Women Empowerment in the United States of America - Research Paper Example

Women Empowerment in Corporate America Introduction Over the years, the role of women in the world has been that of staying at home and looking after their husbands and families. In the past girls usually pursued education to a basic level and not a professional level since it was considered a man’s world where almost every industry was dominated my males. One of the only professions that had been dominated by women was nursing which until the 20th century was not considered as a profession. This paper will focus on women empowerment in the United States of America especially in the corporate world. It will analyze the reasons which have led to the empowerment of women in the corporate sector in the United States of America, effects of this empowerment of women in the corporate sector and finally the challenges that face women empowerment in the corporate sector in the United States of America. Causes of women empowerment in Corporate America The fight for equal rights for women has greatly contributed to the empowerment of women in corporate America. Women groups have been pushing for women to b give same rights as men in job opportunities, education and in the political scene. The fight for these equal rights has resulted in many women undertaking education opportunities which equip them with the necessary skills required for them to join the corporate world. Another reason that has resulted in the empowerment of women in corporate America is the increasing number of women enrolling in universities to undertake professional programs. For example according to survey done in universities in the United States of America, the number of women who had enrolled to undertake various professional courses had increased significantly on the onset of the 21st century (Klein 96). This has resulted in the number of women in the corporate sector in the United States of America since this huge number of women in universities seeks job opportunities in the corporate sector after completion of their courses in their respective universities. The end of world war two greatly contributed to the empowerment of women in the corporate sector in the United States of America. During the war many American men had enlisted to be at the fore front in serving their country. This left a vacuum since there were no men to run businesses, farms and homes. Women had to take up the role of these men to ensure that life went on smoothly back at home. It created an effect in women since they realized that they could also do what men did instead of staying at home and taking care of their families. Women started looking for jobs in the corporate sector in United States of America hence contributing to their empowerment. The government of the United States of America has also influenced the empowerment of women in the corporate sector. The government has done so by putting up laws that ensure that there is gender equality both in the private sector and the corporate sector. Effects of women Empowerment in Corporate America Empowerment of women in the corporate sector has resulted in both positive effects and negative effects. First of all the empowerment of women in the corporate sector in the United States of America has seen the emergence of women rising up to fight for their rights around the world especially in third world countries. Successful corporate women in the United States of America are usually invited to underdeveloped countries as motivational speakers to women to encourage them to fight for their rights by emphasizing on issues such as importance of educating the girl child (Bhaskara & Pushpa 158). Empowerment of women in the corporate sector in the United States of America has also resulted in the minimization of poverty in the country. In the past, many families lead a poor life as a result of the death or incapability of a husband to work. This could be attributed to the fact that most women were housewives hence did not poses any skills or job hence making their family to be poor since they had lost their bread winner. Empowerment of women in the corporate world changed this since women could now be able to sustain the living conditions of their families since they earn a considerable amount of income. A negative effect that has been associated with the empowerment of women in corporate America is high divorce rates in the country. The economic success of the corporate women in America has been blamed for a considerable percentage of divorces in the United States of America. For example, when a woman holds a high position in the corporate sector she is usually busy and has little time for their husbands. Another reason why women empowerment in the corporate sector in the United States of America has resulted in high divorce rates is the fact that men are normally intimidated by successful women. Challenges facing Women Empowerment in Corporate America The empowerment of women in the corporate sector in the United States of America has been faced by a lot of challenges. One of the major challenges that face women empowerment in corporate America is the issue of family, life, and priorities. Women in the corporate sector in the United States of America usually have problems in balance their work, life and family obligation (Smallen-Grob 159). Someone in the corporate industry usually has a tight schedule since it is very busy. Women normally fail to attend important family functions since they are too busy going about their work duties. This has resulted in many women avoiding to enter the corporate sector since their fear to loose their relationships with their family. This is usually common in married women who have children. Women have also resigned or quit from their jobs in the corporate sector for them to get enough time with their families. High divorce rates in marriages where the women is in the corporate sector in the United states of America has also proved to be a challenge to women empowerment in the sector since these divorce cases are mostly blamed on the effects the corporate industry has had on women. Sexual abuse and misconduct has also been a barrier in the empowerment of women in the corporate sector in the United States of America. Women are usually victims of sexual abuse from men in the workplace which results in many women quitting their jobs or even being fired. There has also been a notion which is wrong that successful women in the corporate sector in the United States of America usually find their way up in the corporate ladder by doing sexual favors (Belason 126). This has proved to be a challenge since it has resulted in the lack of professional respect of women in the corporate sector from men since they feel the women have not earned their achievements thus dragging the empowerment of women in corporate America. Conclusion The empowerment of women in the corporate sector in the United States of America is of importance because it will set an example to other countries empowering women not only in the corporate world but also in their lives. However, measures have to be taken in place to ensure that the challenges and negative effects that accompany women empowerment in the corporate world are done away with. There is no physical or mental factor that makes men to be better than women thus they are all the same. If a man can work in the corporate sector and balance work with their private life then it is also possible for women to do the same. Works Cited Belason Alan. Developing Women Leaders in Corporate America. California: ABC-CLIO, 2012. Print. Bhaskara Digumarti & Pushpa Digumarti. Women, Education and Empowerment. New Delhi: Discovery, 1999. Print. Klein Susan. Handbook for achieving gender equity through education. New York: Routledge, 2007. Print. Smallen-Grob Diane. Making it in Corporate America: How Women Can Survive, Prosper, and Make a Difference. Connecticut: Greenwood, 2003. Print. Read More