Can Gender Inequality ever be Balanced?
Having a better developed mind than women, men often show to have more confident. They are dominant in terms of their power and are usually in the higher social class. Men are born to be more muscular, more powerful, and stronger than women, and are used to be the important and helpful one in a community. In a family, men are responsible for doing all the tough works because they are physically stronger than women. Also, men are often believed to have abilities to make serious decisions, while women only follow and respect what men do and decide. In a traditional family in China:
The father is usually the head of the family. He is referred as ‘chia-chang' which means ‘elder of the family'. Husband occupies the highest position. Mother takes over the position after the death of her husband. (“Chinese Family Culture”)
Households are often headed by men because they are believed to be more intelligent than women. They can make better decisions. Moreover, in Chinese culture, the last name of married women and children has to be the same as their husbands’ and fathers’ last name. Men’s inherited privilege helps them to be dominant. Outside of a family, males still play a dominant role in the traditional Chinese society. Kings and leaders of this country are always males and it is true in even today’s China. Like the presidents in the USA, all of them have been taken by men since the 18th century. These show men are believed to have the power to control more than women in a society.
Fortunately, having more power than before, it is possible for modern women to share the same rights as men do. In many single families, women are able to balance between their jobs and looking after their children. They are more independent because the spending from their children encourages them to earn more money. According to the current population reports from Washington, the statics shows the number of households headed by women has risen across all racial groups in the US. (Andersen) Women can be the head of a family and earn for the whole family. People are now socialized much more differently than before. Because of globalization, traditional families all over the world begin to accept new cultures and beliefs. Men can do the housework while women can work outside. Outside of a family, women can now participate in political activities and they have shown their leadership and confidence. One good example would be Hillary Rodham Clinton, she elected for the US president in 2009. Although she is a woman, she gained support from all around the world. It shows that women actually do have leadership and the ability to control and manage various things. Moreover, we can also see that women, just like men, also have their dreams and goals. More than a billion women are going to start their own businesses and take up positions in upper management level and professions such as law and medicine (Women Will Be Dominant Economic Force in next Decade). These prove that women can actually be independent and they have gained more power in the society than before. They are not the one who stay behind and follow what the men do anymore.
It is impossible for a person to be dominant if he/she is not educated. Education is important for a person who wants to gain his/her power. “Education helps men and women claim their rights and realize their potential in the economic, political and social areas,” (Right to Education). Women were always demeaned and ignored in the society since men did not think a woman who had not been educated could contribute to the family or society. Due to the social belief and cultures, girls have fewer chances to be educated and go to school in many countries. Some believe that women are responsible to be housewife. Study is not important or worth for them. In the poor country, parents prefer to spend money to foster boys instead of girls due to high cost of education and poverty. In China, girls are used to get married and live with their husband’s family since males are considered to be more important than females in a traditional Chinese family. Some cultures even promote early marriage and pregnancy. For instance, in Indonesia, most females are married under 20 (“Early Marriage in Indonesia”). Due to early marriage and pregnancy, most of them are lack of education. “The low value attached to girls’ education reinforces early marriage and early pregnancy keeping girls and their children trapped in a vicious cycle of discrimination” (Importance of Girls’/women’s Education). Girls are rejected by schools and considered to be responsible for taking care of their children and family. These girls have lost the chances to develop their potential and skills. They are not only deprived of education, but also the opportunity that contributes to the society.
In recent years, more women are getting college degrees and learning professional skills than ever before, and their academic ability is not weaker than men. This happens in many industrialized countries and the first reason is probably the redundancy of early marriage in our traditional culture. In the modern society, usually, both men and women agree that careers and material success are more important than marriage. According to the survey in the US, the number of people getting marriage at the median age has been rising for decades. The statics shows men think that 27.5 is the ideal age to get married while women think it is 25.6. (Jayson). Girls will never be deprived to go to school, and they are willing to do so as well. In addition, most industrialized countries provide free education to their citizens. Like Hong Kong, the Hong Kong government has been offering 9 years of free education to Hong Kong residents and they began to offer 12 years of free education in 2008(U.S. Department of State) . It will not be a problem for girls who want to go to school even if there are financial problems in their families. As a result, women can have chance to develop their potential when they have been educated. They can gain respect and being concerned in nowadays society. In general, women tend to advance in linguistic skill, memorizing, reading and writing. Being better in language and conversational skills, women are more likely to be employed than men for professions like secretary and clerk. Female can be employed in these areas much easier than men. In the modern society, it needs not only scientists and businessmen, but also different talents in order to make a well-developed society. Thus, women become more important in our society since women are now free to use their talents to benefit the society. Although women are generally good at art, there are some portions of them that are good at science. Like Marie Curie, she received a second Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911, and many honorary science, medicine and law degrees and honorary memberships throughout the world (Nobelprize). It shows that women are not weaker than men. They can be good at both science and art. Their knowledge and skills can be as good as men’s. They can be important and have contribution to the society.
A gender can be dominant in the society when he/she has money. Men can be dominant in families because they are the main support of the family. In the past, men were responsible to make money in order to support the family. Most women could not get a well-paid job, and the reason is that women did not have education and they were born with physically weaker than men. A reason why women cannot work is that they have lower education level, especially in poor countries. In Southern Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Western Asia, the school enrollment rate of girls in these areas remain lower than boys, according to a research conducted in 2005 (Gender Equality Factsheet: State of World Population 2005). Girls have lack of working experiences in these areas. On the contrary, there is a belief that men were able to deal with unpleasant and endure under stress and hard work. Discrimination against women is common in the developing poor countries. In the early century, women who had families might not be employed because they might have to leave from work frequently to take care of their families. “Child care is a huge responsibility which interferes with a woman” (Joseph). They need more time to care their children. As a result, men earned more than women, and women had to rely on men for the income.
Women have more chances to work in the society and are able to become rich people in nowadays society which might help women to gain equal opportunity. In the USA, there are 42 women out of 400 richest Americans. Oprah Winfrey, who is one of the America’s richest women, earned $315 million last year and $1.31 billion over the last five years. Her net worth is $2.7 billion and controls some of the country’s best-known brands, including Wal-Mart, Gap and Fidelity (Evans). It shows money can make one to gain control power and position. Education and birth control enable women to seek financial independence nowadays. Women have more time and chance to study and thus they are now getting well-paid jobs. The education level difference between men and women is decreasing. The rate of girls attending college and university has increased 2.9 percentages over 1995 in China (“Difference Between Men and Women in Education Level Shortened”). As they have higher education level, they can find a well-paid job more easily. In Hong Kong, men and women at the age group 15-30 has almost identical income and sometimes women even get higher. The income difference between women and men is decreasing (“Census and Statistics Department – Population”). Women are getting richer and they do have the ability to earn and gain as the same as men do. In the US, the percentage of female administrators and managers has occupied 46% and the percentage of female professional and technical workers has occupied 55% (Giddens, Anthony, Duneier, Michell, Appelbaum, Richard P. ,and Deborah Carr). It is possible for women to have the ability to control and manage business. Also, feminization of labor encourages uneducated or poorly educated women to work in poor-paying factories, instead of doing nothing and be dependent to their husband. Women have begun to be economically independent in all social classes. “In China, as many as 40 to 50 million young women have left their home villages in search of factory jobs in large cities” (Giddens, Anthony, Duneier, Michell, Appelbaum, Richard P. ,and Deborah Carr). Women are having more ambitions. They are willing to have their careers or jobs rather than only staying at home and care children.
Women are demeaned and passive in the society because of the social beliefs and cultures, especially in the traditional families and rural countries. There is lack of gender equality in these places. However, with the help of globalization and promotion of gender equality, women are getting more freedom than before. They are not only protected and demeaned in the society. They can have their careers and goals. In most western countries, laws are enforced to protect the rights of women. I think women have shown independence and hard-working nowadays. . “[Women] can create and live by [their] own expression of business, leadership, community and family,” ("Women Will Be Dominant Economic Force in next Decade”). They do have the ability to command and prevail when they have knowledge and money. Therefore, I do not think women are weak at all. They should be treated equally in nowadays society even though they are born physically weaker than men. We should respect and consider the choices and opinions of both men and women because gender equality and empowerment of women are important to human rights. If everyone is entitled to live in dignity and freedom, there will be fewer corruptions in the societies. And it helps the prospect for the next generations and builds up a civilized community.
Works Cited
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