Abstract
The issue of equal education opportunities, as well as equity in job prospects, has been brewing for quite long in the society. Despite the admittedly positive effects, which feminist movements have led to, women did not gain all the rights that they were entitled to instantly – quite on the contrary, the fight for equity has been going on for centuries, and it still continues.
Although democracy principles have been established within the realm of education and politics in Europe and the U.S., women still suffer from lack of education opportunities and underrepresentation in government, not to mention the fact that female rights still remain a major issue in a range of states because of their cultural specifics. A closer look at the factors leading to gender inequality in education and politics will help find a viable solution to the problem.
Introduction: Fighting for Women’s Rights
Though in the 21st century, women have attained a major success in the fight for their freedoms, in range of states, basic rights of women, including the right to be educated and participate in the political life of the state, are infringed. The lack of equity in the specified areas affect women’s lives on range of levels, depriving them of the opportunities that they are supposed to be entitled to and posing a tangible threat to the rights of women all over the world. A closer look at the causes of the lack of equity will provide an insight on the possible methods of addressing the problem; herein the reason for the research to be conducted lies.
Women and Education: When Traditions Stand in the Way of Progress
According to the set human rights, which are currently considered the basis for a democratic state to be built on, both men and women must be provided with decent education opportunities; in other words, the students of both genders are to be allowed to attend a public school. However, in a range of states, including Iran (Rezai-Rashti & Moghadam, 2011), Brazil (Stromquist & Monkman, 2014), Japan (Lam, 2012), etc., even basic education for women is not considered necessary. Moreover, women face gender prejudices in education even in democratic states, such as the United States (England, 2010); according to the recent data, in 2007, only 80% of female college graduates and 47% of female high school graduates were employed (England, 2010, p. 153).
Women and Politics: What It Takes to Become a Government Member
The same gender profiling issue occurs in the field of politics, unfortunately. Recent reports claim that the number of women. This lends a lot of credence to the theory regarding the persistence of gender profiling phenomenon within a range of modern political institutions all over the world (Fox & Lawless, 2011). The phenomenon is often attributed to the current cultural and societal norms: “Men’s dominance in political institutions that traditionally resisted women’s inclusion makes it difficult for women to embrace themselves as politicians” (Fox & Lawless, 2011, p. 60).
Conclusion: The Battle Is Not Over Yet
Despite years of fighting for female rights and gender equality, as well as the efforts of feminists all over the world, women still face gender discrimination when entering the domains of education and politics. Not only do women have to break the glass ceiling in their attempts to influence the politics of the state, but are also deprived of an opportunity to get the education that they deserve. By viewing the issue from several aspects, including cultural, economic, political and social factors, one will be able to locate the existing solutions to the problem specified. Thus, the information concerning the key factors affecting the issue and the means to remove these factors will be sought.
Reference List
England, P. (2010). The gender revolution: Uneven and stalled. Gender & Society, 24(2), 149–166.
Fox, R. L. & Lawless, J. L. (2011). Gendered perceptions and political candidacies: A central barrier to women’s equality in electoral politics. American Journal of Political Science, 55(1), 59–73.
Lam, A. C. L. (2012). Women and Japanese management: Discrimination and reform. New York, NY: Routledge.
Rezai-Rashti, G. M. & Moghadam, V. M. (2011). Women and higher education in Iran: What are the implications for employment and the “marriage market”? International Review of Education, 57(3), 419–441.
Stromquist, N. P. & Monkman, K. (2014). Globalization and education: Integration and contestation across cultures. Lanham, MD: R&L Education.