Gender Inequality: Why It Matters and What We Can Do About It

Chapter 6 talks about Walmart which is the leading private owner worldly and the leading industry in history. In this industry, the number of employed women is less as compared to that of men. Women are paid less than men at Walmart thus gender inequality- the uneven treatment of persons as per their sexual category. In the past approximate 20% of females in America were paid in labor force and at times they worked in labor force thus an increase in the labor force participation. However, currently, women are estimated to account for 51% of the increased labor force participation. This is according to the Department of Labor in America. Therefore, according to the current statistics, women have overcome men in workplaces; hence the gender segregation has made some fantasy “glass ceiling” which hinders both genders from progressing economically and professionally. Females have skilled the remarkable situations of inequality in the professional and social aspects. In most cases, women were considered to work in the service focused on jobs that needed emotions like nursing, cashier, receptionists, secretaries, and elementary school teachers (occupation with short or no ladders). On the other hand, men were focused on occupations such as police works, leadership jobs, and others that are connected to toughness and strength (jobs with longer ladders).

Nonetheless, the women of today have turned to be more independent and sufficient from the largest male figures within each historical family. Therefore, females have been exposed to historic discrimination which has prejudiced the public to decide jobs that are appropriate for females than males. The gender pay gap also differs. There is the industrial, organizational and national gender pay gap which is the variance between female’s and male’s average permanent equal wages. To conclude, gender inequality in America remains persistent in various ways such as the unequal distribution of household labor, the gender pay gap, occupational segregation, and the disparity in women’s political participation and representation.