It’s really incredible how far women have come to step closer to equality and back away from their roots. But equality is still a huge issue today. I had the opportunity to learn from a few of my lecturers about the forgotten inequality of women. Women had to fight to vote, to get jobs, and to be treated equally. However, these issues endure today; sexism and racism are considered “norms” even today. Why are these considered “norms”?
One thing that will always boggle my mind is the reduction of pay for women. A woman might work the same job and have the same qualifications as a man, but still receive less pay. Many women are treated differently or thought less of in the workplace. As time has passed, yes, women have gotten more respect over the years. However, that respect was fought for, pleaded for, and needed all over the world.
Still, the view of the world today is the same. The “norm” is that men and women are separated in work and family life. The lectures I learned from taught me that there are roles and jobs that are still titled as a “man’s” or a “woman’s” job. And if it goes differently, that isn’t “normal.”
But, to society, our “ethics” are supposedly inclusive to all and fair. But many people today still face inequalities in work, opportunities, and life itself. All over the world, many women are portrayed as caregivers, housewives, and nurses (but not doctors). Because that’s how society built them, the “rules and regulations” of the world were built to seem “normal.” (I use a lot of quotations because these are phrases mentioned heavily in the world today.)
Do we ever stop to think about what’s wrong with the world? Why are sexism and racism still prominent, and how much have they really changed over the years? Why are hatred, bullying, violence, and inequality still ongoing? Why is there not already diversity without discrimination? Where is the end to human suffering? The worst part is that these issues seem to be inevitable, never-ending, and unresolvable.
My class lectures and pondering of the world around me have led me to be more conscious of this subject. I encourage others to take an interest and thought as well. Many things in this world would not have happened without women. Yet, many things in this world have excluded women—a female president for the U.S. has yet to be chosen.