Gender Inequality in Television

The definition of gender inequality by Oxford reference, “Social process by which people are treated differently and disadvantageously, under similar circumstances, on the basis of gender.” Women have made great strides to prove themselves to be equal to their male counterparts. Although women are just as educated as men, women still receive unequal treatment based on their gender. It is important to discuss the obstacles women face in an attempt to be accepted, appreciated, and successful. The show “Good Trouble” is a cutting edge sitcom that deals with sensitive subjects. One of the main topics is gender inequality in the workplace. This is a subject that is not only prominent in the United States but is relevant globally.

In the show “Good Trouble”, it focuses on two foster sisters that come from extreme backgrounds but raised in a good foster home with two moms. These two sisters have completed their higher educations and decided to leave home and pursue their careers. The first sister Mariana, an MIT graduate, is hired as a software engineer for a well-established company. The second sister Callie, a graduate of UCSD Law School, works as a law clerk. Although they have pursued completely different careers, they face gender inequality on different levels.

From day one, Mariana is assigned to an all-male team of engineers. She not only has to tackle misogyny in the workplace, but she also struggles to be taken seriously as a woman and Latina. Mariana faces a harsh reality when a female co-worker explains to her the best approach for her to be taken seriously. She takes her advice and attempts to blend into the workplace and not come off as too eager or know it all. However, after making these adjustments, she is still assigned less menial tasks which at times turn out to be pranks created by members of her team. She is constantly undermined when she attempts to voice her opinions at meetings. It is because of these types of encounters that she decides to take matters into her own hands. She takes it upon herself to review each team member's work and makes everyone aware if mistakes are made. She doesn’t follow the chain of command when it comes to presenting ideas, instead, she goes to the higher-ups. She is able to make an ally with one of the male team members only to find out she makes considerably less than he does for the same work and title. It is as this time that she reaches out to the other female workers to discuss the unequal pay. According to the Wall Street Journal, women earn less than men in 439 of 446 major U.S. occupations. In the United States, women will earn 78 cents for every dollar a man earns.

The other sister Callie faces a different side of gender inequality. As a law clerk for a conservative judge, she struggles constantly to represent her liberal views. Her passion for cases is constantly viewed as being overly sensitive because of her gender. One of the male law clerks is taken more seriously and given privileges to many of the cases. In an attempt to be heard, she has to do a lot of extra research to prove that she is competent in handling the cases that are presented. In this show, Callie is a young lady in her early twenties with no children or significant other that occupies her time outside of the workplace. However, this is an issue for so many women. Many employees’ commitment is demonstrated by the number of hours or flexibility when it comes to traveling or relocation. Since many woman are the primary caregivers at home their commitment or reliability is questioned. They should not be discriminated against or penalized for the responsibilities outside the workplace.

Although women have come a long way, gender inequality is still rearing its ugly head. This show is the perfect example of how young women in today’s society are still facing this issue. “Good Trouble” is a great portrayal of displaying how to handle these types of inequality from the perspective of today’s youth. These sisters encounter what many women face from a day-to-day basis. The feeling that they must work twice as hard as men in a competitive environment to achieve the same set of goals. They are able to handle the stress with dignity and strength and continue to show up for work day after day.

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