Where woman stand in society with gender discrimination - Essay Example

Institute: Where Woman Stands in Society with Gender Discrimination All over the world, people work hard and struggle not only for their survival in the society but also, they make efforts to attain a better standard of living. From hundreds of years, women have strived hard to attain an equal status and role in the society as compare to their male counterparts. However, women have always been considered as the “weakest” gender by the male-dominant society of yesterday and even today, women are discriminated in different ways such unequal pay, deprived of legal rights, sexual harassment at workplace as well as women are offered minimum opportunities to progress and excel in their careers as compare to men. During the wave of Enlightenment that rose in 18th century, women began to understand their competency and intelligence; they learnt new skills just like men which gave them a new dimension and an opportunity to get their presence felt in the society (Barbara Welter). Apart from their roles of traditional homemakers, women began working outside their homes as enthusiastic learners and expert professionals. Women insisted on receiving equal education, proposed their own viewpoints and even demanded an equal participation in the mainstream workforce. However, it was not easy for women to get themselves recognized by the society, nor they achieved what they dreamt overnight. Women were either given minimum rights or in some cases, they were completely deprived of their fundamental rights. For centuries, women have been oppressed by the society, especially men. Men believed that women should have a restricted role; they were supposed to remain in home, bear the children, fulfill their responsibilities as a homemaker and take care of their spouses. The thought of a woman working outside the home was considered as a taboo. Women had struggle hard to achieve their definite yet equal position in the society. Their battle with the traditional and conservative society was long and hard. However, with the passage of time until the 19th century, circumstances began to change. Government started taking keen interest to empower the women and helped them to achieve their proper legitimate role in the society as equal to their male counterparts. Unfortunately, even with the protection granted to them by the law to help prevent discrimination and biasness, women continued to struggle hard to attain education or a better status in the workplace (Barbara Welter). Women continued to struggle till the 21st century helped them to achieve an equivalent place in the society compared to men; however, despite all the efforts and legal actions, women are still suppressed by the male centric society. It was not easier for women to attain freedom when they were least considered as equal human beings by the men. It was an impossible dream for a woman to secure a job in the society dominated by men. Women continued to progress with their struggle till the time of Enlightenment, when they literally broke their traditional walls and came outside of their homes and got better jobs. During that time, men tried hard to suppress them and gave them a hard time to achieve what they always wanted. It was a common thought among all the men that women are born to please them; the idea of women working in the main job market was highly disapproved by them on the basis of that thought. Men wanted women to stay at home and please them as obedient servants. In early times, when most of the world’s societies were men centered, different philosophers expressed their work to elaborate the women’s stand in the society. In those times, philosophies investigate deep into the science and religion to define the status of women in society. One of the philosophies of that time was Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He was one of the strongest critics of women’s equality. In his book Duties of a Woman, he argues and proves from his work that it is in women’s best nature to obey the men by pleasing them. He further argues in his document that women’s opinion should be considered only where bodily matters are raised besides all other matters including morality and understanding must be undertaken by men. Rousseau clearly explains in his essay that women should only do what they can; they should pay more attention to their homes and should focus more on their personalities in order to please their men. Women should be given little space in their lives to keep them being idle or defiant. In Rousseau’s writings, his words speak fear that women empowerment may lead to dissatisfaction in men. Many men disapproved working of women. The employment of women was considered as an absurd action. It is a bitter reality that women were treated more like animals in a male-centric society with oppressed souls and lost identities. The Journey Continued (From Early 19th century-2000): To achieve a respectable position and a distinguished status in the society, the struggles of women appears more like a journey where they continued to progress little by little despite all hardships. The era of Enlightenment was the turning point in their lives when they were granted the right to receive education and they were legally allowed to work outside of their homes. Women appeared as novelists, drew their own philosophies and established their own understanding of the society and the world, at large. Industrial Revolution during 19th century brought a massive change in the society when women started taking up challenges and joined the real workforce. More women from higher and middle class started working as real professionals. Slowly and gradually, they were gaining acceptance by the people around them. They were cheaper to hire as compare to men who used to take high wages. The demand for female workers rose to a certain height day by day. By 1870, government gave more opportunities to the working females to receive formal education at college level. However, the invention of typewriter and telephone in late 1870s paved a new way of unlimited employment opportunities for women. It was the high time for women to discover new professions for themselves and to progress in society (Thomas Dublin). However, in 20th century women were exposed to unlimited employment choices. They made a way into police force; hence, breaking the stereotypical thinking of the society, particularly of men. The Sex Disqualification Removal Act of 1919 was another victory for women to set up a new example in the modern society. This act granted women to become lawyers, civil servants and even veterinarians. New employment opportunities helped women to gain their long desired freedom and it also helped them to increase the maximum participation in the society as enthusiastic workers. During 1900s, it was estimated that 19% of the women were working actively as the mainstream labors compared to 80% of men working as active labors in the society. Slowly and gradually this percentage raised twice as much as the previous number in 1940s; however, during 1950s, there was a sudden surge in the percentage of working women. The increase in the percentage of working women was short lived as the war ended and a huge number of men returned home; hence, causing women to drive out from the mainstream workforce (Thomas Dublin). The acceptation of 19th Amendment further enabled women to gain their right to vote but it did not prevent them from complete discrimination. Majority of the people thought that this act would end all types of discrimination against women but 19th Amendment failed to protect women in all spheres of society (Ellen Carol Dubois). This law was further amended to equalize women in terms of wages as compare to men for the same work. Women finally received their full emancipation in 1975 when the Sex Discrimination Act was passed. This act announced that any discrimination against women in education, training and the workplace would result in severe legal action. World War II made a huge impact on women and the idea of women as workers. Similarly like World War I temporary jobs were created for the women to fill the vacant spaces in the absence of men during the time of World War II. Women played an effective role during World War II. The demand for women in war-related industries became increasingly highly. Huge advertising campaigns were launched where women were hired to represent patriotism. Women were exposed to different highly paid jobs which were typically associated with men. The overall employment market became unsaturated with the amalgamation of women into the lime light. This was a huge blow for men who returned from the war in 1945. The women participation grew further by further and by 2000, 60% of women were observed participating actively in mainstream job market as compare to 75% of men. Previously, it was taken as an odd thing for the married women to work other than during the times of war. However, this perception changed dramatically during 1950s (Joyce Byrant). It became common for married women to work outside of their homes as part-time workers and later, by the end of the century, women were seen as the most important and major portion of a workforce. They became entrepreneurs, started their own careers and became highly dedicated professionals in all fields of employment market. The Successful Woman of Today: After long awaited victory, today, women constitute over 45% of the world’s labor and makes about 46% of America’s workforce. By the end of the year 2006, 67 million women were found working actively in all spheres in America and constitute about 59.4% of the total workforce (Source: WhiteHouse). Not only in America but in other parts of the world too, women are actively participating in making the economical wheel of their countries run smoothly. Despite an increase in the total number of women workforce all over the world and particularly in America, they are still victimized on the basis of gender discrimination even when so many laws have been passed to safeguard the rights of women and to protect them from discrimination. Even today women are faced with different types of discrimination in a workplace such as lack of training, unequal pay scales, minimum promotions allocated to women and even in some places women are given only the selected jobs or tasks to perform. From centuries, women have been victimized due to the stereotypical thinking that the society possessed against them. Still they are faced with different obstacles hindering their way to progress in their careers on the basis of their genders. It has been observed that in different organizations, women are not given enough opportunities to reach the top level positions which are solely because of the structure of the decision-making process. However, some organizations lack systematic structure to develop a rational decision making approach. The presence of stereotypes, prototypes and people with other similar traits within an organization in the role of decision makers complicates the chances of progression for women (Ragins and Cotton). Such people are found to possess absurd behavior for women. Superiority of women in any form within the organization is considered “hurting” and “defying” by them as it upsets their male-centric ego. Even after a century of struggle and hardships, still women are faced with numerous problems in terms of their freedom, right to work and improve their careers and to attain a better lifestyle in a male chauvinistic society. Women are faced with all kinds of problems both at work and at home. They struggle hard to maintain a balance between their personal and professional life; however, this is the most challenging aspect of their lives with little or no support from men at home and at work. Keeping the balance between their personal and professional life often deter women to find better job opportunities. It gets impossible for a married woman with family to work as a full time employee as a result, majority of married women prefer working as a part-time worker or doing no work at all until their children start going to school. Recently, many organizations support female employees with families under their “family-friendly” policy while some of the organizations make it really tough for their female workers to work and to support their families at the same time. Different organizations offer different “work-family programs” that enable their worker (women, in particular) to remain flexible with their families and work at the same time but inclusion in such programs may hinder the worker from any career progress in the future. It has been observed that those employers who offer flexible timings to their workers (especially female workers) to maintain a balance between their personal and professional lives, offer them flexibility to work from home through telecommuting or those who remain involved with their employees gets the better output and high dedication from their employees. Despite all the discriminations women are faced with; they are still making a huge progress in all walks of life along with raising their families and children. They have not only become successful professionals and entrepreneurs but they have also contributed in the economy as the major portion of the society who spends more than men when it comes to shopping. Women hold a major share in making high purchases which is estimated to be 3.3 trillion dollars annually on an account (Marini M.M). This neglected gender can become beneficial to support the economical wheel of a country, if used wisely and rightly. Till today, women are considered as the most “under-estimated and under-used resource” which can make a good impact on improving the overall economical structure of a country, only if they are given equal rights and opportunities. Continued female participation and active involvement in the world’s workforce may help the governments all over the world to improve their economies, to overcome poverty and to enhance the rate of their labor force. It has been estimated that women will continue to progress as active labor which will increase the total labor force all around the globe by 49% between the years 2006 to 2016 (Yaw Frimpong). To achieve this milestone, it is highly important for women to fight for their legitimate rights and standup firmly against any discrimination that can hinder their advancement and grooming at personal and professional levels. Conclusion: From centuries, women have been victimized and discriminated by the masses to attain their legitimate rights, status and role in a society and to get equal opportunities as compare to their men counterparts. They have strived and struggled hard to achieve a better position into the workforce which was predominantly occupied by men. It took centuries of efforts and hard work for women to get themselves recognized as individuals who can perform better than men and who have the similar and equal rights to attain a better lifestyle as compare to men. We cannot neglect the efforts made by government which enabled the women to get what they wanted; equal jobs, right pay scales, education, proper training and last but not the least, right to vote to prove their identities as a productive part of the society. Unfortunately, women are still faced with different challenges and discriminations against them in every field of life, most particularly, when it comes to the selection of jobs. However, it is the time that efforts should be made at all levels (individual, local and state) to help the women to recognize their value and to get their freedom based on morality and realization by the society without which it is impossible to achieve a better global future. Works Cited: Dubois, Ellen Carol. Feminism and Suffrage: The Emergence of an Independent Women's Movement in America, 1848–1869 (1999) Dublin, Thomas. Women and the Early Industrial Revolution in the United States. The Glider Lehrman, Institute of American History [Available Online] http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/jackson-lincoln/essays/women-and-early-industrial-revolution-united-states accessed on 7th December 2012. Welter, Barbara. The Cult of True Womanhood: 1820-1860, [Available Online] http://www. pinzler.com /ushistory/cultwo.html (1966) accessed on 7th December 2012 Bryant, Joyce. How War Changed the Role of Women in the United States. War and Peace in the Twentieth Century, vol. 2, [Available online] http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2002/3/02.03.09.x.html (20002) accessed on 7th December, 2012. Frimpong, Yaw. The Woman in The 21st Century And Her Effect On The Society. Vibe Ghana [Available Online] http://vibeghana.com/2012/03/18/the-woman-in-the-21st-century-and-her-effect-on-the-society/ accessed on 7th December, 2012 Marini, M.M. Sex differences in earnings in the United States. Annual Review of Sociology, (1989), 15, 343-380. Ragins, B.R. and Cotton, J.L. Easier said than done: Gender differences in perceived barriers to gaining a mentor. Academy of Management Journal, (1991), 34, 939-351. White House.Gov. Keeping America’s Women Moving Forward [Available Online] http://m.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/email-files/womens_report_final_for_print.pdf accessed on 7th December, 2012 Read More