Gender Inequality-Charlotte Gilman & Janet Chafetz

In today’s day and age, you find countless situations where you can see that gender inequality is not just a problem, it is an abomination to the human race. Gender inequality refers to the unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals based on their gender; it arises from differences in socially constructed gender roles. Gender inequality exists because society has put women into different roles and/or stereotypes that when a female does the opposite it seems wrong or socially incorrect. Inequality amongst the female gender is taken back to when America first began, when it was men who founded this country. Many people think it is caused because God created man before the woman. However, the fact of the matter is that inequality exists because

Between 1900 and 1920, women started taking jobs outside the home. It started with teaching, nursing, and social work but soon women began taking clerical jobs if they were native born white women with an education. Thus leading to “Rosie the Riveter”, which we will discuss later. “American Feminists, in the early 20th century included a segment of working-class women, participating alongside better-known middle-class and elite adherents of feminist ideas”, (Greenwald, 1989).

Robert L. Daniel, author of, American Women in the Twentieth Century, explains that women were being recruited to work in various jobs (122). Single women, ones that did not hold responsibilities to a husband or family were employed first and women that had families were taken only as a last resort (Daniel 123). Daniel further explains, "The nation's need permitted an expansion of women's economic role without it being perceived as a feminist threat" (123). What women could offer was now found as valuable and useful. The public opinion of women made a drastic turn around from their previous attitudes. The government and the media no longer looked down upon women for entering the work force, but gave much encouragement (Chafe, 134). In magazines such as "Lifetime" there were even advertisements promoting women to work.

Also women got to work in fields that paid higher wages then the normal women would work if she stilled had her old job. Women were not seen as a person that could hold and do the jobs of men. Back then women had one particular job majority of the time. They stayed at home moms, take care of the children and to provide need for their husbands. According to Maureen Honey he stated,” The fact that a woman could step into a man 's shoes and wear them rather comfortably posed an implicit challenge to traditional notions about femininity and female limitations. The question that has absorbed those of us focusing on the ideological dimension of this period is why the media 's legitimation of female entry into male work failed to supplant the traditional image of women as homemakers, unsuited by nature for wielding power outside the domestic province, for competently manipulating the machinery at the heart of our industrial society, and for holding jobs normally allocated to male "breadwinners."

However, not only did women work in the fields they also produce goods, and services; such as clothing, personal hygiene items, and food to be sold in order to build -up their coffer’s through that of their overabundance of supplies. This impact took place during the 1700’s and beyond, when women from all aspects of life filled these domestic jobs while working for very little pay; getting absolutely nothing at all for their work. During the 1800’s, however, this all changed for women and soon these women we’re categorized as being unskilled workers this causing tremendous consequences for these women; especially when the men return for war and once again took on the gender roles to which women were now a custom too.

Numbers of female employment increased: “An important one was the entrance of more women into the workforce; their numbers rose from 8.3 million (23.6 percent) in 1920 to 11 million (27 percent) in 1930” ( A Changing Society 79). As Women explains, “[t]he 1920s continued the historical trend of increasing labor force participation for women, but women continued to work long hours for poor pay, and they performed under-valued “women’s work” in whatever of sphere of the economy they worked”. Positions that women held were occupations “such as nursing, teaching, social work, and within medicine, pediatrics” (1-2). Single women had to perform a balancing act between hours or labor and the children.

After the death of woman works at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company became public knowledge, women were working towards receiving proper wages and expanding their employment options. By the 1920 around 25 precent of employed woman were office workers or telephone operators, 8 million woman working for wages, and one-quarter were married woman. The female work force no longer just consisted of young, single white woman. In Charlotte Perkins Gilman book Woman and Economics offered woman “evidence of a ‘spirit if personal independence’ that pointed to a coming transformation of both economic and family life. ”(Give

One way women battled the discrimination was by asserting their working rights. During the industrialization era “managers deskilled production,” therefore “the ranks of factory workers [included] more and more women” who were paid low wages (Henretta, 553). However, women faced criticism of men who argued that they belong at home. Despite the opposition,”woman vigorously defended their right to work”(Henretta, 553). They also participated in the strikes to gain “higher wages and shorter hours” for their long, hard work (Drehle, 86). In general the importance of women working and participating in the

Also, women found it very difficult to get jobs during this period because they were married and most employers didn’t want married women, so this resulted in a drastic turnover of domestic jobs. Later, women were allowed to work in some certain sectors of the economy and some did white collar jobs but not all due to race and class. The white women did most the white-collar jobs and the blue-collar jobs were left for the black society and immigrants. At the same time, gender inequality continued; despite the fact that they could do the professional jobs the pay was still very unequal. “They received, on average, only two-thirds of the salaries offered to men”(Srigley, 2005, pg.153). Immigrants and blacks did domestic jobs and left them from time to time as soon as their wages and working conditions worsened. Some of the married women could change their marital status because of their children; so garment industry and other domestic services employed them with minimum wages. In the US “Cleaning jobs, factory jobs and clerical jobs now filled by women” (Crosby, 2007). Women in the US around the depression era also did menial jobs like those in Canada. Education was another barrier in the labour market for women especially the blacks and immigrants. The little amount of women who were privileged to gain education were the

As found by Gervase and Kidd, women who did have jobs often had an increased societal and domestic status and influence. (Gervase, Tati; Kidd, Rachel) This statement shows that while there still wasn’t equality between men and women in the 1930’s, women had begun on a

Gender inequality refers to unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals wholly or partly due to their gender. It arises from differences in gender roles. Gender inequality isn’t a exercise which has just recently developed instead it is a practice which has been part of our community since civilizations have begun. When one thinks of gender issues they directly connect it with females however this issue consists of both men and women which can be heavily seen in the early eras.

Women’s job opportunities were very limited during the 1920’s, laws were set that prohibited them from working in certain jobs and conditions. Common jobs that women had were teachers, social workers, nurses and librarians. During the rise of the corporate office, new jobs opened up for women. Some of these jobs included; typists, filing clerks, stenographers, and some secretarial jobs.(Bryan 2). Over half of the women in the workforce working outside of the reserves were in domestic service and the clothing, food,

Gender inequality has been the main focus for many centuries through the use of discrimination and oppression women were exploited. Where women had very little rights of their own or a voice in society but made many sacrifices to achieve equal rights whether it be in employment or other areas of inequality. As men were seen as masculine breadwinners and women as more feminine by looking after the family and raring of children.

Lets take a look at the core of gender inequality. What first must be distinguished is the difference between sex and gender. Sex refers to the biological label given to each individual at birth (Social Inequalities 316). We are labeled male or female based on our sex organs, bodily chemistry, and bodily functions in general (Social Inequalities 316). The social and cultural differences not acquired at birth determine gender (Social Inequalities 316). These accepted behaviors to which men and women are expected to conform are established by the society. These are referred to characteristics of femininity and masculinity. As one grows up they realize their role to play in society and make it their duty to play their role to its full extent. This is how inequality begins.

As modern times drew closer the classical roles of females would have become obsolete and inefficient in such a rapidly growing industrial society. Looking at that the Eighteenth - Nineteenth Centuries purely from an economical view; without the help of women as “visible” members of society the Industrial Revolution would not have had such a dramatic and sweeping effect on society. “For thousands of years the achievements of women, if not actively erased from human history, have been largely ignored. History was written almost exclusively by men about men - men's wars, men's accomplishments, and men's discoveries” (Ashby and Gore p.15). Becoming visible was a long and tedious process; women were constantly being knocked down as their male-counterparts got all