Can People and Organizations Become Gender and Color-Blind?

Women have come a very long way since the years following the end of the civil war as projected in Rothman’s article. Unfortunately, gender biases against women the workplace are still very common today, as women are often paid less even the same positions as, and have to work longer to get promotions in the workforce, even in schools. For example, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, “women work three years longer as a teacher

Women continue to face disadvantages in the workplace in regards to not receiving equal pay as well. There are many instances where women have the same or more qualifications to do a job than their male counterparts but do not receive the same pay. This difference in pay is not only related to gender differences but also racial differences. Women employees of different racial backgrounds tend to earn less money than their white female and male counterparts. Many women of color often face discrimination when applying to jobs and are overlooked for a position despite having the qualifications to do the work. When they are hired to these occupations they are not receiving the same pay as their white female counterparts. This double bind that minority women face within the work place continues to lead to economic hardships. Regarding women in the workplace in general, due to society’s high regard for men they are often not promoted to positions of authority or receive equal pay because people assume that women are inferior workers. (Buchanan, p205-207)

“The women worker need bread, but she needs roses too.”, Rose Schneiderman said back in 1911. Gender Inequality dates all the way back to the 1900’s. A lot happened in the 1900’s, like the fight for equality and what women did to get their rights. Today man and women are still fighting to make it right.

Although some of the worst employment discrimination was eliminated by the Civil Rights Act in 1964, many women continue to undergo unfair and unlawful discrimination in the workplace. Even though women have come a long way, they are still being discriminated against in certain fields of work. High-end jobs, most commonly large companies and medical fields, continue to discriminate against women even though they have the same job qualifications as men.

Women are burdened with many obstacles to achieve equality in the work place. In the corporate and

Writing in 1991 the historian Joan Hoff observed that “the legal status of women in the United States changed more rapidly in the last twenty-five years than in the previous two hundred.” These legal changes were among several sources for women’s advancement in business after 1963. Some legal change came from government actions. State laws and judicial decisions increasingly supported the notion that women were entitled to the same rights and opportunities as men. This legal change was the Equal Pay Act of 1963.

Throughout history the roles of women have changed dramatically. Since the 1950’s, women have slowly but surely evolved into the individuals one sees today in public offices, law firms or even the five o’ clock news. However, this evolution did not occur over night. Although women in the 1950’s and today have dealt with similar stereotypes, today life has greatly improved because women aren’t as pressured to get married, are taken more seriously in the business world, and are even making as much or more money as men.

“By balancing the scales of equality, women and men will have an equal chance to contribute both at home and the workplace, thereby enhancing their individual well-being, and that of society” (About Workplace Gender Equality). Throughout history, women continuously progressed to reach this equality. This is evident with the Women’s Right Movement which pushed to break social and economic barriers. Women went from focusing on domestic responsibilities to working in places normally reserved for men. At this day in age, it seems as though that balance would already be maintained considering how much was accomplished, however this is untrue. Women are predisposed to less opportunities within the workforce when compared to men.

Women fought very hard for their rights in the workplace. Some of them, including Susan B Anthony, went above and beyond the norm. Yet, today our rights are still not the same as a man’s. At one point women weren’t allowed to work at all, and today they are allowed to have jobs while still being home makers. Although improvements have been made, there are still several dilemmas that need to be addressed. A women earns less than a man when doing the same work, and that is extremely unfair. Another issue in the workplace is that men underestimate women due to lack of strength and discrimination. There are also the issues of pregnancy and sexual

For my research question I will be asking: “How is America making progress on gender equity?” Fundamentally, I believe that women are still misrepresented, and are still facing many challenges in the workplace, especially in the business world. The gender stereotypes play a considerable role in the way the society sees women as leaders. However, it will be judicious to consider the small but noticeable changes that have been made over the past years concerning gender equality in the American workplace.

The generation now has made it easier to equalize men and women but there is still a substantial amount of places where gender inequality is still happening in the workplace and where females still face discrimination. Women are often discriminated in the workplace and are usually not promoted as quickly as men are and they also receive less pay. History shows that women have not always been defined as property and thought of as second class citizens. But in the 21st century many have seen a drastic change in the so called “traditional” family ways where women are suppose to stay home and take care of the household chores, food, and children and men are suppose to work to support their family and provide financial stability. Many assume that in the workplace women are more vulnerable and less competent than men because women 's instincts are to put their family before work or anything else. Whereas men are the ones who will usually stay the late hours to work. People on both sides of the political spectrum and everywhere in between seem to be fearful of what is to come and more fearful of others than they are often willing to admit.

Women have experienced a historic situation of inequality in the social as well as professional aspects. Women were normally the ones that would take care of children, do the chores in the house, and in rural areas; they would work in the field with the rest of the family. However, today’s women have become more self-sufficient and independent from the predominant male figure within every historical family. Gender inequality in the workplace is becoming less common; yet, gender is a factor that affects men and women. Especially women have been subjected to a historical discrimination that has influenced society to decide which job is more suitable for women than men. However women have confronted and tried to break down the barriers that

In today’s society it is easy to overlook much of the discrimination that people in our society receive. Now ask yourself why? Why do we go through our life seeing and hearing of discrimination but we don’t try and put a stop to it? People have grown accustomed to how people are treated. Today, many women worldwide still get discriminated on. A perfect example of how and when women get discriminated on is in the workplace. The pay gap problem between genders has been an ongoing issues for many years and is going to continue be an ongoing issue for years to come.

The sight of a working woman today is not something that causes one to look twice. However, this was not always the case. It was a long struggle for women to get to where they are today, and there is still a long way to go. There were a few momentous occasions throughout history that caused a shift in the way women were viewed as workers, such as the need for workers during World War II, the Equal Pay Act, and the appointment of Sandra Day O’Connor to the Supreme Court. Women have made great strides in integrating themselves into the workforce alongside men and continue to do so today.

Gender and race are often synonymous with one’s place in organizational power structure. Those individuals who occupy the top positions have a tradition in maintaining traditional rules and procedures related to hiring, seniority, and other personnel practices that work to their advantage and exclude others. A good example is that corporate policies and practices can subtly maintain the status quo by keeping men in positions of corporate power. Boards of directors, which are mostly comprised of men, sometimes perpetuate the status quo by selecting CEO’s who look like them. Other gender based barriers include behavioral and communication styles that differ vastly from the company’s norms and women’s lack of opportunity to gain general management and or line