Part of a paper I wrote for a sociology class (got a really good mark :-)
Introduction
This paper will discuss what gender inequality is and how
the major institutions of media, religion and education contribute to fostering
and maintaining the inequality between the sexes. It will also discuss how gender
inequality affects women’s health. Inequality in the workplace will be explored,
focusing on how different occupations are filled based upon gender, how the law
comes into play and how differences in wages apply. Lastly domestic
inequalities will be discussed.
What is gender
inequality?
Gender inequality is where one sex is treated favourably
over the other, we live in a patriarchal society were men dominate. Up until
the 1930’s women in the western world were considered so insignificant that
they were unable to vote and despite feminist achievements over the years we
continue to struggle to achieve equality. Gender inequality is evident today in
“the way boys and girls are reared, barriers to equal opportunity in education,
paid work and politics, and the unequal division of domestic responsibilities
between men and women.” (Furze B. et al 2005, p 19). It is important to
recognise that “Male domination and female subordination are determined not by
biological necessity but by structures of power and social convention.” (Furze
B. et al, p 19)
How does the
institution of media impact on gender inequality?
Despite the women’s movement and feminist efforts to improve
womens standing in society modern media continues to portray women as sexual
objects. Advertisements continue to use
stereotypically ‘attractive’ women to sell products and more often than not
women are used to promote products that are used in domestic settings such as
washing detergent, non stick cooking pans and babies nappies. It is apparent
that “The mass media (television, newspapers, magazines, and movies)
reflect society's assumptions about gender.” (Long R 2010, para 20)
Many religious people
would defend their religion by saying that “the oppression of
women is a misinterpretation and misuse of their ‘true’ religion”
(Palsule M 2009 para 5). While it is accurate that religion is open to
interpretation there are some undisputable aspects of religion that do marginalise
women. Women are frequently depicted as temptresses that need to be hidden lest
men be swayed to leave the path of righteousness. Eve tempted Adam with an
apple, Muslim women wear Burkas in an attempt to hide from male desire (which
they have no contro over), women are not permited to enter some places of
worship especially when on their period because they are seen as unclean and
unholy. because religion plays a
pivotal role in influencing society and individuals attitudes.
What role does the
education system play in gender inequality?
In the years prior to 1904 it was largely a foreign concept
for women to get an education. The general social attitude was that a woman’s
role was to get married, have children and take care of the home. There was no
concept of a career woman.
Over the years attitudes have slowly changed and there have
been several improvements within the institution of education when it comes to
gender equality, however there is still a lot to be desired. In 1870 there was an Education Act put in
place which “provided for elementary education for both boys and girls” (Hill
1991, p 1904). However due to the cost of education parents would choose to
send their male children to school over their girls, thus making female
education a privilege of the wealthy.
The girls who were able to go to school were taught the
skills that were deemed necessary for women to have, the “curriculum for girls
included cookery, hygiene, laundry work, sewing and infant care lessons.” (Hill 1991,p 1904).
In the present century in the western world we have somewhat
moved forward from these archaic notions however “almost two thirds of all
illiterate people in the world are women. Girls continue to be denied quality
education especially in such fields as science and technology.” (Healey K 1995,
p1).
Inequality in the
work place- roles, laws and wages
Prior to the implementation of the Equal Pay and
discrimination acts in 1976 it was “perfectly legal and possible to reject women
for jobs or promotion because they were women.”
(Hughes K 1998, p 82). Nowadays
discrimination is more subtle because it is possible for women to appeal to the
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tribunal
if they feel they are being denied job opportunities or discriminated within
the work place based upon gender. Many
cases of gender based discrimination are not disputed because it can be an
“expensive and frightening thing to take your employer to the tribunal.”
(Hughes K, 1998, p 82).
P 8 hughes cartoon
Despite EEO laws and equal pay and Discrimination acts sexual
inequality in the workplace is still present worldwide. It is a fact that “women earn less and hold
fewer professional jobs than men. Throughout the world, women earn anywhere
from 50 to 92 cents for every dollar earned by men.” (Healey K 1995, p31)
Women generally earn less than men because of the roles
which they find themselves in, there are many women working in “hospitality,
childcare, teaching, nursing, social work, cleaning, in the retail sector, and
as psychologists.” (Hughes, K 1998, p 76. Men on the other hand hold a higher
number of positions with status and power such as in architecture, journalism,
politics and law, “these are the areas of work which really determine the kind of
society we live in, and the ideas that we all have.” (Hughes, K 1998, p 77).
Inequality in
domestic responsibilities
In addition to the challenges that women face in the
workplace (the public sphere) they are often expected to come home (the private
sphere) and do most of the cooking, cleaning and childrearing. The cost and
limited availability of childcare means that couples who have children usually
have to decide who will stop working or go part time in order to care for the
children. In “August 2003, 45% of women worked
part time, compared to only 15% of men” (Healy, J 2005, p 32). These rates are
sure to have increased today.
Even women who do not work part time in order to care for
children tend to do more domestic work than men because there continues to be
the social belief that women are suited to and better at being domestic.
How is female health
affected by inequality and what are the ramifications for the Health care
system?
In some developing countries the value of a girl child is so
insignificant that female babies are killed at birth or allowed to die when
they get ill. Female children that do survive are “over four times as likely to
suffer malnutrition” (Healey, K 1995, p20) because boy children are given more
food with higher nutritional value.
If female children survive childbirth and malnutrition they
then risk circumcision in some countries; this is a particularly dangerous
practice “affecting 75 million women and children in Indonesia, Malaysia, Yemen
and at least 25 African countries.” (Healey, K 1995, p20) Female Circumcision has
been outlawed in several countries due to the risks of haemorrhaging, serious
infection and psychological imbalance. However “religious and cultural
pressures perpetuate the practice.”
(Healey, K 1995, p20).
Another threat to female health is prostitution with “800,
000 girl prostitutes under the age of 16 in Thailand alone” (Healey, K 1995,
p21). Prostitution increases the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted
disease because a large proportion of this sexual activity is unprotected due
to workers being uneducated and/or unable to insist on using protection.
There is another “disease” effecting predominantly women all
over the world and it is domestic violence.
In some countries it is seen as a husbands right and responsibility to
beat or even kill his wife if she is disobedient or suspected of adultery. Western countries have laws against domestic
violence but still “In the US, one woman is physically abused every eight
seconds and one is raped every six minutes”
and only “5 to 8 percent of adult
sexual assault cases are reported to the police” (Healey, K 1995, p21).
Violence against women can lead to “ psychological trauma,
depression, substance abuse, injuries, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV
infection, suicide and murder. This places an enormous financial burden on the
national healthcare system.”
Long R 2010, Social Problems: Gender Inequality, retrieved
13 May 2011 from http://www.delmar.edu/socsci/rlong/problems/chap-09.htm
Palsule
M 2009, Religion vs. gender
equality & feminism, Retrieved
15 May 2011 from http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2009/06/24/religion-vs-gender-equality-feminism/
Healey, K (ed.) 1995,
Women and Development: Gender and Equity,
Education, Work, Gender Selection, The Spinney Press, Balmain NSW.
Furze,B, Sary,S, Brym,J,E, Lie,J 2008,
Sociology In Todays World, Cengage Wadsworth, China.
Hughes, K 1998, Every Girls Guide to Feminism, Longman,
South Melbourne.
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