Gender equality exists now more than ever
Sara Gregory
Issue date: 9/18/09 Section: Opinion
Most of us have heard the horror stories from our mothers. Stories of a world where women stayed at home, spending most of the time in the kitchen. A world where women couldn't wear pants and in turn couldn't secure an equal job to a man.
It wasn't that long ago when women entered the workplace in full force only as a result of affirmative action. Yet, here in this generation we are getting higher educations and careers than ever.
According to a census released by Hong Kong in August 2009, male dominance in the workplace is under siege by an increasing number of females.
The census states that in this past year 42.5 percent of postgraduate research students were female (compared to 20 percent in 1985-86), in 2006 women made up more than half (52.2 percent) of students in post-secondary education, and in 2008 the number of female directorate officers in the civil service increased to 368 (compared to 35 in 1981).
Thus, with the increase in education women have been attaining higher paid jobs. Now we see successful businesswomen all over the world, sometimes earning more than men.
So why does it still feel like a man's world? On a basic level, it always will be. Women are expected by society or religion to reproduce eventually, at which time raising children becomes the priority.
I say now more than ever we take advantage of our situation as women. We are all damn lucky to be alive in a time and a place where women can have opinions and act on them with balls like a man and not be killed for it.
So now is the time. It certainly wasn't when my mom was alive, and it may not be when our children grow up. But it is here and now. Have those kids and the dream job, nothing's stopping us anymore.
Women have proven that we can exist successfully and equally in this 'man-land.' So the next time you say it's a 'man's world,' you better have the voice of James Brown and a killer band. Otherwise, it's just not true anymore.
It wasn't that long ago when women entered the workplace in full force only as a result of affirmative action. Yet, here in this generation we are getting higher educations and careers than ever.
According to a census released by Hong Kong in August 2009, male dominance in the workplace is under siege by an increasing number of females.
The census states that in this past year 42.5 percent of postgraduate research students were female (compared to 20 percent in 1985-86), in 2006 women made up more than half (52.2 percent) of students in post-secondary education, and in 2008 the number of female directorate officers in the civil service increased to 368 (compared to 35 in 1981).
Thus, with the increase in education women have been attaining higher paid jobs. Now we see successful businesswomen all over the world, sometimes earning more than men.
So why does it still feel like a man's world? On a basic level, it always will be. Women are expected by society or religion to reproduce eventually, at which time raising children becomes the priority.
I say now more than ever we take advantage of our situation as women. We are all damn lucky to be alive in a time and a place where women can have opinions and act on them with balls like a man and not be killed for it.
So now is the time. It certainly wasn't when my mom was alive, and it may not be when our children grow up. But it is here and now. Have those kids and the dream job, nothing's stopping us anymore.
Women have proven that we can exist successfully and equally in this 'man-land.' So the next time you say it's a 'man's world,' you better have the voice of James Brown and a killer band. Otherwise, it's just not true anymore.
Be the first to comment on this story