1. Women and Workplace: Women in workplace have historically faced a number of problems. a) Women generally have to bear dual responsibility of work at home and office. In addition to facing deadlines and rigors of office, demanding boss etc. they have to look after the kids, cooking and daily household chores which put extra pressure at them. b) Women get less pay for same type of job than an average white male. Wages for women are almost 80% than of a white male in general. c) There is a lack of women in top executive posts although women are equally educated and experienced for the job. It is a result of concern of management that women will not be able to handle dual responsibility of home and high pressure job at the same time. d) Sexual harassment is another issue that plague women at work. These are sometimes direct or indirect and women find it difficult to report these all the time. The biggest problem for women are wage issues which affect them economically and there needs to be legislation and social awareness for improving this.
2. Affirmative actions proposed by US department of State are as follows: a) Promote women’s economic and political participation. b) Support U.S. strategic initiatives related to gender-based violence and women, peace, and security. c) Empower adolescent girls. d) Prioritize gender equality in international forums. e) Lead by example. . (U.S. Department of State, 2015) All these are very important for equity of genders and all these are highly recommendable. Particularly more participation of women in political forums is a key to improvement of gender equity
3. Division of household labor: Women share bigger burden of household work even in households where women earn almost as much as men. However in last 10 years things have improved for the better. Both biology and socialization influence gender. In fact social roles are sometimes determined by the gender (like a girl child is given a Barbie doll instead of a car) and encouraged to follow traditionally female roles like housekeeping. A girl who wants to be a surgeon is not discouraged but a boy is encouraged more.
4. Gender and Gender Roles: In the intimate relationship between genders the gender stereotype is followed in most cases where males take the dominant role. However this is dependent on the interpersonal relationship between the couple and particular psychological traits. Generally women abide by what men want.
The Pew Research Center on Social and Demographic Trends on Gender Roles shows when household things matter it is the women who take more of the decisions. The study shows that big purchases are decided by women. This shows they have a bigger say in household matters. However the study shows most prefer men and women in their traditional roles. Like more prefer elementary teachers to be women and pilots to be men. However in most cases there is no preference. (Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project, 2008)
The determining social factors for these are enhanced education and economic condition for women as well as better and safer measures to avoid conceptions and health care.
The broader impact of the study is that women are going to have much stronger say in future in every field and society will move to a more equity between gender roles.
References
U.S. Department of State. (2015). U.S. Department of State Policy Guidance: Promoting Gender Equality and Advancing the Status of Women and Girls. Retrieved 25 April 2015, from http://www.state.gov/s/gwi/rls/other/2014/228735.htm
Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project. (2008). Women Call the Shots at Home; Public Mixed on Gender Roles in Jobs. Retrieved 25 April 2015, from http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2008/09/25/women-call-the-shots-at-home-public-mixed-on-gender-roles-in-jobs/
