Equality.
Women have been fighting for this for an eternity; the war to be looked at as an equal human being has not been lost, but whether or not it has been won is all your point of view. I can appreciate the strides women have made; for the most part we are not expected to be barefoot in the kitchen anymore and are now viewed as a viable source for the work force. The ability to choose the fate of our bodies and actively engage with society through things like voting has not been forgotten by myself. Unfortunately the idea that we now stand tall among men needs to be reconsidered, not only by the women of today but by young men who could potentially take part in maintaining the glass ceiling.
Although there are many areas where women can experience forms of discrimination, a very prevalent problem that has been researched thoroughly, yet has still not been solved is sexism in the work place. In almost every job women are experiencing income disparity and a lack of mobility within their careers. Not only this, but specific jobs that were once respectably held by men and are now mostly held by women have lost their significance and are undervalued by society. Being a secretary back when men ruled the work force was a highly reputable career, now a days women in this position are seen as coffee pourers with not much to offer.
One of the latest news worthy stories is the ability women are given to participate in active duty. Women only make up 14-15% of the military force today and few of these positions allow them to be deployed. Like most things the opinion on the matter is drastically different depending on who you're talking to.
The marines announced in April of this year that they would begin training more women for combat, and that they are actively looking for more women strictly for active duty positions. This statement was quickly followed by their concerns of women's abilities out in the field, things like their strength and the opposition they will be met with by their men colleagues in combat.
In november of this year it was announced that The American Civil Liberties union has filed against the ban that keeps women from being deployed. Stating that even though some progress has been made to mend the unjust preference of men in combat, women are still unable to achieve their potential.
Yes, I agree that women and men are completely different creatures. Not only physically but mentally, we deal with and solve problems through very different methods. Since when does the whole "opposites attract" theory not apply anymore? Surely a lot of opportunities can come from these differences, for the most part having different views can provide better problem solving and efficiency. Women for the most part do not stand up against men physically, but this does not mean they can not be very strong. If women thought for a moment they would be unable to physically do something, they would back out by their own decision, but to just ban them on the assumption they can not preform is ridiculous.
Any human being willing to potentially give their life in order to protect their loved ones and their country should be allowed to do so. There are probably many men that would never want to enter into combat and yet they would be preferred over women willing and able to do so.
Women, I'm sure you could think of times when you were unable to achieve what you wanted do to a male preference in the world. Men, I'm sure you could think of women whom you love that are experiencing the same. It's not something to account all our losses to or whine about, instead it is something to continually recognize so that equality can continue to grow.
Great blog post! Of course being a female myself these words hit close to home and I am reminded of the many wars that Canadians and Americans have been apart of, and I am happy with the strides of female equality that we have made so far. For example in world war II, a woman wanting to be a solider, or in the military period was a pretty ridiculous thought. To get anywhere close to the battle fields they would have to become nurse's or nuns, both of which may not have been ideal for those women desiring to fight for their country. That being said, I agree we still have a long way to go before the abilities of women in society, particularly those requiring physical strength, are considered up to par with men's. I agree very much so with what you said about how if a woman doubted her abilities, she likely wouldn't apply for the position in the first place. So they deserve to show how they can match up, without being discriminated against, before they have a chance. I believe that allowing women to have a more active roll in combat will have a very positive effect on society, and for women striving to be recognized as equals.
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