The case United States v. Virginia represents the United States’ suit against Virginia Military Institute. Virginia Military Institute is a military school that provides teaching only for one sex, that is for men. The case appealed to the Fourteenth Amendment, namely to the Equal Protection Clause, stating that Virginia Military Institute violated the Constitution. As a result of the Fourth Circuit’s order, Virginia created a program for women in Mary Baldwin College, called Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership ("United States V. Virginia et al., 518 U.S. 515 (1996)", n.p.).
The views dealing with this case were divided into two categories. On the one hand, parties expected government actions that would defend gender equality. They state that federal acts, as well as state government ones fail to provide women’s rights protection. Women are not given equal opportunities to realize their talents and to show their abilities simply because they were born women ("United States V. Virginia et al., 518 U.S. 515 (1996)", n.p.).
On the other hand, Virginia argues for single sex education, because only such education yields benefits. Moreover, Virginia Military Institute’s trainings are not available for women, as these trainings apply the method that is too adversative for them. If to make modifications to the program, it would gradually destroy the whole Virginia Military Institute ("United States V. Virginia et al., 518 U.S. 515 (1996)", n.p.).
I personally think, that the Supreme Court’s ruling violated women’s rights by failing to provide equal protection, consequently violating the Fourteenth Amendment. This violation is based on gender, so it indicates gender discrimination, and what is more, under the Supreme Court’s ruling women did not have the possibility to get education equal to that for men.
Works Cited
"United States v. Virginia et al., 518 U.S. 515 (1996).". Law.cornell.edu. Web. 20 May 2016.
