Gender Inequality in America

By Tyler Hamilton

Inequality in America is an issue that has been tolerated for far too long. America has found a
way to legally implement a system that secures that white men remain superior. Inequality in the
workplace ensures that minorities and women do not gain positions of power. Fixing inequality
does not just mean equal rates of employment. It also means equal opportunity to advance on the
corporate ladder as well. Many people are distracted by the small victories that have been won
and are ignoring
the fact that
women and
minorities are
still
underrepresented
in position of
power as well as
good paying
occupations.

Woman
have been
affected by
gender
inequalities in the
workforce for
generations and
although
improvements
have been there is still a long ways to go. According to public information collected by the
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the global gender pay gap ranges from 3
percent to 51 percent with a global average of 17 percent (ITUC, 2009). Womens participation
in the U.S. labor force climbed during the 1970s and 1980s, reaching 60 percent in 2000.
However, in 2010 this figure has declined to 46.7 percent and is not expected to increase by 2018
(DOL 2011). Statistics also show that One in five women are working part time because they
cannot find full time work. This difference in work rates is abnormal because it is a proven fact
that women surpass men on education attainment among those employed aged 25 and over: 37.1
percent of women hold at least a bachelors degree compared to 34.9 percent for men. In 2010,
there were approximately 65 million women in the labor force and 53 percent of these women
were concentrated in three industries; education and health services, trade, transportation and
utilities, and local government. The industries which have the lowest representation of women
workers are jobs in the profession industry and construction. These jobs have the highest rates of
discrimination because it is extremely hard for woman to climb the corporate ladder as well as
sexual stereotypes about the strength of a woman in regards to construction.
In order for problems like this to be combated rules and regulations need to be put into
place that prevents the free discrimination of women in the work force. First the linkage between
genders and occupations needs to be removed from grade school educations. Educators should
focus on supporting young children in selecting jobs that are future-oriented, match their interest
and intelligence, regardless of their gender. Also unions need to generate subcategory in affairs
that specifically deals with the issue of inequality for woman in the workplace and do an
adamant job of actively advocating for women's right to equal occupational treatment rather it be
in wages, benefits or promotions. Companies should clearly state that they want to hire, support
and promote women. Salaries and promotions should be monitored and evaluated on a regular
basis to ensure equal treatment. Also stricter protocols need to be implicated where woman can
effectively report cases of gender inequality and serious internal investigations need to take
place. Other solutions include diversity in board members as well as people in charge of
promotions and raises, evaluation of staff members in power for gender bias and making an
effort to include women socially in the workforce. If we continue to ignore the obvious problems
of gender inequality in the workforce, we are doing nothing but aiding the struggle of single
mothers and continue the oppression of women by allowing white men to hold themselves
superior.
 Bibliography
DOL (2011). Womens Employment During the Recovery, Washington, D.C.

BLS (2010). Highlights of Womens Earnings in 2009, Washington, D.C.

Greene, B. M., & Smith, R. A. (2015). Gender Inequality in the Workplace.

Wolf, W. C., & Fligstein, N. D. (1979). Sex and authority in the workplace: The causes of sexual
inequality. American sociological review, 235-252.