reporting data from a world values survey states that, “in 29 countries around the world, one-third or more of men say it can be acceptable for a husband to ‘beat his wife.’ Perhaps more surprising: In 19 countries, one-third or more of women agree that a husband who beats his wife may be justified, at least some of the time”. It is difficult for a woman to develop self-confidence and self-respect, and garner respect from others if she lives in a society where beating women for disobedience is viewed as acceptable. As the next paragraph will show, a lack of confidence negatively affects women’s success and choices in school as well as in the wok force.

There is currently a drive to attract more women to participate in STEM fields. While gains have been made toward this goal, there are cultural views that slow progress. There is an idea among some cultures that women should not participate in the sciences for multiple reasons, including a lack of ability. However, it appears that it is actually due to a lack of confidence in women and women’s lack of confidence in themselves. One NY Times article discusses how many women decide to avoid the STEM fields not because they are doing poorly, but because they fear they are not good enough, and often times this view is propagated by teachers and fellow students. The article mentioned cases where a female had difficulty understanding something in a STEM class, but avoided asking questions for fear of being ridiculed. This is a detrimental outcome. By not asking questions, a lack of confidence will eventually become a lack of education, even though the potential is still there.

There are women who break through these barriers and move on to fields traditionally occupied by men. However, it is difficult for these women to be successful. An article in the economist points out how, while it appears that a majority of Americans see women in the business and politics as equally as capable as men, it is not reflected in the workforce. The article mentions that while men are viewed in a more positive light for speaking up, women are viewed in a more negative one. It also mentions how men actually benefit at work from becoming fathers while the opposite effect exists for women becoming mothers. Once again, this problem seems to stem from cultures and traditional roles surrounding men and women as opposed to a lack of ability.

Sources:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2015/03/18/392860281/alarming-number-of-women-think-spousal-abuse-is-sometimes-ok

http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/WVSOnline.jsp

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/magazine/why-are-there-still-so-few-women-in-science.html

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2015/01/women-and-work

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/01/14/women-and-leadership/

When people think of presidents, government officials, or CEOs, they would usually envision men. This picture has been engraved in our mind ever since we were very young. The traditional idea of “women belong in the kitchen” is slowly dying out but it is still inevitably present. Whether it is the wage gap in workplace, governmental roles in a nation, or traditional roles in households, gender roles and stereotype are never-ending problems within our society.

In regards to wage gaps, according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, average female workers made only 81% of the median earnings of male workers in 2012. Also, female CEOs and directors earned 42% less than male CEOs and directors. Although these numbers are decreasing and have decreased over few decades, they are still noticeably different. Statistically, in almost every job, weekly wages for women are lower than for men. Where does this difference stem from? Is the reason for this difference because of stereotypes? The answer is yes because the idea of “ woman belongs in the kitchen” seems to be still prevailing within the society. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously battle for equality within the workplaces.

Furthermore, there is inequality in the governmental roles in many nations. In 2013, only 18.5% of congress members were female. Also, only 24.1% of female state legislators were women and in 100 largest cities of United States, only 12 of them had female mayors. Therefore, one can clearly see that governmental roles within the U.S. are predominantly male. This difference seems to be a possible reason to why there is gender inequality in society. If more women held offices in government, there could be more voices for females. With more representation, more women would feel encouraged to reach higher positions within workforces as well.

Last but not least, there is a significant problem of gender roles within cultures that affects the participation of women within the society. According to The Bureau of Labor Statistic, 82% of women spent time doing household chores on an average day. Traditionally, women would stay home and take care of children and do chores. This cultural idea has influenced many women to take more time at home than outside. Although this idea has changed over the course of time, it is still an underlying problem within the society. Cultural and traditional limitation is another problem that is taking part in gender and economic development. In an article from Harvard Political Review, the writer states that gender roles and stereotype prevents women from participating in bigger studies. This traditional idea of what women could do and not do is one of the biggest reasons for gender lens problems.

Conclusively, problems of gender roles in society are seen through wage gaps, governmental roles, and traditional roles within the household. It is nevertheless important to address all these problems to solve the difference and inequality between male and females in our society.

http://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/gender-society/u-s-bureau-labor-statistics-womens-earnings-2012#
http://www.nwpc.org/statistics
http://harvardpolitics.com/harvard/want-equality-must-stop-perpetuating-gender-roles/

Societal gender and role constructs have created a binary that even the most developed countries cannot escape. The elevation of one sex over the other has transcended generations of societal change, rights movements, and technological advancements to create far-reaching consequences in the economy.

Speaking from a personal perspective, I can attest that young girls are born into a societal pressure that demands that they prove themselves to unyielding perceptions. The concept of a gender gap starts very early. Recently, there has been a lot of discussion concerning the lack of women and discrimination in high-earning STEM fields. For example, only 18.5% of high-schoolers that take AP Computer Science are females. The number drops even further in college. A recent report revealed a case study where elementary school teachers graded boys higher than girls in math when gendered names were known.[1] This early bias continues to psychologically influence the jobs and opportunities young women choose to pursue even though they may be equally or more qualified than their male counterparts. The subconscious discrimination is an obstacle that plagues women well into their professional life.

On a conscious level, women are still discouraged on all fronts ultimately being told that they can’t have it all. Pepsico CEO Indra Nooyi recently confessed her feelings that she felt having an illustrious career impacted her quality as a mother ultimately leaving her guilty.[2] Her comments concerning women’s roles in society sparked controversy as she did apply the same criticisms to men and their responsibilities as fathers. This problem stems from the fact that unpaid labor such as housework and childcare are unappreciated and associated with failing career-wise. In this case, it isn’t a gap, but a complete absence of pay. A 2011 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development report revealed, “between one-third and half of all valuable economic activity in the countries under consideration is not accounted for in the traditional measures of well-being, such as GDP per capita.”[3] The economy cannot survive, let alone thrive without this vital labor. Thus, the scales used to measure success such as salary or job title cannot be applied equally.

A major complaint concerning this gender gap involves the lack of role models and counterparts in certain positions and fields that discourage other women from rising. While the core of this problem can be explained by the first two described problems, a third problem rises in the unwelcoming environment women face. A social advert by Pantene tackled this topic by addressing the contrasting labels men and women gain for the same characteristics (i.e. Boss vs. Bossy, Persuasive vs. Pushy, Smooth vs. Show-off). Also, entire organizations and HR workshops have been dedicated to dealing with the epidemic of sexual harassment women face in male-dominated fields. A survey revealed 1 in 3 American women admitting to being sexually harassed at work, 75% of it coming from male co-workers.[4] This abuse (mental and physical) deters and attacks women preventing the closure of existing gaps.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8gz-jxjCmg&w=560&h=315]

[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/07/upshot/how-elementary-school-teachers-biases-can-discourage-girls-from-math-and-science.html?abt=0002&abg=0

[2] http://www.forbes.com/sites/moiraforbes/2014/07/03/power-woman-indra-nooyi-on-why-women-cant-have-it-all/

[3] http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/cooking-caring-and-volunteering-unpaid-work-around-the-world_5kghrjm8s142-en

[4] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/19/1-in-3-women-sexually-harassed-work-cosmopolitan_n_6713814.html