Gender Equality : The Common Law Era Of Treating Men And Women

Equality between men and women has grown stronger, but in many ways, it is the same. We still live in a society where women are paid significantly less than men, women have less job opportunities,

Throughout the history of this country especially beginning in the 1800s with the women's suffrage movement, women have fought for equality. It is no secret that the role of men versus women have change immensely over the last century however some things have not changed. As a result of the unchanging or slowly evolution of equality feminism has arise.

“No Society treats its women as well as its men” is a quote from the United Nations Development Program when they were asked about the issue of gender inequality, which was featured in the Chicago Tribune News. Fifty years earlier, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which specified that everyone, regardless of gender, was entitled to the same rights and freedoms (The Universal Declaration of Human Rights). Fifty years later though, countries are still falling short of achieving the goal of gender equality. Many find it hard to believe that the United States is among the countries that have yet to fulfill the goal of achieving gender equality. Women began the fight for equality in 1848 by

Gender inequality refers to unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals wholly or partly due to their gender. It arises from differences in gender roles. Gender inequality isn’t a exercise which has just recently developed instead it is a practice which has been part of our community since civilizations have begun. When one thinks of gender issues they directly connect it with females however this issue consists of both men and women which can be heavily seen in the early eras.

For many years, women have been fighting for equal rights as men. The fight started years back, and continues to happen today. Many of the rights woman have now would not have been possible if it was not for the many women who stood up for what they believed in, and did not give up on the movement to make things right. Although, the fight for equal rights is still active, the freedom women have now compared to back in the 19th century is very different.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"(US Declaration of Independence). Equality is a fundamental principle that has helped form our law system to what it is today. Since the Declaration of Independence we have been able to expand who should be included when our law system addresses equality. Today law, regarding gender equality has progressed significantly. Examining American history, it is evident to notice oppression women's faced from the time prior to the Declaration of Sentiments in 1848 to the Civil Rights act of 1964 and even today in some instances; the strive for equality amongst genders is a conflict that has come a long way, but still needs to be addressed accordingly.

A way to approach sociology is to carry out a sociological imagination. One way to describe sociological imagination is"the ability to think yourself away from the familiar everyday life”(quoted from C. Wright Mills) and to look at society with an entirely different perspective. Its about thinking outside of your own mind and your way of seeing things. This essay will discuss gender inequality by looking at society with a sociological imagination. Candace West and Don Zimmerman stated that “gender is a routine accomplishment".

There are so many things that people focus on, and the one overlooked the most is the discrimination of gender roles. Women have to work harder to be treated the same as a man. Men have to hold and maintain the standard for the women to try to reach. Instead of everyone being looked at the same, and also having the same accountability. Both sexes have to struggle on receiving the same treatment. Women and men should be equally treated and held to the same

The divide between genders has been fought over for many years, dating back to the 1800’s where families started to grow and an income increase was needed, as a result women began working alongside men in factories, but for much smaller pay. As the world started to modernize, social norms related to women started to change. Women were granted the right to vote through the nineteenth amendment and were provided access to health care and birth control. Women should be seen as equal to men and given equal opportunities.

Gender inequality has been the main focus for many centuries through the use of discrimination and oppression women were exploited. Where women had very little rights of their own or a voice in society but made many sacrifices to achieve equal rights whether it be in employment or other areas of inequality. As men were seen as masculine breadwinners and women as more feminine by looking after the family and raring of children.

Throughout centuries gender has been a social construct that enforces gender norms and as a result, gender inequality was born. Gender inequality has prevailed and can be observed throughout most cultures, education, labor force, and in our own personal lives.

Previously, gender inequality was like a taboo subject. Due to campaigns by women groups and activists, many governments are beginning acknowledge it as a significant problem, and several pieces of legislations have been passed in different countries to address this inequality. For example, in the UK, the Equality Act 2010 is the current legislation against sex discrimination The consensus is that a better understanding of gender inequality and the factors that have given rise to such practices may be a way forward in attempting to eliminate if from the workplace.

Throughout many decades women have been struggling to be equal to men, both at home and in the work place. Women have come a long way and are certainly fighting to gain that equality, but gender roles are very important in our society. They have become important in life from birth, and society continues to push these gender roles. The treatment of the male gender is very different from that of the female, and this issue has become very important to me, as a woman. As children we learn and adapt to specific gender roles, and as we grow they become more evident and more important to our role in a society. There is a lot of discrimination against the female gender. Carol Gilligan argued that

Gender inequality has been an issue since long before the 1840s, when feminists finally brought the problem to light. Most ancient cultures were societies based on gender inequality, skewed towards male-dominance. Most societies are still mostly patriarchal, in fact. Patriarchy is the root of discrimination between sexes and genders and has been for a very long time.

First of all, the term gender equity must be defined. Gender not only includes the concept of sex, but all the social and cultural meanings that go along with being either male or female. Every interaction that takes place is in relation to the sex of those involved in it, therefore