The Controversy Surrounding Gender Inequality

In American society today there is an imbalance in the gender income gap between men and women in the work force. Many factors such as discrimination, productivity, educational background and disproportional hours worked contribute to this ongoing challenge. While many are skeptical, others remain to have strong beliefs that women and men are treated equally. In most professions according to Glynn “women only earn seventy seven cents for every dollar earned by men” (2014). Although, the seventy seven cents figure does not accurately reflect gender discrimination, it does capture some discrimination,

Most people think that gender equality is now common place in Western societies, but research shows that gender equality, which gained momentum in the 1970s, has since stalled, particularly when we look at class issues. Some issues have been hit head on, issues relating to sexist job ads and some sexist behavior at work…but we still have a long way to go. The wage gap between men and women is especially concerning.

No matter your gender, profession or where you live, you are affected by the gender pay gap. Gender inequality refers to the unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals based on their gender. (NYC Gender, 1). According to the report prepared by the Joint Economic Committee in April 2016, “The ratio of women’s to men’s median earnings – known as the “gender earnings ratio” is approximately 79 percent. That leaves a difference in earnings of 21 percent (or 21 cents on the dollar). This means that the typical woman earns less than $4 for every $5 earned by the typical man.” (Gender Pay, 2). The Equal Pay Act of 1963 made it illegal to pay a woman less that what a man would receive for the job. (Civil Rights, 1). However, we live in a world where women are still discriminated against and often paid less than men for performing the same job. As more and more women are taking on the role of “breadwinner”, the gender pay gap is an issue that needs to be resolved immediately.

Although workplace equality usually doesn’t dominate the headline, recently debate resurfaced regarding the gender pay gap which has been drawing attention.

There has been a major development in women’s equal rights since the Equality Act 2010 was introduced that includes gender equality as one of the strands which states people under this act cannot discriminate or harass and victimise another individual( Ref). The gender pay gap between men and women has been on debate for many years. This essay will examine whether or not in this modern day society their still remain gender inequalities through the use of relevant theories this essay is determined to establish whether these inequalities still exist in employment by exploring social, biological and cultural explanations and differences between men and women. Why women are more likely to be discriminated and oppressed and how I can use this awareness to challenge and address gender inequalities in employment.

I have seen the struggles for equality to men in many aspects. Regardless of the great strides that women have achieved today, it is still hard to find equal opportunity and to be fairly recognized. Some of the areas where gender inequality is very prevalent are in areas such as, equal pay in the workplace, professional & education careers, household work, sexism and discrimination just to name a few. Gender inequality refers to unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals based on their gender.[1] In this passage I will briefly elaborate on the areas outlined earlier to show the various degree of inequality and explore the path that women have taken to achieve equality. Additionally I will focus on the economic growth as a dependent variable and stereotype as the independent variable.

Men and women. Even the name of the female gender is derived from the male species. For years, women have been discriminated against in an array of areas such as politics, at home, and in the workplace. The most debated area of gender discrimination is the wage gap between men and women. After reviewing the following facts, it is obvious women are essentially just as valuable as men, and therefore should be treated equally in the workplace.

Gender inequality is a battle that is still being fought today. There is need to change the way women are treated in work, at school, and across the world. When women realize - that intentionally or not - they are being treated unfairly, their confidence diminishes. Today’s society is in need of some major changes towards equal treatment.

Women earn less than men. In fact, in America, a woman earns an average of 79 cents to her male coworker’s dollar. Many people see this statistic and think that 21 cents is nothing to fuss over, but the truth is that “the cumulative impact of lower wages throughout women’s careers is devastating, costing a woman working full time, year-round close to half a million dollars over the course of her career” (“New Report”). Although the inferior treatment of women in the workplace is an unfortunate reality, there are many groups and organizations working to empower women and do something about the gender pay gap.

Over time there have been many discriminations against age, race, gender, religion, and ethnicity. An ongoing struggle for women that are as equally qualified as men is getting paid less. It is estimated that women are paid twenty percent less compared to their male colleagues. Women have been trying to change these statistics for many years. If women got paid the same as men, it could help benefit the economy, yet females with more education lose money due to the gender pay gap. The biological differences between men and women are inevitable, but there is no reason why a woman should be underpaid for the same amount or quality of work as a man.

Gender inequality is a prominent factor within society. Gender inequality consists of violence against women, as well as the inequality within health care, education, and the workplace (such as the pay gap, and positions women hold within the workplace). As society currently progresses towards equality with movements such as Feminism (the belief which women deserve equal opportunities and treatment as men receive), refutes only increase as positions of power are challenged. Achieving gender equality within the United States alone would be extremely beneficial for women. “In 2010, American women on average earned 81 percent of what their male counterparts earned” (Gender Inequality and Women in the US Labor Force). The pay gap is an increasingly

In conclusion it has been proven that inequality still exists within companies. If women want to be paid based off their skills and not their gender, they need to become aware of the fact that this problem is still around and fight to get rid of it. Carol Hymowitz’s article reflects on the need to make a change in businesses around the world to offer diversity and equality. The change has to start with women coming together and taking a stand against discrimination. With constant change and growth within our country, there is no reason

Examples commonly cited to illustrate gender inequality are often attributed to gender, rather than other factors. The payroll gap, for instance, where “A man’s dollar is a woman’s $0.77”, is an example used commonly to highlight the pay disparity between men and women. The latter are continuously seen as “disadvantaged” and were paid less as a result of “gender inequality”. However, a 23% disparity for work wages in American businesses are considered illegal, and a lower wage set for women would entail that most of the work force would be occupied by women, since companies can save expenses by hiring women. While the pay gap is true, the disparity does not exist for the case of gender inequality, but rather, the level of commitment in the occupation, educational choices, and career positions.

The concept of gender denotes the distinction between culturally driven and created roles of masculinity and femininity. These specific and normalized attitudes and behaviors transcend and effect how differently men and women live their lives. Based on society’s continual re-enforcement of such gender stereotypes, we see an on-going dilemma of gender inequality. Though some may argue that men experience gender inequality, this seems to exist on a much more invasive level for women. As of recently, the awareness of gender inequality in the workplace has increased. With the fight for equal pay and equal respect, society is already making strides towards the equality of women. With that being said, one aspect of gender inequality that seems

Throughout the years women have made great effort to become equal to men. This effort has led to great advances in the movement, but not all of the problems are solved yet. One of the main problems as of right now is the unequal treatment of men and women in the work place. Women are not equal to men in the workplace because of unequal pay, a lack of women in managerial positions, and sexual harassment in the work place.