Karina Mancilla

Professor Caitlin Kirkley

English 103
T/Th 7:25-8:50

Gender Inequality

Men and women have always been looked upon as being totally different.
Whether it has to do with work in the home what they do on regular basis both men and
women have their roles to play. Many studies have shown that men get more privileges
than women. It is no secrets that there is still gender inequality even though women have
gotten a bit more rites throughout the years. What hasn't changed is the belief that women
are still the weaker gender. Men are looked upon as the dominant masculine figure while
girls are still looked upon as the fragile delicate gender. Media encourages these roles
that are suppose to done be each gender. Media is responsible for helping have gender
inequality and in the American culture gender inequality is still prominent.
Gender Inequality starts at a very young age. In Masculine by Germaine Greer
she says that its starts when you re an infant. As a baby, The boy baby learns that he can
have what he wants and quickly, the girl baby that she has to learn patience(Greer 728).
The boys learn that they can do whatever they want like throw a tantrum or fight with
other babies and they will still get what they want. The girl baby learns early on that she
has to be patient or else she wont get what she wants. This shows the inequalities
because boys can do whatever they want even as babies and nobody tells them
anything. The girls on the other hand has to be careful with what she does because
she is judged much more harshly.

Media has a big influence on gender inequality. Gender inequality is shown in all
types of media whether its in movies, TV shows, music video, games, sports, magazines
etc. Gender Media: The Influence of Media on Views of Gender by Julia T. Wood it is
explained as to why media has such an influence of the roles people play. Both men and
women hold stereotypes, Typically men are portrayed as active, adventurous, powerful
sexual aggressive, and largely uninvolved in human relationship (Wood, 32). Men in
American culture are known s the dominant figure as masculine the providers. Women
are look upon as quite differently, description of woman as sex objects, who are
usually young, thin and beautiful, passive, dependent, and often incompetent and dumb
(Wood, 32) Women are still being look upon as weak, emotional, defenseless. Many
movies only show men as the superheroes and women as the ones in need of saving.
Music like rap stereotype women as only sex objects. Photos in magazines show men
being active and about how good their bodies are because they workout and women as
being girly and only in fashion magazines in magazines about how to keep your home
safe for your family. These stereotypes are shown everywhere> Because people see this
everywhere they start to believe that that is how they are suppose to be acting and they
follow whatever they see being put on the media.
In Speaking of Sex the Denial of Gender by Deborah L. Rhode the denial of that
there isnt gender equality is the big reason why it isnt being fixed. If people started
recognizing that the gender inequality does exist then they could make the changes
necessary. Family values are also a projector on why there isnt gender equality.
Throughout the years the male has always been looked upon as being better than the
women. When a women would get pregnant back than it was always special when they
would bare a child if it was a women they disappointed their husbands. Many family
values consist of having the male be the provider and the women the caretakers. Men are
expected to go out and come with the money to provide their families with what they
need. Women are expected to stay home and bare children and take care of al the
household chores. These values influence the values that your children will have so they
are passed on from generation to generation and the cycle doesnt end.

Women are now aloud to have careers it is a common thing. Both men and
women go to college with the goal to become someone in life. But, it is when they get the
jobs that you see the inequality there is between the two genders. In the article Gender
Inequality in the Workplace by Cindy Hsu she talks about how colleges only about 42%
of the students are males and how more women win awards for their work. Women do
better in school than men but when it comes to going out and going into the work place
that doesnt matter. Gender inequality starts to show; A woman earns only 80 cents for
every dollar a man earns (Hsu). Hsu argues that women do better in school and could
have better qualifications than the men and yet that doesnt really matter in the end.
It is believed that in the workplace men are better. Its been like this for generations
and even though theyve said its changed it hast. It is still believed that men are
smarter and are better workers than women. This is unfair because a woman whose
has gone to college and earned her degree and earned her job isnt paid what she
should. The man may not do the good as a job as her but he is still getting paid more.
In another article called Gender Inequality in the US Today it also states that
women have a difficult time in the work place. While working if a woman gets pregnant
it might be difficult for her. Women in the United States are still being fired for being
pregnant and getting demoted when they return from maternity leave. This is really
unfair because only women get pregnant so they have to take maternity leave. Once they
are able to come back they out that they might not have they jobs anymore or that theyve
been demoted because they werent able to attend in that time period. This shows how
gender equality goes down the drain because it is unfair to women to lose their jobs
because of maternity leave. Guys will never be fired for that and its unfair the women are.
Its states how in the congressmen are still the majority. In the Senate women only hold
17 seats out of 100 and 92 out of 435 in the House of Representatives. Yes men are still
known for holding the label of being better at math and science than women but, woman
have shown that with hard work and dedication they can achieve the same goals as men.
Its unfair how its thought that only men can make the hard decisions that the congress
has to do because its believed that women are to emotional to make those hard decisions.
Not only do women feel that there is gender inequality but men also feel that
there is. Media views skewed on gender issues by Jeremy Cloud he isnt that there is
gender inequality but that its not only for women but for men as well. He states he hates
the gender inequality, The special lie? Boys should be tough enough to get through all
this on their own. Who needs role models, right? (Cloud) He argues that just as women
all men have stereotypes that dont necessarily apply to them but that there is no focus on
that. He states that all this research done in gender inequality is bias and only make men
look as the awful ones. Men also suffer from the stereotypes that they dont need anyone
and they should cry or be afraid of anything. Gender inequality exist but for both
genders.
American culture has many stereotypes on both women and men. They are
viewed as men being more dominant than the women. The women are looked upon as if
they should stay and home and raise the kids. Though times have changed many of these
stereotypes still exist. Media has the biggest influence as to how each gender should
present themselves.