In 1966, women were barely able to
enter the work force, and if they were lucky enough to have a job they were
secretaries, teachers, or nurses. It was unthinkable for a woman to try and
become a police officer or firefighter because they were jobs for men, the
thought being that men are innately stronger, smarter and more capable.
By 1976, these jobs were now
possible for women, though still rare, thanks to the work of NOW. NOW strived
for gender equality. They wanted the world to see that there is no innate
difference between men and women, and they succeeded in many ways.
And yet, 40 years later the job
force is still not equal. Setting aside the issue of wages, in which white
women make 77 cents on the dollar compared to their male counterparts, several
jobs are still highly underrepresented in the female community. While women have supposedly gained the right to enter any job, their entry into the work force is moving at a snails pace and we will not have true gender equality until all jobs are 50/50. In the United States, roughly 80 percent of
engineers are men, 95% of pilots are men, and 100% of U.S. Presidents have been
men.
The movement for equality in the
workforce is once again receiving visibility due to Hillary Clinton’s major
party nomination. She is said to be breaking the highest glass ceiling in the
world. This visibility needs to be used to rejuvenate the cause and once again
strive for equality by showing the world that women can, and should be let to,
do anything.
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