Breaking The Glass - An Essay on Women's Rights

Breaking the Glass
“Feminist: someone who advocates the social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men.”1
This is the 21st Century. A time when women and men compete for commercial, economic, social and political power. But the fight is not fair. The modern woman remains subjected to an intolerable level of inequality. No matter how hard we try to conceal this, it remains apparent in today’s society. The number of women working in industries such as engineering was practically 0% of the United Kingdom’s population until World War 2, where men were required to fight on the front-line and women filled the shoes of the men in power. Seventy five years later, women today only make up 7% of the same group2. Where is the progress?
The average working woman – approximately 47% of the United Kingdom’s workforce3 – earns under 80% of the average working man’s salary. We, as a society, must learn that we depend on each other - equally. Men rely on women just as much as women rely on men. Both sexes are required for the circle that is life to continue. A child cannot be naturally conceived without a woman; neither it be naturally conceived without a man. So, if we are so equally important - why are women treated with less equality?
The anger felt by both women and men worldwide over the “glass ceiling” in employment has created a powerful wave of feminist energy that washes over every one of us. The ceiling is described by Ann Morrison - a woman’s rights activist quoted in the piece of work entitled The Glass Ceiling: A Misunderstood Form of Discrimination - as a barrier that “prevents women from moving up the corporate hierarchy”4. Before the rise of the “Rosie the Riveter” image in 1943, women could not achieve success in industry and were expected to live up to the stereotypical housewife image – cooking, cleaning and providing for their family (not financially). This family dynamic has been challenged by the rise of women at work. Self-proclaimed “happy-African-feminist-who-doesn’t-hate-men”5 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, recalls a time when she tipped a taxi driver with money that she earned from working. The taxi driver assumed that whatever money Adichie had in her purse came from a man.6 Of course, a woman could not possibly work and earn money or be successful in any line of work - that would be absolutely ridiculous. In 1971, 53% of women aged 16 - 64 years old were in employment. However, in 2013, the employment rate for women aged 16 - 64 was 67%.7 This increase clearly and strongly solidifies the importance of women in work. We need women to keep our economy strong.
If it weren’t for women in this world, many breakthroughs in all areas of life wouldn’t have been possible. Take Marie Curie for example, whose work was “crucial in the development of x-rays in surgery”8. Without Curie’s contribution to the world of science - which she won 2 Nobel Prizes for - who knows where we would be. Aung San Suu Kyi, who was kept under house arrest in Burma for the majority of two decades in an attempt to silence her, now is the leader of the country’s opposition party. Finally, after decades of campaigning, the Burmese government are finally starting to listen to the voices of women. Women famously have contributed great things to our society. Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi, Florence Nightingale, Mother Teresa, Malala Yousafzai. The list of women who have changed the way we think and live is endless.
Women are marginalised in countries worldwide, in particular, China and Africa. In China, there are cases of infanticide purely due to the child being female. Women give themselves abortions daily when they receive news of their child’s gender. Some mothers in China have even committed suicide just because of their baby’s gender. If the mother decides to keep her baby - despite being cursed with a female child - girls continue to be marginalised when it comes to education and healthcare. In Africa, if a girl has a brother, the brother will be the one chosen to go to school. If a girl and her brother are both ill, the brother will receive healthcare and his sister will potentially be left to die of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria or sleeping sickness - an illness only found in Africa. However, in the Western world, feminist energy is unavoidable in all areas in life - the media, industry and many more. So why are certain individuals refusing women equality? As a male, I support women being equal. I support a woman being able to earn as much as I could because - let’s be honest - she is capable of producing exactly the same, if not better, quality of work. However, men worldwide continue to be angered by the threat of a woman. Whether it be in terms of competition in business, which can be beneficial to a certain extent, or due to the fact that, despite our efforts, women are still viewed as a professional minority. But we should all be angry. We should be furious at the fact that women aren’t treated with the same respect as men. We should be livid at even the thought of a woman being discriminated against in any area, be it the workplace, at home or the wider world. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie explains in her speech for TED that parents are keen to meet their son’s girlfriends but “god forbid” meeting their daughter’s boyfriend - but of course when the time is right we expect those girls to bring back the perfect man to be their husband9. This highlights the discrimination against girls, even by their parents. Even for homosexuals, parents are often uncomfortable meeting their son’s boyfriend or daughter’s girlfriend - further highlighting the discrimination in today’s society. Adichie’s passion for equal rights is something which I personally find inspiring. Her arguments ring true - why aren't we all feminists? If we want a more equal society for homosexuals and transexuals why can’t we achieve equality for gender also? Although the struggle is a long one, we are making progress. Those of us who believe in humanity as a species undivided will win in the battle for equality. Daily, the fight for equality grows stronger. Every minute, we move closer to a society where a female and a male are not only treated with respect - but with equality. Every second, we move into a future where society puts potential before gender. Finally, in the words of Jane Galvin Lewis:
“You don't have to be anti-man to be pro-woman”.10

1,103 words.

Bibliography:
Feminist Majority Foundation, Empowering Women in Business, Available: www.feminist.org/research/business/ewb_glass.html
The Guardian, Thursday, 7 November 2013, Gender Pay Gap Stands at 15%, Available: www.theguardian.com/money/2013/nov/07/gender-pay-gap-official-figures-disparity
Jackson, Jerlando F. L, The Glass Ceiling: A Misunderstood Form of Discrimination, Available: website.education.wisc.edu/jjackson/publications/Annotated%20Bib%20070607.pdf
Knowles Carter, Beyoncé, The Shriver Report, 12th January 2014, Gender Equality Is A Myth, Available: shriverreport.org/gender-equality-is-a-myth-beyonce/
Silvera, Ian, International Business Times, 25th September 2013, Working Men Numbers Fall but More Women in Jobs, Available: www.ibtimes.co.uk/ons-women-men-work-unemployment-employment-jobs-509006
Rochester Institute of Technology, Available:

www.rit.edu/kgcoe/women/about/fast-facts

Business In The Community, Available:

diversity.bitc.org.uk/WomenWorkFactsheet

Office for National Statistics, Available:

www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lmac/women-in-the-labour-market/2013/rpt---women-in-the-labour-market.html?format=print

BBC History, Marie Curie Biography, Available: www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/curie_marie.shtml