An examination of gender inequality in the United States reveals some telling reminders that our nation is not as equitable as it could be. Though gender inequality has come a long way in the twentieth century, it is apparent that there is still a long way to go. While females have made progress and nearly attained equity in such arenas as education, areas such as income and political representation remain heavily slanted towards the males of our nation.
A 2000 U.S. Census Bureau report shows that women have almost achieved parity in education. In 1999, the same percentage of men and women in the U.S. graduated from high school. The percentage of women who completed a bachelor’s degree was 23.7 percent, compared with 27.5 percent of men. While this study shows women slightly behind men in the completion of bachelor’s degrees, these results demonstrate a marked improvement over the last thirty to forty years.
For instance, in 1970 the number of women who attained a bachelor’s degree was 8.2 percent of the population, compared with 14.2 percent of men. By 1980, the percentage of women had risen to 13.6 percent compared to 20.9 percent of men. This trend clearly demonstrates that the educational status of men and women are leveling out, and studies that are more recent have shown that females have now overtaken males in the completion of bachelor’s degrees.
While these educational statistics do demonstrate that gender equality is increasing, it has not translated to real world results. The median income in 2000 for females with a high school diploma was $21,963, compared to $30,868 for males with a high school diploma. Females with bachelor’s degrees earned $35,408 in 2000, compared with $49,982 for males.
Women in the United States are also more likely to be in poverty than their male counterparts. 29 percent of households led by single females are below the poverty level, as compared with just 12 percent of households led by single males. These statistics can be attributed to several causes, but one of the primary ones is that females are still predominately employed in traditional female jobs, such as service occupations and administrative support.
The most effective way to gauge gender inequality in the United States is to compare it with other nations around the world. A comparison of the workforce statistics from a study by the World Bank Group between the U.S., the U.K., Sweden, and Mexico reveals that the statistics between the U.S., U.K. and Sweden are nearly identical. Sweden has 47 percent females in its workplace, compared with 46 percent for the U.S. and the U.K. Mexico, however, has much lower percentage, with 35 percent females in the work place.
Perhaps one of the most telling statistics used to gauge the status of women in any society is the percent of representation they have in the government. There are some surprising facts revealed from this category. For instance, in 2004 the United States had only 14 percent of its elected legislative positions held by women. The United Kingdom had a slightly higher percentage of women in office with 18 percent. Mexico, however, had 23 percent, while Sweden boasts the highest of the group, with 45 percent of its elected legislative offices held by women. When considering that women make up over 50 percent of the population in all of these nations, the lack of political representation is somewhat shocking.
It is clear from examining these statistics that there is no one pat answer that explains gender inequality throughout the world. For instance, one possible explanation for Sweden’s 45 percent female legislature would be that Sweden has historically been considered more socially advanced than the U.S., the U.K, or Mexico. This line of reasoning does not stand up under examination; however, as the workforce and income statistics for Swedish females are nearly identical to those of the U.S.
It is the same case with Mexico’s low percentage of females in the workplace. This could perhaps be explained by Mexico’s low gross national product, or the fact that the familial unit, with stay at home mothers, is more entrenched in Mexico than it is in more industrialized nations. This line of reasoning also fails under examination because Mexico has more female political representation than either the U.K. or the U.S.
It is clear that a combination of factors, economical, sociological, and historical are behind the continuation of gender inequality around the world. Historically, man has been entrenched as the dominant gender for thousands of years. The one undeniable aspect of gender inequality around the world is that it is still a long way off. While the progress that has been made in the twentieth century is impressive, when viewed in a historical context, true gender equality has not yet been attained.
