“The only way for a woman, as for a man, to find herself, to know herself as a person, is by creative work of her own.” This thought-provoking quote is from Betty Friedan’s book, The Feminine Mystique, which was published 53 years ago. Now that we are in the twenty-first century, it is reasonable to presume that society has overcome gender barriers. However, slight traces of gender inequality still linger today. Just like race, skin color, and religion, gender should not pose an issue in any circumstance. Unfortunately, because of their gender, women continue to face several hindrances, particularly in political and social affairs. The need for feminism is especially evident in American politics. In this year’s presidential election, Donald
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The moral judgments, pertaining to sex, that society places on men and women are unjustifiably different. When Bill Clinton was in office, he was accused of sexual misconduct, which he lied about under oath. “A woman who behaved as [Bill] did in the White House wouldn’t now be seen as someone who could lend a positive jolt to her spouse’s presidential campaign with frequent appearances on the trail” (Bruni). Bill Clinton wasn’t severely chastised for his immoral actions, as the public is able to tolerate his presence by Hillary’s side; however, if this were Hillary’s wrongdoings in the past, she would not be accepted to be a presidential elect by the White House or the American public. Why is this the case? A woman cannot have too much sex, or else she will be labeled as a “slut,” nor can she abstain from sex, otherwise she will be labeled as a “prude.” “A young woman is supposed to be some sexual Goldilocks, finding a ‘just right’ between frisky and frigid. A young man simply has fun” (Bruni). Women are constantly told to conform to a certain trait, but they are also expected to not be too much or too little of it. How can a woman truly find herself, know herself as a person, when society is invariably judging and dictating their every
The moral judgments, pertaining to sex, that society places on men and women are unjustifiably different. When Bill Clinton was in office, he was accused of sexual misconduct, which he lied about under oath. “A woman who behaved as [Bill] did in the White House wouldn’t now be seen as someone who could lend a positive jolt to her spouse’s presidential campaign with frequent appearances on the trail” (Bruni). Bill Clinton wasn’t severely chastised for his immoral actions, as the public is able to tolerate his presence by Hillary’s side; however, if this were Hillary’s wrongdoings in the past, she would not be accepted to be a presidential elect by the White House or the American public. Why is this the case? A woman cannot have too much sex, or else she will be labeled as a “slut,” nor can she abstain from sex, otherwise she will be labeled as a “prude.” “A young woman is supposed to be some sexual Goldilocks, finding a ‘just right’ between frisky and frigid. A young man simply has fun” (Bruni). Women are constantly told to conform to a certain trait, but they are also expected to not be too much or too little of it. How can a woman truly find herself, know herself as a person, when society is invariably judging and dictating their every