Gone are the days when women were confined to their homes, clinging to the societal clichés of their role in a household. Over the last centuries, women’s traditional roles have greatly evolved as they struggle to break the glass ceiling and strive for equal opportunity.
Having a work-life balance is especially harder for women, who, besides doing their respective jobs, also have the burden of taking care of her family and children. There is also the issue of inequality in terms of payment and corporate politics that women face in their jobs based not on their incompetence but solely based on their gender. Readers can find more info by indulging in a gender equality essay that can further elaborate on the struggles a woman faces frequently. Regardless of how difficult getting on top of the corporate ladder is, the female staff is striving to make their place known in modern society. Here are some instances depicting the role of women in modern society.
Caretakers
No matter what country they belong to, women will always be their children and family members’ primary caretakers. They play an important part in preserving the human race. Several studies have been conducted on their family life, which has shown that women actively help their families. Besides taking care of their family’s primal needs, i.e., food, water, and security, women play a central role in helping them during adverse situations.
One of the most crucial factors that lead to gender inequality is a caregiver’s position that women assume. Even today, some give up their opportunities to attain their basic level of human rights compared to their male counterparts. In poorer societies, they suffer more since they spend long hours in unpaid caregiving. From their childhood, some girls in primary school are taught to give up on their study time to take care of their household, while boys can devote their time to education.
Educators
The only way in which a modern society changes and develops is through education. Napoleon once said, “Give me good mothers and I will give you a good nation” A woman’s hand in changing the nation from preliterate to literate is substantial. Education is widely important in raising the living standards of the population and the status of girls. It also contributes to improving productivity and reducing population growth rates. The mother is solely responsible for her children’s education and is often the pivotal force in making them stay in school.
Office Personnel
Some do their part by staying at home and taking care of the household, some choose to join the corporate culture and do their part, and some actively juggle both. Their participation in the rural and urban working culture has increased exponentially. A study in 2012 shows that out of the allotted 15 job categories projected to grow in the next decade, women occupied 13 categories.
The wage gap, however, still exists. A study by Mary Hogue, Janice Yoder, and Steven Singleton found that women have lower self-worth. This endorsed status drives the wage gap further while men internalize their higher self worth and demand higher pay than their counterparts. However, all of that is gradually changing as women take on more affluent positions.
Politics
In the last century, women weren’t allowed to vote in a democratic modern society, a patriarchal concept that her opinion didn’t matter. From the complete exclusion of voting rights to selecting elected representatives, women have surely come far. New Zealand was the first country to grant voting rights in 1893, followed by Australia, Finland, and Germany. Voting rights were granted in the United States of America only in 1920.
Women have now embraced the political career and have shown their active participation. According to the UN, 24.3 percent of national parliamentarians were women as of 2019. Although it is slow progress from 11.3 percent in 1995, there have been improvements. As of 2019, 11 are serving as Head of State, and 12 serve as Head of Government. In Rwanda, 61.3 percent of seats in the lower house are occupied by women, making it the country with the highest number of women parliamentarians. While this is significant progress, there are 27 countries where women hold less than 10 percent of the seats. Even today, women undergo many challenges, such as financing their campaign, affecting their ability to progress in their political careers. However, many are pursuing leadership positions.
alt: Kelleart/ via Pixabay.com
Art
In art, women are often represented as a muse rather than a creative force behind the art. Although they have been making art, their art has often been undervalued and overlooked in comparison to their male counterparts.
However, that is changing as more and more artists are finally getting the recognition they deserved. In 2008, Christie’s auction house New York sold a painting by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama for a record price of $5,100,000; the highest sold art by a living female artist.
Traditional history masked women’s participation in the visual arts deeming her contributions inferior to her male counterparts. In the 15th century, they were portrayed as individuals belonging to a privileged modern society and were dressed as such with gowns and jewels. During World War II, the government initiated a campaign to portray women as part of corporate culture, thus giving rise to ‘Rosie the Riveter.’ In modern times, they are portrayed in numerous mannerisms covering several facets of their existence.
Music
In the 19th century, only a few women published their music for the audience. More often than not, their contribution to songwriting was completely omitted. In fact, in 1880, George P. Upton, a music critic, wrote a book in which he argued that they lacked the creativity to compose good music.
In current times, women constitute a large proportion of popular music, songwriters, instrumentalists, and classical music singers. One of the world’s most recorded artists is an Indian singer, Asha Bhosle, who sings playback for Hindi cinema.
With the gradual change in traditional norms, the role of women is evolving and adapting. The previously accepted gender roles are constantly being challenged, as men and women break the stereotypes in their everyday life.
