Introduction
‘Good’ is the greatest enemy of ‘best’ even as ‘good-enough’ is the greatest enemy of ‘optimum’. When it comes to the subject of gender equality, good or good enough has been used to stand in the way of the optimum. It is a fact that gender parity has come a very long way in the last one century. For example, in the last presidential election, a woman not only won the Democratic Party ticket but also won the popular vote. It is only the college vote that gave the presidency to a man. A hundred years ago, a woman would not have been allowed to vote, let alone run in the elections. Critics of gender parity have been using such arguments to indicate that gender parity has been achieved in America. However, a careful evaluation of the actual situation, more so when it comes to the labor market will reveal that gender parity remains a mirage to the detriment of the entire society. America must not settle for good enough when it comes to gender parity unless and until the optimum balance is achieved.
What it means for Men and Women to be Equal
Gender balance, gender equality, and gender parity are among the many names that have been used to refer to a situation where men and women are considered equal. In any free society, it is not possible for everyone to be equal since by their very nature, human beings differ exponentially from one another. For example, there are many Americans, men and women who cannot handle leadership and the pressure that comes with it. Gender equality, therefore, does not mean that everyone is equal. Instead, it means that everyone gets the same opportunities and the means to exploit them and everyone plays by the same rules. In this regard, piecemeal equality in some areas cannot be considered as actual gender equality (Jackson, 2017). For example, if women get the same opportunity in education but not the same opportunities in employment, equality has not been achieved. Similarly, if women get the same opportunities in employment but not the same opportunities in leadership, engender equality has still, not been achieved.
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Contrary Approach to the Issue
The fight for gender parity has, however, been undermined by naysayers who believe that gender parity has already been achieved and should no longer be championed. After all, by virtue of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as variously amended and particularly Title VII thereof, men and women are allowed equal chances in America, more so in places of work (Guy & Fenley, 2014). Laws, rules, and regulations had been put in place to ensure that gender parity is achieved and to some extent, affirmative action has also been developed in some areas. The term feminist has been coined to refer to people who keep on advocating and fighting for gender parity in an attempt to depict them as rabble-rousers (Jackson, 2017). However, gender parity cannot be gauged through an assessment of laws, rules, and regulations but rather by the actual situation on the ground. Today, the President, deputy president, and the Congressional Speaker are all men, so are the majority of governors, members of cabinet and justices of the Supreme Court. In the private sector, an overwhelming majority of Fortune 500 companies are led by men. The existence of the laws, rules, and regulations has, as per the results analyzed above, not guaranteed gender equality and parity between men and women hence the continued need for advocacy over the same.
Importance of Equality between Men and Women
Equality between men and women is ethically right hence the obligation of each and every one to clamor for the achievement of the same. All human beings are born equal and must, therefore, be considered as equal for all practical purposes (Jackson, 2017). The first importance of gender equality is to eliminate gender-based discrimination which is an anathema to any society. Before moving to the practical benefits of gender equality, it is important to understand that fundamentally, gender equality is the right thing for any civilized society. Secondly, every economy thrives and community flourishes because of the hard work of its members. Motivation is the primary driver for hard work and lack of gender parity affects the motivation of half of the population who happen to be women. Further, the contributions of women which are crucial to the success of the community are lost when lack of gender parity denies the opportunities (Guy & Fenley, 2014). Lack of gender equality thus affects all members of the community.
Conclusion
It is undeniable that major strides have been made towards achieving gender equality in the modern world. Only a century ago, gender discrimination was institutionalized and women could not even be allowed to vote, let alone hold positions of power. This legal and institutional problem has since been solved but due to social issues, the situation on the ground has not changed . Men still dominate positions of leadership in the public and private sector over half a century after the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Lack of gender equality is not just a problem for women, whose advocacy is spearheaded by the so-called feminists. Instead, it is a problem for all that should be championed by men and women alike. It is ethically wrong to discriminate against people based on their gender, and lack of gender parity demotivates a large chunk of the labor force denying the community the benefits of their contribution. Gender equality is important to all and should, therefore, be championed by all.
References
Jackson, R.M., (2017). Seminar: What causes gender inequality? Retrieved from
https://www.nyu.edu/classes/jackson/causes.of.gender.inequality/#overview
Guy, M. E., & Fenley, V. M. (2014). Inch by inch: Gender equity since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Review of Public Personnel Administration , 34 (1), 40-58
