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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums3 Overlooked Reasons Why Gender Equality Is Being Held Back
3 Overlooked Reasons Why Gender Equality Is Being Held Back
Women's Equality Day celebrates the 19th Amendment, but we still have a long way to go to achieve a true balance.
Ninety-six years ago today, the United States adopted the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote. In 1972, August 26 was declared "Womens Equality Day" in order to mark that anniversary. Nearly a half-century later, with a woman at the top of the Democratic Partys presidential ticket, Susan Adams, a professor of management at Bentley University, asks, "How long will it be before the gender of a presidential candidate is a non-issue?" Its clear the country has come a long way on gender equality. But its equally clear that we still have a way to go to realize it fully. Here are a few less recognized reasons why.
1. The Home Front Is Still Seen As "Feminine"
Over the past 50 years, American dads have nearly tripled the amount of time they spend on childcare (to seven hours a week, up from two and a half [absolutely appalling]), according to a report published in June by MenCare. But the chores theyre picking up arent necessarily lightening their female partners loads; Pew researchers recently discovered that women are spending more time on both childcare and housework than they used to.
. . . .
Adams, who's published research on female leadership, sees the spillover of these long-held stereotypes in the workplace. She notes how they've come through this election cycle, where Clintons "stamina" and "strength" have been questioned alongside her pantsuits and her voice. "But this is true for women in any position of leadership," says Adams. "By societal norms, women cant be too assertive or brash, though both can be great tools for delivering results."
. . . . .
3. 11% Of U.S. Employees Dont Believe In Equal Pay
In a report published last March, Glassdoor found that 89% of U.S. workers believe men and women deserve to be paid equally for the same job. But that means that a not-inconsiderable 11% dont.
One reason why it may be worth paying just as much attention to this minority is because of the sizable majority, detailed above, who see household chores and child care as "womens work." In other words, these two findings unavoidably coexist on the spectrum of Americans' attitudes about gender and the relative values of certain kinds of work.
. . . .
But these findings, taken together, hint that the reverse is likely true, too: that the progress that's still left to be made is an accurate reflection of our evolving and sometimes contradictory ideas about genderand that what we haven't achieved is just as good a measure of where we are as what we have. The day that American societyall of itgenuinely believes in gender equality, it will already have achieved it. Says Adams: "As a society, we will be much better off and closer to gender equality when men can be kind and supportive, women can be more directive in executing leadership, and girls around the country can visualize themselves as president."
https://www.fastcompany.com/3063174/strong-female-lead/3-overlooked-ways-we-still-havent-reached-gender-equality
SunSeeker
(51,523 posts)My work on the home front quadrupled after giving birth, while I still work full time.
niyad
(113,105 posts)actually way less than that seven hours. it was saying that the two hour thing was actually an increase.
Buckeye_Democrat
(14,853 posts)niyad
(113,105 posts)I was 18 when that commerical was running all the time. Didn't mean that much to me then, but that song runs through my head even today, when I'm doing too much and husband is doing to little. Fortunately, that's not every day, but he does sometimes decide he needs an evening "off", which is a luxury I don't have. People still expect to eat and the youngest still at home still needs stuff. When I'm irritated, I change the words to: "I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and then you wonder why I forget you're a man".
Buckeye_Democrat
(14,853 posts)I'm not laughing at your situations, but how you changed the lyrics!
I just remembered that my oldest sister used to mockingly sing that song too, with a semi-scowl on her face. I was a preteen boy at the time.