Category: Women’s Role

Women have participated to a great extent in policy-making and politics in many South Asian countries. However, I still believe women’s involvement in South Asian countries’ politics has been an all time low especially in the light of male dominance coupled with damaging stereotypes that women are not equal to men. In many countries of South Asia, fervent efforts have been made to boost women’s political participation, yet the percentage of women in the higher spheres of the political power structure has not changed for the better.

Nevertheless, I understand that women have been discouraged by various factors from engaging in active politics in South Asia. The main reasons are due to the amount of violence, corruption, and manipulations coupled with authoritarian political system, which continue to remain as barriers even in contemporary times (Fleschenberg, 56). Nevertheless, despite the many challenges, women have played significant roles in South Asian politics as exposited in this paper.

The following data clearly indicates the situation of women in higher level of Power structure in South Asia region as researched by Ghimire (74):

Despite the picture presented above and the challenges that women have faced throughout history, I think Asian women have been at the cutting edge of female political participation in the world. Female prime ministers and presidents have repeatedly governed countries like Bangladesh, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, and Pakistan.

I know women across South Asia have not shied away from opposition and reforms as well as in independent movements and human rights activism; a good example is Wan Azizah Wan Ismail of Malaysia, Rebiya Kadeer of China, and Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma. However, I rue the fact that women at other lower levels of political decision and policy making like the local government have failed to replicate this example.

I learnt that pre-colonial era in South Asia was characterized by relatively favorable position of women. Literature has it that South Asia was endowed with economic and strategically positioned for trade leading to attraction of Europeans in search of habitable land.

This led to colonization by 1890s except Siam (Thailand) and in most places women were recruited as cheap laborers on plantations and processing factories. Unlike the customary laws, which had given women considerable autonomy, the colonial regimes at the village level helped to strengthen the male position as the head of the household. Although Siam was never colonized, similar trends could be traced as well (Norton, 24). These developments led to sons being preferred more as compared to daughters.

According to my understanding, women remained active in informal political spheres and participated fully in political demonstrations and mass agitations. During the anti-colonial protests by Gandhi through the National Movement, women were mobilized to participate actively. I was surprised that women organizations participated for instance in the Civil Disobedience Movements and Salt Satyagraha to oppose colonialism.

Gandhi chose the spinning wheel and salt as symbols for freedom, struggle, and civil disobedience, which he derived from the feminine reproductive realm. Unfortunately, once freedom was won, these organizations were marginalized and subjected to deal with issues concerning women and children (Lal and Kumar, 32). They only ended up being second to the male leadership that dominated national politics to the extent that men led except for some situations where women with political affiliation were given leadership posts.

I strongly believe that the women in political leadership in South Asia have participated largely to dealing with issues of gender inequality and violence against women and children. For example, although the Indian constitution guaranteed equality between sexes, the landmark report ‘Status of Women in India of 1974’ served to show clearly the level of gender disparity in India (Bakshi, 5).

Since mid-1970s, women movements in India began to come up based on different aspects of gender discrimination where economic independence came to be seen as the only means to victory.

Women movements participated in bringing up issues to the public that would have otherwise remained private (Samarasinghe, 202-203). These issues include custodial rape, ‘sati’ or widow immolation and murdering of young women by their husband’s families known as ‘dowry deaths’. Women took to political protests and agitation to declare an end to such issues.

I have come to realize that women who have emerged as leaders in South Asia have shown that women are not to be underestimated at all in the political arena.

They are able to bring landmark changes to a country in terms of the rule of law and democracy. A case in point is the rise to power of President Corazon Aquino in the Philippines in 1986 through People Power Revolution. After ousting the then President Marcos by mobilizing people into massive civil disobedience following a rigged election, she immediately engaged to political reforms and constitutional changes.

She oversaw the promulgation of a new constitution that reduced the power of the president (Phillips, 250). She also spearheaded peace talks with communist insurgents and it is important to note that during her tenure, the United States moved its military base from the country, evidence that women political leaders in South Asia contributed to the peace and stability of the region.

Unfortunately, we view women as the weak sex because they seemingly they ‘do not have’ the ability to fight and defend themselves. Nevertheless, woe unto us, women leaders in South Asia stood to oppose such claims by showing they could go into war and even do all possible to defend their country. The Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi went into war against Pakistan in 1971 despite warning from the United States through President Nixon. India won the war leading to the birth of Bangladesh.

However, I regret that the siege mentality sometimes proved fatal for women leaders like the case of Glory Aroyo in the Philippines. Although she campaigned on the platform of restoration and healing of the nation, she demonstrated the exact opposite when she took power.

She demonstrated a masculine toughness by using force to quell the riots that were taking place across her country; but that is politics; you say one thing when you are campaigning for a given post and once you get there you propagate what you criticized in the first place. It is also evident that citizen movements have the spirit of freedom due to disruption of family and courageous women leadership, ousted authoritarian and dictatorial leaderships.

For example the People’s Uprising in Gwangju, the first people’s power movement in the Philippines in 1986 and the ‘reformasi’ uprising in Indonesia in 1998. Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma, Cory Aquino, and Megawati Sukarnoputri became national leaders because of popular rebellions against authoritarian governments headed in each case by physically declining and ill strongmen.

I love the fact that, the concept of women as the primary reproducers and custodians of life played a powerful role in the task of troubling the state in matters of moral decency. This shows a link between the liberation movements and the rise to power of female opposition leaders.

The involvement of women in these movements makes them legitimate and morally uplifting (Phillips, 345). For example, during the ‘reformasi’ movement in Indonesia in 1998, young women formed a cordon between armed soldiers and peaceful demonstrators placing flowers in the barrels of upturned rifles.

It is of importance to note that most women in South Asia have chosen to take the path of kinship ties to dominant male politicians as an avenue to rise into power. Throughout South Asian history, it appeared to be the most popular means to women gaining prominence in their respective countries.

Indira Gandhi the Prime Minister of India was the daughter of a former Prime Minister while Sirima Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka was the widow of a former prime minister. Initially, they were thought to be gullible and mere figureheads to act as puppets to the kingmakers.

However, these women emerged to prove critics wrong by parading themselves as strong characters and very independent minded people (Samarasighe, 199). The emergence of Chandrika Kumaratunga in Sri Lanka politics was different from the kinship legacy idea associated with female Asian politicians. Instead of being groomed into leadership, she used her widowed and daughter state to emerge into politics.

The women in South Asia have used the existing system to emerge into political limelight despite the massive challenges facing them, they have also gone ahead to foster democracy and participate fully in making policies that have helped reduce gender discriminations in the region. Although some of the issues they have worked still have a long way to go in terms of implementation, it is important to acknowledge that they have made steps in the right direction since you cannot erase age-old systems with a policy.

Reference List

Bakshi, Roopa. “South Asian Women Leaders –‘accident of gender’ or ‘accident of

Birth’”. The- south- Asian Life & Times, 2001, 2.

Fleschenberg, Andrea. Women’s Political Participation and Representation in Asia.

University of Duisburg Essen: In East Institute for East Asian Studies. 2004.

Ghimire, Durga, “South Asian Situation on Women in Politics”. Paper Presented at the 6^th Asia Pacific Congress on Political Empowerment of Women Organize by the Center for Asia – Pacific Women in Politics. 2006. 1-5.

Lal, Malashri and Kumar P. Sukrita, Women Studies in India: contours of change, vol. 2001, 2002. 55-78.

Norton, James H.K., India and South Asia (Dubuque, IA: McGraw-Hill, 2010, 9th Ed), 18-25.

Phillips, Anne, Feminism and Politics (Oxford Readings in Feminism), 1998. 340-355

Samarasinghe, Vidyamali, “Subverting Patriarchy? Leadership of Women in Politics in South Asia”. Ethnic Studies Report, Vol, 18, iss. 2, 2000. 194-209.

In ‘Patriotism’ Mishima develops the theme of the role of women through the use of sexual imagery. The writer shares the story of a young and newly married lieutenant who cuts short his life because of a new project at work. The thought of perishing in the line of duty takes its toll on him. The wife takes her life too alongside that of her husband. The picture painted by the writer of the plot shows endearing love.

It shows promise by couples. It clearly illustrates the difficult task that women have in supporting their husbands even when sometimes they do not reach favorable decisions. First and foremost, the story outlines some salient characteristics of women. It depicts women as warm and trusting. Reiko trusts the intentions of her husband so much that she is willing to follow him even at his death. She willingly follows his training to deal with death right from the time of their wedding.

Women act as loyal and committed to their marriages and to their husbands. Reiko has never cheated on her husband despite remaining alone for several days and weeks when the husband is out fighting with the military. Her loyalty to man is sure. She shows significant humility and submission to the husband.

This forms the collection of the magnificent qualities she possesses. Perhaps her perfect feature is resilience. Reiko is strong enough to withstand the pain of death alongside her husband. She is willing to act as a witness when the husband commits suicide. Her ability to withstand shows clearly when she takes her own life to join her husband in the life beyond death. This shows ardent dedication.

The critical role that women play in the community should not be taken lightly. Some of the responsibilities include,

Love and care. Women show care, love and compassion. Their presence brings exceptional assurances to those who are hurting in society, the needy and the rejected. Women have the ability to love unconditionally even when loving leads to one’s peril. Women get seriously devoted to loving, care and support those in their lives and the community at large.

Support and encouragement. Women develop the support base for their husbands in all things. They stand by their side when making career decisions and encourage them when they change. Unfortunately, women are not normally prepared to do much. Theirs is the responsibility of helping those who end up accomplishing much in life. They get accomplished in the process as writes Jeannette Nedoma (2009). They do not have a stable occupation of their own, an opinion that in the modern world does not apply.

Women as housewives. In the traditional community, women remained home while their husbands went hunting or to get some work.

The responsibility of the women was only to bear children. They should perform all the duties in the house besides taking care of the homestead. Their husbands, on the other hand, went out to fend for the family. In the modern day, a lot has changed. Women continue to serve as housewives even in modern times. Reiko was a housewife who stayed home while her husband worked in the military. Her only responsibility was to support and submit to the leading of her husband in all things.

Conclusion

The role women play in the society goes beyond bearing and rearing children. They submit to and support their husbands in all that they do.

Works Cited

Mishima, Yukio. “Patriotism.” Mutant Frog Travelogue. 2011. Web.

Nedome, Jeannette. The Role of Women: A Comparison of Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and Helen Fielding’s ‘Bridget Jone’s Diary’. Germany: Druck and Binduung, 2009.

Introduction

In the book, A Woman’s Touch: What Today’s Women Can Teach Us About Sport And Life, Dr. Epperson brings out light to the beginning of a new era in the athletes, by using anecdote, evidence, and testimony. The book uses the melding of male and female perspectives to help in guiding the sports policies and practices into the 21^st century.

In the book, Dr. Epperson enumerates lessons that male athletes can learn from female athletes in the volleyball game. In this way, the athletes will be able to enjoy the intimate relationship that can be established through the sport and be able to take risks with their bodies. In the process of all this, the athlete should be able to accurately interpret the feedback from the opponent or teammates. Furthermore, the exercise will enable the athletes to learn to play with people that they don’t necessarily like (Epperson, 1999).

Women Athletes

In the past century, a spectacular transformation has been taking place in women athletes. Women in society can become strong without being athletes but athletic strengthen holds certain meaning in the societal culture. This is because it is tangible, visible, and measurable. Sports have particular salience for men sharing the same memories of their childhood life, whereby their masculinity has either been confirmed or questioned depending on their athletic ability or inability.

Women do understand sports, but they have been reduced to spectators due to historical values. When women take place in sports, they challenge the association between masculinity and sports. It happens that if a woman can play a certain game and play it better than her male counterparts, then the game stops being a yardstick for masculinity.

One of the social obstacles that have been avoiding women to become good athletes is that many men feel that they might be left with the job of doing household chores such as cleaning utensils, taking care of kids, while the mother is taking part in sports.

Most women who take part in sporting activities, do this because it is fun and it gives them a more challenging role, rather than just calling themselves feminists.

By reserving time each day for volleyball training and running around the court, women are changing themselves and society. In the training, the women are rarely motivated by feminism, but it is always a result. As a woman athlete trains regardless of what led to the involvement in the sports, there is a patriarchal change in her behavior. Therefore, sporting for women will change their experience and the experience of others towards her.

The changes that are being experienced in the social life of women have also been experienced in the sporting sector. The position of women in society cannot just be separated from sporting activities. Hence the women athletes can highly influence the position to be held by women in society. There is an increased struggle to control the institutions handling women’s sports and the meaning of sporting expenses.

This has also been experienced by increased agitation to increase the number of females in the coaching and administrative positions. Many things have contributed to the successful participation of women in sports. These are some of the things that the men can learn as well as the aspiring young ladies who want to join the sporting activities. One of these is passion. Passion is the desire that the athlete feels that wants to join a certain game and goes for it. This has been a driving force among the athletes that have helped them to achieve their goals. Therefore if the ladies can be driven by passion in the volleyball game and decide to go for it, they can be good at it than even their male counterparts who do not have passion for the game.

Many times not everything goes as planned. Some days the touch is not always perfect, but a good athlete should count on her heart. In playing the game with a heart, the athlete gives it the best short to help the team emerge victoriously. Therefore, every effort that the athlete puts into the game, counts a lot. The effort put by females to derail the issue of femininity can make the team better than the male team.

It is also encouraged to have competition among the teammates. Every team member should try to be the best. Positive competitiveness is healthy in all aspects, and there is thus no problem when the females compete to be the best as their male counterparts or even better than them. Being competitive does not mean always winning and hating to lose. Rather it is a situation whereby the athlete puts in her best in the performance all the time. Competitive games start at a tender age when the boys would go out to play competitive games that do not make anyone a loser and the other a winner. This implies a lack of competitiveness in the team. But things are slowly changing and female athletes are also encouraging competitiveness in the team.

A good competitive team member shows sportsmanship. In this regard, the athlete can show respect to the teams they are competing with. For instance, when the team is defeated, it should show humbleness and whenever the team wins, it shows gracefulness. At times, it is not a sign of sportsmanship to humiliate a competitor team, when it is clear that we are going to win. It is also better to apply gamesmanship, whereby the team wins without violating the rules of the game.

This can however be disputed in some cases. For instance, during the game, it is the desire of every team to win, and therefore they would be capable of doing everything to win. After all, the sweetness of the game is emerging victorious and not necessarily being a sportsman or showing gamesmanship and end up losing all or almost every game. Therefore, in sports, there are critical moments when an athlete has to put aside the issue of gamesmanship and sportsman but look at how the end will justify the means. This is because the team that will emerge victoriously will be rewarded no matter how poor they would have displayed sportsmanship.

In building a teamwork spirit, it is not always that the teammates would like each other due to the various backgrounds each player has. But since the players have a common aim of winning, many players would put aside their differences and thus aim to make the team emerge victoriously. This can still be a very important issue in the general life aspect whereby the athletes can learn to apply the same to life aspects.

Many women have also been lying low and avoiding participating in-game and sports due to the criticism they receive from their counterparts in the games. Female athletes have been mostly judged by their physical appearance, which if they can’t control, can be a hindrance to their sporting endeavor. Women who have entered the various athletes have thus put aside all the critics leveled to them.

The women athletes can mostly suffer from triad i.e. a combination of disordered eating, amenorrhea, and loss of bone density. This problem is also prominent among women who do not consider themselves to be athletes but are still physically active.

Many athletes thus do associate thinning with being physically fit to play well. The thinning has been widely promoted in various Media, and some coaches promote their athletes being thin. However, it not good that an athlete should be thin to perform well, but rather should be strong and muscular to be a good player. Chronic dieting in female athletes does not only lead to chronic triad but also creates energy deficit for the athletes.

Initially, the athlete might feel that since she is losing weight and doing well, she might feel obligated to lose more weight to be much better at the game. But in the process, the dieting might end to the point whereby the situation will affect the athletes’ health negatively. Hence, even though the athletes need to be physically fit, they also need to be health-wise fit.

Work Cited

Epperson C.E. A Woman’s Touch: What Today’s Women can Teach Us about Sport and Life, ISBN 1888698284, Diamond Communications, 1999.

The two works in question dwell upon the role of women in science but the authors focus on different aspects of the issue. Thus, Londa Schiebinger concentrates on the way animals were categorized and how it affected the distribution of the roles in society. At the same time, Sarah Hutton explores the role women played in science in the eighteenth century. Both authors examine the way females were seen in society and they conclude that women were thought to be responsible for households and had no right to actively participate in any sphere of social life.

The two writings are also quite different in regards to their narratives. Hutton stresses that the world was patriarchal and there was even a great deal of misogyny (18). The author notes that women were interested in science and were eager to participate in scientific discourses but male dominance prevented them from entering the world (as well as the history) of science. In the eighteenth century, women were also deprived of their right to obtain an education, especially in science.

Though, the author provides a variety of examples when women participated in scientific life (Hutton 21). Nonetheless, the history of science has little information on that matter as women were assigned a different role. They were to focus on household activities and leave social life to men.

Though Schiebinger shares the same view on the role of women in the society of the eighteenth century (or women who lived before the twentieth century), the author claims that females have always been integrated into people’s mindsets. The author argues that even scientists were ready to accept the significant role of the woman in the history of humanity. Thus, Linnaeus chose a category that is a characteristic feature of the female (Schiebinger 2).

Unlike Hutton, Schlesinger notes that females were regarded as important creatures who nurtured the whole world. At the same time, this almost divine role of the woman led to a reverse effect as men started promulgating ideas of the woman as a nurturer and a keeper of the hearth. In other words, women became responsible for households only and their role as the nurturer of humanity was forgotten.

As has been mentioned above, these two authors focus on the role of women in social life. However, the articles shed light on different aspects and use a different approach. Schiebinger’s ideas are quite interesting and can be considered in detail but they seem far-fetched as a great deal of the articles focuses on the choice of a word for mammals. The author tries to prove that the choice was not spontaneous and was defined by the trends which existed at that time.

Even though it is impossible to ignore the fact that women were perpetuated and cherished as nurturers of the entire humanity, this had little to do with the choice of the word. It is more likely that the scientist decided to focus on the most significant feature. Furthermore, the image of the nurturer also had contributed to the way women were treated later (they were assigned the role of a household keeper). However, this was only one of the factors which led to this distribution of roles in society.

The approach used by Hutton seems more reliable and accurate. The author does not try to interpret events or trends. The researcher simply considers the way women participated in the scientific life of society and the way this participation was highlighted in the history of science and literature. It is noteworthy that the author remains on the safe side and uses particular works and facts during her analysis. Notably, Hutton only highlights the way women tried to participate in social life, and males tried to diminish this participation.

It is noteworthy that the authors come to a similar conclusion and stress that women had to end up enclosed in their households. At the same time, Hutton is more optimistic (or realistic) and states that women never ceased to strive for the scientific sphere. Schiebinger argues that the image of the nurturer made women strive for household duties and the idea of motherhood. Nonetheless, numerous female scientists, writers, and public activists can be regarded as examples of women’s aspirations and desire to participate in social life. Hutton’s views may not be influential (as it can be lost in the ocean of the same ideas and works) or innovative but it is accurate and reflects trends which have existed in the society throughout centuries.

In conclusion, it is possible to note that the two works have their right to exist and require attention as they highlight different aspects of a very important issue. They provide insights into women’s struggle for their right to contribute to the development of humanity.

Works Cited

Hutton, Sarah. “Before Frankenstein.” The New Science and Women’s Literary Discourse: Prefiguring Frankenstein. Ed. Judy A. Hayden. New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillan, 2011. 17-28. Print.

Schiebinger, Londa. Why Mammals Are Called Mammals: Gender Politics in Eighteenth-Century Natural History. n.d. Web.

Introduction

Sitcoms are a platform for the construction and negotiation of cultural discourses. They represent people’s conception of what certain roles should be or not be. These platforms can thus allow one to understand how society perceives certain social structures like gender and class. Women’s place in this genre of entertainment is one of the dimensions that are represented in comedies.

How women are represented in sitcoms

Olson and Douglas (1997) affirm that to a certain extent, women’s role in sitcoms has changed over time. Their quantitative study found that most of the respondents approved of comedies that portrayed greater equality and similarity between the genders and less dominance. Modern families are perceived as more equal than families in previous decades. Therefore, it makes sense that they would look for such qualities in sitcoms.

Indeed Senzani (2010) echoes these sentiments by stating that comedies have always mirrored the values of their time. Even in situations where comedies challenge certain stereotypes on gender or class, they often do so in a restricted fashion. As such, they do not alter people’s overall perceptions of social constructs.

Limits still exist on the attributes that one can assign to women in sitcoms. Society still ascribes to the notion of the ‘proper’ women who are not aggressive or dominating. Olson and Douglas (1997) found that most of the subjects in their analysis ranked the comedy ‘Roseanne’ negatively because its protagonist exhibited unfeminine behavior.

One would expect that since Roseanne represented the last decade of the period under analysis, she would be more accepted by the subjects in the research. The 90s were a time when single-parent families were recognized as typical in comedy series.

Additionally, the subjects appeared to have no problem with working women. However, when Roseanne was introduced into the study, most people felt that they could not relate to her. According to Senzani (2010), this reaction is not at all surprising. The producer of the show, who also happened to be the protagonist of the show, wanted to challenge dominant gender constructions.

Roseanne is unfeminine because of her behavior as well as her body image. The character challenges society’s notion of beauty since she is fat and wears no makeup. The producer’s intention was to parody gender constructs and not women, per se. Therefore, it is no wonder that most viewers received the comedy poorly. However, Roseanne still had a large fan base. Her sitcom dominated entertainment magazines for one full decade.

It is likely that perhaps the subjects in the Olson and Douglas (1997) study did not like the show because their demographic was not the primary audience for the comedy. Most of the participants in the study were university students. Tertiary-educated viewers are less likely to relate to a sitcom about the working class than persons in the same social structure.

In line with the above argument, one might assert that women’s role in comedies contains class discourses. Senzani (2010) explains that humor serves to reflect conflicts in society by displaying stereotypes about class and gender as well as reinforcing solidarity among groups. In the 1950s, Olson and Douglas (1997) report that men were largely unchallenged in sitcoms. They were the figures of authority, and their wives often sought their approval. However, these actors belonged to the working class, and they played along with societal expectations of gender.

In sitcoms, the working class represented what the American dream had promised and but could not deliver. These individuals were frustrated by their bosses as well as society in general. Therefore, they found solidarity among one another. Women, in particular, teased each other and did other things that allowed them to cope with those stresses. Roseanne was a typical depiction of the working class woman’s conflict (Senzani, 2010).

This individual despised women in the middle and upper classes because they were a product of patriarchal society. In instances where class and gender are addressed in sitcoms, one of the constructs must be abandoned for the other. Most often, the gender agenda will be sacrificed for the sake of class solidarity.

The mid,due-class woman is seen as a betrayer of the feminist cause. She plays along with constructs that cause all women to be dominated by men.

Depictions of women in sitcoms have economic or consumerist connotations too. As mentioned earlier, the 1950s were a time when working-class women were dominant in sitcoms. Network producers felt that such portrayals were necessary to cause their primary, target audience to purchase television sets. At the time, television sets had just started proliferating into the masses.

These capitalists realized that it was essential to portray women in a way that would relate to key consumers but still preserve the gender status quo. Therefore, sitcoms in that era romanticized working-class women. Those characters were loving, supportive and wise; however, their wisdom was only relevant in the home as it could not be applied outside the domestic setting (Senzani, 2010).

One can deduce that television network owners wanted to serve their interests by portraying women in this light. Likewise, Roseanne came at a time when the Cosby show has dominated ABC’s airwaves for a long time. Since the Cosby show was a middle-class family, then its target audience also belonged to the group. ABC has suffered a decline in membership owing to such an inclination.

Therefore, the network owners felt that they needed something that would challenge the middle-class stereotype. They have seen a rival station – Fox – do relatively well with such a genre, so they felt that they should give it a try. In essence, Roseanne served the consumerist interests of media owners as she would allow them to increase their fan base under the pretext of feminine discourse.

Several sitcoms challenge female stereotypes by depicting unusually witty, wise, aggressive or strong women. They even depict men as slow and silly. Olson and Douglas (1997) cite 1970s sitcoms, which contained many buffoon-like representations of fathers, whose children and wives were wiser then they were. However, their families always loved them back regardless of their foolish behavior.

Furthermore, chauvinist conduct was rewarded through humor and conflict resolution at the end of the sitcom. Even the progressive comedies like Roseanne still expressed feminine resistance in the confines of marriage. Therefore, one can assert that the depiction of women in sitcoms may have become more progressive over time, but it is still contained (Senzani, 1997).

Conclusion

Comedies have become more progressive in their portrayal of women as many of them now depict single, wise and strong women. However, stereotypes on behavior and physical attributes still exist. Loud and fat women are regarded as improper. Class discourses are also dominant in women’s roles. Working class women often liaise with one another for solidarity.

Conversely, the middle-class woman is seen as an agent of patriarchal hegemony. Consumerist interests also explain the choices of female actors in sitcoms. Network owners often choose characters that relate to a target audience but preserve the status quo.

References

Olson, B. & Douglas, W. (1997). The family on television: Evaluation of gender roles in situation comedy. Sex Roles, 36(5), 409-429.

Senzani, A. (2010). Class and gender as a laughing matter? The case of Roseanne. Humour, 23(2), 229-253

Women throughout the ages have always played a pivotal role in the shaping of society, especially seen in the family set up as well as positions of leadership. Traditionally, women are considered as mothers, the agents of procreation as well as wives, who were to diligently be at the service of not only their husbands but also the whole society.

In today’s society, together with their traditional roles, women have shown high degrees of responsibility for not only their families but also for the wider society that is especially seen in political, social, scientific and many more fields (Bert, 2006).

With the rise of feminism ideals, women have sought to disentangle themselves from traditional values that have proven to sideline them from self-independence and actualization as women (Cook, 2006). This is seen in the capabilities of women that are emphasized such as being the backbone of developing the world economies.

But that does not mean that women cease to be women but rather as complementary of the malefactor. In most families where women have taken up an important role, that of supplementing their men in providing for the family through involvement in salaried jobs, such families flourish economically because there is no straining of the family financially which could have been realized if only the man were providing for the household (Bert, 2006).

Traditionally, men were regarded as family breadwinners; women were on the receiving end as homemakers. But this has greatly changed due to the economic times that call for a substantially good income to support families. In the leadership arena, quite several great women rulers stand out as good and successful leaders, one of the examples being that of the Margret Thatcher and the likes.

In today’s society, very many women have stood out as exemplary world leaders. Most of who have not ignored their roles at the family and society level. Though with powers, some of them have proven otherwise with the rise in divorce cases due to feminist ideals.

In the advent of the era characterized by divorces and single parenthood taking center stage, women are put in the limelight as the family breadwinners and as mothers too. Their roles have taken another turn because of this. This though has not been seen as a problem on their side because they have stood the test of time to prove that they indeed can manage (Cook, 2006).

When serving as family breadwinners and mothers at the same time, they get less involved with their children because most of the time they have to be out working, but they always tend to find time for their families which gives room for more bonding and developing good- mother-child relationships.

When they play the role of mothers in the family, they are the first child educators before a child seeks formal education, as wives, as the common analog states, ‘behind every successful man, is a woman,’ it is evident that the role of women in society calls for a lot, traditionally they were to stand by their husbands as homemakers and as mothers, a child’s success was attributed mainly to the mother (Cook, 2006).

Even though women have gotten involved much more in outdoor activities away from their spouses and children, their roles still stand and most of them once away from the office or their work stations, they are the diligent wives and mothers.

References

Bert, L. (2006). Women’s Rights: A Human Rights Quarterly Reader. Baltimore. The Johns Hopkins University Press

Cook, B. (2006). Women and War: A Historical Encyclopedia from Antiquity to the Present. ABC – CLIO.

In various information sources, one can often observe a stereotypical idea that, in most peoples and cultures, women’s main role was to become a mother and wife. The rigid sex-role separation rooted in the notion that the man performed the instrumental function, and the woman – the expressive one.¹ However, this understanding of the traditional role of women cannot be applied to different cultures universally. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of women in such regions as China, Africa, and Europe.

Discussion

In China, a woman’s life was traditionally built around her family, and it was not appreciated when she could have any activities outside the family and walls of her house.² In particular, a woman who performed her social function correctly would grow up in her father’s family, helping him with the housework, and when she reached marriage age, she would transition into her husband’s family. In her new family, she would be subordinate to her mother-in-law and spouse, and with the birth of her son, she would become a mother and official hostess in the house.

Interestingly, one could observe differences in the traditional roles of women in urban and rural areas. Forced involvement in the labor process gave the villagers (the wives of small artisans and traders) some freedom of which Chinese women living in cities were deprived. Overall, marriage between a man and a woman was a form of living in which women could exercise their social functions necessary for maintaining stability in society.³ The main role of a woman after marriage was to give birth to a son to extend the family. All other activities and affairs could be discussed, but the tasks of giving birth to an heir and procreation were fundamental.

In Africa and Europe, it was also a woman’s responsibility to take care of her family. However, females in these regions had a greater degree of freedom. In particular, in Africa, women were involved in agriculture heavily, and the well-being of their families depended on their involvement with the distributive sector of the economy greatly. In addition, African women were actively engaged in farming and occupied a high percentage of the local market. European women also entered the workforce, however, to a lower degree.⁴ Their main responsibility was taking care of the family while they still had an opportunity to become part of the labor market. As applied to African women, they had both economic and social influence until colonization. In contrast to Africa, where women were quite influential work-wise, in Europe, females were regarded as a threat to the male-dominated labor pool.⁵ For that reason, they were not that heavily represented in it. Greater engagement of European women in labor changed the cultural dynamic of the region.

Conclusion

Thus, it can be concluded that women’s traditional roles in China, Africa, and Europe were varied. This was often the result of the social stratification observed in society. African women played an important role in supporting the economic health of the region while also being responsible for taking care of their families. In Europe, women were involved in production less heavily due to the requirements of the male-dominated market. Meanwhile, in China, women faced quite a few gender-based constraints and had weaker opportunities to become part of the economy.

Bibliography

Buhle, Mari Jo, Teresa Murphy, and Jane Gerhard. A Concise Women’s History. London, England: Pearson Education, 2015.

Dayton, Cornelia H., and Lisa Levenstein. “The Big Tent of US Women’s and Gender History: A State of the Field.” Journal of American History 99, no. 3 (2012): 793-817.

Ebrey, Patricia. “Women in Traditional China.” Web.

Whitehead, Deborah. “Feminism, Religion, and the Politics of History.” Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion 27, no. 2 (Fall 2011): 3-9.

Footnotes

1. Deborah Whitehead, “Feminism, Religion, and the Politics of History,” Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion 27, no. 2 (Fall 2011): 9.

2. Patricia Ebrey, “Women in Traditional China”. Web.

3. Ebrey, “Women in Traditional China”. Web.

4. Mari Jo Buhle, Teresa Murphy, and Jane Gerhard, A Concise Women’s History (London, England: Pearson Education, 2015), 8.

5. Cornelia H. Dayton and Lisa Levenstein, “The Big Tent of US Women’s and Gender History: A State of the Field,” Journal of American History 99, no. 3 (2012): 809.

Introduction

Research is an integral element in any science subject where psychology is part. It entails an array of activities which must be carried out adeptly for it to be a success.

However, since its inception, gender bias has been a contentious issue as science and research are considered to be innately associated with maleness. Gender bias in research and science is associated with various implications that affect women more as compared with men.

Discussion

Gender bias in research arose from the perception that science grew from activities of man. As a result, this perception is associated with the continued gender bias in the contemporary world.

Harvard president Lawrence summers indicated that women, as opposed to men are less capable of being scientists and Steinke & Long (1996) showed the proportion of male to female scientists was 2:1 (Brannon 35).

An example is in the movie world where scientists are mostly male. Women on the other hand are found in the background scenes. 80% of women have secondary/ supporting roles in children’s science programming.

This shows that it is widely perceived that women are less capable of becoming competent scientists in research as illustrated in the case of movies where research is essential.

It was not until in the 1990s that female scientists were shown to be professionals and competent. Despite the fact that female scientists appear in some movies, they do not reveal female characteristics, rather they portray characteristics that are common to male scientists.

The feminine characteristic role associated with females is not revealed in movies since masculinity is inherently associated with science. Therefore, science does not factor in women’s characters and feminine roles.

Lack of recognition of feminine characters in science and research does not look into issues affecting women such as sexual harassment and achievements by women (Brannon 41).

The main elements in science are rationality and objectivity, which are masculine values. Keller, 1985 argues that science is suggestive of maleness due to the rationale and dominance prevalent in the field (Brannon 36).

It is because of this that science and research fails to recognize the positive effects that are associated with distinct feminine and masculine roles as should be the case in research.

Bias in research only tends to push the females to the side as they are considered to be the weaker gender hence research will mainly focus on issues affecting the males as opposed to the females. That is why there is a need to greatly reduce bias in science and research and instead embrace both genders.

Theories like Freud’s theory on the importance of sexual differences with regard to building personality create gender bias in science (Brannon 37). These theories are mere statements that do not have evidence to back them up.

Unfortunately, they are mistaken to be the solid truth and in turn bring about bias in research. As a matter of fact, much emphasis is not placed on the validity of null hypothesis; rather, alternative hypotheses are followed more closely (Brannon 41).

These biases have greatly affected research in various ways. To start with, gender bias interferes with the problem to be investigated due to the influence of societal and personal values.

As such researchers tend to focus on studies inclined towards men such as a study whose subject is heart disease rather than breast cancer among middle-aged populations. There are difficulties in selecting variables because of the use of incomplete, inaccurate and misleading definitions.

In the case of rape for example, due to gender bias, forced sexual acts and men are excluded as victims. Gender bias is also evident when choosing a design in research since the chosen design may not be suitable for evaluation. An example is where the chosen design may provoke anxiety among women and not among men (Brannon 41).

Conclusion

Research and science is inherently associated with masculinity and as such, it fails to recognize the fact that women have a unique point of view and varying cognitive process that are not comparable to those of men.

As a result, research should include both men and women, whereby the characteristic traits of each gender should be recognized and appropriately utilized to improve research and decrease bias.

This way, women’s characteristic roles in scientific movies would be recognized and appropriate methodologies would be adopted in research.

Work Cited

Brannon, Linda. Gender: Psychological Perspectives. 5^th ed. New York, NY: Pearson, 2007

Introduction

We live in a world that changes every moment. The scale of these alterations might be different; however, they contribute to the increased diversity and emergence of new factors impacting the global discourse. Thus, speaking about the critical changes, it is impossible not to mention the Middle Eastern region which could be considered one of the fastest-changing areas of the world. For instance, one of its leading states, the UAE, emerged in 1971 as a federation of seven emirates; however, despite its short history, it is one of the brightest examples of radical changes. The state managed to rise from the local commonwealth with numerous problematic issues to one of the influential actors in the international policy and economy. It became possible due to drastic changes in its economy, social life, and peoples mentalities.

Change of the Role of Women

The sphere of gender relations and human rights is one of the ongoing issues for the region. Being a region traditionally associated with gender-based discrimination and biased attitude toward women, the UAE had cultivated a new perspective on their role in the nation-building process (“Women in the UAE”). At the very first stages of the states evolution, female employees were deprived of an opportunity to perform different tasks and participate in social discourse. However, nowadays, women play a crucial role in the evolution of the UAE and its further development. They play an active role in both private and governmental sectors which means that females could engage in entrepreneurship or political processes (Ministry of State).

Moreover, the government of the state accepts the responsibility of protecting and cultivating the status of women and provides them with equal opportunities and working conditions (Ministry of State). For this reason, 49,3% of the population comprised of women is now a powerful tool that is used to create the basis for the further evolution of the UAE (Ministry of State). Moreover, considering current tendencies in the sphere and the countrys desire to continue its rise, the further improvement of womens position could be predicted. The governmental incentives support these processes and create the basis for the future enhancement of the situation.

Impact of Womens Empowerment

The fact is that the increased number of women who work in military forces, business, or political sphere has a positive impact on the UAE and its future. First, the intelligent potential of any state benefits from ideas and contributions of all citizens no matter what their race or gender is. In such a way, creating the basis for women inclusion and encouraging their participation in crucial processes, the UAE welcomes thousands of new ideas that would be presented by women in their workplaces. Second, these critical changes in perspectives on women result in fundamental shifts in peoples mentalities that are essential for the future of the state. Bearers of a new worldview will be able to use innovative and efficient approaches to perform complex tasks and help the country to evolve (“Women in the UAE”). Additionally, the gradual improvement of female roles and their engagement in social discourse improve the international image of the UAE and destroy a stereotypical image related to women’s discrimination in the state. It helps to attract foreign partners and workers with outstanding experience who could help the country evolve and become even more powerful.

Nationalism

Another important aspect related to the creation of a comparatively new state and its further rise is nationalism. Today, it might be associated with some negative trends like the discrimination of particular minorities or privileged status of different populations. However, regarding the UAE, nationalism could be helpful as it will cultivate the further development of the state. Therefore, the commonwealth emerged in 1971 as a union of seven emirates which means that the structure of the population was not homogeneous and people did not have common history and traditions of living in one state (Ministry of State). For this reason, nationalism is fundamental for the creation of nationhood in the UAE, elaboration of its own unique culture, traditions, and experiences. At the same time, it could help the state to find its own place in the international discourse and follow its unique course to attain success and build a strong commonwealth. Moreover, it could promote enhanced gender equality by shaping peoples mentalities in a new more tolerant way which presupposes equal opportunities for all genders and an ability to participate in the life of the state.

UAEs Unique Approach to Equality

Nevertheless, analyzing the UAEs society and its gender framework, one could admit that the state remains unique as it holds leading positions in the region regarding tolerance and human rights (Ministry of State). The fact is that gender equality is of paramount significance for the UAEs government which is evidenced by the Constitution that ensures the same rights for both men and women (Ministry of State). Women have the same legal status, access to education, professions, and opportunities for both personal and professional development. They could inherit property and manage it. Additionally, at the moment about 77% of women living in the state are enrolled in higher education, and they comprise 46% of university graduates in science, technology, and other spheres (Ministry of State). These facts evidence the UAEs different positions regarding gender issues. As against its neighbors, the state cultivates tolerance and could already boast its achievements in this sphere.

Further Empowerment of the Government

In general, all the above-mentioned alterations and processes within the Emirates could be considered regarding the governments attempts to eliminate the decentralization pattern and introduce a unified policy that will contribute to the further evolution of the state. That is why much emphasis is on the alteration residents mentalities and elaboration of nationhood characterized by strong bonds between individuals living in different regions of the state (“Women in the UAE”). Additionally, reconsideration of the role of women and their involvement in social processes is one of the factors that prove the tendency towards the appearance of stronger government. It creates a new society that cultivates such values as tolerance and national identity. In this regard, the current UAEs course could be considered an efficient approach to preserve the existing political system and the states unity.

Challenges

However, this success does not mean that the UAE has managed to overcome all challenges. On the contrary, being an emerging nation, it still has much to be done. As it has already been mentioned, the state introduced numerous regulations guaranteeing equal participation in the majority of social and economic issues regardless of gender. Moreover, women can enroll in educational establishments, join military forces, and become entrepreneurs. At the same time, previously male-dominated field like the government or public sector needs further reconsideration because of the low percentage of female representatives (“Women in the UAE”). In such a way, women should be encouraged to enter these domains to contribute to their development. For this reason, women should be provided with a particular platform to start building their careers in this field. It could also help to organize an equal society.

Immigrants and Foreign Workers

Nevertheless, there is another significant issue the government of the UAE should consider. At the moment, a large percentage of the population is comprised of expatriates and foreign workers invited because of their competence and expertise in innovative fields (“UAE Has One of Strongest Human Rights Records in Region”). In such a way, the state becomes extremely dependent on their labor and contribution to the development of different spheres. For instance, foreign specialists engage in the functioning of the healthcare sector and the oil industry (“UAE Has One of Strongest”). Moreover, immigrants from other states work in the services sector and perform numerous functions guaranteeing its high efficiency. For this reason, at the moment the UAE is extremely dependent on foreign workers and their activity. The given situation might be dangerous for the further development of the state because of the lack of its own human resources. However, there are attempts to alter the sphere and prepare local specialists who will be able to acquire needed knowledge and experience and replace employees from other states.

Conclusion

Altogether, the UAE passes through the stage of its rapid development. That is why there are numerous changes in its society and peoples mentalities. The question of equality is the central one as it remains crucial for the formation of the worldview needed to support the states further evolution and guarantee its integration in the international discourse. The UAE managed to achieve great success in the sphere of human rights and created beneficial conditions for womens personal and professional development. However, there are still numerous challenges that should be overcome to form the basis for further evolution.

Works Cited

Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs. “Women in the United Arab Emirates: A Portrait of Progress.” Web.

“UAE Has One of Strongest Human Rights Records in Region.” Emirates 24. 2013. Web.

“Women in the UAE.” UAE-embassy. Web.

Introduction

For many years now, women have been pushed to the periphery when it came to joining various careers. This has been as a result of restrictions that were imposed on women, thus hindering their upward mobility. On the same note, there have been different types of discrimination directed towards women. Whenever engineers are named, people expect them to be only men.

This is because of the few women engineers that are available currently. Many engineers known in history are men. Women are expected to join other careers, including human resource management. However, it should be known that women can also make good engineers if they are given the opportunity. There are various issues which have limited the chances of women succeeding, and our society has helped in propagating them.

Genetics

Many people have a conviction that men are naturally meant to be good in mathematical subjects while women are poor in these subjects. For a person to successfully learn this discipline, especially high-level mathematics, there is a special type of memory that should be developed. While this spatial memory is known to be present in men, many people argue that it is absent in women.

Unfortunately, engineering and other heavy science careers require deep knowledge of mathematics (Banya 72). Consequently, women find it difficult to join these careers. Their abilities are limited by nature, and they do not do as good as their male counterparts. It is for this reason that many people argue that women are biologically not meant to be engineers.

Masculine Supremacy

There have been masculine supremacy in the engineering field with men dominating almost in all sections. In this regard, the need to maintain the status quo has kept women out of the question whenever selection was done.

The historical dominance of men in the engineering field has discouraged women from venturing into this career for fear of mistreatment. The engineering field is looked at as a special area which requires not only the use of muscles but also a dirtying job which does not fit women.

Consequently, many women are reluctant to take up such careers.

Moreover, many people are less likely to hire a woman engineer if she attends an interview competing with men. Lack of the surety of securing a job after college also discourages women from joining the career (Hutchison 94).

Furthermore, the engineering sector has been taken to be a demanding masculine field which requires somebody who has enough time to execute his or her roles. Unfortunately, society takes women as people who should take care of children and thus do not have enough time for engineering careers.

Culture, Gender and Social Issues

Arguably, culture plays a crucial role in a person’s life. It is our culture which defines what we hold as being right or wrong. The socialization process through which a person is taken during his or her growing up determines what the person will be willing to do.

Notably, culture not only molds what a person will think but also the behavior of the person. In many cultures, women are taught that men should always do masculine jobs, while women should engage themselves in easy and feminine chores (Lambert 187).

Moreover, many societies take sciences and mathematics to be subjects of men, while languages and humanities are for women. Consequently, young girls are brought up knowing that sciences and mathematics are for men. They do not change their mindset, and this hinders their success in these subjects.

Additionally, most societies are patriarchal with men dominating almost every sector. Women are taught to respect men and not to compete with them. As a result, women are not allowed to carry out duties that are meant for men (the United States. Congress House 43).

Similarly, women are not supposed to behave in a manner that will portray them as trying to outdo men. In this regard, women are discouraged from joining engineering courses because this will be like competing with men.

Moreover, many men will not be willing to marry successful ladies, especially those in the fields that are taken up being male careers (Bittman 21). Therefore, young ladies do not want to join engineering courses lest they risk not getting married.

There is a great difference in what women are expected to do to advance their participation in engineering and what the society teaches them. Many young girls are brought up knowing that there are roles specifically for men. These social definitions discourage women from even thinking of joining the field of engineering. In America, for example, engineering has for long been associated with white men.

All the historical advancements recorded were arguably done by white men. As a result, women and other minority groups are alienated. White men are struggling as much as they can to maintain their status quo for as long as they can.

The social mechanisms are thus put in place as regards the fields of engineering are tailored to work against women (Malmberg 57). This has also led to stereotypes that women cannot perform well in sciences further diminishing the possibility of women succeeding.

Moreover, our society still emphasizes that men are the breadwinners of the family. It is naturally expected that when women are married, they have to dedicate their time to taking care of the family. Consequently, men are expected to work harder to provide for the family. This indirectly implies that men should do the difficult duties to earn enough money while women can do easy tasks because all they need is money for upkeep.

On the same note, the social expectations of women do not leave them with the opportunity to succeed in some areas (Holmes 134). According to the roles given to women based on their gender, they are expected to constantly take care of the children and other household chores, whether they are employed or not.

They, therefore, face a lot of challenges trying to balance time between household chores and their professional work. For careers like engineering which require a substantial portion of one’s time, success becomes elusive. This also contributes to the failure of women in engineering.

Lack of Role Models

Notably, people always enhance their performance in various aspects of life, depending on whether they have good role models or not. Lack of a good role model limits the chances of a person working hard, given that nobody gives this person morale. As it regards women in engineering and other science careers, they do not have people who have succeeded in this field and are happy.

Those that are in the careers always talk of how difficult it is to succeed in this field. As a result, women who would have wanted to join the field get discouraged. The scarcity of women in the engineering field is thus a reason as to why there is a continued decrease in women engineers (Lambert 156).

Even at engineering classes, many lecturers are men because of the long-standing inequality. This sends a wrong signal to female students that excelling in this field is a hard nut to crack.

Existing Workplace Inequalities

Women are treated differently from their male counterparts at workplaces. To begin with, more people are willing to hire male engineers than women. As a result, securing a job becomes a problem once one has completed her degree in engineering.

Similarly, the starting packages for women engineers are lower than those offered to men at the same level. This brings about unfair competition with men most likely to succeed as engineers than women. Realizing this, many women find it unworthy fighting in the same field where everything possible is done to deter them from succeeding.

On the same note, a woman will only be employed if she proves to be far much better than the men who apply for the job. Though most managers will not agree to the fact that they will rather employ a man than a woman, it has been proved that more men than women will be considered for a given post (Micari & Denise 297).

Anybody in the interview panel will have to justify his or her decision to hire a woman before it is accepted. Additionally, there are fewer chances for women engineers to climb up the ladder leaving many who have dared to join the field beginners forever. As a result, women get demoralized to join engineering.

Discrimination

Though many people do not think that discrimination is not possible in these days and age, the fact is that there are some actions which are discriminatory. Many women who have been asked about their experience in the engineering career do not acknowledge that discrimination is there. However, there are those who admit discrimination, especially at the college level.

Men usually make sexist jokes directed towards women showing them that they cannot possibly compete with men in this field. However, it is important to note that it is rare for discrimination to be noticed, given that it is very subtle (Bittman 56). In a certain organization, secretaries will favor men engineers by carrying out tasks involving them faster while female engineers have to wait longer (the United States. Congress House 52).

Moreover, women engineers are not taken seriously by some clients who insist that their jobs have to be done by male engineers. This complicates the issue of career building for women. There are even some people who argue that the emotions of women dominate their arguments. Some women have also complained about being mistaken about becoming secretaries in companies where they work.

Lack of Self Confidence

Many women have been brought up in societies where the supremacy of men in science subjects is a common thing. As a result, women develop a phobia of mathematics and sciences from a very young age. It is important to note that confidence in these subjects is vital in selecting engineering courses (Hutchison 48).

As a result, when the time comes for one to choose his or her career course, women tend to run away from courses that have a lot of mathematics and sciences. The fear for these subjects is carried even in colleges after some female students have joined engineering courses causing a higher dropout rate in women than in men.

Though it has been argued that the self-confidence of women in engineering courses is reduced by the poor performance of girls in mathematics and sciences, evidence shows a different story (the United States. Congress House 75). In scenarios where both male and female students had the same grades in these subjects, female students had less faith in themselves regarding their ability than their male counterparts (Banya 94).

Similarly, women are very skeptical about whether they can complete a scientific duty. They consider themselves weaker than men in executing various chores in engineering.

Lack of confidence from very earlier ages also contributes to low enrollment rates in college. Engineering requires one to pass in mathematics and science subjects. However, many women do not take up this subject seriously in high school, thus barring them from joining engineering courses.

Moreover, women do not enjoy taking part in engineering experiences outside class, which gives men a head start. Men like taking part in activities that involve machines and thus gain early experience in engineering compared to women.

Fewer Media Coverage

Media plays a vital role in enhancing the perception of people on various issues in society. Whatever media focuses on gets to be known among many members of society. In various scenarios, media depicts engineering as a male-dominated job, and all successful engineers that are interviewed are men (the United States. Congress House 114). Even when producing movies, all engineering roles are assigned to men with women only given supporting roles.

This helps in confirming the stereotypes that only men can succeed in engineering. Prominent women engineers rarely get publicity in many media platforms.

The men who are featured as being engineers, especially in movies, are always well built and masculine (Azar 40). The message that goes to the society is that engineering is meant for men only. As a result, women do not find any encouragement to venture into the engineering field.

Way Forward

Women should be encouraged to join engineering and succeed. There is no proof that men are genetically better placed than women as it regards to success in engineering. The idea that women are poor in mathematics and sciences is misplaced. There are women who have proved men wrong by joining engineering and doing better than men.

In this regard, women should be taught from the moment they join a school that they can perform well in any subject. On the same note, it is high time that media began highlighting she cess of women in engineering and other careers that are taken to be specifically for men. The notion that there are careers for men and others for women should be eliminated. Young girls should be well prepared to take any career just as boys.

Conclusion

Women have tried to venture into various aspects of society that were generally reserved for men. It should be noted that some of these women have been more successful than men. Nowadays, we have women lawyers, pilots, and geographers contrary to what it used to be in the past.

Despite this, women have not made good progress in engineering. Fortunately, the factors that hinder the success of women in engineering and other scientific careers are not beyond our control. Women can still start and make it in engineering. It will just take a change of mind and some social adjustments to have successful women scientists.

Works Cited

Azar, Beth. Math + Culture = Gender Gap? American Psychological Association 41.7 (2010): 40. Print.

Banya, Santonino K. Study of Factors Affecting Attitudes of Young Female Students Toward Chemistry at the High School Level. City: Universal-Publishers, 2004. Print.

Bittman, Andrea Y. Exploring Factors That Promote or Hinder the Career Productivity of Academically Gifted Female International Olympians in the Disciplines of Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. Ann Arbor: Proquest, 2008. Print.

Holmes, Vanessa M. Critical Factors Affecting African American College Completion at Two Selective Research Institutions. Ann Arbor: Proquest, 2007. Print.

Hutchison, Mica A. Factors Affecting the Self-efficacy Beliefs of First-and Second-Year Engineering Students. Ann Arbor: Proquest, 2007. Print.

Lambert, Amber D. Women in Engineering: The Gendered Effects of Program Changes, Faculty Activities, and Student Experiences on Learning. Ann Arbor: Proquest, 2008. Print.

Malmberg, Erik D. Factors Affecting Success of First-Year Hispanic Students Enrolled In a Public Law School. Ann Arbor: Proquest, 2008. Print.

Micari, Marina and Denise Drane. “Promoting Success: Possible Factors Behind Achievement of Underrepresented Stu­dents in a Peer-Led Small-Group Stem Workshop Program.” Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering 13.3 (2007): 295-315. Print.

United States. Congress House. Fulfilling the potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Act of 2008: Hearing before the subcommittee on Research and Science Education. Memphis: General Books, 2012. Print.