Mackenzie Baum

Gender Inequality
Still Exists
The Issue
In 1848 at the Seneca Falls convention,
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and many others
determined that it was time to fight for their
rights. “We hold these truths to be self-evident;
that all men and women are created equal,”
Stanton told the crowd in her speech named The
Declaration of Sentiments. Her speech was a
parody of the U.S.’s Declaration of Independence,
and it changed the declaration to express women’s
need for rights, an act that inspired many.

Following the convention hundreds of

thousands of women fought to obtain their
basic civil rights, and after several decades,
it worked. Women obtained the rights to
vote, work, go to school, etc. all things they
had not been able to do before. While these
rights gave women a great amount of
freedom, they did not make them equal to
men. Women have obtained so many rights
since 1848, but the work isn’t yet finished

Women now hold almost all of the same rights

as men, but their rights are not given the same
value. They may have the right to work but are
paid 17% less. They may get to go to school, but
their teachers undermine them. Even with all of
the rights women have obtained, society still
doesn’t see men and women as equals. However,
the fight for equality has slowed, and more people
leave the movement every day, under the
impression that equality has been achieved.

The United States was one of the first places

to host the fight against gender inequality,
and yet it still is far from achieving equality.
People in the U.S. have been told to turn a
blind eye to the cause, all but halting its
progression. Equality cannot be achieved if
one of the most powerful countries is
pushing it aside. How can women and men
help to fight for equality if they are taught by
society that they are already equal?

Countries all around the world have begun

to follow the same trend as the U.S.. They have
tried to leave the gender equality movement in
the past, making the goal fade further and
further away. “The world is not on track to
achieve gender equality by 2030. Try 2322”
(Lowery, 2022). No town, city, or country has
achieved absolute gender equality, and for that
reason, the world needs to pick up this fight once
again, or achieving equality, even by 2322 may
not be possible.
 Gender Inequality
In the Workplace
Women have the right to work in the same places as men, but gender
inequality has permeated nearly every aspect of their employment. Just because
women have the right to work anywhere they may like, does not mean that they
have the ability to. There is a sort of systemic discrimination against women in
the workplace, preventing them from either getting certain jobs or from being
able to stay in a job. This discrimination has found a way into not only what job a
woman can get, but also what their pay can look like, their likelihood of getting a
promotion, and so much more. Every day women must fight against this
discrimination in order to make a living, but many don't see it that way.

Women in the workplace face an everyday challenge

known as the gender pay gap. The gender pay gap is
characterized by the fact that more often than not men will
be paid more than women when they are performing the same
job/action. On average, female workers only make up to 83% of
the average man’s paycheck. The gap is evidence of gender
inequality because, “data shows that the majority of the gap
between men's and women’s wages cannot be explained
through measurable differences between workers, such as age
education, industry or work hours.”(Glynn & Boesch) If the gap
cannot be explained using these differences, then that leaves
the jobs that are available to women, and the discrimination
that controls the workplace to blame.

Another consequence of gender inequality in the

workplace is a severe under-representation of female
representation in leadership roles. Women are far less
likely to be seen in any sort of leadership or power-
holding role not only in the workplace but also in the
general population. Even when they do obtain a
leadership role, “microaggressions and being
overworked and under-recognized push more women
to leave”(Shultz). These reasons prevent women
workers from having representation, which
only contributes to the pay gap and
gender inequality.

These instances of gender inequality in the workplace are joined by several

others, all showing the hold that gender inequality still has on the world. Female
workers have to work harder than men to get the jobs they want, and even harder
if they want to get equal treatment within the companies that give them the job.
Women are stuck in a cycle of lower pay, lower representation, and lower value
within the employment systems. This cycle is not just found in the U.S., all over the
world, women are forced to live within these bounds, leaving hopes of equality
behind. Even though it can be hard to look past the fact that women have jobs, it is
essential that people look deeper into the system and see the inequality theaat still
exists. Women may have jobs now thanks to decades of work, but that doesn't
mean that the fight is over, in fact, it is far from it.
Gender Inequality
In Healthcare
One of the most essential things that every person needs is healthcare, and yet
even that is plagued with gender inequality. Women’s bodies are significantly
different from men’s in more than one aspect and this means that they may
require different treatments or have different medical needs. This fact is one that
is severely overlooked at times. Women may face challenges getting help or being
taken seriously in the medical field. Healthcare is also one of those fields that are
male-dominated, leading the healthcare system to not only challenge its women
patients but also its women workers.
.

One of the biggest challenges that women face within the healthcare system
is reproductive health. Women’s reproductive system is one of the most
debated topics when it comes to the healthcare services they should be
allowed to receive. Any person has a right to healthcare and a right to make
decisions for their own body, but when it comes to women’s bodies, the
government feels that that right is up for debate. Federal programs have
been set up to combat this issue, like the Title X program. However, these
programs are often heavily debated and restricted due to societal ideals,
leading to a dangerous lack of services for women who may need help. The
claims for these restrictions always have a list of benefits, but the ultimate
“message for American women: Your health doesn't count”(Lienke).

Women can also face challenges in their

general healthcare. There have been many instances in which a women’s
healthcare needs were disregarded or written off as less than they were, simply
because they were a woman. Women are more likely to be told by their healthcare
provider that their pain is not as extreme as they believe it is, with pains in the
abdomen often being written off as period cramps and other pains being not as bad
as they think it is. This write-off of symptoms can be attributed to “a long history
within our culture of regarding women’s reasoning capacity as limited”(Schopen).

Gender inequality can also be seen in healthcare as a profession. There are

many women who work in healthcare all across the nation, but it is hard to
find them in the highest positions. Finding women in leadership positions or
even higher level positions, like being a doctor over a nurse, is far less likely
than finding a man in a leadership or higher-level positions. Even when
women are doctors and have the same or higher expertise as their male co-
workers, they are treated as inferior or lower-level. They often have to deal
with people thinking that they are “just the nurse” or that they are not as
qualified as a male doctor.
 Gender Inequality
and Violence
Gender inequality follows women around every day, at work, at school, in healthcare,
at home, and in the streets. Domestic violence and sexual assault are the most
common types of violence that the female population experiences. Domestic violence
affects nearly 33% of the female population, and sexual violence/assault affects 25%.
These statistics are startling, yet they continue to be a problem throughout society.
These crimes are not taken as seriously as others, possibly for many reasons, but at
the root of those reasons is gender inequality. If the crime wasn’t one where the
victims were predominately female, would it be treated with more urgency? Would
more action be taken? Regardless of the reasoning, every year that the issue is not
dealt with is another year that thousands of women are attacked and harmed.

One of the largest stages where sexual assaults take place

are college campuses. However, colleges seem to look over this
fact when accepting players for their sports programs. Before a
player is accepted to a team, they go through an extensive
background check. But this background check only includes a yes
or no question on whether a player has committed sexual assault.
And the answer that they give is the one they accept, basing it
purely on honor. This approach can “feel like a direct reflection of
how each institution truly feels about these issues,”(Jocoby &
Kuchar) Colleges can accept potential rapists trough this system,
putting the female population at risk, but when given the option
to, they don’t fix it. Which shows where their values lie.
There have been many movements to stop
sexual assault all across the U.S. and many have been
effective. One such movement is the one led by Amanda
Nguyen and Rise. This group has brought the sexual
assault issue to the eyes of not only the national
government but also the world. Rise aims to improve
the justice system that is rigged against sexual assault
survivors. The system allows for women’s rape kits to be
destroyed after a certain amount of months, and it is
priced so outrageously that it is hard for survivors to
get justice for the crimes done against them

Women who are sexually assaulted or face domestic

violence often have to face not only the fallout of the act
but also the eyes and judgment of society. In society,
when a woman is raped, the blame is almost immediately
placed on her. Whether it be the clothes she was
wearing, if she was drinking that night, or any other
variety of factors, she is to blame. This ideology often
makes survivors hesitant to pursue justice against their
attackers. Gender inequality has allowed for this system
to start, and continue for decades. The only way to stop it
is through gaining equality and making sure that women
and men are valued the same.
 So What Can
We Do?

The many issues listed above are joined by hundreds of others, all are a cause a
severe disadvantage for women, and all are a result of gender inequality and to
societal acceptance of it. Gender inequality has been a defining factor in the world
for centuries, and it will continue to be if we do not take action. These issues effect
nearly every women in the world, which is roughly half of the global population.
Millions of people are having their lives defined by this idea that men are better
than women, and idea made before humans knew the world was round. Ideals can
change, and they should, but they can only do that with effort from society as a
whole.

The idea that equality has already been achieved is the biggest deterrent from
advancing the movement. Gender equality has come a long way since 1848, that is true.
Women have gained many rights that could‘ve never been imagined before then. These
rights should not be discounted by the many issues that still exist, and it is reasonable
to infer that those equal rights are equivalent to gender equality. The world would
benefit greatly if we showed both women and men the effect that gender inequality
still holds and all of the issues that are keeping us from getting there. With a greater
number of people in the movement, it would be easier to enact change in not only the
U.S. but also in the world as a whole. As a society, it is essential that we work together,
to find a solution to this expansive and long-lasting issue.

“The Right is Ours, Have it

We Must, Use it We Will” -
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
 Sources

Glynn, S. J., & Boesch, D. (2022, March 14). Connecting the Dots: “Women’s Work” and the
Wage Gap. U.S. Department of Labor Blog. Retrieved October 25, 2023, from
https://blog.dol.gov/2022/03/15/connecting-the-dots-womens-work-and-the-wage-
gap?_ga=2.237550212.561448502.1698299224-866181537.1696190721

Jacoby, K., & Kuchar, S. (2023, 07/13). Colleges Rely on Honor System When Checking
Sexual Assault.. USA Today (Online) https://libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=https://explore-
proquest-com.libprox1.slcc.edu/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2838819718?
accountid=28671

Lienke, J. (2019, 03/06). Women's Health in Peril. Los Angeles Times

https://libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=https://explore-proquest-
com.libprox1.slcc.edu/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2262905632?accountid=28671

Lowery, T. (2022, September 9). 13 Shocking Facts About Gender Inequality Around the
World. Global Citizen. Retrieved October 8, 2023, from
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/shocking-facts-gender-inequality-
international-wom/

Nguyen, A., & Rise. (n.d.). Rise Now. Pass your own law. Change your community | Rise
Now Nonprofit. Retrieved October 29, 2023, from https://risenow.us/

Schulz, B. (2022, 10/20). Culture, Microaggressions Push Female Leaders to Leave. USA
TODAY https://libprox1.slcc.edu/login?
url=https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2806625903?
accountid=28671

Schopen, F. (2017, November 20). The healthcare gender bias: do men get better medical
treatment? The Guardian. Retrieved October 29, 2023, from
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/nov/20/healthcare-gender-bias-
women-pain

UN Commission on the Status of Women. (n.d.). Facts & Figures. UN Women. Retrieved
October 25, 2023, from https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/commission-on-
the-status-of-women-2012/facts-and-figures