Donald Trump is the president elect of the USA mainly premised on the fact that his only main opponent was a woman (Pollock et al., 2016). Indeed, even when Hillary Clinton, the said opponent, was leading in the polls by over 10 percentage points, in gender based polls, Trump would always win in the polls by men (Pollock et al., 2016). Further, feminine workers have continually been victim to discrimination and harassment in their places or work with an underlying element of impunity (Connell, 2014). This is the reality of gender equality in America. In America, both in the minds of people and in actual practice, women have continually been considered an inferior gender, despite the fact that women have proven themselves over and over again to be as industrious, committed and capable as men (Biddle, 2014). Further, a male dominated society has a manifest handicap as it misses out on the unique capabilities and capacities that women leadership engenders (Shields, 2016). This is the main premise for the need for gender equality in general and gender parity in particular to create a balance in leadership and workmanship qualities, drown from both genders.
Changes that have Occurred Since 1972
1972 is only four decades ago and a lot has changed in America with regard to the issue of gender parity and women empowerment (Connell, 2014). The first major change revolves the assumption of major leadership roles by women in America. Feminine leaders such as Madeline Albright, Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton have risen into historical figures in America, not for things that they did as women, but for their achievements as great Americans with a global impact (Biddle, 2014). Women have also assumed positions of leadership in the private sector successfully and effectively. Albeit the ratios are exponentially proportionate, those women to whom a chance has been accorded have proven their mettle and made great contributions (Connell, 2014). These achievements have gone a long way into proving that what men can do, women can do too or even do better in some circumstances. This has given great credit to the war for gender parity and women empowerment in America. It is easy for those seeking equal chances for women to prove the capacity and competence of women based on these achievements (Biddle, 2014).
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What should have Changed Since 1972
There are express laws that guarantee equality in general and parity in particular for all American women (Biddle, 2014). These laws have been in existence for over half a century now. Yet, gender parity, equality or empowerment is far from being achieved. It is only in 2016 that a feminine presidential candidate made any impact. This is extremely surprising for a democracy that is centuries old. This is something that should have changed by now. Secondly, the consideration of women as being the property of or part and parcel of their spouses has not changed. During the 2016 presidential campaign, almost as much about Bill Clinton was spoken about as was Hilary Clinton (Pollock et al., 2016). This was not congruent to how much was said about the wife to Trump (Pollock et al., 2016). This means that the mentality of the American people with regard to gender has not yet changed. Finally, the states who had not ratified the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972, are still in opposition to it today (Connell, 2014). This should have changed long ago, yet it has not.
The New ERA
2016 ERA
Section 1: The meaning of Equality of rights under the law in the United States extends to gender equality and parity.
Section 2: The Congress shall within two years of the ratification of this statute enact appropriate legislation for the actualization provisions of this article.
Section 3: This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of immediately upon ratification.
The functionalist perspective and ERE
The amendment suggested above is meant to expressly ensure that gender equality becomes a fundamental right in all the states in America. This will ensure that any acts or omissions that amount to gender discrimination shall be actionable without the need for the same to be actualized through local laws in any state within the USA (Connell, 2014). The necessity and justification of this amendment lies inter alia in the functionalist perspective of sociology. Whereas the traditional fight for equality was premised on the contention that men and women are congruent, the functionalist perspective takes a different approach. According to the functionalist perspective, men and women are different and the difference rises beyond the physiological (Shields, 2016).
The perception, mannerism, approaches and understanding or men and women are different. These differences are however, intended to function together for the good of society, akin to the way both genders are necessary for the survival of mankind as a species (Shields, 2016). Illustratively, the kitchen of a top restaurant will need a feminine and masculine input to create holistic perfection. Similarly, the White House, the Pentagon and the Boardroom of a Fortune 500 company need a feminine and masculine input for holistic success. From this perspective, therefore, gender equality and parity is beneficial to all American with gender discrimination being adverse, even to those who perpetrate it. If is on this premise that gender equality must be a fundamental right.
Conclusion
Almost half a century after 1972, gender equality has not yet been achieved in the USA. This is untenable and must be changed with the introduction of a requisite constitutional amendment in the nature and manner of the draft attached herein. This is premised on the fact that gender parity issues are not significant to women only but to all American citizens who stand to lose if women are discriminated upon as reflected in the functionalist perspective. Women rights are human rights and the progress of women is the progress of America as a whole. This is what makes ERA so crucial and why it must be enacted and put into practice as soon as practically possible.
References
Biddle, T. (2014). Wait, women don’t have equal rights in the United States? Huffington Post . Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tabby-biddle/wait-women-dont-have-equa_b_6098120.html
Connell, R. W. (2014). Gender and power: Society, the person and sexual politics . New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Pollock, N., Brownstein, R., Graham, D. A., Gefter, A., Khazan, O., Zhang, S., … Skurie, J. (2016). The four groups that will decide the presidential race. . Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/11/clinton-trump-demographics/506714/
Shields, S. A. (2016). Functionalism, Darwinism, and advances in the psychology of women and gender: From the 19th century to the 21st. Feminism & Psychology , 26 (4), 397-404.
