Sexism   and   Sec   Discrimination:   Have   Things   Really   Changed?

* Sexism - Assigning people certain roles in society based on gender
* Sex Discrimination - Preventing people from holding certain jobs or establishing different laws for different people solely on the basis of sex.


Sexism and sex discrimination are both present in American society today, although neither are as blatant as they once were. More and more people have come to believe that individuals should be allowed to choose their own roles and jobs, regardless of sex, and in a democracy, like that of the United States, freedom should mean freedom from sex discrimination.


In spite of this gradual progress, however, sexism and sex discrimination continue to pervade America. People who actually believe that males and females in the U.S. have equal opportunities should seriously consider these factors:



-Recent studies show that teachers call on boys in classrooms from three to eight times more frequently than they call on girls.

-The average woman in America earns seventy-nine cents for every dollar made by the average male.

-Women’s athletic budgets at schools and colleges average less than 20% of men’s.

-One-third of the families headed by women live below the poverty line.

-By the twenty-first century 99% of the people on welfare will be women and dependent children.

-Of the brighter high school graduates who do not go on to college, 70% to 90% are girls.

-As more men have entered the field of elementary education in the past twenty-five years, the pay scale in that profession has risen disproportionately.

-As more women have entered the field of accounting in the past twenty-five years, the pay scale in that profession has remained static.

-In a recent pole taken by the "New York Times" 62% of working women interviewed agreed with this statement "Most men are willing to let women get ahead, but only if women do all the housework at home first."


All of these facts amongst the numerous others reveal the continuation of sexism and sex discrimination. Does that sound like equal opportunity to you? Think about it...


By Maggie Hay



Back to the main page