by:
Norma Plata
Society has always placed men as better than women. Whether we are
speaking regarding a marriage or education, most people believe
that men are better. Gender
inequality refers to unequal treatment
or perceptions of individuals based on their gender. It arises from
differences in socially constructed gender roles. However, I strongly
believe that we must take a minute to think that everyone has a
different culture and ideas and this plays a big role while trying to decide
who, if either of them, is better.
As a feminist, I
will always argue that we women are smarter and capable of doing the same type
of work that men perform. We are able to work, study, and hold a household
together. Now that is POWER! However, society still does not give us
enough credit. We are often
discriminated against in health, education, political representation,
and in the labor market. While men can ascend in a company, we women have to
work twice as hard and if successful we can be accused of unimaginable things.
Most of the authoritarian leaders of the world are men, and we as women have a
minor voice when it comes to this. Inequalities between men and women cut across
public and private spheres of life and are manifested in restrictions and
limitations on women’s freedoms, choices and opportunities. These inequalities
can increase women’s and girls’ risks of abuse, violent relationships and
exploitation. According to MAKERS,
a storytelling platform for the trailblazing women of today and tomorrow, these
are some inequalities that we women have to tackle:
1. In 2015, only half of the
world’s working-age women are in the labor force, compared to 77 percent of
working-age men. Microlending programs like
Kiva help women start and sustain
their own businesses. (Department of Labor)
2. Women with full-time jobs
still earn only about 77 percent of their male counterparts’ earnings. Talk
about how much you earn, and report inequality. Learn about how to file a
charge of discrimination with the EEOC here. (White
House)
3. African-American women earn
64 cents and Latina women earn 56 cents for every dollar earned by a Caucasian
man. Lean In offers resources
for negotiation in the
workplace. (White
House)
4. 62 million girls are denied
an education all over the world. #UpForSchool wants to change that. Sign their petition here. (UN Foundation)
5. Every year, an estimated 15
million girls under 18 are married worldwide, with little or no say in the
matter. Girls Not Brides studies the problem and is working to find workable
solutions. They know that education and empowerment for girls are the first
steps.
6. 4 out of 5 victims of human
trafficking are girls. The
Malala Fund raises awareness and funds for
girls to get out of this cycle and into school. (Malala Fund)
This topic is a great
representation of the CONFLICT PERSPECTIVE and the FEMINIST THEORY. The
conflict perspective states that in order to understand society, we must
understand the struggle between groups. The power groups, in this case being
men, will try to maintain their status through manipulation and control.
While with the feminist theory we tend to look for the need for change to
maintain equality.
References:
Henslin, James M. Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach, 12th ed. Boston Pearson, 2014.
The MAKERS Team "21 Facts You Never Knew About International Gender Inequality"http://www.makers.com/blog/21-facts-you-never-knew-about-international-gender-inequality Accessed 21 Mar 2017
 |
| Chief Journalist Norma Plata |
Norma is a Nursing student here at Cypress College. She has always loved the medical field and has been
working at CHOC for the past 15 years. Norma believes sociology will give her the knowledge of how different groups of people
behave and why they behave the way they do. She is a strong woman with a big heart. She hopes to finish this class with the knowledge that she needs
to be successful in her nursing career.
No comments:
Post a Comment