With the variety of socially pressing issues existing these days, some strengthened by the ongoing pandemic and social distancing introduced in many parts of the world, it might be difficult to choose just one to discuss. Accepting such a challenge, in the framework of this paper, we aim at addressing the issue of gender inequality and its many implications on American society.
Gender inequality as a social problem is more than multi-faceted. It is not just the fight for the women’s rights, elimination of the gender pay gap or the harassment phenomenon. It deals with domestic and workplace sexism, destructive social norms and expectations, denying women the ability to take control over their bodies, minds, and aspirations. While some still live in the left-wing democratic information bubble and expect that American society is far ahead, famously leading the rest of the world by example, the reality proves to hit back. It is fair to say that the nation is divided – as some women launch meaningful campaigns, for example, ‘Equality Can’t Wait’ project of Melinda Gates, the elected President calls women ‘dogs’ or ‘horsefaces,’ defining the norm of body shaming under their administration (Bump; Werber). However, the above stated represents only one part of the story.
Finding someone to blame has always been an honorary social tradition, as it helped release the accumulated public anger and create the sense that justice has been finally served. There is hardly any need to go far searching for examples – Harvey Weinstein case is one of the main instances of selective perception in modern society (Full Coverage: Harvey Weinstein Is Found Guilty of Rape). The voices of those who disagree with the fact that the resolution of one case of rape allegations against men in power in favor of their victims are safely buried under the enhanced belief in the trustworthiness of law enforcement (Full Coverage: Harvey Weinstein Is Found Guilty of Rape). Even this does not reflect the full spectrum of the current debate on gender equality.
Men and women have always seen gender equality differently. The 2019 polls show that men are twice as likely to claim gender equality has already been achieved in their respective countries (Naidu-Ghelani). These statements come as no surprise, with one of the main factors preventing equal treatment being the lack of education on gender-related issues (Naidu-Ghelani). Nevertheless, men have never been known for keeping their opinions to themselves, and with the established social norms supporting these behaviors, they haste to represent feminists as alarmists or individuals with extremist aspirations. For sure, no reasoning behind such claims is required – believing in someone’s attempts to ‘rewrite history’ seems quite appealing to many. The obstacles women had to overcome to get the same opportunities and access to education, civil and political rights suddenly seem minuscule. Their fight for the extermination of the gender pay gap or harassment appears exaggerated. Surprisingly, the unfolding of social upheavals resulted in more inertia and denial than ever before.
Having more resources in their hands, political figures and other interest groups push the narratives that further degrade the efforts invested in the fight for equality by generations of women. With the long-term results implying women’s struggle will last hundreds of years, the short-term ones are taking place today. In 2019, the world witnessed the biggest, in recent years, wave of abortion restrictions enacted in the South and Midwest of the United States (Nash et al.). With some states introducing abortion protections and aiming at narrowing the gap, the trend was still apparent – conservatives have had enough of this pro-choice nonsense and were ready to strike back with all they got. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the Human Life Protection Act, again, bringing back the dominating discourse and claiming that women do not choose to give birth; instead – it is implied and represents their sacred debt to society.
Such a disparity existing within the territory of the US signals that the society as a whole remains immature. Several factors should be taken into consideration as the fight for equality progresses. First of all, a better society cannot be built by women on their own. It is crucial that men realize that the patriarchal system is toxic for them as well. Gender norms are established in every existing society, and the expectations of feminine or masculine attitudes and conformity are among triggers that result in psychological problems and deviant behaviors. Instead of promoting these unhealthy social tendencies, men could join the fight for equality that would benefit all. While women are represented as villains, man-haters, or inadequate careerists, men would never be tagged in that fashion if they publicly sympathized with the gender equality agenda. The resource at their disposal remains unattainable for women; no matter how hard they try, the reality of life proves that even fake conformity is what it takes to become successful, and, maybe, then do great things. To those who choose to stay true to their ideals and pursue their beliefs, society has nothing to offer except for victimization.
Works Cited
- Bump, Philip. “Trump’s Rationalization for Calling Women ‘Dogs’ Helped Define His Campaign.” The Washington Post. Web.
- “Full Coverage: Harvey Weinstein Is Found Guilty of Rape.” The New York Times. Web.
- Naidu-Ghelani, Rajeshi. “The Difference Between Men and Women: How We View Gender Equality.” Ipsos.
- Nash, Elizabeth, et al. “State Policy Trends 2019: A Wave of Abortion Bans, But Some States Are Fighting Back.” Guttmacher Institute. Web.
- Werber, Cassie. “Melinda Gates’ ‘Equality Can’t Wait’ Campaign Wants to Eliminate the Gender Pay Gap.” World Economic Forum. Web.