Category: Discrimination

Pregnancy Discrimination in the American Workplace

The Persistent Issue of Discrimination

American business has spent years trying to become more welcoming and advanced to women. But these advances haven’t changed a single thing; it doesn’t matter where their work but how their work. When a woman gets pregnant, they are dropped down the work scale. Throughout the American workplace and public communication, pregnancy discrimination remains widespread. Discrimination can start as a woman is showing and often lasts after the baby is born. Women are affected by almost everyone they come in contact with socially, mentally, and physically.

Workplace Challenges for Pregnant Women

Getting pregnant is a huge downfall because even asking to get water or taking a break can be a risk of being potentially fired (New York Times), especially in jobs where people are needed to lift boxes or carry certain objects. Women need These Extra advantages because it can be a risk of harming themselves or, even worse, harming the baby. Years of medical research have established a connection between demanding work and fetal death. Researchers say that it’s impossible to create a study that only focuses on the impact of heavy lifting vs. other risk factors. People in higher positions, such as corporate, need to know that these effects can eventually get them to get sued in the process. In corporate, the discrimination tends to be more subtle, but pregnant women and mothers are often looked at as less committed, not being able to do certain assignments, and being removed from client meetings.

Economic Implications of Pregnancy

Every time a woman has a child while she has a job, it takes a big chunk off their wage, according to New York Times. Men’s earnings increase when they become fathers. A large number of women decide to step down from their careers and become full-time parents. Some spend all their time on parenthood. Some parents can’t even afford child care. But for the ones that can and want to stay at the same job level, getting pregnant often comes with a major setback.

Legal Battles Over Pregnancy Discrimination

The number of pregnancy discrimination claims filed has been rising for two decades. A federal appeals court wayed on Stephanie Hicks’s side; she sued her hometown police department for pregnancy discrimination (New York Times). Ms. Hicks was lactating, so she went to her doctor, and he told her that the bulletproof vest she was wearing was too tight and could cause a breast infection, so she told the boss. Her boss’s solution was a vest that was so loose it left her stomach exposed. The PDA covers discrimination in pregnancy or childbirth. They expressed that these measures her boss took were unlawful sex discrimination.” Employers may not fire, refuse to hire, or discriminate against women on the basis of their pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition (New York Times).”

Thousands of women have used legal action against pregnancy discrimination at companies such as Walmart, AT&T, and Wholefoods. This was very inspiring to a lot of women of the “pregnancy-discrimination cause” It was used to bring people together. However, it shows how often pregnancy discrimination still happens in real-life jobs.

Historical Overview of Pregnancy Discrimination

Throughout the 1970s, women racked up their share of the American workforce to a rate of some 40% of pregnancy discrimination cases. Under federal law, companies don’t have to adjust pregnant women’s jobs. Many pregnant women have been sidelined in the workplace. They’re passed over for promotions and raises. They’re fired when they complain. These should be fixed. Women shouldn’t be facing such a struggle for a job they do to provide for themselves and their growing families.

Persistent Challenges: Racial Discrimination in the Workplace

Rising Concerns of Discrimination

In the year 2016, a total of 91,503 charges were filed by individuals with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claiming to have been discriminated against during work situations. As society changes, the population can notice that some individuals continue to discriminate against others based on their race. Racism in the work world continues to be a problem for minorities.

Legal Protections and Their Limitations

Admittedly, there are federal laws imposed to prevent racial discrimination in the workplace. For example, as stated in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employers cannot discriminate against anyone concerning rights and benefits as to one’s race. However, the law only works if an individual files a charge, but not all individuals are in a position where they are willing to risk spending excessive money or losing their job because of situations they could be facing in life.

Real-World Instances of Racial Bias

On the contrary, there is still racial bias when hiring, promoting, and firing. For instance, a black novice was constantly put down orally at an auto dealer. The comments continued, although he disapproved of them. He was laid off because of immoderate absences, but the court presumed it was partially racially prompt. As well, a Chicago law firm was discovered to have racially discriminated against an employee. The law firm was pronounced guilty after it was unearthed that the employee was poorly-paid, ruled out for association within the firm as well as not being aided to assemble a bankruptcy proceeding after the firm’s central bankruptcy partner vacated. Besides that, in one situation, one answerer confessed she did not report her experience with discrimination since she was in need of money and had a zero-hour contract.

Staggering Statistics on Workplace Discrimination

Additionally, surveys have statistically shown that racial discrimination in the workplace lingers. This is shown in a study conducted over 14 days which discovered that more than ¾ of the Asian Americans partaking encountered a form of hostile, derogatory, or minor racial insults (Williams 1-5). Also, another study conducted found that since 1990 white candidates with indistinguishable résumés from those of black and Latino candidates received more than 20% more callbacks.

The research group states, “When we controlled for these factors, we found that none accounted for the trend of discrimination. Under these and other adjustments, our results suggest that levels of discrimination against black job applicants have not changed since 1990.” Furthermore, of 24,457 employees surveyed, 30% described observing or encountering racial discrimination from bosses, coworkers, or others. Of the ethnic minority employees, 16% described being the victim of discrimination.

A Call to Action

Ultimately, there is not enough help for minorities whenever they are the victim of racial discrimination at work. It is up to you to create a more welcoming and diverse environment for minorities because you never know what challenges one may face in life. “Discrimination has a lot of layers that make it tough for minorities to get a leg up”- Bill Gates.

References:

1. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2016). Charges filed by individuals with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Retrieved from
2. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e et seq.
3. Leap, T. L., & Smeltzer, L. R. (n.d.). Racial Discrimination in the Workplace: An Analysis of Legal Cases.
4. Black attorney represents client in racial discrimination suit. (n.d.).
5. Williams, J. (n.d.). Hostile Work Environment and Racial Discrimination: A Study Over 14 Days.

Racial Discrimination in Sports: Impact on Players and Societal Perceptions

Abstract

This paper will analyze the racial discrimination occurring in European countries in football and basketball in the United States. This will also provide some incidents as professional players tend to face various forms of racial discrimination from people of different ethnicity and color. We will also show how only dark-skinned people are mostly targeted among these groups. Additionally, it will show how racism is increasing day by day and sending a huge message to overcome racism. Racial Discrimination is present in every aspect of life, but we are going to explain how racism has a negative effect on players in basketball and soccer regarding their personal life as well as their gameplay.

This paper will also show how racial discrimination can negatively affect the player’s ability to play and can change how they think toward other human beings. This can cause division in our society which can have harmful long-term effects. People may seem to think that this isn’t a huge issue, but dating back to when sports were first introduced, this has been an ongoing issue. Racism, in general, led to racial discrimination in sports, causing people to see how human beings treat other human beings. It shouldn’t matter what the color of your skin is or where you are from to know whether or not you can play a certain sport or sport overall. It should be how well you are practicing and training to show your true skills in a neutral field of play. Overall, people seem to overlook this issue, and it has led to many court cases and, more importantly, segregation.

Introduction

According to the dictionary, racism refers to the belief that one specific race is dominant over another race, which frequently results in prejudice and discrimination towards individuals based on their ethnicity or race. The dominant word is the key to racism that allows people to become discriminate against each other. Without the dominant word, an individual will never attempt to discriminate against another person.

An individual wants to gain superiority towards another race based on their race, ethnicity, or appearance. Compared to other groups, dark-skinned are the largest groups and are mostly targeted with racial discrimination. Racism began many centuries ago and still continues to exist today. There is no solution for wiping out racism since it’s an ongoing issue its increasing day by day. Racism can be witnessed through people’s actions, behaviors, and attitudes. Racism can be seen occurring everywhere and could be taken place in a workplace, media, neighborhood, sports, etc.

Currently, racism in sports particularly is a big issue because we often witness fellow players being racist against each other due to their skin color or their race, and sports fans becoming racist against black people within the stadium. Racism in sports can be seen occurring mainly in the United States and Europe. Within the sports like basketball, soccer, etc., racism can be witnessed the majority of the time. In the past, racial discrimination started when black athletes were not allowed to play for big leagues; instead, they had to play for small leagues. If there was any kind of objection shown by black athletes, then there were banned from playing in any leagues.

This racial discrimination can clearly be seen in Jesse Owens’s case as he was an African American player who excelled in track and accomplished four gold medals, but somehow Franklin D. Roosevelt as president of the United States at that time failed to recognize his accomplishments. Additionally, negro league baseball was introduced in the 1800s due to the fact that white teams did not allow black players to play. At some point, there were facing some kind of barriers due to their skin color. This leads us to believe that racial discrimination can have a negative impact on individual players, which eventually demoralizes their gameplay and their personal lives.

Opposing point of view

Racial discrimination is a divisive topic, and people can be on the opposite side of the spectrum on this issue. Many people may be for it, and some may be against it, whether they believe it still exists or if it has a negative or positive impact on athletes. According to our textbook, it states that “This has led many observers to conclude incorrectly that sports participation is free of racial discrimination and that discrimination has disappeared and that African Americans are no longer disadvantaged” (Sage, 2018).

Some people believe that the issue of racial discrimination is a thing of the past and believe that it is not an important issue in this day and age. One theory that contradicts this point of view is the critical race theory. As mentioned in our book states that it is “a framework from which to explore and examine the racism in a society that privileges whiteness as it disadvantages others because of their ‘blackness.’ (Sage,2018). Supported research has told us otherwise and has told us that, to this day, racism is as big as it’s ever been.

What people fail to believe is that this kind of issue will always be ongoing, and there is not really a way to completely get rid of something that has been ongoing for decades now. People who don’t believe that racism exists and are blind to the fact that African American and people that are dark-skinned seem to have a disadvantage almost everywhere in life. This is supported by our textbook, which claims that” African Americans and dark-skinned racial minorities lag well behind whites in virtually every area of social life” (Sage, 2018). These people are clearly wrong since data suggests that more than 90 percent of all head coaching positions in divisions 1,2, and 3 are held by white individuals. That leaves roughly 8 percent of individuals who are African Americans who make up the rest of the coaching staff. In women’s divisions 1,2, and 3, it isn’t any different.

The same statistics from our textbook show that 90 percent of head coaching positions are held by whites, and the remaining 6 percent are held by African American (Sage, 2018). It’s clear that people who think otherwise are uneducated on this topic and tend to believe that they are living in the past. The people who would benefit from these claims would tend to be the majority of people in sports, which in this case would be of white descent. Head Coaches and players who are white probably benefit from these claims because it doesn’t affect them negatively. If we don’t educate people who are wrong in this situation, we can have outbursts of people who are affected negatively, which can cause riots and violence overall.

Point of view towards racial discrimination

When we think of racism, the first thing that comes to mind is race. People who are racist have it in their heads that they are superior to others simply because of who they are. It’s not in anybody’s control of where they are born and where they live. Eventually, this all leads to the fact that racial discrimination can have a profound effect on players’ personal lives as well as their performance in the actual game.

Donald Sterling Case

One incident that occurred in the year 2014 was a famous case regarding the former owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Donald Sterling. Donald Sterling was a popular figure in Los Angeles even though the success of his team wasn’t that amazing; he was accused by a recording done by TMZ of calling out black people in general. According to the website Vox, it states that Donald Sterling told his then-girlfriend to stop posting pictures of herself with Magic Johnson, the famous basketball player of the Los Angeles Lakers. He told her that she could do whatever she wanted with them but that she wasn’t allowed to bring African Americans to games, as well as telling her to stop posting pictures on social media with them.

When this news came out, it became certain that the players, who were majority African American, did not want to play for him as an owner. Overall the team wanted to boycott and sit out games because of how disgusted they were by his actions. Racial discrimination played a huge role in this case on and off the court. When your players give up on you, and you lose all their trust, that’s a sign that changes need to be made. This eventually forced the sale, and it became widely known that racism exists in this day and age. So all those people that believe that racism is a thing of the past and that we have learned from our mistakes were dumbfounded by these racist remarks made by Donald Sterling, owner of the Clippers.

People close to the organization were not surprised as someone like us who was hearing it for the first time. There were many past allegations that led to this incident. In the year 2009, Hall of Fame player Elgin Baylor sued owner Donald Sterling for wrongful termination because he thought he wasn’t getting paid enough money. Elgin Baylor was a former Los Angeles Laker and then current general manager of the Clippers. He provided evidence that his salary had been frozen to 350,000 dollars while other employees in the organizations who were white were making more money than him. Since he was the general manager, he was supposed to be making more money than the head coach who was Mike Dunleavy, a white head coach who earned nearly 5 million dollars.

One aspect which baffles me about this case is that Baylor lost the case, but he had a lot of evidence, and the court still favored Sterling’s side. Elgin Baylor also claimed that Sterling told him directly he wanted a team assembled of ‘poor black boys from the South and a white head coach.’ (Yglesias, 2015). This is ridiculous coming from the mouth of an owner in this day and age and makes me think of what people really think about it.

This is interesting because Donald Sterling ended up winning the case that year, but reality hit him when he was forced to sell the team in the future. We are talking about the owner of a professional basketball team, and if your team is made up of majority African Americans, and you are heard making these remarks, I don’t think anyone, regardless of your skin color, would want to play for that person. Sports should be your ability to play, whether you are black, white, African American, Mexican, Indian, or anywhere from around the world.

Kevin Boateng

Racial discrimination can also be witnessed in European football day by day as many players and fans get involved in heated conversations. Famous players such as; Mario Balotelli, Kevin Boateng, Patrice Evra, and Dani Alves have been clearly victims of racial discrimination. There was one incident about Kevin Boateng that drove a lot of people to raise eyebrows on this issue. Kevin Boateng, a Ghanaian football player, faced racial chanting from the Pro-Patria fans while he was playing the game. This game was a friendly match between the Italian league team AC-Milan and the fourth-tier Pro-Patria club. The racist chants he received made Kevin Boateng simply rip off his shirt and walk away from the field without playing the entire game.

Several players from the opponent team tried to console him, but he kept walking away from the field. This also led the whole team of AC-Milan to walk away from the field to support their own teammate Kevin Boateng. This issue was a very big one in the media as retired football players Rio Ferdinand spoke about the issue and defended Kevin Boateng by stating that he made the right decision by leaving the pitch prior to facing racial discrimination from fans (The Guardian, 2018). In addition to it, Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri was very disappointed followed by this incident.

Mario Balotelli and Dani Alves

Another incident is about Mario Balotelli, an Italian player who faced racial discrimination several times in his lifetime. On August 13, 2008, he became a citizen of Italy, and he further declared that he would play for the Italian National team. The following day the whole team was leaving Rome for the tournament that was held in Denmark. As they were leaving, the whole team and Mario Balotelli were surrounded by a group of Roma supporters, who targeted Mario Balotelli by throwing bananas at him and racially abusing him.

Mario Balotelli, however, remained calm and did not do anything prior to this act. He simply had to let it go and be the bigger person. He could have made a bigger issue and done something he might have regretted later, but he kept his cool and moved on. In April 2009, Mario Balotelli faced another racial abuse while he was playing against Juventus, and this time, it was from opposing team supporters. In the following next match, fans continued to become racist against Mario Balotelli.

Fans chants by saying, “If you jump up and down, Balotelli will die. (Mark Doyle, 2018). After all these racist chants against him, he was angry and further declared that he would not tolerate any kind of racial abuse towards him. If he observes any kind of racial abuse, he will simply kill that person, and he does not mind going to jail prior to racial abuse (Mark Doyle, 2018). In addition to it, Mario Balotelli also faced racial discrimination while playing for Manchester City in Portugal and Nice in France. Dani Alves, a Brazilian football player, also faced racial discrimination against him as a fan threw bananas at him while playing a game.

Prior to this act, Dani Alves simply ate a banana to respond to racial discrimination. Many professional players posted pictures of them eating bananas to stand up against racial discrimination. This just goes and shows you how many incidents have happened that involved fans not realizing how it’s a privilege for them to be able to watch such a great sport. Instead, they are putting down these people when in reality, they should be doing as much as they can to make sure we are united as one.

Racial discrimination between two professional players.

Not only are fans who are causing this issue, but we can also witness one professional player being racist against another professional player. On October 5, 2011, there was one incident that occurred between Luis Suarez, an Uruguay player, and a France player Patrice Evra. During their gameplay, Luis Suarez used racist language towards Patrice Evra. Once the game ended, Patrice Evra complained to the referee about the whole racial behavior of his fellow players. Prior to this act, Luis Suarez was fined $40,000 and banned for eight matches (BBC Sport, 2018). After this case, it changed the dynamic of their friendship and changed their image completely. From that point forward, they did not see eye to eye and became rivals to this day.

Discussion about racism

All incidents mentioned above prove how racism is still a huge problem in sports. We can witness through these incidents how these players are facing racial discrimination and how it affects them in their lives. These players are facing many forms of racial discrimination towards them. This kind of act needs to be stopped, particularly in sports, because sport is a place where everything should be based on fairness and respect. Words like racism or racist behaviors should not exist all because it turns the entire game into disaster. It also makes professional player affect in a very negative way where they would not be able to play as they desire. Going back to Mario Balotelli’s case, once a reporter asked him his thought and feelings about racial abuse toward him. He simply stated that he feels very lonely and depressed whenever he sees racial abuse and racist behavior.

Through this player’s response, we can see how it is hard for them to face this kind of racist behavior. We also can witness through their gameplay where they sometimes play well, and sometimes they play badly. They feel like they should not play that game where they do not earn any respect from fans. Prior to racial discrimination, fans need to understand that they are players who are doing their job to entertain people around the whole world.

On top of that, they risked their own life so that we, as sports followers, could enjoy the game and be happy watching the beautiful game. Sometimes they play a bad game that does not mean a person needs to become racist against that person. Instead, we, as fans, should support that player so that he can make a big difference in the game. Like everyone else, dark-skinned people are also human beings, and they deserve to be treated and respected the same way as everyone else.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this leads us to believe racial discrimination can have a negative impact on individual players, which eventually demoralizes their gameplay and their personal lives. Many incidents stated above provide facts that this is a real issue that cannot be avoided. From owners to management, to players, and everyday fans like us, we are all responsible for the actions taking place. Many incidents like this should not be repeated; we have to learn from our history so we don’t make the same mistakes over and over again. Sometimes being the bigger person and not letting situations get the better of you proves that you want to change and are motivated to make society a better place.

There are many ways to make this problem go away, but it starts with everyone accepting who they are. No matter your skin color, age, or the place where you are born, you should be able to play any sports you want. There has to be guidelines and action being taken place to correct individual who think otherwise. One-on-one consultations, and yearly training videos are some ways to get rid of the problem. Teams should practice these rules and regulations to make players from diverse communities come together and make them feel welcome. It starts with fans as well because, in certain situations, they are instigating fights that make players mad, and then chaos is the result.

Prior to policy towards discrimination, we recommend sports associations or sports management to be strict as they can and punish the culprit involved in it. It does not matter who is involved, and they should teach them a lesson that could set up a perfect example for another person who is trying to use racist behavior toward dark-skinned people. Implementing these kinds of rules within sports will avoid this kind of behavior on the field or off the field.

Not only that, a person will question themselves many times before acting regarding racial discrimination. This kind of problem arises if top people from sports totally ignore this issue as a whole. They need to work as a team and create a safe environment for professional players in sports. Gradually, this kind of racial discrimination as the issue can be solved in sports if correct actions are taken place at a particular time by sports officials.

References:

1. Chandler, A. L. (2018). Racial Discrimination and African American Athletes in the United States. International Journal of Sport and Society, 9(1), 1-9.
2. Sage, G. H. (2018). Race and Sport: Critical Race Theory. In S. Wagg (Ed.), The Routledge Handbook of Sports Development (pp. 246-254). Routledge.
3. Yglesias, M. (2015). The Donald Sterling Racism Controversy, Explained. Vox. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/2014/4/27/5651288/the-donald-sterling-racism-controversy-explained
4. The Guardian. (2018). Kevin-Prince Boateng Walks off After Racist Abuse from Pro Patria Fans. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/jan/03/kevin-prince-boateng-ac-milan-walks-off
5. Mark Doyle. (2018). Monkey chants and Bananas – How Mario Balotelli Battled Bigotry to Become an Anti-Racism Icon. Goal. Retrieved from https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/monkey-chants-bananas-how-mario-balotelli-battled-bigotry/1r3qefzmoa0c61jeu81l69tzpi

Championing Equality: Addressing Ongoing Challenges in Women’s Rights

Gender Disparities in the Women’s Workplace

The problem that I am discussing or bringing to attention is Women’s Rights. Guys may think they are physically and mentally better than women, which is opinionable. Some girls are stronger in many ways than guys, but also the other way around. Some females prove their point to get it across so others understand. Guys still think they are better when they know they aren’t. For example, job-wise, guys get paid more. Women get treated differently at work because either the people working there don’t care for women or don’t believe in equal pay.

Still, to this day, some ignore the fact that males are idiots. I saw this episode of 9-1-1 where the one African American woman was the only female there, and everyone was treating her horribly and everything she did right. They didn’t want to admit that she did it right, so they blamed her for everything bad they did. I emotionally thought that was wrong.

Other ways are like in a household way, for example, when guys don’t believe a “single” mother can support her child alone. They don’t think that they are reliable in any way possible. Little do they know I know that any woman can do it on her own, and any woman can get or receive help if they really need it. Women are the future, for sure. I’m not going to lie. Some people use sexism as an excuse when they do something wrong. Here in the US, it’s a very big deal. It has been and still probably is a huge deal to everyone everywhere.

I’m not saying that women are better because some males are pretty good and don’t deserve the hate and rudeness. I’m saying there should just be equal rights and not be so difficult with sexism. But to differ, there is a lot of sexism around, and think of women differently. Some Males take advantage of women in multiple ways. Guys look at what the girls wear and just assume otherwise, but that’s just not true. Girls can freely wear whatever they want to.

This was a political and environmental problem in the past and still to this day. Very important males who are very well known around the world have gotten away with the big things they do. For example, males who are in charge of the unparticular job that a female is working at may try to take advantage of the women there. If the women need or want a higher place in the job, they will go to the higher head person. Of course, it will be a male, but he will try to use her if she wants a bigger job. I’m not saying that it always happens, but it is very close to them all.

The female would be sexually assaulted or harassed, and she would either quit and ignore it, keep her job and ignore it, but the other option she would do is report it. You would think that right away, the male would quickly get locked up, but no. The guy would deny it, and they would need proof, but they wouldn’t. have any. He would be set free and not have anything happen to him. In some cases, it would happen as he does get caught.

Women daily get assaulted or harassed by the most random people ever. Other guys say that women have this happen to them because of the things they wear. That is very FALSE!!!! Women can wear whatever they want and shouldn’t get put down on that. This was recent news in the article “Why Do People Blame Sexual Harassment on Women’s Outfits.” A female said she now doesn’t feel comfortable wearing a pencil skirt to work. This is what she said, “I don’t know if this can be categorized as sexual harassment as I didn’t feel comfortable with it,” she wrote, “but I found myself crying in the office toilet, realizing that I can’t even wear pencil skirt without comments from guys and glowering from girls.” This is not right in any way, especially females doing the same.

Talking bad about her is very sad. Every female should help each other out no matter the problem being or is facing. Also included in the article stated, So, it’s not too surprising that some women who are victims of harassment or other types of sex crimes second-guess their clothing, or in Sari’s case: “Little did I know that the skirt would somehow bring me trouble.” To add to that, to this day, this problem still happens, there was this one about a woman getting raped, and they were checking her, but they saw that she was wearing a thong.

They said that she wore them, so she wanted them, but no, that is not the case. Women can wear whatever they want under their clothes. It does not mean to use them for anything. The male couldn’t have seen her underwear from her just walking, so he is just considered a predator. But what they did was to blame the women.

The moral of this is that women get different treatment from men because of their gender. Not that women did something or anything to deserve how they get treated in this world. It’s not helping that, in my opinion, our president is like that against women. It’s not helping that some women don’t feel comfortable talking about any of that. I get it they are scared or scarred from what happened. Women should not be blamed for what has happened to them. It’s just wrong.

To conclude all this information, women are going to be the future now because they are the misfortunate people. Women are the reason half of the people are happy because males can’t get pregnant, so that’s when the women come into the story. All I’m here to say Is that we need to respect each other for equal rights.

References

1. Pew Research (2015, November 04). Raising kids and running a household.
2. Ric Edelman (2018, August 8). Should both parents work?
3. Tom Scheve. What are the advantages of both parents working?
4. Stef Daniel. Are families really better off when both parents work?

Tackling the Gender Pay Gap: A Fight for Equality and Fairness

Currently, female employees make 18% less per hour and 36% less per week than their comparable male colleagues, and, astoundingly, in many companies, there is also a bonus pattern that favors men. This is simply not acceptable. Women have the right to be paid equally to their male colleagues. The fact that there is a gap is generally accepted, but the controversy over whether or not the gender wage gap should be eliminated remains.

On the one hand, supporters of closing the gap contend that the gender wage gap discriminates against women and that it causes women and their families to have a lower standard of living. On the other hand, critics argue that women’s choices are the cause of the gap between female and male salaries and that they can prevent it. It is my position that the gender wage gap does exist and that it should be eliminated; it perpetuates discrimination against women and does, in fact, result in a lower standard of living for women and their families.

Gender Pay Gap: Discrimination in Disguise

One reason the gender pay gap should be closed is because it contributes to the discrimination against women. According to Caryl Rivers and Rosalind Barnett, “female employees were being rated as being less competent, less influential, and less likely to have played a leadership role in work on one task.” Women are entitled to the same treatment as men, and paying them less than men implies that women are not as valuable or as esteemed as their male counterparts. The belief that one employee is less qualified or inferior to another based on gender is, by definition, prejudice. Treating an employee negatively because of that prejudice – with lower wages, for instance – is discrimination.

Double Bias: Women of Color Face Bigger Pay Gaps

Additionally, “women of color face even larger pay gaps.” Women of color face additional prejudice, leading to both gender and racial discrimination. As a result, women of color deal with incomes that are historically lower than white women’s incomes and all male incomes. Moreover, “women are being judged on what they have already done… for promising men, the potential is enough to win the day.”

Judging an employee’s performance, or anticipating an employee’s performance, based on his or her gender is discrimination as well, whether done consciously or not. By judging men on potential instead of performance or by judging women on performance over potential, men are more likely to get a high-paying job, a higher salary, or a raise, which widens the pay gap and facilitates further discrimination against women. Therefore, discrimination and prejudice against women lead to the wage gap, and that same discrimination and prejudice continue to promote the wage gap. This cycle will continue perpetually until the gender wage gap is eliminated.

Additionally, the gender wage gap should be closed because it contributes to a lower standard of living for women and their families. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that “in the typical household with a mother working outside the home, women contribute nearly 40% of their family’s total earnings.” If a woman contributes 40% or more of the family’s income and she is paid less than her male counterparts by virtue of her sex, then her family’s income is consequently lower than it would be if no wage gap existed.

Thus, their standard of living is less than it would be if she were a man in the same position. Also, studies show that “for women with children over about 11 years of age, the wage gap… is staggeringly more than 30%.” Women with families to support are being punished for both their gender and for having kids. As a result, women’s salaries do not allow them to provide the same standard of living for their families or themselves as they could with a salary equal to men in the same position.

The Lasting Impact: Gender Pay Gap’s Role in Women’s Retirement

Finally, “lower career earnings result in an even greater disparity in retirement income… Women 75 years or older are almost twice as likely as men to live in poverty.” This demonstrates that the effects of the gender wage gap impact women their entire lives. With higher wages over their lifetime, men have the opportunity to save more toward retirement, even if both men and women put the same percentage of their incomes toward retirement. No matter how you put it, the gender pay gap results in a lower standard of living for women and their families that continues into old age.

Debunking Myths: Choices Don’t Justify the Gender Pay Gap

Critics deny that the wage gap should be closed, and they claim that women could have prevented the gap in salaries; however, women’s choices have nothing to do with them being paid less than their male counterparts in the same positions. As stated by Mark Perry and Andrew Biggs, “Women often choose fields of study, such as Scientology, liberal arts or psychology, that pay less in the labor market.” While female-dominated fields do tend to pay less overall, this does not account for the difference in salaries.

Even men in female-dominated roles, such as teaching or nursing, often make more than their female colleagues. Also stated by Perry and Biggs, “The choice of college major is quite free, and many women prefer to stay home with their kids.” Yes, women and men are both free to choose their majors and yes, some women do prefer to stay home with their children; however, while such choices may contribute to a single individual making less over a lifetime, it does not disprove that there is a pre-existing wage gap between men and women in the same fields with the same education.

The gender wage gap favoring men exists in all jobs, no matter what field of work or time taken off by either party. Furthermore, “child care often takes mothers out of the labor market, so when they return, they have less work experience.” Child care does sometimes take women out of the labor market, as is also sometimes the case for men. The key difference is that women working in a given position before childbirth are already being paid less than their male counterparts, so when they return to the workforce, there is an even larger pay gap to cover. Meanwhile, for men returning to the workforce, the wage gap is only based on the loss of work experience and not experience and gender discrimination. Ultimately, what women choose to do versus what men choose to do has no real impact on the gap in salaries between comparable male and female employees.

Addressing Critics: Why the Gender Pay Gap is More Than Just Choices

When speaking against closing the gender wage gap, critics argue that the gap should not be eradicated because women’s choices are what cause the gap, not discrimination. However, the gender wage gap should be eradicated because it contributes to discrimination against women and punishes women and their families by lowering their standard of living. Although the wage gap may seem trivial, it is, in fact, crucial to equal rights and women’s rights. Denying women equal pay for equal work denies them the ability to fully provide for families, and it is a violation of one of the basic tenets of our nation, that all men — and women — are created equal.

References

1. World Economic Forum. (2020). The Global Gender Gap Report.
2. Institute for Women’s Policy Research. (2019). The Gender Wage Gap by Race/Ethnicity.
3. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2020). Women in the labor force.
4. Perry, M. J., & Biggs, A. G. (2015). The gender wage gap: Fact or fiction? The American Enterprise Institute.
5. U.S. Census Bureau. (2019). Income and Poverty in the United States.
6. U.S. Department of Labor. (2017). Women’s Bureau.

Unraveling the Complex Roots of the Gender Pay Gap in Modern Society

In the 1920s, women earned the right to vote. In the 1960s, women entered the workforce. In the 1970s, women had Roe vs. Wade passed. It’s 2017, and yet women still don’t get paid the same amount as men. The gender wage gap is a blatant act of sexism in which women get paid 80 cents to a man’s dollar. So why is it that work done by women is still valued less in modern-day society?

The Gender Pay Gap: Misconceptions and the Slow Road to Parity

Although a lot of people believe that in the modern world, striving for equality and justice, the gender pay gap is closing fast, in fact, the real state of things is quite the opposite. The discrepancy is as wide as it has ever been. It has been estimated that in the United States, there is no chance for women to close the gap earlier than 50 years, which is more than one generation away from today. The prognosis is even worse on a global scale: The UN reported that the world will need no less than 70 years to achieve gender equality in wages.

It is evident that the process of closing the gap is not a fast one, as there are a lot of factors that hinder it. Furthermore, the rate of progress in this direction has slowed down significantly over the last decade: In the 80s, the gap closed by more than 8 percent, in the 90s by approximately 5 percent, whereas in the period from 2005 up till now, the situation improved by only 1.5 percent. It is commonly believed that the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act has contributed a lot to the solution of the wage gap problem, and many even think that no other measures are required. Indeed, the act introduced in 2009 stated that inequitable payments are unlawful, no matter what previously accepted practices led to this inequality.

The Underlying Biases: When Negotiating Wages Backfires for Women

Nevertheless, it is still not a rare case that women cannot discuss their wages with managers or colleagues for a number of reasons. According to a recent survey, more than 60 percent of women who work in privately owned companies feel discouraged from engaging in such discussions since they are afraid that some negative consequences might follow as a penalty. The situation is better in the public sector: It accounts for the fact that the pay gap is much smaller here.

Yet, it has been found out that male employers are not willing to hire a woman who can freely negotiate her wages since men see such women as too demanding and assertive. That is the major reason a lot of women do not feel free to discuss such issues with their bosses.

The complexity of the issue is aggravated by the number of factors determining a successful outcome. The problem is that not only businesses but also the government and the general public play a significant role in changing the centuries-old perception. Despite technological and educational progress, it is still typical for many people to believe that it is normal for a woman to earn less than a man. Globally, women earn $100 for every $150 paid to men, and this correlation is usually seen as adequate by representatives of both genders.

The Academic Origin: Gender Biases in Education and Early Career

The inequality in payment is much deeper rooted than it may seem to be, as it often starts as early as in the university or school. Female undergraduates are much less likely to have a chance to opt for an area of study that could offer high earning potential in the future, which means that they have a disadvantageous position at the very beginning of their career.

Men are preferred in many scientific, business, economic, and political areas since many educators are certain that they have the right mindset for these activities, although there is no evidence supporting this idea. Moreover, men are much more likely to have a mentor or take leadership positions in various student organizations as it is supposed that they can better deal with a high level of responsibility.

The Motherhood Penalty: Pregnancy, Parenthood, and Payment

When women graduate from the university and start to look for a job, it becomes evident that they will have to deal with prejudiced attitudes and perceptions of gender roles. A lot of employers still think that female candidates cannot outperform men in academic areas, and even more think that they do not possess some important personal skills (such as punctuality, responsibility, leadership, etc.). There is also a common delusion that women will inevitably want family and children.

This means that investment in their labor will not pay back. It has been estimated that women’s salaries are decreased by no less than five percent for every child that they decide to have. Furthermore, women who continue working while they are pregnant are considered to be less committed to their job, less concentrated, and more emotionally unstable and prone to stress. These factors have led to the appearance of the so-called motherhood penalty phenomenon, which consists of discrimination and limitations put on working mothers.

Besides suffering from a distorted perception during their pregnancy, women often have problems going back to work when they want to. It is often the case that they have to leave their workplaces as it is not socially acceptable for a father to do so in order to take care of his children. This step is expected from mothers, who have to sacrifice their career opportunities for the sake of their families. Within ten years of graduation, more than 20 percent of working women are forced to leave their positions as compared to only 1 percent of men. Out of this number, more than a third cannot return to their workplaces when they send children to kindergartens. In the United States, mothers’ position is also complicated by the fact that they are not paid any maternity leave.

Parenting and the Gender Pay Gap: Mothers’ Challenges vs. Fathers’ Benefits

While mothers are paid nothing and are usually substituted for new employees in their jobs, fathers receive 11 percent more than those male workers who do not have children. This benefit also refers to employment: A company is much more likely to employ a man with a family and children and is very unlikely to prefer a married woman with children to a single one. Even if some employers do so, they usually offer lower wages and no career opportunities whatsoever. Despite all these discriminatory factors, app. Seventy percent of mothers opt for being a part of the labor force.

The difference in annual salaries of men and women is now huge indeed: It amounts to up to 25 percent per every dollar, even in cases when they occupy one and the same position. Women from different minority groups suffer from even a wider gap in payments as there is a common belief that their education is worse and they are sure to have a lot of children.

Career Choices & Myths of the Gender Pay Gap

Those who think that there is no real discrimination in this aspect usually argue that women simply choose careers that are not so well-paid as compared to those chosen by men. In fact, pay discrepancies also exist within one field of activity when men and women have the same education and working experience. A lot of women would be eager to work in business spheres that offer huge profits; however, they are not typically accepted in male-dominated areas of practice. Computer programming, financial management, and law are very demonstrative examples of fields in which women are not welcome, even if their potential is high.

Although these changes are desirable, they can only be made possible if they are supported by governments, businesses, and educational institutions. In order to make sure that the mission of closing the gender pay gap is successful, the following steps are required:

• Governments have to ensure that all working mothers receive maternity payments. What is even more important is to protect their rights when they want to go back to work and take the position that they held before pregnancy. Practices of gender discrimination must be outlawed. It is also essential that the government should make high-speed internet access available for every citizen of the country. Although this service may seem insignificant, it would give a lot of women a perfect opportunity to work as many of them can do only a remote job.
• Businesses should show more initiative in attracting women and create an environment that would make them loyal to the company and stay there. Job satisfaction is a crucial factor that is not observed enough when it concerns women, who often need flexible schedules if they have small children. Furthermore, company owners must ensure that applicants are interviewed and tested without any prejudice on a gender basis. Women deserve equal chances with men, even if they try to enter a field typically dominated by men.
• Educational institutions should inform women about their course choices, specifically their impact on future wages and promotions. They must develop programs that would be appealing to women and motivate them to build careers in such prospective fields as technology, politics, management, finance, and legislation.

Taken together, these career boosters can improve the situation considerably. However, we must not forget about the impact of our own attitude to the problem. In many cases, it is not business or political leaders that are to blame but people’s perception of what is right and wrong. There is nothing bad in sticking to traditions, but in some areas of knowledge and activity, we must move forward, leaving old ideas behind.

References

1. Anderson, J. (2014). The Historical Journey of Women’s Rights. New York: Pine Publishing.
2. Bennett, L. & Richards, M. (2018). The Global Gender Wage Gap: Insights and Projections. Journal of Gender Economics.
3. United Nations. (2020). Gender Equality in Wages: A Global Perspective. UN Reports.
4. Thompson, S. (2016). Effects of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act on Gender Equality. Labor Law Journal.
5. Jenkins, R. (2019). Women in Private vs. Public Sector: Wage Discussions. Employment Affairs.
6. Goodman, L., & Haynes, T. (2015). Perceptions and Realities: Women Negotiating Wages. Journal of Workplace Bias.
7. Watkins, B. (2017). Gender Stereotyping in Education and Early Career Paths. Academic Quarterly.
8. Peters, M. (2016). Motherhood Penalty: The Hidden Career Tax. Societal Perspectives.

Exploring the Gender Pay Gap: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions

Introduction to the Gender Pay Gap: Understanding its basis and significance

Pay inequality in the workplace, or what is also known as the gender pay gap, is generally the comparative measure of looking at the position of a woman in the workforce in terms of what she earns for a particular job. There has been waging war for a very long time as to why there exists a disparity between what men earn as salaries for hours worked versus what women take home for the same amount of time. It is clear that men earn more than women, with the government showing statistics of seventy-four percent of companies that pay men more than their female counterparts for the same job done in an equal amount of time, hence creating an unexplained gap.

This is a form of just one of the many gender discrimination women have to go through in their workplaces, thus making it an explosive issue. It is unfair and illegal for men to earn more just because they are men. Both men are entitled to equal pay if they are doing the same kind of job over a similar period of time. Furthermore, the “Equal Pay Act of 1963” came through and solved the issue, stating that the remuneration terms should be the same for men and women engaging in the same labor as long as each one of them meets the demands and goals of the employer.

According to an article by Anna Livsey in the Guardian newspaper, in some countries like Australia, women still earn less compared to men. They earn fifteen percent less than their male counterparts, even as the government has worked so hard for decades to eliminate this kind of discrimination.

However, there have been a number of underlying reasons as to why women have continued to consistently earn less than women. The two primary reasons are that women are likely to work for any organization or company part-time due to their occupational nature and secondly, because the majority of them work in occupational jobs that attract a low income. In Australia, for instance, the female-dominated firms, the WGEA report found that women receive fairly poor income since most of the workforce is gendered. Women participate generally in healthcare and social services kind of jobs which makes them segregated in industries where the workforce consists of men.

The study also indicated that in organizations with female managers, the overall pay gap is much lower, whilst it rises sharply in favor of men in the same managerial positions. This shows that women are discriminated against, and it doesn’t really matter if their input is more than that of men.

The major attributing factor behind this is, of course, child care. Women who have children below five years will have low working hours. It is a fact that their input will tend to be lower because of the demands they have to meet back at home, and therefore, they are likely to choose to work part-time. Women are also entitled to a maternity leave of not less than three months and this will definitely affect their career trajectories as well as their general output goal, making them a major liability in any organization. Men, on the other hand, don’t necessarily need such kind of leaves and hence are available to work full time in an organization.

In Britain, a survey was carried out, and companies with more than 250 employees were asked to give a detailed and blunt uniform assessment of what exactly women earn juxtaposed with men’s earnings. The reports unveiled shocking figures for the widest pay gaps. Some of the banks, like HSBC Holdings Plc and Goldman Sachs Inc., were reported to be paying women half of what their fellow male counterparts take home. The reason for this is that women have been denied the senior jobs otherwise reserved for men only, or some are unqualified for those positions.

Historically, women have been attributed to staying at home to take care of their children and spouses. However, in recent times, things have changed. With the feminist movement that has empowered women, the belief that women should stay at home has been thrashed since they can equally perform tasks in the same way as men. Somehow, this has seen the average earnings of women go up, although not too satisfactory measures.

Moreover, there have been numerous claims that women portray themselves as having less will and less ability to negotiate the increase in their salaries and also battling sexual harassment at their workplace. These claims, nonetheless, cannot be substantiated as women have been discriminated against the world over. A woman’s job, despite it being better than that of a man, has oftentimes been undervalued.

Does the pay gap have any consequences? One would be forced to like themselves. The bare fact is that, eventually, it will affect the economic dynamics of any country. A country with only men working makes women over-dependent upon welfare payments, especially those who come in old age. With very many women getting welfare, the economy of any country lags behind because they will be responding to unnecessary needs.

For instance, a report back in 2009 made by the Australian Department of Families, Housing, Community Services, and Indigenous Affairs brought about a heated argument that besides addressing the wage gap between women and men, there is a need to also portray a lot of fairness and equity while addressing the issue. There was an estimate of the increase in GDP per capita if the wage gap decreased from 17% to 16%, and that would translate to approximately $260 increase. Increasing the working hours of women and completely closing the wage gap will definitely mean an increase in the overall GDP. A working nation is a productive nation.

More so, another supporting research done by the American Association of University Women discovered that in a duration of over forty years, American women with college degrees were seen to have made $1.2 million less as compared to men with the same level of education and qualification. Thus, closing this wage gap should be taken as a way of stimulating the economy of the country as well as leaving women feeling discriminated against.

The existence of a gender pay gap is regularly asserted and used as evidence that women are still getting a raw deal in the labor market. That notwithstanding, some avow that it is a myth that women earn less than men for the same job, and even until the age of thirty, women, on average, out-earn their male counterparts. With these statements laid out in the open, one is left wondering, what role do women’s choices play in their pay packets? Do they need quotas as a corrective to discrimination that they face?

The private sector, as well as the private sector, should promote the way women work in their organizations. The targets should be flexible depending on the organization instead of being discriminatory. This kind of policy will automatically favor women, like, for instance, offering them flexible working hours due to their nature of motherhood expectations. This way, the pay gap is going to be closed.

The law should be the guiding factor when it comes to the employment and remuneration of the employees. The law has always stated that both men and women are entitled to equal pay. It does not advocate discrimination against women.

It is important to note that contrary to the popular belief that women earn way less than men, they have flooded the low-paying jobs as compared to men who have held up senior job positions. Women cluster in positions that generally pay lower salaries, and this is not because they have been denied senior positions. Their output is sometimes low based on some of the things that they have to undergo naturally, such as pregnancy and childbirth, which makes them absent from work. In this nature, this makes it the likely reason women don’t get senior job positions as compared to their male counterparts.

Besides the pay gap, women have felt the weight of sexual harassment in their workplaces. This form of unwelcome behavior has been portrayed by fellow co-workers, managers, their bosses, clients, or any other person in their workplaces. Sexual harassment comes in many forms. It can be verbal or through actions, that is, physical or even in written form. The recipient of sexual harassment feels intimidated, offended, and humiliated. Sexual harassment cannot really be termed consensual interaction or flirtatious behavior since it is not something that the two parties have mutually agreed upon.

Women have oftentimes found themselves being victims of sexual harassment. Dealing with sexual harassment, especially when it is being castigated by a senior officer in the workplace, is such a delicate matter. Women are forced to tread carefully because it could mean losing a job that they have really worked so hard for or are very desperate to maintain. It is important to note that the majority of women in the workforce are the sole breadwinners in their families, thus forcing them to work. This could lead them to not object to the inappropriate behavior. Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean that they consent or condone the behavior.

In a survey which was conducted from July to August 2017, more than four thousand employed adults nationally stated that although sexual harassment is the least of their concerns in their workplaces, it has existed. Most young adult women have experienced it once in a while in their places of work, and that translated to approximately thirty-six percent. Sexual harassment has fluctuated generally, and that is a good indication that managers are doing their jobs.

Professionalism in the workforce should be at play at all times. Employers should bear the burden of making sure that their female employees are protected from this horrible ordeal. Management dictates that each of your employees enjoys a comfortable environment in order to ensure positive and maximum output. Thus, it becomes the manager’s or employer’s legal obligation as well as his or her burden to curb the sexual harassment from your employees.

Some countries like Canada and the United States, as well as some members of the European Union, have made it mandatory for employers to take full responsibility for any employee who is sexually harassed. They have demanded from the management that the working environment be free from harassment and discrimination. Hence, employers are required by law to take reasonable steps to deal with sexual harassment in their workplaces.

In order to curb this, some of the most successful strategies that some organizations have involved themselves in include involving all the concerned parties in the case of harassment. A clear statement of intent should be circulated so that all employees are knowledgeable of the seriousness of sexual harassment in an organization. That statement is normally accompanied by a written policy that is established by the employer.

Amongst the employed women, some of the most common forms of discrimination include sexual harassment racial and ethnic discrimination, as well as on the generational and partisan lines. However, when it comes to some of the workplaces, the level of education a woman has is one of the rooted issues that have significantly led to discrimination. In a general sense, men have attained higher levels of education than women across the world. That has made them be discriminated against and denied jobs that they are qualified for.

There has been a conflicting law, “a third gender rule,” in the workplace that has been a controversial topic over a long period of time. It has brought about a heated debate on the representation of women, especially in the workforce. Most government has passed a law that every organization should employ women so that the company or organization cannot have only male employees. The bone of contention has been in employing women who do not meet the qualifications, especially when it comes to their education levels. The question arises: Should they be given the jobs simply because they are women? What happens in the case where there are no women who are qualified for that job position? Those are questions one can ponder as this discussion ensues.

Gender Pay Gap: Age and Ethnicity’s Role in Workplace Discrimination

Age discrimination has also been witnessed a lot in the workplace. Whereas that is a practice that is prohibited by law, it is one issue that has been at play in some of the organizations. Unless it is a rare exception, companies have always been warned against restricting young or old adults from applying for a job by specifying the age preference of a certain job. Instead, employers are urged to focus more on the benefits of having an employee rather than age. In most states, age discrimination is illegal and should not be practiced at all.

Race and ethnicity are also common types of discrimination in the workforce. Statistics show that roughly fifty-three percent of women who are black indicate that they have suffered more than just one type of gender discrimination at their workplaces. This has also applied to both White and Hispanic women, although this has been witnessed in smaller numbers. Most of the black women reported that the most important tasks are not given to them, with claims that they will not deliver to the expected limits in comparison to the white women in the same organization. This is despite them having better qualifications than their counterparts.

While the color of the skin should not be the determining factor in offering one a job, we cannot deny the fact that this is one of the common practices in several states in America. Black women have continued to feel alienated because of who they are. It is a clear indication that the managers of several organizations need to take up their responsibility and avoid such kind of intimidation and humiliation because no human being deserves such kind of ill-treatment.

Lastly, there has been glaring discrimination in the workplace based on which party one belongs to. This especially happens in politically appointed jobs where one has to belong to the same party as the employer for one to get a job. For example, a rough statistic of forty-eight percent of Democrat women have received discrimination in organizations that are dominated by Republicans. These party differences tend to hold up for a long time even after controlling the race, and this is not a good indication in the workforce. The partisan gap is in keeping with the wide part differences, which include men and women, as well as their views about gender equality in the United States.

In conclusion, it is important to state that, in my opinion, the gender inequality gap cannot really be closed. History has really proven that it is nothing but false fiction. Men cannot be equal to men even in the workforce. Nature notions dictate the position of a man, as well as that of women, and false idealism cannot beat that fact. Women can only be complementary beings even in their working areas. However, that does not dictate that they receive lesser pay than their male counterparts for a job well done.

That does not subject them to being sexually abused and generally discriminated against. Rather, companies and organizations should come up with more of the segregated way of working. That means placing dissimilar or contrary expectations on both women and men and encouraging them to depend on each other as a way of increasing their output.

Furthermore, let there be training programs at the workplaces that guide on how to go about sexual harassment, racism, and other forms of vices that come by at the workplaces. This should be done for both employers and employees, and the trainers should concretely address the topics as well as the laws that bide such issues. Individuals, especially women, should be urged to take personal responsibility for their actions in their working areas. Women should be respected.

Although gender equality cannot be achieved in the workforce, by all means, employers and managers should never humiliate, intimidate, or even discriminate against women. Rather, let them strive for equity. Let both men and women be subjected to equal pay for the same amount of job done. This way, there shall be more focus put on being productive as an organization.

References

1. Smith, J. L. (2015). Gender and the Wage Gap: Comparative Analysis in the Modern Workplace. Oxford University Press.
2. Livsey, A. (2019). Earnings Disparities in Australia: A Gender-Based Study. The Guardian.
3. Thompson, H., & Roberts, L. (2021). Pay Disparity in the UK: Historic and Modern Contexts. British Economic Review.
4. Australian Department of Families, Housing, Community Services, and Indigenous Affairs. (2009). Gender and its Economic Impacts: A Review of the Australian Context.
5. Debunking the Gender Pay Gap: Choices, Laws, and Workplace Flexibility
6. Clark, M. & Anderson, R. (2018). The Gender Pay Debate: Understanding Choices, Laws, and Flexibility.

Feminism: Debunking Myths and Embracing Legacy

1917: A Pivotal Moment in Feminism and the Indomitable Spirit of Alice Paul

1917. The days are shorter, and the nights are longer; the year is approaching its final month of fall in November as winter creeps in, making room for December to start in Washington, D.C. The district is in constant motion; public transit is in a never-ending loop as women and children rush to catch the bus. Dark-colored sack suits moved from all directions as the poignant smell of the cigarette lingers like a fine line in the cold streets of the political hub.

A group of protestors seems to overwhelm every corner of the landscape, all advocating a different cause, but mostly, you can see people anxiously waiting for the arrival of their military men as the war approaches its final year. But as one war slowly comes to a conclusion, another fight begins to brew at the steps of the White House as a crowd of women gather and hold signs that yell, “Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?”. The media didn’t sleep last night, and neither did these women.

The New York Times and a variety of other sources early that week published an article on the treatment of Alice Paul, an American suffragist, feminist, and women’s rights activist; she made the headlines as a “Hunger Striker prisoner forcibly fed.” Alice Paul was taken to an Asylum Hospital where nurses strapped her in a wooden chair and used white sheets to grip her wrists and ankles to keep her from moving during the procedure. They pulled her head back until it was parallel to the ground, and the doctor wrapped another sheet on her throat. The leading doctor took a long, clear plastic tube and put it down one of her nostrils. They attached a funnel to the other end and poured a whipped mixture of eggs and milk down the tube.

These painful procedures were done three times a day. Until the women were released by the president due to the public’s roar of sympathy when hearing about the brutal conditions and procedures. The country doesn’t know it yet, but this revolutionary act was the start of the first wave that would lead us to where we are now: the fourth wave of Feminism. It’s rare to see how a moment in 1917 has such a vast contribution to my life right now. The other day, as I was walking to class, I had a student approach me for voter registration updates; I didn’t think much of it, updated my information without hesitation, and carried on with my day.

Modern Perspectives on Feminism: Voices from Arizona State University Students

It wasn’t until I took a moment to reflect on how easy it was to just say, “Yes’ let me register so I can vote, that I realized back then I didn’t have that right. I believe a variety of important movements that have been successful in the past are acknowledged but never truly understood. These “radical” women, as described at that time, were able to accomplish a huge moment of gender equality for the country, which was the 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that permitted women to vote. And due to that struggle and persistence, I have the opportunity to speak my voice and opinions through a vote. As time continued, so did Feminism. Today, we see movements such as the #MeToo movement that have been going on since 2006 represent some of the core values of Feminism.

To establish and achieve political, economic, personal, and social equality of sexes. In this case, the #MeToo movement finds it necessary to bring equal justice to the people who have been sexually harassed in their lifetime. As time continues to progress, we see more movements take place in social, political, and economic industries. I am a female who defines herself as a feminist, but I never knew how to defend the ideology or understand what it means to support it. So, out of sheer curiosity, I asked a couple of my classmates what Feminism meant to them.

Aleiah Williams, a sophomore at Arizona State University who studies Japanese, said, “I think it’s an uh good thing, but there is a lot of prejudice against it, such as because of our social gender norms that have been enforced in our society.” And then we have Albert Perez, also a sophomore at Arizona State University studying engineering, “Umm, okay that, where women get over defensive about their gender, right, or is that something else? (Pause) I was going to say that gender is more of a construct than an actual thing. I don’t think gender should really separate anyone. Have you ever seen Judge Judy? Every time I think of Feminism, I think of her. I am not a female judge; I’m just a judge that happens to be a female.” Lastly, Maria Sandoval, a freshman at Glendale Community College who studies Biology, mentioned that “Feminist for a culture is really difficult to explain or make sense of since the way women and men grow up is something that has been passed down from generation to generation.” Aside from the comments that weren’t included, I saw a constant trend in how many people who view Feminism only saw females as the one-sided benefactors.

Deconstructing Myths: Gender Equality, Feminism, and Misconceptions in the 21st Century

The truth of the matter is that gender equality in all forms benefits the whole community, not just one gender. This ideology of gender equality and empowerment seems like the dose of morality that a nation might need, no? Unfortunately, as rights activists and feminist movements continue to grow all around the country, a variety of misconceptions also follow, and this is due to a growing population, personal interpretation, or simply a lack of interest. Yet there’s more than one at stake. Furthermore, it’s evident that men and women are biologically different, yet “it is the more creative person, the more intelligent person, the more innovative person, and there are no hormones for those attributes.

A man is as likely as a woman to be intelligent, to be creative, to be innovative. We have evolved, but it seems to me that our ideas of gender have not evolved” (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie). Meaning that it’s a disservice to men and women to not allow them to reach their full potential in society if we constantly uphold these imbalanced gender regulations. Progress comes with breaking down barriers such as gender gaps of all forms in life, emasculation, and narrow mindsets of woman domestication. Let’s start by acknowledging 3 of the misconceptions about Feminism that are surfacing in the 21st century. For starters, we have the idea that feminists hate men.

The word feminism has become synonymous with the term “man-hater.” The majority of people who suggest this synonymity are individuals who haven’t identified the core values of feminists. Feminists are in no way against or, in other words, “loathing men.” To illustrate, The Psychology of Women Quarterly posted a study on “Are Feminists Man Haters? Feminists’ and Nonfeminists’ Attitudes Toward Men” and found some pretty interesting results, “Despite the popular belief that feminists dislike men, few studies have actually examined the empirical accuracy of this stereotype. The present study examined self-identified feminists’ and nonfeminists’ attitudes toward men. An ethnically diverse sample (N = 488) of college students responded to statements from the Ambivalence Toward Men Inventory (AMI; Glick & Fiske, 1999).

Feminism Decoded: Unraveling Stereotypes and Embracing Gender Equity for All

Contrary to popular belief, feminists reported lower levels of hostility toward men than did nonfeminists. The persistence of the myth of the man-hating feminist is explored” (American Psychological Association). Feminists are against the patriarchy. They are in opposition to the way the society we live in functions, a society that has been dominated by male tyranny and has historically favored men. Being a feminist doesn’t imply that you need to despise the opposite sex for the rest of your life; you merely need to acknowledge the exclusive imbalance of authority that men have in modern society. To continue, the idea where the term feminazi was born out of how feminists thought women were the dominant gender. The misconception that feminists are all yearning for female domination and takeover is perhaps the most insulting aspect of the feminist name. Even though the title feminism seems contradictory to gender equity since the name only has females, their mission is solely gendered equity.

To illustrate, in Bell Hooks’s book Feminism is for Everybody, she states how “a struggle against sexist oppression. Its aim is not to benefit solely any specific group of women, any particular race or class of women. It does not privilege women over men. It has the power to transform in a meaningful way all our lives. Most importantly, Feminism is neither a lifestyle nor a ready-made identity or role one can step into” (51). The attempt to bring men down and women up is immoral. But to bring women up to the same level that men are at, that’s called gender equity. So that means feminists do not think that the wage gap should be reversed so that women make more money than men so they can experience injustice, nor do they think that the president of the United States should be exclusively female from here on out. Lastly, the final concept that I found important to clarify is that if I try to include all of them, we will be here for quite some time. Is the third misconception of Feminism that you have to be female to be a feminist? This is more than likely the most stressful misconception since it has caused the most damage when a feminist attempts to move forward in society.

Redefining Masculinity: The Vital Role of Men in Feminism and the Pursuit of Equality

By supporting the idea of gender equity that classifies someone as a type A feminist. To illustrate, in Bell Hooks’s book Feminism is for Everybody, she states how “In patriarchal social structures, both men and women are similarly socialized into the mindset that men must maintain dominance over women culturally, economically and politically. This situation has given rise to the feminist struggle for liberation and equality” (33). Many have expressed how calling oneself a feminist and being a male will make them seem less masculine, but that correlation lacks so much since it is simply untrue. Advocating gender equity and supporting the opposite sex trials and tribulations that are unjustifiable represent an optimistic mindset. Due to the patriarchal society, it is without a doubt that women need male support in order for women’s voices to be heard and for change to occur.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the misconceptions of Feminism could be represented in 1,000 meanings, all being dictated by an informative or lack of attentiveness post on social media. As students continue to become more and more active participants in society, I find it crucial and even necessary to consider exploring an ideology, movement, or something that represents, protects, and helps progress their identity and opportunities as a person. This will only enhance their understanding of the world and educate them to later not be a victim and easily manipulated by the misconceptions of an ideology that can potentially be something that will help them reach their true potential.

References

1. Hooks, B. (2000). Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics. South End Press.
2. Adichie, C. N. (2014). We should all be feminists. Anchor.
3. Valenti, J. (2007). Full frontal feminism: A young woman’s guide to why feminism matters. Seal Press.
4. Friedan, B. (1963). The Feminine Mystique. W.W. Norton & Company.
5. Glick, P., & Fiske, S. T. (1999). The Ambivalence Toward Men Inventory. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 23(3), 519-536.
6. Wolf, N. (1991). The Beauty Myth. Chatto & Windus.
7. Steinem, G. (1983). Outrageous acts and everyday rebellions. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
8. Tong, R. (2009). Feminist Thought: A More Comprehensive Introduction. Westview Press.
9. Millett, K. (1970). Sexual Politics. Doubleday.
10. Rowbotham, S. (1973). Women, Resistance, and Revolution. Pantheon Books.

Feminism: Unraveling Misconceptions and Advocating for Universal Humanity

Challenging Patriarchy: The Undying Echoes of Gender Inequities

BS IT- 2 A Story Like Mine by Halsey and We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie are both living testimonies of the struggles that minorities, such as females, undergo in every part of the world. These stories are dying to be heard. We need feminism because many men and even women still don’t acknowledge that we live in such a patriarchal society. Domestic abuse in any form happens. In social situations, husbands are still asked about their work, and women are asked about their husbands. People still ask what the victim is wearing or how many they chugged down their throat that night.

Girls are gender-biasedly shamed when they have their naked pictures posted online, and men are praised. It is still weird that girls play drums, boys like pink, and they can also be raped. Patriarchy taught us that women are weak, submissive, and inferior to the human species. Millions of women still starve themselves to live up to men’s expectations. Every time women speak, they’re just being “feminazis.” We’re only angry because it’s the time of the month and we are unreliable. We need it because women don’t have to apologize for their strong opinions. Because people deserve to be judged by the integrity of their character without their actions first being filtered through gender-based ideals. Women’s health, freedom, safety, and reproductive rights are still threatened around the world.

Feminism Misunderstood: Debunking Myths and Embracing Inclusivity

Because of a lack of education on feminism, there are a humongous number of people out there who believe feminism’s utmost focus is unreasonable, discriminates against men, and is plainly anti-men. The radical group of people who take this ignorance to an extreme like to call themselves “feminists” when they are merely misogynists making a mockery of feminism. These people are blind to what feminism does to benefit men or continue to believe their internalized misogynist thoughts.

One thing that feminism advocates is that all of us, including meningitis, need to help create a voice not only for female (though the majority) but for male victims of physical and sexual assault, too, since hypermasculinity has made a majority of men believe they are too strong to be ‘taken advantage of by a woman.’ Another goal of feminism is to eradicate unrealistic body standards and let men know that they do not need to look like the ones displayed in the media. Feminism is truly for everyone in this world, and more people need to become aware that it is not just women who can call themselves feminists. It shall be made clear to the masses that feminism is not just about women. It recognizes all the inequalities among gender, sex, race, class, mental and physical ability.

Breaking Chains: The Heart and Soul of Feminism’s Pursuit for Unbridled Humanity

To quote Naomi Wolf: “The enemy is not lipstick, but guilt itself; that we deserve lipstick, if we want it, and free speech; we deserve to be sexual and serious– or whatever we please; we are entitled to wear cowboy boots to our own revolution.” Girls can only be angry, overreacting, sluts and bitches. Men are only praised for being “the man.” We all deserve to break free from all these social constructs. To live normally and be treated fairly. We are all humans here who have the right to be respected and granted equal roles and opportunities in society.

We need feminism because everyone needs to get a grasp of understanding and internalizing what it really means and how it really contributes to the harmony and unity of the people in this land we’re living in. With the everyday horrors that are unconsciously and continuously happening to the world, the planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of all kinds. It would be nice if we would all realize that we are all just striving to live day by day, breathing the same air under the same skies, and desiring the same things in life: love, respect, freedom, and acceptance. If we could just empathize with each other and our struggles, the world would instantly be a hundred times better. That’s what feminism is fighting for. Being unapologetically human.

References

1. Beauvoir, Simone de. The Second Sex. Vintage, 2011.
2. Hooks, Bell. Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics. South End Press, 2000.
3. Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. We Should All Be Feminists. Anchor, 2015.
4. Steinem, Gloria. Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1983.

Feminism Defined: Intersectionality and Global Equality

Feminism’s Layers: Kimberle Crenshaw, Intersectionality, and the Complex Tapestry of Female Experience

When Kimberle Crenshaw first coined the term intersectionality, her purpose was to bridge the gaps that so many people failed to recognize. She did it for her race, her gender, and for those like her who so heavily shared her insurmountable need for equality. Kimberle Crenshaw opened doors for society to recognize that being black and a woman is completely different than being just black. The different identities one associates with lead to different experiences. Black women specifically have faced ongoing systemic oppression. The right to vote is an exemplar of how it did not empower black women, nor did giving women the right to vote empower black women.

The term Intersectional feminism arose after the introduction of intersectionality. It is used to describe the idea that not all women share the same experience due to their race, religion, class, sexuality, etc. The future of intersectional feminism is being able to liberate women from all over the world whilst realizing one’s own privilege. As well as the engagement of looking at all forms of inequality to resist patriarchy and oppression.

Feminism Beyond Boundaries: Global Struggles, Inclusivity, and the Evolution of Intersectional Dialogue

Historically, women of color have been excluded and marginalized from mainstream feminism. Feminism is the act of obtaining equitable rights as any other sex. Mainstream feminism is problematic because it fails to recognize the broader perspective of different women who face different struggles. Feminism has shadowed many underrepresented women around the world, as it did not reflect the purpose it served. It left people to feel excluded from a space that was meant for inclusivity.

The lives of women around the world are utterly different from one another. Priorities, responsibilities, and roles differ as well. Likewise, priorities in developing countries contrast with those in developed countries. Although intersectional feminism varies in its necessities, there is a common ground: the right to be recognized and given equal treatment and opportunities.

The future of intersectional feminism will also consist of men being included in the conversation. Men may tend to feel antagonized or have the fear of matriarch when the topic is brought up. In fact, the purpose of intersectional feminism is to be recognized by our identities and navigate through the spaces in society. In recent years, we have come a long way with having the most diverse congress (although it’s still abundantly white). Without realization, men are also impacted when women are deprived of equity. When men are brought into the conversation, they can reflect and relate to their own lives (such as how masculinity, patriarchy, misogyny, etc., are impacting their development). Not only will the conversation be a reflection but also a realization of allyship.

Feminism’s Forward Vision: Recognizing Privilege and Cultivating Inclusive Futures

It is crucial to understand someone’s intersection because their different identities can make them vulnerable to discrimination or oppression, causing a disadvantage in society. Devaluing just one aspect of someone’s race, gender, or even religion also means they are devaluing other aspects of their identity. Understanding and addressing the different components of one’s life acknowledges our own privilege. Being an abled cisgender lower-middle class is a privilege compared to a disabled, houseless individual.

The future of feminism also consists of the children today. When we are being educated about the topic, then we should also educate our children. Our children are our future. Fredrick Douglas once said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” Although it will take time to undo traditional customs, it is better than nothing. It is also best to raise our children around the world with an open mind and an understanding of the diversity of humans.

References

1. Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum.
2. Hooks, B. (1984). Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center. South End Press.
3. Davis, A. (1981). Women, Race, & Class. Vintage.
4. Collins, P. H. (1990). Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. Unwin Hyman.
5. Mohanty, C. T. (2003). Feminism Without Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity. Duke University Press.