Inequality for women in the workplace is a major issue occurring in the United States today. Socially formed gender roles and stereotyping has set women back economically as well as socially in their working environments. Historically this has been a problem that we are only starting to deal with properly. There are many organizations pushing for a change.
One of the earliest feminist movements was the Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention in 1848. It tried to push for important things such as property rights for married women, access to a higher level education and the opportunity to work a wide range of professions (Lewis). Change started to occur during World War II, when men were drafted and women had to assist with the heavy production …show more content…
This is true across the board for hundreds of jobs - from nurses to computer programmers. The difference in pay is even more noticeable for minorities; black women are paid 58% and hispanics 54%("The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap.").
A statistical study done by the U.S. Dept. of Labor lists the top 20 most common jobs held by women. The top ten are: Secretaries, assistants, cashiers, waitresses, receptionists, cooks, maids/housekeepers, pre-high school teachers, hairdressers and customer service reps ("20 Leading Occupations of Employed Women, U.S."). While respectable jobs, these occupations are not really careers. They hold less authority and receive less pay than typical jobs held by men.
An area in which women are over looked is in the corporate world. Large companies, like Google, Apple, and Wal-Mart all have a least a 7 to 2 ratio of men to women in their boards of officers and directors (Google Finance). This means CEO’s, VP’s and other top executive positions are primarily held by men. The few women who have beat the odds still face discrimination and prejudice due to their gender. There are many probable causes of this, but the true source of brash inequality has come from our society’s impression that it’s acceptable to treat women this way. It starts early, when young boys are encouraged to pursue more valued subjects like math and science; …show more content…
As a result of our countries dark past in women’s rights, it has become a social norm for women to accept the lesser role given to them. This creates the issue of the victims not realizing they 're being victimized, resulting in little or no change. Those who are aware of the situation struggle to find equality because suggesting a pay raise may result in firing or
One of the earliest feminist movements was the Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention in 1848. It tried to push for important things such as property rights for married women, access to a higher level education and the opportunity to work a wide range of professions (Lewis). Change started to occur during World War II, when men were drafted and women had to assist with the heavy production …show more content…
This is true across the board for hundreds of jobs - from nurses to computer programmers. The difference in pay is even more noticeable for minorities; black women are paid 58% and hispanics 54%("The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap.").
A statistical study done by the U.S. Dept. of Labor lists the top 20 most common jobs held by women. The top ten are: Secretaries, assistants, cashiers, waitresses, receptionists, cooks, maids/housekeepers, pre-high school teachers, hairdressers and customer service reps ("20 Leading Occupations of Employed Women, U.S."). While respectable jobs, these occupations are not really careers. They hold less authority and receive less pay than typical jobs held by men.
An area in which women are over looked is in the corporate world. Large companies, like Google, Apple, and Wal-Mart all have a least a 7 to 2 ratio of men to women in their boards of officers and directors (Google Finance). This means CEO’s, VP’s and other top executive positions are primarily held by men. The few women who have beat the odds still face discrimination and prejudice due to their gender. There are many probable causes of this, but the true source of brash inequality has come from our society’s impression that it’s acceptable to treat women this way. It starts early, when young boys are encouraged to pursue more valued subjects like math and science; …show more content…
As a result of our countries dark past in women’s rights, it has become a social norm for women to accept the lesser role given to them. This creates the issue of the victims not realizing they 're being victimized, resulting in little or no change. Those who are aware of the situation struggle to find equality because suggesting a pay raise may result in firing or