Introduction
Ever since the industrial revolution, women have been fighting to regain their lost status in the society. Many people believe that women belong in the kitchen. The most interesting thing is that this has not always been the case. In the Middle Ages, women owned many of the big businesses and other profitable ventures. However, the coming of the industrial revolution saw women relegated to the role of taking care of the home. The important social institutions have been left for men to manage. Some of the important fields where women have not been playing an active role are in politics and education. There is need for all the stakeholders to provide a level playing ground for both men and women. This paper highlights why it is important to provide a level playing ground when it comes to these two important social institutions. The paper also shows why failure to do this affects the lives of women negatively. (DeVries 2002)
Politics
Over a long period, women in Australia have been denied assess to political offices. In the early nineteenth century, many female feminists came up seeking to have women have a representation in political matters. Although they managed to achieve some basic rights like the right to vote, many things still stand on their way to the realization of their dream. This is due to a group of males that has failed to accept the simple fact that women can rule. This group of men acts as power brokers and they have constantly hindered women from playing an active role in political matters. (Probert 1994)
Since these politicians are delegated the duty of passing legislation, they will in most cases pass laws that do not recognize the role of women in most areas. This calls for women to enter in the political arena in order to create a level playing ground for all. The process of selecting candidates to run for political offices in our country has been unfavourable toward women. This discourages many women who opt out of the competition. (World Labour Report 2000)
The failure to create a level playing ground on the political institution has robbed the country many great opportunities that women could have taken part in. Looking at what the femocrat phenomenon has achieved over the years in Australia, one would see why there is need for more participation of women in political matters. A good example is the case in 1970 where a national conference of women produced a set of demands that compelled the Australian government to fund childcare, provide abortion rights among many other things that were of great importance to the nation. It is clear that this could not have been possible if women had not moved in to senior positions in the government. (Johnson 2000, p.243)
When doing this, we should appreciate the fact that men are different from women in so many aspects. What we should be doing is looking for abilities and trying to facilitate on how they can be applied rather than trying to look at people’s gender. This will make us appreciate people regardless of their gender. By doing so, it will be easier for all of us to give more leadership roles to women without any bias. (Probert 1994)
Education and Work
Education and work as a social institution is another area where a level playing ground has not been created. In life today, nearly all labour is divided according to gender. Most of the work that is associated with women is usually underpaid. Most women are faced with the responsibility of taking care of the home and working part time to supplement the family income. Since most available work need full time commitment, this calls for women to work as volunteers. Statistics show that a higher number of men than women work. This is despite the fact that both may be going through the same issues in life. (World Labour Report 2000)
In the work place, the management sets safety measures by considering things like weight and height. It is clear that these standards cater for men leaving women out. This leaves many eligible women out of these jobs since they are tailored for men. This in itself creates an unlevel playing ground when it comes to the work place. Over the time, studies have showed that education plays a crucial role in determining the nature of jobs that people do. However, the same studies clearly point out that performing well in post secondary studies does not naturally mean that women would get jobs that culture dictates they belong to men. Most women would rather work in the beauty industry than in the engineering industry even if they had the qualification. This is due to retrogressive cultural beliefs among people. (Johnson 2000, p.245)
Over the years, many people have constantly been resistance to change. In the workplace, promotions are awarded based on value. Men are expected to be more responsible and thus they are given more authority and more money. This leaves women who are equally qualified without any promotion thus creating an employment imbalance. This should be done with urgency in order to make people more receptive to all available jobs and to appreciate their counterparts who might be in jobs that are not considered to be lucrative by the opposite sex. Failure to do this will make many people miss opportunities that would otherwise propel them to higher spheres of achievement. (DeVries 2002)
Conclusion
Looking at the given examples, it is clear that something needs to be done with urgency in addressing the unfair playing fields that exist in the social institution of politics and education. For this to happen, it is important for all of us to learn that we are all different when it comes to gender. We should therefore not use men as benchmarks for success or failure. It is important to learn that women have great ideas to offer and should be given a chance.
References List
DeVries, S.2002, Great Australian Women, vol.11, Harper Collins, Sydney.
Johnson, L.2000,’Revolutions are not made by downtrodden housewives, Feminism And the housewives’, Australian Feminist Studies, vol.15, no.32, pp.237-347.
Probert, B.1994,’Women, s working lives’, in Kay Pritchard Huges (ed.) Contemporary Australian Feminism, Longman Cheshire, Australia.
World Labour Report 2000, International Labour Office, Geneva.