From a young age, women start a path of numerous challenges. Women have many important roles in society including being caregivers for children, income providers and every other role a man can play. Mothers caring for and raising children can be a challenge. Children require time and attention. To top it all off, women also have to conquer a menstruation cycle every month. A period can be overstimulating and can cause even more challenges, but why should men care? To fight for their equal rights, women had to have fought since the beginning of time, but now everything that we fought for is perishing as fast as a man can write.
Feminism is the equality of men and women in society politically and economically. The purpose of feminism is to end sexism, create equal opportunities for women and girls, protect women and improve women’s education. Feminism was created to recognize women and men as equal in society and fight off the toxic perspective that women are somehow less than men.
“I think feminism would be the equal treatment of women,” Chloe Reynoso (10) said. “Treating women the same as men in a social and political way.”
There are many stereotypes about the kind of positions women hold in the world. Some common assumptions about the positions women hold are more traditional, such as taking care of the house, while men tend to have more outdoor-related occupations. Many women have disadvantages in the working field due to their skin color, social status and education. Women of color have always had a disadvantage in the workplace and society due to the stigma against minorities from past movements.
“White women have had roles that [women of color] haven’t had,” Gabby Cain (11) said. “[White women] might get treated better [than] black [women], even though they’re in the same [positions]; [white women]have been treated better.”
Women have begun to take over more traditionally male-dominated fields. Although women are doing the same job as men, their pay is declining. In some fields, men are paid more than women, even though they received the same degree and education. According to the New York Times, “Janitors (usually men) earn 22 percent more than maids and house cleaners .” In a world where money means everything, 22% more can make a large difference.
“I think women should [receive the same pay as men] and they deserve to be paid the same as men, they both have the same education, [they] both went through the same studies [and] the same process to reach that certain career,” Reynoso said.
Recently, Kamala Harris ran for president, but she lost against Donald Trump. Although she lost her election, she was a part of 24 women who have run for the presidency. The first woman who ran for president was Victoria Woodhull in 1872, who ran 50 years before women had the right to vote. Nearly 100 years later, Margaret Chase ran for president. In 1972 Patsy Mink and Shirley Chisholm ran for presidency and became the first women of color to run for president. Although Mink dropped out of the race, Chisholm continued her run for the presidency. Many women have run for president but a woman has never won. Our society may fear women becoming president.
“I feel like most people were afraid for a woman to become president, not knowing what to expect from [ them],” Reynoso said. “[Or] if she’s gonna be a good president [or not] for a country since it’s [going to] be like a first experience thing.”
Women now have more job protection and rights than they did in the past. Women’s employment conditions were published in 1918 but were republished several times. These conditions were called “Standards for the Employment of Women in Industry.” The purpose of this document is to promote the welfare of women, women’s working conditions and opportunities for employment for women. Now, women are a part of more job fields and are included more in professional workplace settings.
“I think that they are getting a lot better with trying to put more women [in] different workplaces,” Jennyfer Alcazar (10) said.
Women have enough challenges, but pregnancy can also be a challenge. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 was created to protect pregnant women from discrimination in the workplace. Pregnant women were not hired or fired due to “concerns over their decreased work efficiency” as a result of their pregnancy. Pregnancy can be seen as a disadvantage in certain fields due to the drastic changes in women’s minds and physical state. Pregnant women can be seen as incapable of completing a job just because they are pregnant.
“Women may be looked down upon when they are pregnant because they may seem weaker or less capable to complete a job,” Reynoso said.
Men in certain ways have had more control over women’s bodies than women themselves. From deciding when women could vote to their political involvement to even their right to abortion. In some states, women have lost the ability to have abortions. Roe v. Wade was a ruling of the Supreme Court that the Constitution protects the right to have an abortion. Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. In this previous election, one of the issues mentioned on the ballot was abortion. Although some states have already approved the denial of abortion, many states still allow abortions. Roe v. Wade being overturned is a direct result of when the government is more male-dominated.
“I definitely think men have more control over women and that comes with tradition and politics,” Cain said.
Women have many limitations in society. A common thought is that “women have to be proper and ladylike.” Any kind of behavior outside of these limits causes women to be perceived as “hormonal” and “overdramatic.” There is limits on what women can wear because it is “obviously” a woman’s fault that they could be harmed or harassed. There are limits on abortions which cause more harm to a woman than it does good. Women might have illegal abortions and death might increase due to this change, but that is “obviously” the women’s problem, not the government’s. The 4B movement emerged from South Korea with the purpose of opposing South Korea’s ideas of a patriarchal state and pro-natalist policies. Women have decided not to get married, have children with men or date men. After the election, interest in the 4B movement increased throughout social media after Kamala Harris lost. Society may see that women and men are equal to each other, but with the path the world and this country are heading, women might not be a part of that society anymore.
“I think [feminism is] still needed,” Cain said. “I think we need more representation. I think [women] need more equality, and I think women just need to have more say in the country we live in.”
