JohnMcCormick

Humanities
Mrs.Cochran
10/30/15

GenderInequalityintheU.S.

All,too,willbearinmindthissacredprinciple,thatthoughthewillofthemajorityisinallcasesto
prevail,thatwilltoberightfulmustbereasonablethattheminoritypossessestheirequalrights,which
equallawmustprotect,andtoviolatewouldbeoppression.
ThomasJefferson

GenderinequalityintheworldandintheUnitedStatesofAmericahasalwaysbeenan
issue.Genderinequalityis
thelackofequality
betweenmalesandfemalesinwhichonegets
lessbenefitsduetothefacttheybelongtoacertaingender.Thisisseeninmanysituationsboth
indirectlyandjustplainobvious,examplesofthisareintheworkplaceorthelackofwomenin
positionsofpower.Thesituationhasgottenbetterovertheyearsbutstillitseemsthereisa
seriouslackofequalityforwomenmostlyhavingtodowithwagesandpositionsofpower.
WomenaregenerallytreatedunequaltomeneventhoughmostoftheUnitedStatesbelievethat
womenshouldbetreatedequallyandyetnothingseemstochangeforwomen.Iftheyare
unequalandnotgettingthesameamountofmoneyorsupportastheirmalecounterpartshoware
theyabletofullyachievetheirdreams?TheyarentbeingallowedtoliveuptotheAmerican
dreamaswellastheirmalecompatriotsyettheyholdthesamejobswiththesame

qualifications.Womenshouldbetreatedasequallyasmeniftheyhavethesamequalifications
forthejob.
TheAmericandreamisrealalthoughformanywomenachievingitishardto
achieveduetolargewagegap,lackofmotivationfromwomeninpositionsofsignificance
amongotherthings.
Thesewomenworktheirhardestandsometimesaretryingtosupporta
familyasasinglemother,theyshouldhaveequalopportunitiessothattheymayachieveThe
AmericanDreamjustlikeeveryoneelse.
Thereareafewpeoplewhobelievethatwomenareperfectlyfinewithwheretheyare
andbelievethattheyaremakingalargejumpabovemenandtheythinkthatweshouldjustnot
worryaboutanyinequalityastheythinkitdoesntexist.Wecanseethispartiallyportrayedhere
Femaleteacherassistantsearn105%asmuchasmalepeers.(Goudreau,Jenna)Thisis
somethingsomeonewhodoesntbelieveininequalityorthelargewagegapwouldsay.Thefact
hereisthatthisisoneobscuritywherewomenactuallymakemorethanmen.
Itseemsthatfor
jobswherewomenearnsignificantlymorethanmenitisrarelyoccursandisnotavery
significantdifference.
Thisisnotsignificantevidencetosupportothersclaimstheinequality
doesntexistwhenthereisaplethoraofevidencesayingotherwise.Anotherexamplesomeone
mighttrytouseagainstmewouldbeWomenare92%ofthefieldandearnamedianof$474a
week,comparedtomens$453.(Goudreau,Jenna)Referringtoeducationofcourse,thisshows
thatwomenmakemorethanmenaweekonaveragedoingthemathwomenonlymake$21
dollarsmoreaweek.ThisisnotaverysignificantdifferenceandImsureinsomeareaswomen
actuallymakeless.Tomethisseemstosmallofadifferenceforsomeonetosaythatwomenare
alreadyequalandtheinequalityisn'tanissue.

Womanaredefinitelynottreatedequallyintheworkplacethisisshownthroughmany
things
hereweseethat
,ThegenderwagegapintheUnitedStatesislowerthaninmanyother
countries.Butwhatistroublingisthatthegaphasbarelynarrowedsincethemid1990s.
("GenderInequalityandWomenintheWorkplace.")Thissayssomethingobviousthisisthe
governmentandpeoplesayingthattheydontcareorthatitisnotaprioritywhichinmyopinion
isnotthemindsetweshouldhavewomenandhumanbeingsandiftheyhavethesame
qualificationstheyshouldbepaidthesameaseveryoneelse.Anotherexampleofinequalityin
theworkplaceisBythetimeacollegeeducatedwomanturns59,shewillhavelostalmost
$800,000throughoutherlifeduetothegenderwagegap.(Smilowitz,Ariel.)$800,000dollars!
Themoneythatasinglemotherischeatedoutofgettingjustbecausesheisawomanisabsurd.
Thinkaboutthethingsthatasinglemothercouldusethismoneyonaverynicehouse,college
forherkidsandETC.Inmyopinionitisveryclearthatthereisaproblemthatisbeingignored
andthatwomenareatthebluntendofit.Womenareobviouslynotbeingpaidequallyifthey
deserveit.WecanseethiswiththisfactWomen'smedian
annual
earningsforfulltimework
(2013)=$39,157comparedto$50,033formen.("Women'sEarningsandIncome.")Thistome
isobviousdisregardforwomensrights.Thereisamassivegapofmoneyherethatawomen
mightneedtosupportafamily,specificallyagapof$10,876amothercouldusethatmoneyto
buyacartotakeherchildrentoandfromschooloravarietyofthingsthatcouldseriously
benefitherandherfamily'swayoflife.Yetagainweseeobviousinequalitywithwomeninthe
workplaceandgeneraldisregardforwomensrighttobepaidthesameastheirmale
counterparts.Howcanwomenachievethesamethingsasmeniftheyaren'tbeingpaidthe
same?HowcantheyachievetheAmericandreamthewaytheywantwithoutequalpay?The

factistheycantachievethesamedreamsasmenwiththeinequalitythattheyhaveinthe
workplace.
Womenarealsonotveryprevalentinpositionsofpowerorsignificance.Thiscanmake
youngwomenfeelliketheycanneverachieveapositionlikethatbecauseoftheirgender.This
canbeseenhereWomenaccountedforjust16percentofallthedirectors,executiveproducers,
producers,writers,cinematographers,andeditorswhoworkedonthetopgrossing250domestic
filmsof2013,andwerejust28percentofalloffscreentalentonbroadcasttelevisionprograms
duringthe201213primetimeseason.(Warner,Judith.)Thisshowsanobviouslackofwomen
inasignificantormeaningfulposition.Howcanyoungwomengetafemale'sperspectiveon
somethingifwomenarenotinfilm?Howcanwomenandmengetdifferentperspectives?
Youngwomenmightlookatamovieandseenofemalecharactersportrayedassignificant.This
mightmakeherthinkthatshecouldneverdosomethingsignificantandneverdoanythingshe
reallywantstoowhichinturnisnotlettingherachieveherdreamsthedreamsshereallywants
toachievegivingheradisadvantagewhichisanotherwayofsayingsheisunequal.Another
th
interestingpointisTodayinthe112
Congresswomenhold17Senateseatsoutof100and

hold92outof435Houseseats.(Ferro,Laura.)Hereweseeaclearexampleofhowyoung
womenmightfeeldiscouragedwiththeirperspectivenotbeingrepresentedinthegovernment
theymightfeelthattheydontbelonginsuchapositionofpowerwheninrealityhaving
multipleperspectivescanmoveacivilizationsalong.Withwomennotbeingfullyrepresentedin
thegovernmentitishardtogetnewergenerationsofgirlstowanttobeinthosepositions
becausetheywillrarelyseethemselvesrepresentedasseeninthefactsabovethisisyetagain
deprivingwomenofequalopportunityastheirmalecounterpartsthusnotlettingthemachieveas

manythingsasmen.WhichistheoppositeoftheAmericandreamandnotwhatwomenshould
bebelieving.Weseeyetanotherexampleoflackofwomeninasignificantpositionagainwith
Menoutnumberwomenatarateof73%vs.27%inallsectorsofemploymentforscienceand
engineeringasof2009.(Ferro,Laura.)Womenarenotseeninthesciencesectorasshown
abovesohowcanyoungwomenconnectwithotheroftheirgenderinscienceandsayIwantto
haveaPhDinnanotechnologybecauseDoes!Thisissomethingthatisevidentlyhardto
getbecausewomenarenotveryprevalentinscienceyetagaindiscouragingwomen.Most
womenwillnotbelievethattheycanachievesuchapositionduetothelackofwomeninsucha
positionwhichisobviouslycreatingmoreinequalityforwomenandthuspreventingsomeone
whocouldbeournextEinsteinfromachievingtheirtruepotential.
Womenarenotprominentlyfeaturedinsportsofathletics,thusthiscanmakeyoung
womenfeelliketheycannotachievetheirdreamofbecomingaprofessionalfootballplayeror
professionalbaseballplayerETC.Weseeanexampleofwhysomewomenmightfeelless
inclinedtofollowtheirdream
withthisquoteweseewhythismightbethecase
Malecollege
athletesreceive36%morescholarshipdollarsthanfemalecollegeathletesatNCAA
institutions.("GenderEqualityinAthleticsandSportsInterestingFactsAboutAthletics,
Sports,andTitleIX)Whywouldyoungwomenpursueacareerinsportsiftheycannotgetthe
samefinancialbenefitsasmales?Womenmightneedfinancialhelpjustasmuchasmalesand
feeldiscouragedwhentheyfindouttheycannotgetasmuchastheirmalecounterpartsthus
forcingthemtonotfollowwhattheyreallywanttodo.Anotherexampleofthisisjustas
interestingiswhentheyshowthatMen'scollegeathleticsreceivemoremoneythanwomen'sin
scholarships,recruiting,headcoachsalaries,andoperatingexpenses.("GenderEqualityin

AthleticsandSportsInterestingFactsAboutAthletics,Sports,andTitleIX)Womenssports
arenotbeingpaidequallyorbeingsupportedequallywiththisbeingafact.Howcanthese
teamsbuystateoftheartequipmentandtrainingfortheirplayers?Withoutnewgearthe
womensteamshaveacleardisadvantageandmightnotachievethesamethingsastheirmale
counterpartsduetothelackofequalfunding.Theeffectsofthelackoffundingisshownwith
Menhavesubstantiallymoreemploymentopportunitiesthanwomenincollegesports.Women
are16.9%oftheAthleticDirectors,44%oftheheadcoachesofwomen'steams,2%ofthehead
coachesofmen'steams,and27.8%ofthefulltimeathletictrainers.("GenderEqualityin
AthleticsandSportsInterestingFactsAboutAthletics,Sports,andTitleIX)Womenarenot
evenhalfofanyofthepositionsinsportsandthisisnotright,thisissendingamessagetoyoung
womenthattheycannotbewhattheywanttobewhichistheoppositeoftheamericandreamand
isnotthemessageweshouldbesending.Womenarenotbeingrepresentedasmuchasmenin
sportsduetothefacttheytheydonthaveequalfundingthusmakingitmuchharderforwomen
togofarinsports.
InequalityisamajorissueintheUnitedStatesandissomethingthatneedstobe
addressedquicklybeforeitstoolate.Womenarenotbeingpaidequallyintheworkplace,yet
havethesamequalificationsasmen.Womenarentbeingrepresentedinthegovernmentor
othersignificantpositionsthatwouldencourageyoungwomentoliveouttheirdreams.Women
arentbeingrepresentedinsportsandarentbeinggivenequalfundingforsportssothatthey
mayfollowtheirdreamstotheirfullextent.Inequalityishereandneedstobesolvedsothat
everyoneisequal.

Referencepage

(Goudreau,Jenna."The15JobsWhereWomenEarnMoreThanMen."
Forbes
.N.p.,n.d.Web.)

("GenderInequalityandWomenintheWorkplace."
GenderInequalityandWomenintheWorkplace
.N.p.,n.d.
Web.25Oct.2015.)

(Smilowitz,Ariel."ForU.S.Women,InequalityTakesManyForms."
TheHuffingtonPost.
TheHuffingtonPost.com,
n.d.Web.25Oct.2015.)

("Women'sEarningsandIncome."
Catalyst.
N.p.,10Oct.2012.Web.25Oct.2015.)

(Warner,Judith."FactSheet:TheWomen'sLeadershipGap."
CenterforAmericanProgress
.N.p.,n.d.Web.25
Oct.2015.)

(Ferro,Laura."GenderInequalityintheU.S.Today."
TrustWomen
.N.p.,Mar.Apr.2012.Web.25Oct.2015.)

("GenderEqualityinAthleticsandSportsInterestingFactsAboutAthletics,Sports,andTitleIXFeminist
MajorityFoundation."
GenderEqualityinAthleticsandSportsInterestingFactsAboutAthletics,Sports,andTitle
IXFeministMajorityFoundation.
N.p.,n.d.Web.26Oct.2015.)

Graph(s)
Hereisagraphthatrepresentsthewagegapbetweenmenandwomentheblue(men)isway
higherthenthewomen(orange)inmostcaseswhichisjustasimplewayofshowingthe
incredibleamountsofinequalityintheU.S.

Informationgatheredon(Choi,S."PayEquityinGovernment:AnalyzingDeterminantsof
GenderPayDisparityintheU.S.Federal)

Herearehistogramstherepresentthewagegapsbetweenmenandwomen.

Hereisthesourceusedtocollectthatdata.("TheSimpleTruthabouttheGenderPay
Gap(Fall2015)."
AAUW:EmpoweringWomenSince1881
.N.p.,n.d.Web.03Nov.2015.)