Women’s status during America’s immense experiment as the world’s first democracy has undergone significant changes over the generations. According to Leila Aboulela, Minaret, “All through life there were distinctions - toilets for men, toilets for women; clothes for men, clothes for women - then, at the end, the graves are identical.” Discrimination towards women take away many privileges and important roles. However, in America today after more than a century of struggles by committed activists who fought to reshape these ideals and gain further rights, the awareness of women in society and their contributions to society have been greatly transformed.
Women’s status during America’s immense experiment as the world’s first democracy has undergone significant changes over the generations. Women’s would typically tend the house and raise a family, and education like the basic reading and writing was unusual. When a woman got married she lost all the freedom she had as a single adult, meaning they couldn't even control their own earning. Most women unlike men could not buy or sell a property, nor could vote, defend themselves in court or serve on juries. When women wanted to get a divorce from their husband they would lose the custody of their children and any family possessions. During the Revolutionary War, women helped in many ways, they did fieldwork at home and also fight on the battlefield. Even after that women were not seen worthy, but to stay home taking care of housework and their family. It all began with the Woman Suffrage movement in 1848 when they decided it was time for a change. Over time women began to realize that in order to enact amend, they needed to win the right to vote. The suffrage movement created two organizations that lead to their achievement, the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and the National Woman’s Party (NWP). These two organizations were created to convince Congress to pass a woman suffrage amendment. In 1920, due to the significant efforts of the NAWSA and NWP the 19th amendment was pass, it guarantees all American women the right to vote.
Furthermore, during the civil rights movement of the 1960s the second wave of fervent activism confronting the inequalities women faced across America. Women were working on grassroots projects like rape crisis hotlines, shelters, child care center, and health clinics. Commissions on the status of women investigated and reported all of their needs. State and federal laws were passed outlawing discrimination in employment and education, and women responded to their new opportunities with enthusiasm.
Many of the obstacles are pay gap, education and gender role socialization. Since the civil rights act in the ’60s,women have had a better opportunity at the workplace and environment and better pay. However, The pay gap between men and women is an issue today, according to Pew research center “ women earned 85% of what men earned based on this estimate, it would take an extra 39 days of work for women to earn what men did in 2018”. Even working for the same position men are more likely to receive higher salaries and pay raises. Women mainly occupy jobs in the health care, caregiving field and teaching according to the U.S Department of Labor. On the other hand, men have blue collar jobs such as repairing, construction, engineering, and heavy equipment. Although there are differences in the occupation they hold, women who work in blue collar jobs are not praised different from other working women. Compared to the men they have similar education, racial and ethnic profile. Many economists believe this also contributes to the gender wage gap. Also, in 2018, according to the Center For American Women And Politics, 51 percent of Americans are women, yet the only make up 19 percent of the government representatives in Congress. This creates a stereotype about how women are seen, they are often seen as being too sensitive and soft to be part of politics. Another challenge woman present in the workforce is sexual harassment. According to Pew survey, researchers found that “about half of women who say their workplace is mostly male (49%) say sexual harassment is a problem where they work, a far smaller share of women who work in mostly female workplaces (32%) say the same”.These trends are astounding due to the fact that they are happening in the United state which is a highly developed country. Overall, the cultural devaluation of women can be paired with various socio-cultural factors that increase many obstacles to gender equality.
When it comes to education women inequality is also found. Schools have a strict dress code for girls. Girls have dress codes to protect them for sexual harassment or sexual bereavement from boys, these dress codes exist due to how society stereotypes women as being less than men. Also, many early childhood books portray women as maids, princess or depending on someone like a man creating another stereotype that women are caretakers and needed someone to depend on. According to Educational psychology when working in co-ed project boys tend to ignore girls comments and contributions in the group. This relates to many patterns in society, where men have a tendency to ignore women’s comments and contribution. In spite of most teachers desire to treat all students fair, it turns out that they sometimes praise and criticize boys and girls differently. According to an educational psychology table teachers has a tendency to praise boys more than girls for knowing their knowledge correctly, but they criticize girls for not meeting their expectations.
Looking at this problem from the feminist theory from Harriet Martineau, many of her ideas can be reflected in today's society. Woman has been internalized to achieve womanly roles based mainly on gender socialization. Education for women was once another theme Martineau pursued all her life. Her second published piece used to be on that topic. She was nicely aware early that intellectual occupation used to be not regarded becoming for a girl, writing that 'when I was young, it wasn't thinking acceptable for younger girls to find out about very conspicuously; and mainly with pen in hand. . . . and consequently, my first studies in philosophy had been carried on with super care and reserve.' Martineau's youthful writings recommended that girls need to be trained in order to decorate their companionship with guys and enhance their educating of their own children, Her feminist awareness grew, and in later life, she prompted the thought of training of female for its own sake and advocated a full software of superior subjects.
Now that we’ve explored the contemporary traits and boundaries encountered in the combat for gender equality, strategies for the dismantling of gender inequality want to be discussed. Since the essential outcomes of gender inequality are realized and encountered in the workplace, change need to begin there. Not solely is it necessary that salaries end up equalized for each gender, but equal therapy ought to additionally be supplied for both genders. Women should also be capable to benefit from promotions, raises, and compensations. Their inclusion to compete for these benefits must be equally evaluated on the foundation of their work overall performance and their skills and no longer due to the fact of their gender. Moreover, jobs need to enforce household pleasant policies and surroundings in which female won’t have to absolutely sacrifice either their profession or family. Jobs can possibly put in force daycare facilities within the workplace, facilitate girls with a maternity bonus to decrease the stress and economic burden upon them. Jobs can also put in force policies consisting of greater bendy schedules for girls so that they also enable time for their familial responsibilities. It’s broadly acknowledged that learning and alternate starts off evolved in the home. Therefore, men can be taught on account that early ages to feel and recognize women. They need to be proven that both genders are equally successful in undertaking whatever they put their mind to when given the proper resources. Parents, media, and colleges also need to treat each boy and girl equally and have to avoid the enforcement of currently wrong social stereotypes.
