Minority groups are less empowered than the majority group, and they are prone to different treatment in their countries and societies. Minority also refers to a given sociological class of people. Women are considered a minority group because they do not have the same opportunities and powers as men. Women, as a minority group, have been discriminated against for a long time. Women are roughly equal to the number of men but tend to have less power than men, making them qualify as a minority group. Women are discriminated against based on their sex, and it is common in society politically, legally and economically. Male sexism has led to the discrimination of women. Although women have gained access to education and employment, men still do not confront them (Ford, 2003). Gender discrimination in society is tied to race and class discrimination. Both contemporary and historically, women do not enjoy the same rights as women.
Key Facts
In chapter 16 of Diversity in Organizations, Legal discrimination and norms in culture lead to low occupation of women. Women are considered a minority group because they do not enjoy the same opportunities, rights, and power as men. Women undergo sexism, where they are discriminated against based on sex. Sex discrimination, wage inequality and sex segregation are common problems that women are facing (Discrimination,1999). Women are not considered in high-status and management positions but are often viewed as powerless, contributing to sex harassment. Women are subordinate to women and do not enjoy equal distribution of privileges.
History
The history of women in the U.S. comprises the lived experiences and contributions women had in American history. Women who lived in the U.S. in the early days were native Americans. Women did not have the same rights as men; hence, they were poorly treated with no respect. In the 19th century, women were not allowed to participate in domestic roles—the campaign for women’s suffrage ended by adopting the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920. Many women filled roles done by men in fighting overseas during World War II. The second wave of the feminist movement in the 1960s changed the perception of women, but it was unsuccessful in passing the amendment of equal rights. In the 21st century, women in America take part in prominent roles. In U.S. history, women had to submit to laws but had no voice in forming them. Women who were married did not have the right to own property. In the colonial era, women’s experiences varied from one colony to another.
Throughout U.S. history, men and women were believed to inhabit different spheres. Men participated in financial affairs and political matters. On the other hand, women took part in domestic spheres by imparting morals to their children and making their homes peaceful for their husbands (Davis, 2012). Women did not have the power to do things as they desired because men controlled them. Women were expected to follow strict rules and obey the laws they were given. Women struggled in their daily activities because they had to observe what men told them. In U.S. history, women helped shape the country, opening doors for equality and equal rights for women.
Population
Regarding population rate, the sex ratio in the U.S. favours women. Since 1946, the U.S. has had a more significant number of women than men, according to the U.S. census. The population sex ratio 2021 was 98 men per 100 women (Lowe-Evans, 2017). There were around 5.17 million more women than men in 2010. The difference is projected to decrease by 3 million in 2027. In 2021, the U.S. population was estimated to be 331,89 million; women were approximately 51 per cent. Based on the Worldometer elaboration, the population of women in the U.S. is 51.9 per cent.
Education, Employment and Earnings
Women were naturally considered weak and had fewer opportunities for education, employment and earnings. Formal education for women was secondary to that of men. In the early years of U.S. history, higher education was only designed for men. Since the start of the 1980s, women’s positions in the education sector have increased. Women started to surpass men in the master’s and bachelor’s degrees. Until the 19th century, women were barred from getting access to higher education. Women being allowed access to higher education helped to come up with a revolution in gender roles. The 20th century they marked the period of advancement in women getting an education (McFadden, 2005). Most education institutions refused to admit women, but later, the U.S. experienced a rise in women’s colleges. Education became widespread, making women join fields of study reserved for men. Legislative measures were put in place to ensure equal education opportunities for both men and women.
In today’s world, women still face critical issues in workplaces that most of them have to pursue to climb the career and professional ladder. Inequality issues based on salaries have prevailed over so many years. The inequality problem persists even after struggling for women to have equal rights in employment and wages. Women get treated by men holding similar positions with them. They are considered inferior and weak to men, hence not getting better jobs and salaries than men. Women are treated differently because they are believed to be incompetent than men.
In the colonial period, some women in the U.S. earned their living, and some women worked in professions believed to be available for men. By the start of the 19th century, women were limited from working in factory labour and doing domestic work. Women also got excluded from professionals except for teaching and taking part in writing. Women were not allowed to work outside the home, and those who did were young and unmarried. Most women did not have significant education, and those who were educated struggled as domestic workers or worked in factories. The gender pay gap existed in the U.S., and it still exists where men are paid more than women. In workplaces, women were poor uneducated and were working as employees in people’s homes and factories. In workplaces, women were mistreated, leading to depression, low self-esteem and anxiety.
The gender pay gap has remained stable in the U.S. for 20 years. Even if women are now taking part in previously male-dominated jobs, women are still overrepresented in occupations that pay low wages, which has contributed to differences in earnings. Women were paid less than male employees who were doing the same job.
Stereotypes
Gender stereotypes are the view about attributes and roles that men and women can perform. Gender stereotypes can limit men’s and women’s capacity to pursue their professions and develop their abilities. Gender stereotypes hold women back in the places where they are working and even make them question the powers they have. For example, the traditional view of women being caregivers shows that the childcare responsibilities fall entirely on women. Women were likelier to incline houses than men, and men were candidates for repairing households. Marital rape was never criminalized because women were taken as sexual property by men. Failing to do an investigation on sexual violence is also another stereotype because there is a belief that the victims involved agreed on the sexual act and were not modestly dressed. Engineering was considered masculine, and nursing was taken as a job to be done by women. Gender stereotyping is a significant cause of women being discriminated against in society.
Strengths
Even if women are treated as a minority in society, they also have their strengths. Women act as the backbone for the community and family by providing care and support in growth. Women also play a crucial role in community building and take positions in organizations. Starting from women campaigning to enjoy the right to vote and participating in the nation’s conflicts, women have contributed to society’s growth (STOVALL, 2006). Women’s accomplishments have changed the look of politics and set good records, and this has led to the establishment of firm places for women in the U.S. Women have now become active participants in education, innovations, politics and even entrepreneurship. Promoting gender equality between men and women and empowering women has led to economic growth and reduced societal poverty.
Strategies
Strategies have been put in place to address the needs of women as a minority group. Systems in place include a commitment to promote respect for human dignity to achieve equality between men and women, enhancing women’s participation in leadership roles in economic, political, cultural and social life (Kovács, 2005). These strategies will help women understand their values in society. Techniques like assisting women to succeed, discussing equality, supporting women in business, and allowing women to take part in roles that men do can protect women from being treated as a minority group.
Popular culture
Popular culture is recognized by members of the society and objects which were dominant in a given period. Pulp fiction is a popular culture that highly represented women in the U.S. from the 1920s to 1950s. The pulps were called so because they were printed cheaply and grew from the dime novel industry. Pulps were used to represent views in the society which were stereotypic with unusual settings. In pulps, women were based on characters that tended to be stereotypic and shocking. Women sometimes appeared as main characters but more often as companions of male protagonists.
Conclusion
In conclusion, inequality based on gender remains a problem where the dominant gender has been men while women are treated as a minority group. Women, as a minority group, have been discriminated against since the early years. In terms of population, women are more than men in the current world, but they are still treated and regarded as a minority group. Regardless of various strategies put in place, the protection of women in society is not highly assured. They get discriminated based on their gender. Women have fought for the rights and freedoms they were denied in the early years. If it were not for women in American History, women would not enjoy their rights today.
References
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