GenevieCasino

9/20/15

GenderEquality
ThereweretwoarticlesIreadforthisassignmentongenderequality.ThefirstarticleI
readwasbyPhilipN.Cohen(HowCanWeJumpStarttheStruggleforGenderEquality?).
ThesecondarticleIreadwasasmallcollectionofresponsesfromavarietyofcontributors,
invitedbytheeditorsofGlobalAgenda,answeringthesebigquestions:WhatdoesGender
Equalitymean?Isitachievable?Botharticlessparkedsomehopeinmethatgenderequalityis
achievable.

InthefirstarticleIreadbyPhilipN.Cohen,hebeganbyaddressingtheprogresswehave
made:Theintegrationofoccupationsoncecategorizedbygenderandwomensshareof
managementjobsallrocketedupwardfromthe1970stillsometimeinthe1990s.Womenwent
fromearningfewerthan10percentoflawandmedicinedegreesin1970toearningalmosthalf
ofthembytheearly2000s.Healsomentionedhowmensattitudesonfeminismhavechanged
rightalongwithwomens.Forallthat,somejournalistsproclaimedwomensimpending
dominanceandother,moreconservative,authorsworriedthatfeministprogresswas
underminingmasculinityandsteeringmentowardruin.Thejournalistswroteasifthefeminist
steamrollerhasalreadyreacheditsdestination.Theyspoketoosoon,themovementtoward
equalitystopped.Womensfulltimeannualearningswere76percentofmensin2001,and77
percentin2011.

Womenfacedemploymentdiscrimination,onthebasisofsex,race,age,motherhood,
pregnancy,andappearance.Theyfacedobstaclesbuyingpropertywithouttheirhusbands
approval,rapewithinmarriagewasnotacrime,anddomesticviolencewasjustbarelyone.
Divorcewasrelativelyrare,birthcontrolwasillegalinmanyplaces,andelectiveabortionwas
banned.IcouldnthavesaiditbetterwhenCohensaid,itsdifficulttoimagine(orremember)
Americanwomensworldintheearly1960s.

Twothingshaveremainedstubbornlyunchanged,thefirstonebeingthatthesubstantial
movementofmenintoevenonefemaledominatedmajorisstrikinglyabsent.Secondisthatthe
sameislargelytrueofoccupations.Malepresenceisaskedforinusuallyregardedfemale
occupationaljobssuchaslibrarians,nurses,andearlychildhoodeducators.

Cohenconcludeshisarticlewithhisownsolution.Familyleave,reducedworkhours
andpublicchildcarewontdirectlyreduceoccupationalsegregation,producingmoremale
nurses,teachersanddaycareworkers.Butpushingthesepolicyfrontsoffersthepotentialtoalter
thegenderlogicofbothfamilyandworkplace.Ifyouwantasocietyinwhichmenarewelcome
andwillingtobedaycareworkers,youmayneedaworkplaceculturethatacceptsor
encouragesfathersspendingmoretimeathomewiththeirchildren.Tounblockthepath
towardgenderequality,thesepoliciesmaybethebestideaswehave.

NaomiWolf,oneofthecontributorsinvitedbytheeditorsofGlobalAgenda,saidwhat
genderequalityorfeminismshouldmeanIsupposethatifgenderequalityisthegoal,
feminismistheprocessofhowwegetthereisthelogicalextensionofthecoreideaof
democracy.Shesaystruefeminismempowersanyonetobefeeandtohaveequalopportunity
andaccesstoequallegalrightsandtheruleoflaw,butitdoesntdictatewhatthatfreeperson

shouldbedoingwithherorhisfreedom.Icompletelyagreewiththis,mydefinitionoffeminism
cannotonlybeonepartofthatsentencebutbothempoweringbutnotdictating.

RonanFarrowsaid,itisuptoallofustoprotectwomen,theirrightsandtheir
opportunities(Ilikehowhedoesntsay,itisuptoall
men
),and,Womenwhohavemadeit
tothetopneedtostaythereandfightforaworldwherecountlessgirlsarenotjustable,but
expected,tolead.ChloeBreyersresponseconfusedme.Hesaidthatreligioustraditions
involvemanyobstaclesforgenderequality,yetheproposesthealternativethatinalessreligious
world,genderequalitywillnotbemorequicklyachieved.NainaLalKidwaiaddressesour
wellmadeprogressingenderequality,especiallyinIndia,andsheunderstandsthattherealityof
itiscomplexanddiverse.

CaitlinMoranalsoconfusedme.Frommyunderstanding,itsoundedlikeshesaidthat
thisideaofperfect,sexy,superhumanladytitans,winningateverything,isintimidatingtomen.
Ialsothinkthatbymenbeingintimidatedbythis,itstopsourmovementtowardsgender
equality?Imnotexactlysure.EllenMacarthurbasicallysaysthattheabilitytohave
determination,creativity,andenthusiasmcanneverberestrictedtoonlyonegender.

NicholasD.Kristoffsaysthatwellknowwehavegenderequalitywhenwerenolonger
talkingaboutit,andalsothatthisisdefinitelyachievable.Hesays,Oneoftheproblemswith
journalistsandhumanitarianorganizationsisthatweresometimessofocusedonproblemsthat
wedontadequatelyacknowledgetheprogressthatisbeingmade.Wewillallbebenefitingfrom
amoreequalworld,andthenfinallywecanstoptalkingaboutgenderequality.LetaHong
FincherdescribeswhatgenderequalityinChinawouldlooklike.Thestatewouldfeminist
agencywouldnolongershamesingle,professionalwomenovertheageof27bycallingthem
leftover.Womenwhoreportdomesticviolencewouldntbeblamedforexposingfamily
ugliness.Thesaying,menbelonginpublic,womenbelongathomewouldbecomearelicof
history.Halfofthecountrysleaderswouldbewomen.Thatisonlyafractionofhowmuchhe
describedChinacouldchangewithgenderequality.Heansweredthatgenderequalityis
achievable,andalthoughitmaytakeseveralgenerations,itisstillworthfightingfor.

Ithinkthattheresponsesfromthecontributorsweremostlyveryoptimisticandthey
focusedonthepositiveprogresswehavemade(whichsomeIhadnoideahappened).While
Cohenspokemoreabouttheissuesthatwestillhavewithgenderequality,andheendedhis
articlewellwithasmartsolution.IagreethemostwithCohenssolutionbecauseeverysingle
aspectofitpromotesequalitynotjustforwomenbutwithmentoo.Whatifamanwantsto
becomeanurse,librarian,orearlychildhoodeducatorbutheisafraidofwhatotherswillsee
himas.Liketheywillportrayasmorefemininethenhewasbeforehewouldgetthejob.Ithink
thatalotofpeopleoverlookthatgenderequalitycannotonlyconsiderwomen,butalsomen.