Alvin Son

AVID 11
Apirl 26, 2017
Causes of Gender Inequality

Over the course of human history and to this day, the world has seen the reality of gender

inequality amongst women. From Abigail Adams to the Womens march in 2017, brave women

of this country have fought and challenged the US to receive the rights that they deserve: Abigail

Adams told her husband to fix the constitution that he wrote, the 19th amendment was created by

the strong will of women, ultimately leading to being able to work like men. However, after

WWII, women had to go back home to be stay-at-home mothers and they were not able to do

things such as work, drive, etc. In todays world, gender equality is mostly influenced by

society/economy and religion.

A gender-equal society is a society in which both men and women, as equal citizens,

have the opportunity to participate in all kinds of social activities at will, equally enjoy political,

economical and cultural benefits, work, and share responsibilities. However, this is clearly not

what todays society is like; as we can see from how many women are being treated to this day.

Many were scared of approving of the creation of a gender-equal society because they feared the

changes that would take place in their lives. It states in the Proposed Unratified Constitutional

Amendment, Although a majority of Americans supported equality in principle, many feared

changing traditional roles of men and women, especially in families and within society as a

whole. This states that the reasoning behind why many refused for the ratification of the equal

amendment was because they feared that the traditional roles in the families were bound to

change and men would have less power. This shows that the ignorance and pride of men are

deceiving them to believe that creating an equal society and workplace with both men and
women is not right. Also, in places such as the workplace, women are being disregarded as

professionals and are often looked down upon by many male coworkers. In the article, Why

most women will never become CEO by Gene Marks, he states, Words, thoughts and

important points are missed because of a new perfume or a low cut blouse. It works the other

way too. The less attractive female employees are also frequently ignoredfor the opposite

reason. (Marks 1-2). What Marks implies in this statement is that the opinions and statements

by women are continuously being neglected. This is due to the fact that men are still

romanticizing over the image of women from the past and has yet matured to be able to take

them more seriously and professionally. The modern day society and economy is what causes

and complicates the need for gender equality and has played a big role in why there still is

gender inequality.

Not only does society and the economy affect gender inequality, but as well as ones

religion and cultural beliefs. In places such as Swaziland, Africa, where they are mostly known

for their respect and devotion to cultural beliefs and customs, their cultural beliefs cause a lot of

inequality among men and women. It states in the article, Culture and Religion Should Not

Justify Gender Inequality by Comfort Mabuza, Swazi custom dictates that when a woman loses

her husband she should be in seclusion and mourning for a period of at least two years. During

this time, she is not supposed to attend community meetings or participate in community

development affairs. Swazi custom considers her mourning 'bad luck', thus her movements

within the community are limited and her freedom of association is curtailed. (Mabuza). This

states that when a women loses her husband, she is unable to do anything for at least two years

and wont be able to meet people, go out, work, etc. However, it is said that if a man were to lose
their wife, they only have to mourn for a month. This belief and customary practices limit and

forbid the freedom and rights of women. Mabuza also states in the article, This hierarchy is

often used by men in the home to exclude women from decision-making and in some cases used

to justify emotional, economic and physical abuse. This explains that this form of hierarchy was

used so that women would not be able to express their thoughts and views. This is crucial

because it shows that men do not trust women with capabilities and is forcing the women to stay

silent so that their wrongdoings to women would not be revealed. The customs and beliefs of

certain religions and countries should be followed and respected but it is time for a change in

some, so that women will be able to receive the same amount of rights as men.

In closing, the biggest factors that are causing the inequality among gender is society and

religion due to the fact that many still believe that Women dont have the strength, courage, will,

knowledge, and still views them poorly. In society, women are looked down upon often and is

not taken seriously as professionals. In religions, women are being rejected by many and is given

very little freedom and rights. To this day, men are constantly placed above women in every

aspect and have been treated with superiority and sincerity that women most certainly deserve.
 Works Cited

Mabuza, Comfort. "Culture and Religion Should Not Justify Gender Inequality." African News

Service. N.p., 26 Dec. 2013. Web.

Marks, Gene. "Why Most Women Will Never Become CEO." Forbes Magazine 31 Oct. 2011: n.

pag. Print.

Proposed Unratified Constitutional Amendment