Introduction
For doing the same job, a woman is paid a wage lower than that offered to a man. What a sad fact. The pure thought of it disturbs any parent who realizes that after schooling their daughter for all the years with the same fee payments as her male classmates, she ends up getting that much exploited in employment. This scenario and some other glaring malpractices and bias have waged the fight for equal rights for both females and males (Kabeer; Naila 17). Gender equality is a when men and women enjoy the same opportunities and rights spanning all the sectors of the society right from decision-making and economic participation.\u00a0 In addition to this, it dictates that the different aspirations, needs, and behaviors of both women and men be equally favored and valued for gender equality to be at parity (Kabeer; Naila 21). Balance is at the heart of all development in the society. Men and women have a commensurate contribution to the achievement of the progress goals in the community.
The Wage Gap and Biases
For quite a long time the trend has been persistent with the female gender being relegated to be subordinate to the male. The major argument put forth to validate this claim is the biological differences in the two genders, research statistics that indicate higher metabolic consumption by men have been forwarded as the evidence for this. An example is on the factors such as the basal metabolic rate where men use averagely 1800 cal/day whereas women have 1400cal/day. This has been connected and tied to the performance input on the various workplaces. Therefore women have been viewed as a weaker gender. However, this viewpoint is questionable as the validity of the information is not authenticated. No research has ever drawn a conclusion on the effect of gender or metabolic energy expenditure on the mental performance. This renders this interpretation as a misinformed and premature conclusion based on insufficiency of facts.
Socialization and Gender Roles
Considering each keenly, we see biology pointing out men and women as different in their physical forms that place men as dominant. Because of socialization, it can be seen that women and men of the present and the past act, think and achieve asymmetrically (Amartya 37).\u00a0 The different gender personalities often acquire different expectations and identities according to the treatment they receive. However, one would question the reason for the parents to socialize their children to such antithetical ideals: tradition. People tend to revere the laid down ideas and pass them on to their children. However, the chauvinist notion is quite vague, as the arguments do not give a chance to the logical questioning and exact reasoning. The biological differences assume the fact that mental capability is independent of the physical differences. The tradition and socialization point of view too does not offer a chance for the evaluation of the events about progress observed in female-led societies.
Importance of Gender Equality in Society
According to the statistics however and research, it is evident that gender equality is a prerequisite for sustained development in the society (Inglehart; Ronald; Norris np).\u00a0 Considering the facts of very successful entities where women lead all over the world and the places where the entry of a woman to the leadership wrought ought an incredible change.\u00a0 Some of the most successful companies that have women at the mantle include General Motors where Mary Barra is the CEO, PepsiCo that is headed by Indra Nooyi, Hewlett Packard Enterprise that has Meg Whitman as the CEO and President, IBM with Ginni Rometty as the CEO, Chairman, and President. The sway that the companies hold is a sure proof that women can as well provide the quality leadership contrary to the earlier belief of such to belong to men alone. In addition to this, it is quite evident that both the males and females have critical roles to play. Taking from the family setting, when the child is born, its closest friend is always its mother who provides unrivaled love for the baby. The compassion and the level at which the mothers identify with the needs of the children gives a firm ground for reasoning that the same can be replicated in the organizations where they would work. On the other hand, the father provides security to the child and is often responsible for the wellbeing of the family. United, both the parents are essential in the shaping of the child's character and holistic growth. Refuting the claim of differences in roles, it is worthy to note that research has shown that the mental capabilities of both the women and men are equal and both can deliver at the same rate (Inglehart; Ronald; Norris np).
Women in the Workforce
In addition, the post world war development can be attributed to the entry of women to the workplace however still considered as secondary workers.\u00a0 The percentage of women in the labor force increased from 45.9% in 1955 to 51% in 1965. A striking case example was the experience of Ford Motor Company in 1967 when they ran out of car seats as the women machinists withdrew their labor in the Dagenham plant on 7 June 1968 due to inequality that was evident in the company. Normalcy and operation was restored just after the company settled for a 92% of the rate paid for the unskilled male workers (Stevenson; George 749). Thus it is displayed that both gender are equal and perform at the same level.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is inevitable that gender equality lies at the center of all development and for sustained growth, the participation of both men and women is essential. Success is realized in companies led by women as well as men, for example, GM, PepsiCo, and IBM.\u00a0 In addition to this, the complementary roles of the parents in child upbringing confirm the need for united and equal effort from both gender fronts. Recently, the move for provision and lobby for similar opportunities across the gender divide has intensified. The much-awaited economic boom will soon materialize as men and women will embrace cooperation instead of superiority struggles.
Works Cited
Kabeer, Naila. "Gender equality and women's empowerment: A critical analysis of the third-millennium development goal 1.” Gender " Development 13.1 (2005): 13-24.
Inglehart, Ronald, and Pippa Norris. Rising tide: Gender equality and cultural change around the world. Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Sen, Amartya. "The many faces of gender inequality.” New Republic (2001): 35-39.
Stevenson, George. "The Women's Movement and ‘Class Struggle’: gender, class formation and political identity in women's strikes, 1968–78." Women's History Review 25.5 (2016): 741-755.
