KaoLyMoua

English1050Su16
ProfessorLouiseBown
Essay2
GenderReflection:TheNeverEndingBattle

Wewalksidebysideeachdaybutyetwestillstruggleasanationtobeequaltooneanother.
Wecansaythatwehavegrownfromthefeministmovement,thatbecamesuchabigpartofour
history,buttheissueofequalitybetweenmenandwomenpersiststoday.Whatusetobeconsidered
anormalroleforwomenandmenhavechangedgreatlybuttheequalitybetweenmenandwomenis
aneverendingbattle.Weoftenhearmanythingsregardinggenderinequalitywithpolitical
participation,sports,education,andpaydifferencebutdowereallyunderstandwhyitssuchabig
discussioninourworld?
Womenhavecomealongwaysincethe1800sbutduringthattimewomenfacedmany
difficultsituations.JohnBergerexplainsinthetextbookhowawomanspresenceisviewedandhow
thatcontributestoherasaperson.Johngoesontodescribewomenindetailsuchasawomans
presenceexpressesherownattitudetoherself,anddefineswhatcanandcannotbedonetoher
(JohnBerger,193).Johndescribeswomenassomeonewhoisstrongandindependent,thatshecan
decideforherselfwhatshewantsinlifebutyetthatshardersaidthandone.Womenhavefacedand
haveovercomechallengeswithgovernment,religion,employment,andintheirownhousehold.This
wasnoteasyforthewomenwhofoughtbutbecauseofalltheseincrediblewomenthatcame
together,historywaschanged.Historychangedbecauseofallthepetitiondrives,lobbying,public
speakingandnonviolentresistancethattheydid.Theseareallthingsthattookcouragetodoand
theydidittocreateabetterfutureformanygenerationstocome.

Menhavealwayshadtheupperhandinsituationsbutenteringthemodernworldwehave
seenthatmentooaretreatedunequally.Menhavethestereotypeofbeingstronganddependable
butsometimesthatcanbestressfulandalotofpressureforaperson.Menhavealsohadtofightfor
theirrightsandsometimeswereevenbulliedduringtheprocess.Today,menstillhavetobreakthe
stereotypethatwasgiventothemdecadesagoandcontinuetobreakboundariestoprovethatmen
toocandothingsthatareconsideredforfeminine.
Althoughtherehavebeenmajorchangesinoursociety,westilltodayfaceproblemswith
genderinequalitysuchaspoliticalparticipation,sports,educationandpaydifference.Eachofthese
issuesaffectwomenandmenallovertheworld.JohnBergerwritesabouttheimageofmenand
women,hestatesthat,thesocialpresenceofawomanisdifferentinkindfromthatofaman(John
Berger,193).Johnsupportshiswritingwithimagesthatreflectmenandwomen.Theyshowushow
weseetheminrelationtooneanother.Icanseeadifferentintheseartworksandthewaythese
artistportraywomendifferentlythantheydowithmen.Womenandmenareconstantlytryingto
fightforequalrightsandtheyarentgoingtobegivingupanytimesoonbecauseeachofusknow
howimportantequalityisandhowmuchitcanaffectourkidsandmanymoregenerations.
Beingabletoparticipateinpoliticalprocessesthataffectthemselves,theirfamilies,andtheir
societiesissomethingthateveryoneshouldhavetherighttodobutyetitisnt.Womenneedtohave
therighttobeabletoaddresspoliticalissuessotheycanprotecttheirfamiliesandbeabletohavea
voiceinthethingsthatinfluencesit.Womenareunderrepresentedasvotersanddonthavemuchof
aroleinleadershippositions.Theyhaveprovenovertheyearstheirabilitiesasleadersbutstillface
theharshrealityoflosingtomen.Runningforofficeismoredifficultforwomenbecausethereare
discriminatorylawsthatlimitthem.Thereisalsoalotofresistancetofemaleleadershipbecause
peoplethinkthatsuccessfulfemalemanagersaremorepushyandselfishcomparedtosuccessful
malemanagers(UNwomen,web).Becauseoftherestrictionsanduntrustworthinessthatsurrounds

womenfromtheirroleinpoliticalparticipation,womenhavecometogethertosupportoneanother
byprovidingtrainingforfemalemembersofpoliticalparties,skillbuildingforleadership,improving
womensaccesstojustice,increasewomenparticipationinpolitics,andmore.Today,womensuchas
HillaryClinton,whoiscurrentlyrunningforpresidentarestillbreakingboundariesandcontinuingto
showthatwomenareabletobetrustworthyandsuccessful.
Successinsportsarealsobreakingtheboundariesforbothmenandwomen.Weallknow
thatsportsareabigpartoftheworldwelivein.Radiostationsandtelevisionsarealwaysgivingus
updatesofsportrelatednews.Menandwomenplaythesamesportsbutyettherearedifferent
viewsonit.Mengetmorerecognitionthanwomenbutwhyisthat?Womenworkandtrainjustas
hardasmen,forexamplemorepeopletuneintowatchNBAoverWNBA.Evenwithallthisobvious
successandincreaseinpopularity,itseemsthattheWNBAisstillloomingintheNBAsshadow.This
makesitdifficultforfemaleathletestobetakenseriouslyincomparisontotheirmalecounterparts
(Sundial,Web).WNBAhavebeendoinggreatbutbarelyanyoneisevertalkingaboutthegamesthey
havewon.Thereasonisthattheysimplydonttakewomenseriously.Someevensaythatitsnota
sportmadeforawomentodobutinsteadofseeingthatdoingsportsthatarenormallymeantfor
menishelpingawomantogrowandchallengeherselfsothatshecanbethebestthatsheismeant
tobe.Italsohelpsawomanfullycometoherfullpotentialandtoshowpeoplethattheytooare
capableofdoingsports,evenviolentones.Peopleoftensaythatitsnotladyliketobeviolentbutto
meitsjustsimplyawomanshowingthatsheisstrong,sheissmart,andsheissuccessful.Delilah
Montoyawritesanarticleaboutwomenbreakingtheboundariesinboxing.Shecapturesthe
completeunderstandingofgenderinequalityinboxingandinanysport.Sherepresentsthebreaking
groundsofboxingandhowwomentodaycanreallybeseenstrong,smart,andsuccessful.Includedin
herarticleareimagesoffemaleboxers.Theimagerepresentconfidence,strength,andachievements.
Theyarepowerfulandinspirational.Ithinkwithouttheimages,theauthorwouldstillmakeagood

pointbuttheimagesarepowerfulmakingherarticlebecomemorethanjustdetailsbutreality.A
socialunderstandinghasalwaysbeenthatawomenisnottowitness,demonstrate,orindulgeinacts
ofviolence(DelilahMontoya,211).Womenhaveproventimeaftertimethattheyarecapableof
doingmanlysportsbutuntilpeoplestopdeclaringwhatamanorwomanshoulddo,theending
resultswillbethesame;theyremainashadowtomen.
Mentoostrugglewithsportacceptancesuchascheerleadingordancing.Thesesportsare
morecommonforwomentodoandifamandecidestodoitthensomehowheisconsidered
feminineanditevengetssobadtopeoplecallingthemgay.StephenMayswritesanarticlecalled,
GreatSexpectations,thatdescribestheharshrealityofhomosexualrelationships.Hepointsout
manydisappointingviewspeoplehaveonthatkindofrelationshipandimmediatelyshutseveryone
downwithhispersonalviews.Despitesexualorientation,somepeoplesimplydemonstratemore
masculinequalitiesormorefemininequalities(StephenMays,Web).Havingmorefemininequalities
isnotsomethingtobeashamedof.Beingoneself,feminineormasculine,itswhatmakesyou,you
andthatswhattrulymatters.Althoughthereisstillcontroversyforathleteswhochoosetodoasport
outsidethenorm,athleteswillstillcontinuetochangethemindsofpeopleandcontinuetobreakthe
stereotype.
Educationissomethingthateveryonestrivesfor.Althoughwomenareexceedingmenin
graduatingandthegapbetweenmenandwomengraduationrateshavecontinuedtoincrease;there
arentmanyreasonstoexplainwhythereissuchabiggap.SaulKaplanmentionsdetailsonthis
probleminhisarticlethatwaspostedontheHarvardBusinessReviewcalled,ThePlightofYoung
Males.InthisarticlehebringsupatopicthatIhonestlyneverknewwasanissue.Ineveronce
noticedwhilewalkingoncampusthementowomenratiobutsinceIreadthisarticle,Ihaveseenthat
itspeaksthetruth.Infact,ineachyearsince1982,moreAmericanwomenthanmenhavereceived
bachelorsdegreesOverthelastdecadetwomillionmorewomengraduatedfromcollegethanmen.

Andthegapcontinuestogrow(SaulKaplan,Web).Kaplanresearchedmanyfactstosupporthis
articleandalsoinputshispersonalopinionsontheissue.Ifoundhisarticletobeveryhelpfuland
gavemetheunderstandingofsomethingIwasntawareofit.Menarejustassmartandmotivatedas
womenbutwhatcouldbethereasonforthegap?Financialissueshavebeensaidtobeoneofthe
biggestreasonmendropoutbecausemenarelesswillingtotakeonthebigdebtthatarerequiredto
completeacollegedegree.Theamountofdebtmostpeoplegraduatefromschoolwithtakesyears,
sometimesdecadestopayoff,andperhapsmanymenaredecidingtogetthevocationaltrainingthat
isgearedtowardtheircareerofchoiceinsteadoftakingyearsofclassesthatdon'tpertaintotheir
career,andcostthemtimeandmoney(RachaelMurdock,Week4).Ibelievethatwomenaremore
likelytosticktocompletingtheireducationduetothepersistentofthewagegapforwork.Women
whodonothaveaneducationwillaverage$6,500ayearlowerthanwhatmenwillget.Thoughthere
couldbemanyreasonswhythereissuchabiggraduationgapbetweenmenandwomen,educationis
stillsomethingthateveryonestrivesfor.
Aseveryonehasheardandknow,mengetpaidmorethanwomenbutwhatwedontknowis
why?Women,onaverage,earnlessthanmeninvirtuallyeverysingleoccupationforwhichthereis
sufficientearningsdataforbothmenandwomentocalculateanearningsratio(IWPR,Web).Many
peoplesaythereasonforthispaygapisbecausewomenhaveotherresponsibilitiesoutsidework
suchastakingcareofkidsandfamilybutthatshouldntbesomethingthatholdsawomenfrom
gettingpaidless,ifanythingtheyshouldbegettingpaidmorethaniftheyholdmoreresponsibilities.
Althoughchangeshavebeenmade,thechangesarenothingdramatictocatchuptowhatmenare
gettingpaidandithasbeenpredictedthatattheslowratewearegoingnow,by2059willbewhen
womenwillfinallymetwhatmenaregetting.
Thefightforgenderequalitywillcontinuebyeducatingpeopleoftheproblemswestillface.
Themorepeopleknowthemorepeoplecanhelp.Thebestsolutionrightnowistochangewith

ourselves,treatothersequaljustaswewouldwanttobetreated.Andonedaywewilltrulybeableto
walksidebysideeachdayasatrulyequalnation.