Gender Study

Gender Study

Introduction

Both male and female genders are an equally important factor for the continued existence of the human race. However, over the years, there has been a lot of stereotyping and discrimination against the female gender. In recent years, the impact of this stereotyping has reduced, but its effectsare still evident in certain aspects of the different societies around the world. For example, in regions of Africa and Asia mostly, women have continued to be perceived as a less superior gender compared to the male counterpart. Historically, factors such as education and leadership were seen as more important to male people than in female people. Denial of equal opportunity in leadership uses a gender-biased language that discriminates against women, and sexual assaults and harassment are factors that hinder gender equality worldwide.

Women Emancipation

Over the years, women have been thought of as people who are not fit to lead. It is for this reason that most of the governments and institutions have had male leaders. The few women that have held a leadership position in companies and other institutions have proved to have good leadership by delivering incredible results. Still, the negative stereotype about them is believed to be a reason that there few women are holding top leadership positions currently. In a political atmosphere, women have had a squeezed share compared to their male counterparts. As Freedman(170-173) reports, the emancipation has isolated women and robbed their happiness. Although it has earned women economic, political, and professional independence, the history of discrimination pushes them to put a lot of energy that even becomes strenuous to achieve equality with male persons in these areas. To relieve female of the struggle to ascend into these positions, support from the male by discrediting the belief that women cannot lead is a promoting factor..

Gender-biased Language and Discrimination in Jobs and Leadership Positions

In workforce and employment, there has been historical gender injustice that has discriminated against the female gender from doing specific jobs in industries, organizations, companies, and other institutions. Studies show that women are engaged more in low and middle-level employment as compared to top job positions in their place of work. For example, studies show that the number of women in senior management levels is quite minimal compared to males. Also, women have had discrimination on jobs that are perceived that only men can do them, for example, being in the army or police force. This stereotyping has been even motivated gender-biased language in referring to the male holder of a particular job. For example, as Sczesnyet al. (1) says, the use of policeman instead a police officer is a gender-biased term, which can lead to thinking that only a man can be a police officer. Therefore, adopting a gender-fair language is an essential factor that should see and promote gender equality in employment.

Right to Have Sex

Every human being, irrespective of gender have feelings of getting to have sex. Sex should be everyone’s choice once you are an adult and entitled to make decisions concerning the same. Over the years, sexual harassment and assaults have affected the female gender than the male gender. Many cases of rape all over the world have seen female being the victim. This act of harassment is an indicator that females have perceived as beings to fulfil the sexual needs of males,which is wrong (Alptraum). The fight against this violation has been fostered by most law enforcement institutions of many countries of the world, but it has not been sufficiently curbed.  It is also the responsibility of male people to join the fight against sexual assaults and harassment by accepting the fact no one has a right over someone’s sexual decisions to end this human right violation against women. Also, women have been denied the power of having sex freely in a manner that is safe for them. For example, in America, women have had difficulties in accessing contraceptives to protect them against unwanted pregnancies and also from contracting sexually transmitted infections. The cases of women having an abortion are considered a sin. Still, it has been forgotten that the use of contraceptives that are denied to women is the first preventive measure to abortion (Valenti, 83). The denial of access to these contraceptives has landed many girls and married women unsafe sex as it believed that women are not allowed to have premarital sex, and if you are married, why should you use contraceptives.

Conclusion

Both the female and male gender have equal potential in performing well on various aspects of the society if the stereotyping and discrimination is not inclined to a particular gender. For decades the female gender has been the most discriminated against because of the inferiority belief about women. They have been giving little support to ascend to a position of power and leadership positions, hold senior job positions in companies, and discriminated on specific job types. Also, women have been sexually assaulted and harassed than males. They have been denied easy access to contraceptives to protect themselves from unsafe sex and the prevention of unwanted pregnancies. To remedy these, advocation for gender-fair language, educate males on the equal potential of women to achieve things given opportunities and to respect women’s sexual rights and decisions.

References

Alptraum, Lux. “The Problem With How Men Perceive Rape”. Splinter, 2016, https://splinternews.com/the-problem-with-how-men-perceive-rape-1793861473. Accessed 6 Mar 2020.

Freedman, Estelle B., ed. The essential feminist reader. Modern Library Classics, 2007.

Sczesny, Sabine, Magda Formanowicz, and Franziska Moser. “Can gender-fair language reduce gender stereotyping and discrimination?.” Frontiers in Psychology 7 (2016): 25.

Valenti, Jessica. Full frontal feminism: A young woman’s guide to why feminism matters. Seal Press, 2014.