Gender Inequalities Research Paper

896 Words4 Pages

America is the land of opportunities...so they say. Throughout history, gender inequalities in the United States have always been prevalent. Surprisingly, many of these inequalities are still experienced today. Out of 144 countries, the World Economic Forum ranks America 45th on their Global Gender Gap Index. Since America greatly lags, it’s safe to say workforce injustices largely contribute to the gender gap. In the workforce, gender inequalities can be seen through educational gaps, pay equity, and occupational segregation. These injustices are a result of a comprehensive history, social stigmas, government policies, and habits formed in the workforce. However, activist such as Patricia Buhle (a writer for SHRM), and government agencies such as the Obama Administration, have contributed greatly to solve the ethical …show more content…

Long before the Civil War era, a women’s role was to stay home, tend to household duties and to watch over the children. In the early 1800’s, women who married were stripped of their rights. A married women legally belonged to their husband and were expected to obey their husbands demands. Considering women were not allowed in the workforce or allowed to vote, they were segregated both politically and socially. Compared to the male role, this seems ethical wrong. Men held very dominant roles. Men were recognized as the “bread earners”; because of this they were deemed head of the household, controlled the money, and maintained power over the women. However, these roles are contradictory to the second paragraph in the Declaration of Independence which states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (National Archives). In summary, the Declaration is stating that everyone is equal and deserves equal human