The situation with women’s inequality has changed a lot in recent decades and mostly for the better. But for some reasons, most women are still lagging behind their men, especially financially. They experience problems in finding a good job; they have fewer hopes to be promoted as quickly as their male colleagues; their jobs are often lower paid; and they constantly have to make a choice between successful careers and their families. Therefore, it is obvious that the issue of occupational segregation is still in place and it requires special attention and thorough study in order to make the problem public and eliminate it.
It cannot be said that the abovementioned issue is not covered in mass media and scientific journals. However, despite the wide coverage the problem remains. Moreover, there are two completely opposite points of view concerning it. The first one is that the occupational segregation has been eliminated and women have become even more successful earners than men (Rosin). The opposite point of view is that the idea of women’s dominance in the modern society is just a myth and men still have the priority in the spheres where the payment is higher (Coontz). Researchers say that “women concentrate in occupations that are lower paid and/or have fewer long-term prospects than occupations where men concentrate” (“Occupational Segregation”). Besides, it is also underlined that quite often women’s employment is influenced by the necessity to take care of children and, therefore, “many women ‘downgrade’ the skill level of their work in order to obtain part-time work to fit in with caring responsibilities” (“Maximizing Economic Opportunities for Women in Scotland”).
So, it is obvious that the problem has not been solved yet and there is still much to be found out and changed in order to improve women’s occupational opportunities and, consequently, their financial situation.
Works Cited
Coontz, Stephanie. “The Myth of Male Decline.” The New York Times 29 Sept. 2012. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/opinion/sunday/the-myth-of-male-decline.html?smid=fb-share&_r=2>
“Maximizing Economic Opportunities for Women in Scotland.” The Scottish Government. Crown, March 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. <http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0047/00473060.pdf>
“Occupational Segregation.” Ministry for Women. Ministry for Women, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. <http://women.govt.nz/our-work/utilising-womens-skills/paid-and-unpaid-work/occupational-segregation>
Rosin, Hanna. “The End of Men.” The Atlantic July/Aug. 2010. Web. 14 Apr. 2016. <http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/07/the-end-of-men/308135/>
