Women's battle for Equality: Assessing Social, Economic, and Political Inequality

Throughout history, the unfair treatment of women has been marked by

significant disparities and inequality across various periods of time, ranging from social

norms and cultural conventions, to legal frameworks. This spans both throughout the

world, and the United States. Furthermore, women have faced drastic setbacks and

advancements through this time period in terms of social, economic, and political

aspects of inequality. By analyzing scholarly sources and considering long-term

progress, recent advancements, and setbacks, one is able to shed light on the

dimensions in which women face the most and least disadvantage, and better

understand a potential solution to the problem.

Culture inequality and social conventions play a crucial role in shaping women's

conditions worldwide. Women have historically faced discrimination, marginalization,

and limited opportunities due to deeply ingrained patriarchal norms. These norms

perpetuate gender stereotypes, restrict women's roles, and impede their social and

personal autonomy. A growing concern amongst the women's rights activists are the

group of men shifting blame off of themselves. According to Kate Manne in The Logic of

Misogyny, she states, “the problems of misogyny are almost identical, at least in its

deep structure, everywhere from the victim culture to the exonerating logic of

perpetrating men” (Manne 111). Men are shifting the blame to women in today’s day and

age, and it is severely impacting the growth of women in today’s culture. Denormalizing

victim culture is a possible step towards the solution of solving misogyny in the present

era.
 In a multitude of societies around the world, women are subjected to practices

such as female genital mutilation, forced marriages, and restrictions on education and

employment opportunities. An example would be the 200 million young girls in Somalia

who undergo the procedure, “FGM, which is sometimes called female circumcision, can

take many forms but often includes the removal of the clitoris and some parts of the

labia. It can cause lifelong health problems, including dangerous complications in

childbirth” (O’Grade). On top of the long term health consequences, the women also

face trauma which haunts them throughout their lives. This is a privilege that the citizens

of the United States do not experience in their day to day. However, while the United

States is significantly advanced in many aspects, it still grapples with issues such as

gender-based violence, slut-shaming, and the persistence of traditional gender roles.

Women continue to face social stigmatization and prejudice, hindering their progress

and empowerment. A powerful solution would be creating support groups for these

women who have been set up for failure at such a young age.

The economic dimension of gender inequality manifests through disparities in

wages, occupational segregation, and limited access to resources and economic

opportunities. The gender pay gap remains a persistent issue worldwide, with women

consistently earning less than their male counterparts for similar work. This discrepancy

restricts women's financial independence, limits their career advancement, and

perpetuates economic vulnerability. Although there have been many advancements in

equal pay in recent years, the wage gap still stands as a massive problem as women

will on average generate less lifetime earnings compared to men. This, coupled with the

Washington Post stating that “The majority of women in the United States — a record
52 percent” (Bhattarai). As there are more single women in America every year, this

means more single mothers which make it harder for them to provide for their children

with the wage gap. This perpetuates the cycle of poverty, making it harder for women to

break out.

Possible solutions may include increasing the amount of women in male

dominated fields, and pay transparency. Destigmatizing wages would clear up the issue

because more people become aware of the unfair treatment, which would make it

easier to protest and tip the scales to make the wages even. Adding a stricter penalty

for unequal pay also discourages companies from paying women less than their male

counterparts in the workforce since if the company gets caught, the repercussions could

drastically hurt the company.

Political inequality is characterized by women's underrepresentation in positions

of power in the workforce, minimal political power, and biased policy-making processes

in the United States and around the world. As Martin Gilens explains in Inequality and

Democratic Responsiveness, “policy link is biased toward the preferences of

high-income Americans” (Gilens 778). As stated previously, women on average

generate less money than their male counterparts, which further sets women back as

even the policies are against them. However, women’s rights have advanced

tremendously in terms of political participation since the women's suffrage movement

back 1848, as women have gained footing in the Congress.

Although women's under representation in political leadership positions is evident

both globally and in the United States, this under representation is especially harmful in

terms of policy-making. This is due to the fact that biased laws and a lack of attention to
women's needs and concerns creates lasting impacts and erases progress made for

equality. An example would be not getting paid fairly for maternity leave. These

discriminatory practices, along with voter suppression and gender-based barriers both

within and outside the United States, further impede on women's political participation

and their rights.

On the bright side, there is also a substantial amount of progress being made in

terms of gender equality. Women's suffrage movements, reproductive rights

advancements, and increased educational opportunities in third world countries signify

significant strides. However, one cannot overlook the setbacks women have endured

such as violence and reproductive rights.

In terms of setbacks, women face the most significant challenges in the

economic dimension, with the prevalence of occupational segregation and the gender

pay gap. An example is how “Today, only 21% of US workers have access to paid family

leave through their employers'' (Arneson). This is a massive challenge that women face

in the workforce, which could easily be resolved by making paid maternity leave

mandatory like it is in other countries such as Canada. Paid maternity leave is so

important because not only does it benefit the mothers, but also the companies, as

more women are likely to return to the workforce if maternity leave is paid for. Economic

empowerment is vital for achieving gender equality, as it enables women to break free

from cycles of poverty and dependence, vastly changing the lives of many women and

families.

In terms of progress, women worldwide have made significant advancements in

the political world, with an increase of representation and participation. An example

MPs who are women is at 61.25% today, way above the current global average of

26.4%. Rwanda has been at the top of the IPU’s monthly ranking of women in national

parliament for years.” (How did Rwanda become no.1 for gender equality). This diversity

in their democracy is also reflected in their GDP as Rwanda was named one of the

fastest growing African nations. This progress being made worldwide is crucial for

breaking the barriers that perpetuate gender inequality and ensuring that women's

voices are heard in decision-making processes in Congress.

The condition of women in the United States and globally are marked by

significant social, economic, and political inequality. Cultural norms, economic

disadvantages, and under representation in legislation have plagued women’s

advancement towards equality. While progress has been made in a multitude of areas,

major setbacks such as unpaid maternity leave still do exist, hindering the continued

efforts toward achieving a level, and fair society.

Among all three dimensions, economic inequality demands the highest priority

due to its critical impact on women's overall well-being along with their family’s financial

status. By focusing on leveling the gender pay gap, eliminating occupational

segregation, and incorporating paid maternity leave, society can address systemic

barriers and pave the way for much needed change. Achieving economic parity will

have a positive cascading effect, leading to advancements in social, political, and

economic dimensions as seen in Rwanda, and ultimately creating a more inclusive and

equitable society for all.

Arneson, Krystin. “Why doesn't the US have mandated paid maternity leave?” BBC, 29

June 2021,

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210624-why-doesnt-the-us-have-mandate

d-paid-maternity-leave.

Bhattarai, Abha. “Single women take an outsize role in the workforce — and the

economy.” The Washington Post, 8 March 2023,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/03/08/single-women-jobs-econo

my/.

“How did Rwanda become no.1 for gender equality?” Inter-Parliamentary Union, 11

October 2022,

https://www.ipu.org/news/voices/2022-10/how-did-rwanda-become-no1-gender-e

quality.

Manne, Kate. Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny. Penguin Books, 2019

Martin Gilens, 2005. “Inequality and Democratic Responsiveness.” Public Opinion

Quarterly, 69:778-796.

O'Grady, Siobhán. “Most girls in Somalia experience genital mutilation. The ritual just

killed a 10-year-old.” The Washington Post, 20 July 2018,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/07/20/most-girls-in-s

omalia-experience-genital-mutilation-the-ritual-just-killed-a-10-year-old/.