Historically, women have endured challenges that have made it difficult for them to achieve equality. However, today, they are achieving milestones that were previously regarded as unimaginable. For example, as Strickland (2019) reported, recently, two women made the first all-female spacewalk. What made this feat remarkable is the fact that women are severely under-represented in scientific disciplines. According to Strickland, the spacewalk was made possible by years of efforts aimed at promoting equality and delivering opportunities to women. Strickland also adds that serious challenges remain ahead. While the spacewalk should be celebrated, women need to understand that there are more glass ceilings that they need to shatter. Strickland also discusses the benefits of gender diversity. She argues that diverse teams are able to leverage the skills and experiences of each member for growth.
The article by Strickland (2019) is indeed relevant because it applies directly to the theme of diversity in the workplace. As Fixmer-Oraiz and Wood (2019) make clear, diversity is a challenge that many organizations have been unable to solve. According to this duo, in addition to being under-represented in certain disciplines, women also contend with unequal pay. Strickland’s article builds on the ideas of Fixmer-Oraiz and Wood (2019) by highlighting the encouraging progress that women are making. While it is true that they are still underpaid, women are now entering fields that were previously dominated by men. As more concerted efforts are committed to addressing gender inequality, it can be expected that more women will accomplish milestones.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The issue that Strickland (2019) addresses in her article has serious implications. Among these implications concerns the need for deliberate initiative. According to Strickland, the first all-female spacewalk was made possible by a policy that required gender balance. Without this policy, it is highly unlikely that the women would have performed the spacewalk. This milestone should challenge organizations to assist women by instituting policies which ensure balance and equality. In addition to addressing representation in the workplace, the policies also need to tackle the pay gap problem.
Personally, I am optimistic that the spacewalk is the first of many achievements that women will record. However, I fear that it will be a long time before gender equality is achieved. I have observed women facing serious hardships in their pursuit of their aspirations. For example, in my workplace, there are few female leaders. As a result, the organization is reluctant to pursue equality. I believe that for the progress to be accelerated, more women should rise to positions of leadership and influence.
References
Fixmer-Oraiz, N., & Wood, J. T. (2019). Gendered lives. Communication, gender, & culture. 13 th Edition. Boston: Cengage.
Strickland, A. (2019). After an historic all-female spacewalk, astronaut has moon dream. CNN. Retrieved October 22, 2019 from https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/21/world/nasa-all-female-spacewalk-reflections-scn-trnd/index.html
