Women continue to be discriminated against and not treated with equality. We make up half the world, and we should be treated equally and shouldn’t have to fight for equal rights every day of our lives. Here’s how women are treated unequally:
Gender Pay Gap
Women are still being paid lower than men, where the average woman makes $0.78 for every dollar earned by men in similar full-time jobs. The former statement accounts for white women while black and Latina women in the United States make even less ($0.64 and $0.56, respectively, for every dollar). The pay gap has gotten worse in the past decade.
Sexism in the Workforce
Racial and gender discrimination are still major problems women face when entering the workforce. Women are passed over for promotions, being paid less than men, made fun of, or excluded from work events just to name a few issues that happen daily. Women also experience sexual harassment and even assault at their jobs.
There is a lack of women in leadership positions. A big problem for women is that they are not getting into leadership positions and getting passed up for promotions while men with far less experience get promoted over them. This makes it harder for women to move forward in the workforce. Women make up half the population, but only 20% of politicians and are female.
Domestic/intimate Partner Violence is Prevalent
Violence against women is widespread in public life, in the workplace, and in the home. According to The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 1 in 3 women will experience some kind of domestic violence in their lifetime.
Domestic violence is a crime against women, with one-third of all violent crimes committed against women by current or former male partners. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that 9% of murders in the U.S. are due to intimate partner violence but only 14% of intimate partner homicides resulted in criminal charges.
Child marriage/Forced marriage
The age at which girls are forced into marriages has decreased since the 1990s where it was at 18, now they are being married off as young as 5 years old. We see this mostly in third-world countries. Young girls and some even as young as toddlers are sent out to do laborious work like carrying water, farming, and taking care of the home while their male counterparts go to school. The girls are sent off to older men for them to be married even at a young age.
Male Privilege Runs Rampant
Some people think male privilege isn’t real, but we need only look at recent events involving police brutality against African Americans. When Eric Garner was choked to death by NYPD officers, no charges were filed. It seems as if white males can do just about anything and not face any consequences.
Rape Culture is Alive and Well
The vast majority of women have experienced, witnessed, or heard about incidents of sexual harassment or violence against women. One in five women is raped at some point in their lives.
Abortion is Still Looked Down Upon
Even though abortion laws are constantly changing, there are 19 states with at least five of these types of restrictions on abortions. Women should make decisions about their own bodies
Not only are there restrictions on abortions, but the recent Planned Parenthood case reveals how women’s rights to make decisions regarding their own bodies are constantly in jeopardy. Women should feel free to have abortions if they wish to and should have legal and safe abortion services. Some states are even banning contraceptives.
What used to be called the “pill” has become an increasingly complicated process for many women trying to prevent pregnancy, despite its ability to allow them more options when it comes to planning their families. It becomes even harder when state legislatures pass laws restricting access. There are 12 states with at least four types of restrictions on access.
In conclusion, women have come a long way since the beginning of time. Although we still have a long road ahead of us to fight for equal rights, we can’t quit fighting.
There may be more laws protecting us now but there are still violations taking place every day against women all around the world. We need laws that protect us from all forms of discrimination or violence that may try to hold us back from achieving everything we want in life. If our goal is equality, then why aren’t we acting like it?
