Rodnunsky 1

Allegra Rodnunsky

Jennifer Rodrick

English 115

24 October 2018

The Identity of Women

Identity is a concept in which gender heavily determines the outcome. In focusing on

women’s ever changing identity, in the environment of, American Society, abortion, careers, and

politics all affect a woman’s role. In the United States women are the majority at 52%

approximately 155 million. This large group is by no means homogenous, but there are many

issues that primarily affect women and there is definitely trends and efforts that have either

benefited or adversely harmed women. In a quick historical summary going as far back as

biblical times when women were considered almost chattel, through the increasing demand for

equality to present day - the overall plight of woman has been an ongoing struggle. Suffragette

and the right to vote only happened as recently as 1921. The equal rights amendment was only

first considered in 1965 and has still not been enacted to any degree. The recent “Me Too”

movement against sexual harassment and to respect women’s personal space, assault

accusations, rights, and peace of mind would appear way overdue.

Even though women may have begun being considered important through their vote after

1921, there was not a terrific change in their position in society until the 1960’s and the women’s

equality movements. The right to contraception and abortion is quite recent and is again in

jeopardy. Women’s rights and battles are quite different in coastal cities than they are in rural

areas of the country, namely the bible belt of the Southeast. California, New York, and Chicago
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are unlikely to ban abortion, but vast areas of the middle of the country already make it difficult

for women to have an abortion. In the article, “Abortion Clinics are Closing in Rural America.

So are Maternity Wards.” the author Anna North discusses the problem that people are making

by such hostile actions towards abortion when she states, “​In rural areas, TRAP laws aren’t the

only threat to abortion clinics. Some clinics may close because there simply aren’t enough

doctors to staff them, Donovan said. “Abortion, of course, is highly stigmatized and it’s difficult

to find providers who are willing to practice, particularly in hostile and sometimes dangerous

environments,” she explained. “So you can imagine being isolated in a rural community and

being that much more of a target.”” (North). This is alarming to any woman that not only are

abortion clinics at constant risk of being shut down, but less and less people are willing to take

up the practice to perform the procedure. At this rate, it seems as if abortion will start to fade

away in rural areas. As a woman, not being able to have the decision to have an abortion is unfair

and cruel. With the election of Trump and Kavanaugh I am terrified that that is where our

country is headed.

In the article “The Impact of WWII on Women’s Work” the authors Anitha and Pearson

discuss the new age of women in the workforce during WWII ​“December 1941, when the

government conscripted single women aged

20-30 as auxiliaries to the Armed Forces,

Civil Defence, or war industries. Propaganda

leaflets urged women to participate in the

war effort.” (Anitha and Pearson). Which

created a new perspective of who was seen in

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the workforce. ​Although, the propaganda used to entice women to work was not sincerely

working towards equally. Above shows how women originally came into the workforce in

America, which was not for women to get careers and support themselves independently but

instead to get the jobs their husbands left behind to fight in the war. When he came back the

wives were to return their jobs to the men but not all women wanted to go back to being a

housewife thus creating a long lasting workforce for women. Soon after, the entire economy

changed from a one earner family to a two earner family. Although this allowed women more

independence, it could be argued that it also doubled the workforce and drove down individual

incomes. Thus requiring a two income home. As mentioned earlier not all women think alike,

some women especially in child bearing years with small children might prefer not to have to

grind it out in the workforce on top of their full time requirements of child rearing. Some family

therapy experts have argued that mother child bonding requires women to be around full time for

the proper development of the child. A mom working 40 hours a week and using childcare may

not be optimal for child development especially in formative earlier years, ages 1-5. Being a

mother and having a career is not only difficult for the child but for the mother as well and with

job markets shifting dramatically, many women are unable to shift quickly as single men because

of child rearing responsibilities. This results in unequal opportunities for women.

We live in a changing society that is constantly adapting and changing to interest group

pressures. The balance of power is still with

men making the decisions. There are two

women on the supreme court, “​107 women

hold seats in the United States Congress,

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comprising 20.0% of the 535 members; 23 women (23%) serve in the ​U.S. Senate​, and 84

women (19.3%) serve in the ​U.S. House of Representatives​.”(​Center for American Women and

Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University). There are 12 out of 50 Governors,

and there has never been a female President. In a representative democracy where 52% of the

population is women, their gender is clearly not being properly represented. Extremists are

regularly trying to pass laws against “Family Leave”, abortion, family and child care assistance,

after school programs, and more. Also, the religious fanatical laws that are against the modern

family structure and that often wish to take women back to their roles medieval times. Women’s

opportunities are still not equal to men’s in the workforce or in politics for that matter. Women

are still traditionally paid 15% less than men for the same work. Numerous women’s groups

continually fight to level the playing field in many areas. Unfortunately with the current state of

governance in the United States and Democracy itself potentially under threat, many civil and

equal rights issue are getting little media attention. Women in all aspects have been controlled,

for centuries, over virtually anything and everything whether it be religion, white males,

dictators, presidents, and society as a whole. After all these years, one would think that we would

have an equal opportunity to any man but it is still not that way. Women continue to be treated as

a sexual object only good for bearing children and are vastly underestimated.

In conclusion, identity is nearly completely determined on gender being that women have

less opportunities than men, simply due to being a woman. Women are not given the equal and

same chance as a man to do merely anything. In 2018, there is still the fear of abortion being

taken away, of women not being able to have equal pay, and not given the same chance to be

involved in politics. It is time for women to make decisions for women instead of white males
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and it is time for women to have the same opportunities as a man. It has been too often women

are being shot down, women need to have continued opportunities and choices. Ultimately, we

are very underrepresented politically and have still not reached the level of opportunity and

power and influence as men. With women making up over half the population in the United

States of America it is of the utmost importance that we have just as much as a say in this

country as any man would. A person’s identity should not be predetermined based on their

gender at this point. It is said the pendulum swings towards equality and justice, but it does not

swing without effort.

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Works Cited

Anitha, Sundari and Ruth Pearson. “The Impact of WWII on Women’s Work”.

Striking Women, ​August 2013, ​http://www.striking-women.org/page/about-0​.

Accessed 18 October 2018.

Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers

University. “Women in the U.S. Congress 2018”. ​CAWP, ​2018,

http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/women-us-congress-2018​. Accessed 19 October 2018.

North, Anna. “Abortion Clinics are Closing in Rural America. So are Maternity

Wards.”. ​Vox, ​7 September 2017, ​https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/

9/7/16262182/kentucky-clinic-abortion-maternity​. Accessed 18 October 2018.