Gender Inequality in Miltary and at Workplace

Gender inequality has been a very debated topic for many years. Gender inequality is known to be discrimination to someone based on their gender. Women often argue that they are the most discriminated against. Many people disagree with that argument and say that women and men are treated equally. There are many facts to prove this wrong and that show that women are being discriminated against more than men. Today women are still fighting for equality everyday facing discrimination in the workplace, the military, and even just shopping for things we use everyday to take care of ourselves. Everyone deserves to be treated equally no matter their gender, but this is not a reality in the world we live in today as many women still are discriminated against no matter how much they do to try and change it.

One of the biggest topics people think of when they hear gender inequality is the wage gap, but many people argue that there isn’t even a wage gap. A main argument many people use to debunk the wage gap is that women do not work because they choose to have children. The wage gap is not figured that way though. “The wages of women who are staying home with the kids or working part time are not counted in that official Labor Department average: Only full time workers’ wages are added in ( Murphy, Evelyn and E.J. Graff )”. Many people believe the pay gap is because of women’s choices in careers or occupations. “ Among the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ list of nearly 600 occupations, women make less than in all but seven of them ( Covert, Bryce )”. People still continue to believe there is not a wage gap, but statistics prove them wrong. The national women’s law center has statistics showing women’s and men’s annual median earnings in six states. The statistics show that women make less in all of the six states they got numbers from. Many believe there is a wage gap because women do not stay in school as long or do not do as well in school as men do, but a study by the American Association of University Women showed that even with hours worked, months employed since graduation, GPA, age, college major, and more, that there was still a remaining seven percent difference between male and female earnings.

The wage gap is one of the biggest things talked about when talking about gender inequality, but women have been discriminated against in the military for a very long time. Women have always been thought of as weaker than men. Women have had to show that they are as strong as men are and that they can do anything a man can do. One thing that is discussed about this topic is if women are recognized as military heroes. In 2003, national attention focused on Jessica Lynch, who was awarded a bronze star and a purple heart after being captured by Iraqi forces ( Yao, Laura ). It is said that the more women that fight, the number of women who are recognized will go up too. This is true but there are things that show that women are not as often recognized as men are for being heroes in the military. Many think that women are not aggressive enough or that they do not have the strength to be fighting in the military. Many men do not want women in the military because they want to keep their masculinity and not let women become like men. They want women to keep their soft and sweet side. A lot of women do not want to be stereotyped like that. They want to be thought of as strong and aggressive when they need to be. Women used to be banned from doing certain things in the military. One ban would not let women be in combat in the military. This ban was uplifted just recently and some women are still having trouble proving themselves.

The workplace should be a place where everyone is treated the same by everyone no matter anything physical. The only reason people should be treated differently is if they are not putting enough effort into their working. Although we all know it should not happen, women are still discriminated against everyday in the workplace. A lot of people like to say there is no discrimination and women just like to play as victims. They say that women only use this excuse of being discriminated against because they want to get that promotion and they cannot get it any other way. This is not true at all. Women just want to be able to achieve things men can. One of the reasons women cannot earn the same as men is because they are stuck working in “women’s” jobs. Men see women as weak and think they should be teachers, or office workers. Most women do not want to be stuck in these jobs. Not all women are stuck in these jobs but when they do finally get into the “male” jobs, they are treated very differently. They are treated like they are not able to do anything or they are too fragile to do some of the things the job requires. Women do not want special treatment because they are women. Women are just as hard working as men are and want to be treated that way. If a woman gets a job that is dominated by men, they should be treated just like everyone else that is working. That woman got that job for a reason, they are hardworking and determined and can do all the work a man can do.

Everyone likes to do a bit of shopping sometimes. When shopping we all look at the prices of everything and try to find the best deal. A girl finds a nike blue shirt she really likes that is $55.00 and buys it. A boy behind her has the same exact shirt just from the male section of the store and is only costs $49.99. Why do the same shirts have a $5.01 cost difference? The answer to this question is the pink tax. The pink tax is the markup of goods marketed to women. “Everyday products marketed to women often come with a higher price tag when compared to nearly identical versions marketed to men ( democratic staff of the Joint economic committee )”. The most known examples of the pink tax include higher prices for pink razors or pastel colored markers or pencils. Prices for kids toys even go up in price when a “girly” color is on it such as scooters. “A pink Radio flyer scooter was selling for double the price of a red Radio flyer scooter that was nearly identical to the pink one ( New york city department of consumer affairs ).” The pink tax also applies to things as children’s clothing, personal care products, and toys and games. Products for senior health care for women also has an additional cost. This is troubling because the typical woman aged 65 or older makes a lot less than the typical man of the same age. “Women in this age group face a 44-percent gap in income compared to similarly aged men, and they are significantly more likely to live in poverty according to a JEC report released earlier this year ( JEC Democratic staff 114th Congress )”. The pink tax is not the only way women face price discrimination. Women have historically paid more for health insurance because of the costs expected when they have children or are pregnant. Although the Affordable Care Act eliminated the disparity in health insurance premiums between women and men, before the law’s enactment, “a 22 year old woman might pay 1.5 times the premium for health insurance paid by a man the same age ( Department of Health and Human services )”.

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