In a world where women can virtually do anything they set their minds to, it is hard to believe that we might still be being held back. In the US, according to an article posted on Voice of America, “Much of the world sees American women as feminists who have cast aside traditional gender roles”.
But to what extent is this view of feminism doing women damage? Feminism has long been a friend to woman, having opened many doors to women so that we could, one day, become the women we will be, doing the job we are most passionate about ¾ and hopefully all getting equal pay for it. One day…
And while no one is arguing that feminism has not helped women be able to achieve the things they have and shape the world as it is today, as outlined by Kezia Latnie in ‘Lasting Effects of Feminism’, “Feminism is linked to a historical time, in which women fought for the equality of women”.
But how does society’s view of feminism, and who “is” or “isn’t” a feminist really affect women in the workplace?
If a woman holds a high-ranking job and is also a mother and wife, according to Latnie they are a feminist because they “…have cast aside traditional gender roles”.
In many ways, women work harder than men, with women making up roughly 50 percent of the work force and, according to statistics from the U.S. Labor Department, “some 60 percent of American women work and they hold half of all managerial and professional type jobs”.
But with statistics like this, why is it that women are still not taking up more top jobs, when other statistics say that only 4.8% of women hold jobs as CEO’s? Possibly, this is because, according to the Voice of America article, “While women have made great strides and enjoy greater opportunities than ever before, they still face hurdles and discrimination”.
In an ever changing world, feminism has gone from being the fight where “…women fought for the equality of women” to, apparently, meaning that women have turned their back on “traditional gender roles”, when the reality it that women have not stopped fighting for equality. Equality has just changed from the 1950s and ‘60s.
Today’s society and version of feminism seems to have only proved that women are able to work and raise a family at the same time… however hard it is and however tired they are at the end of the day.
Do you consider yourself a feminist? And do you see feminism continuing to play an important role for career and business women?
