Saniyah​ ​Robinson

12/12/17
US​ ​History
8th​ ​Hour

Women​ ​in​ ​American​ ​Society:​ ​Why​ ​do​ ​Americans​ ​disagree​ ​over​ ​women’s​ ​rights?

The​ ​Equal​ ​Rights​ ​Amendmen​t​ ​(ERA)​ ​was​ ​a​ ​proposed​ ​amendment​ ​to​ ​the​ ​United

States​ ​Constitution​ ​designed​ ​to​ ​guarantee​ ​equal​ ​rights​ ​for​ ​women​.​ ​Today​ ​the​ ​Equal​ ​Rights

Amendment​ ​hasn’t​ ​been​ ​adopted​ ​to​ ​society.​ ​In​ ​many​ ​situations,​ ​women​ ​get/receive​ ​different

treatment.​ ​This​ ​discriminates​ ​women​ ​by​ ​gender;​ ​sexist.​ ​Nine​ ​times​ ​out​ ​of​ ​ten,​ ​men​ ​get​ ​paid​ ​more

than​ ​women​ ​and​ ​in​ ​some​ ​conditions,​ ​have​ ​more​ ​opportunities​ ​than​ ​women.​ ​The​ ​gender​ ​pay​ ​gap

is​ ​a​ ​gap​ ​between​ ​the​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​money​ ​men​ ​and​ ​women​ ​get​ ​paid.​ ​As​ ​of​ ​2016,​ ​women​ ​were​ ​only

paid​ ​80%​ ​of​ ​what​ ​men​ ​were​ ​paid.​ ​ ​Over​ ​24​ ​million​ ​women​ ​are​ ​living​ ​under​ ​the​ ​poverty​ ​level.

Nearly​ ​six​ ​in​ ​ten​ ​poor​ ​adults​ ​are​ ​women,​ ​and​ ​nearly​ ​six​ ​in​ ​ten​ ​poor​ ​children​ ​live​ ​in​ ​families

headed​ ​by​ ​women.​ ​Poverty​ ​rates​ ​are​ ​especially​ ​high​ ​for​ ​single​ ​mothers,​ ​women​ ​of​ ​color,​ ​and

elderly​ ​women​ ​living​ ​alone.

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Some​ ​people​ ​oppose​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Equal​ ​Rights​ ​Amendment​ ​because​ ​it​ ​started​ ​single-sex​ ​schools

and​ ​single-sex​ ​programs,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​a​ ​threat​ ​to​ ​the​ ​safety​ ​of​ ​women,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​thought​ ​of​ ​sharing​ ​some

of​ ​the​ ​same​ ​things​ ​such​ ​as​ ​restrooms​ ​among-st​ ​men​ ​and​ ​women​ ​were​ ​very​ ​"​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​box​ ​"and

disturbing.​ ​Many​ ​of​ ​those​ ​who​ ​are​ ​against​ ​the​ ​Equal​ ​Rights​ ​Amendment​ ​felt​ ​that​ ​not​ ​everything

should​ ​be​ ​equal.​ ​People​ ​who​ ​supported​ ​the​ ​Equal​ ​Rights​ ​Amendment​ ​enjoyed​ ​the​ ​thoughts​ ​of
getting​ ​rid​ ​of​ ​gender​ ​discrimination​ ​laws.​ ​Being​ ​able​ ​to​ ​do​ ​things​ ​such​ ​vote​ ​or​ ​go​ ​into​ ​the

military​ ​were​ ​huge​ ​accomplishment​ ​for​ ​the​ ​women.

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​In​ ​today's​ ​society,​ ​same​ ​sex​ ​marriage​ ​is​ ​a​ ​huge​ ​factor​ ​based​ ​upon​ ​the​ ​Equal​ ​Rights

Amendment.​ ​Due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​in​ ​some​ ​states,​ ​marrying​ ​the​ ​same​ ​sex​ ​is​ ​illegal,​ ​it​ ​started​ ​things

such​ ​as​ ​the​ ​LGBT​ ​community.​ ​Therefore,​ ​since​ ​it​ ​is​ ​not​ ​legal​ ​to​ ​marry​ ​the​ ​same​ ​sex​ ​in​ ​every

state​ ​of​ ​America,​ ​this​ ​is​ ​an​ ​unequal​ ​treatment​ ​to​ ​both​ ​genders​ ​to​ ​whom​ ​this​ ​may​ ​concern.​ ​African

Americans​ ​and​ ​Latinas​ ​make​ ​less​ ​money​ ​due​ ​to​ ​their​ ​ethnicity.​ ​These​ ​groups​ ​of​ ​women​ ​make​ ​53

-​ ​64​ ​cents​ ​of​ ​every​ ​dollar​ ​a​ ​man​ ​makes​ ​with​ ​the​ ​same​ ​position.​ ​Because​ ​of​ ​this,​ ​more​ ​women

suffer​ ​in​ ​poverty​ ​causing​ ​them​ ​not​ ​to​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​provide​ ​for​ ​their​ ​families​ ​single​ ​handedly.

I​ ​believe​ ​that​ ​equal​ ​rights​ ​means​ ​to​ ​have​ ​the​ ​same​ ​opportunities​ ​as​ ​anyone​ ​else.​ ​Having

equal​ ​rights​ ​should​ ​allow​ ​every​ ​person​ ​to​ ​participate​ ​in​ ​anything​ ​one​ ​man​ ​can​ ​do.
Being​ ​able​ ​to​ ​do​ ​anything​ ​anyone​ ​else​ ​can​ ​do​ ​and​ ​it​ ​be​ ​legal​ ​is​ ​what​ ​equal​ ​rights​ ​looks​ ​like,

women​ ​being​ ​able​ ​to​ ​do​ ​a​ ​“​ ​man’s​ ​“​ ​jobs​ ​and​ ​ ​women​ ​receiving​ ​equal​ ​pay,​ ​is​ ​what​ ​equal​ ​rights

look​ ​like.

I​ ​think​ ​the​ ​definition​ ​of​ ​the​ ​term​ ​“equal​ ​rights”​ ​differs​ ​between​ ​those​ ​who​ ​oppose​ ​the

equal​ ​rights​ ​and​ ​those​ ​who​ ​support​ ​it​ ​by​ ​the​ ​difficulties​ ​of​ ​work.​ ​Based​ ​on​ ​how​ ​hard​ ​a​ ​job​ ​or​ ​task

may​ ​be,​ ​it​ ​will​ ​fall​ ​back​ ​as​ ​a​ ​duty​ ​for​ ​the​ ​man.​ ​Some​ ​people​ ​may​ ​agree​ ​that​ ​a​ ​man​ ​should​ ​do​ ​all

the​ ​difficult​ ​task​ ​in​ ​life​ ​or​ ​even​ ​make​ ​decisions​ ​based​ ​upon​ ​the​ ​elections​ ​of​ ​political​ ​leaders​ ​or

presidency.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​were​ ​those​ ​who​ ​oppose​ ​fall​ ​in​ ​line,​ ​as​ ​to​ ​those​ ​who​ ​support​ ​things​ ​differently.

Many​ ​people​ ​also​ ​believe​ ​that​ ​anything​ ​a​ ​man​ ​can​ ​do,​ ​a​ ​women​ ​can​ ​do​ ​as​ ​well.​ ​Everyone​ ​is

different​ ​in​ ​their​ ​own​ ​ways.​ ​Some​ ​women​ ​love​ ​challenges​ ​and​ ​that​ ​challenge​ ​one​ ​may​ ​love​ ​can

make​ ​them​ ​proud​ ​of​ ​themselves​ ​no​ ​matter​ ​how​ ​dangerous​ ​or​ ​difficult​ ​it​ ​is.

In​ ​my​ ​opinion​ ​I​ ​think​ ​Americans​ ​public​ ​isn't​ ​acting​ ​upon​ ​the​ ​Equal​ ​Rights​ ​Amendment

and​ ​is​ ​letting​ ​it​ ​die​ ​down.​ ​As​ ​of​ ​today​ ​men​ ​and​ ​women​ ​still​ ​aren't​ ​equal.​ ​Men​ ​and​ ​women​ ​can

have​ ​the​ ​same​ ​position​ ​in​ ​a​ ​job​ ​but​ ​the​ ​women​ ​will​ ​get​ ​paid​ ​an​ ​average​ ​of​ ​65​ ​cent​ ​for​ ​every

dollar​ ​the​ ​man​ ​makes.​ ​If​ ​equal​ ​rights​ ​were​ ​still​ ​up​ ​to​ ​par​ ​every​ ​man​ ​and​ ​women​ ​would​ ​be​ ​paid

the​ ​same.

The​ ​government​ ​should​ ​sponsor​ ​an​ ​amendment​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Constitution​ ​that​ ​guarantees

American​ ​women​ ​fair​ ​and​ ​equal​ ​treatment​ ​because​ ​the​ ​unequal​ ​treatment​ ​women​ ​recieve​ ​puts​ ​the

women​ ​of​ ​America​ ​in​ ​danger.​ ​70%​ ​of​ ​women​ ​live​ ​in​ ​poverty​ ​and​ ​can​ ​not​ ​provide​ ​for​ ​themselves

nor​ ​their​ ​families.​ ​This​ ​puts​ ​kids​ ​in​ ​danger​ ​and​ ​separates​ ​families​ ​which​ ​is​ ​not​ ​good​ ​for​ ​a​ ​young

child's​ ​mind.​ ​Women​ ​deserve​ ​the​ ​same​ ​treatment​ ​any​ ​man​ ​gets.​ ​Gender​ ​should​ ​not​ ​define​ ​your
equal​ ​rights.​ ​No​ ​matter​ ​what​ ​the​ ​situation​ ​is,​ ​a​ ​women​ ​should​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​do​ ​what​ ​she​ ​sees​ ​herself

doing.​ ​If​ ​a​ ​woman​ ​wants​ ​to​ ​do​ ​a​ ​“​ ​man's​ ​“​ ​job​ ​than​ ​she​ ​should​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​with​ ​the​ ​same​ ​pay.

The​ ​Equal​ ​Rights​ ​Amendment​ ​has​ ​not​ ​been​ ​adapted​ ​to​ ​society​ ​because​ ​women​ ​are​ ​not

equal​ ​to​ ​men.​ ​Not​ ​only​ ​is​ ​women​ ​not​ ​equal​ ​with​ ​men,​ ​but​ ​same​ ​sex​ ​genders​ ​do​ ​not​ ​have​ ​the​ ​same

rights​ ​as​ ​opposite​ ​sex​ ​genders.​ ​In​ ​some​ ​states,​ ​still​ ​to​ ​this​ ​day,​ ​marrying​ ​the​ ​same​ ​sex​ ​is

considered​ ​a​ ​crime.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​a​ ​new​ ​problem​ ​society​ ​faces​ ​today;​ ​discriminating​ ​gender​ ​with​ ​the

same​ ​gender.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​not​ ​equal​ ​to​ ​those​ ​who​ ​want​ ​to​ ​marry​ ​the​ ​same​ ​sex.

Today​ ​there​ ​is​ ​a​ ​case​ ​going​ ​on​ ​between​ ​a​ ​lesbian​ ​couple​ ​and​ ​same​ ​sex​ ​child​ ​support.​ ​A

woman​ ​wants​ ​to​ ​gain​ ​her​ ​parental​ ​rights​ ​to​ ​a​ ​child​ ​her​ ​ex-wife​ ​gave​ ​birth​ ​to​ ​and​ ​is​ ​appealing​ ​a

family​ ​court​ ​ruling​ ​denying​ ​that​ ​request​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Hawaii​ ​Supreme​ ​Court.​ ​The​ ​family​ ​court​ ​denied

her​ ​petition​ ​because​ ​it​ ​found​ ​that​ ​Hawaii's​ ​Uniform​ ​Parentage​ ​Act​ ​and​ ​Marriage​ ​Equality​ ​Act

presumes​ ​that​ ​a​ ​legal​ ​spouse​ ​of​ ​a​ ​woman​ ​who​ ​gives​ ​birth​ ​to​ ​a​ ​baby​ ​is​ ​the​ ​parent​ ​of​ ​that​ ​child,

regardless​ ​of​ ​the​ ​spouse's​ ​gender.​ ​The​ ​babies​ ​biological​ ​mother​ ​received​ ​full​ ​custody​ ​because​ ​it

is​ ​her​ ​baby.

https://bubbl.us/007326083527877927
https://apecsec.org/equal-rights-amendment-pros-and-cons/
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/tabby-biddle/wait-women-dont-have-equa_b_6098120.html
http://www.debate.org/opinions/do-women-and-men-have-equal-rights
https://www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/  
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/7-facts-that-show-women-still-arent-equal_us_55d
b334be4b08cd3359c8e5a
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/debate-the-issue-women-in-the-workplace-why-
do-americans-disagree-over-women-s-rights-11251768
Equal​ ​Rights​ ​Amendment​ ​Pros​ ​and​ ​Cons​ ​List​ ​|​ ​NYLN.org
http://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3759&context=fss_paper
s
https://connectusfund.org/7-strongest-pros-and-cons-of-the-equal-rights-amendment