Since the dawn of time, women were seen as the ‘lesser’, or ‘second sex’. Spurred on by religion, they were once viewed as mere caregivers and house maids. While society has strayed from a strong religious hold, it seems as though old traditions are so tightly interwoven into modern day, that a simple, quick fix is no longer the answer. This essay aims to evaluate the inequalities between men and women, commenting on possible solutions and analysing the impact of said imbalance.
According to the UK government’s ‘Gender Inequality Monitor’, men earn 17.9% more than women on average per hour. Meaning, for every £1 a man earns, a woman will earn 82p. While the pay gap has decreased from 9.1% in 2017 to 8.6% in 2018, the remnants of a misogynistic history are lingering-disallowing women from making a decent enough living to support themselves, especially in a time where prices are skyrocketing. The need for better pay is evidenced in the hours worked by women versus their male counterparts. The World’s Women noted that, in 2015, women worked longer hours than men (paid or unpaid) while also spending at least twice as much time as men on domestic work. This is evidenced on ‘LSE Blogs’ with 85% of women cooking and doing housework daily, in comparison to 49% of men. Additionally, 41% of women also provide care for children, grandchildren, the elderly, and the disabled compared to 25% of men. Despite doing so much, women are undervalued and underpaid, causing them to work harder in order to stay afloat. According to Weareagenda.org, one in five women (19%) experience a common mental disorder like anxiety or depression, compared with one in eight (12%) men. Furthermore, Mayoclinic.org has stated that women are nearly twice as likely than men to be diagnosed with depression. While it is unlikely that the high work load and little pay is the singular cause for a depleted mental condition, it is important to consider that the high pressures do have a negative impact. This is only worsened when women’s-more specifically, mother’s-career progression is stunted due to bias around pay and promotion, difficult workplace cultures (like sexual harassment), and difficulties balancing work with childcare (source: gov.uk). So, with an inability to earn more, while competing with men who are regarded as superior in the world of work, a woman is likely to find her mental condition strained due to the added pressures of a sex she cannot control. Then, if a woman was to wish to make change within her local area and to better working conditions for herself and her fellow female, she faces further opposition as only 25% of parliamentarians worldwide are female (source: Inter-Parliamentary Union, 2019). Furthermore, women of colour have an additional opponent to face within the world of work. Not only are they facing unfair prejudice from being a woman, but they also face yet another problem of being an ethnic minority. These women had to send 60% more applications to get a job and receive the same number of call-backs as white people. Not only that, but 1/3 of women of colour say they’ve been unfairly passed over or denied a promotion at work (source: JSE blogs). Yet, they are unable to protest this as nearly 82 million women around the world don’t have any legal protection against workplace discrimination (source: World Policy Analysis Centre, 2017).
While contending with inequality in the workplace, women are further subjected to sexualisation and violence in the wider world. According to the World Health Organisation, one in three women around the world experience violence. While the Crime Survey in England and Wales (CSEW) found that 60% of victims of violence were male versus a female 40%, the likelihood of the attacks being based on their sex (and being viewed as more vulnerable) is minimal for a man. This is evidenced by the high rates of human trafficking involving women and girls (71%, source: UNODC, 2016) and the fact that one in five female refugees and internally displaced people have experienced sexual violence in countries impacted by conflict (source: OCHA,2016). The perceived vulnerability of women allows them to be prayed upon, creating such high figures of sexual violence. Even men closest to the women (eg, family members or intimate partners) can view themselves as superior-seen by 58% of all women murdered in 2017 being killed by said men (source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,2018). Between April 2020 and March 2021, 177 women were murdered in England and Wales in comparison to 416 men. However, out of the 177 women, 109 were killed by a man (92%) (source: Office for National Statistics (ONS)). It is clear that men are a threat to many women and so they are treated as such. While not every man is a danger to a woman, it is hard not to suspect them without knowing them personally. In simpler terms, if there was a bowl of fruit and one was poisoned, it is unlikely that someone would eat from the bowl as they do not want to run the risk of death. Women have to walk with caution when it comes to dealing with men, showing the inherent inequality in modern society as men typically don’t have to do the same. In England and Wales, there has been an increase of 13% in the number of women falling victim to sexual assault from the year ending September 2021 (40,572 women) versus the previous year (35,029). This is the highest number of sexual offences ever recorded within a 12 month period proving that our modern society is struggling to stray from the hold of the patriarchy and male domination. It is important to highlight that it is unlikely that every perpetrator will be a man, however, when analysing the trend of male on female crime, it is safe to assume that such a reality is the case for a number of them (source: BBC). As noted on the Gov.uk website, three out of five women aged 16 to 34 have experienced at least one form of harassment in the previous 12 months. 44% of women falling within the aforementioned age bracket have experienced catcalls, whistles, and unwanted sexual comments with 29% feeling as though they were being followed (24th August 2021). The illusion of safety when walking home is far from reality for many women, whether that be at night or otherwise. One in two women felt unsafe walking home at night in a quiet street near their home (in comparison to one in seven men). So, to combat this, women now know to walk in public around other people. Yet, the statistics don’t change. One in two women felt unsafe walking alone at night in a busy public space (in contrast to one in five men) (source: BBC). It seems as though there are many solutions yet none adequately protect the safety of women. Walk in lit places, walk in a group, don’t go out at night, don’t wear headphones, keep your location on. There are many solutions yet there isn’t a universal cure. Some people don’t have the ability to walk in lit places surrounded by a group of friends-it is impractical and disillusioned. It may be adequate advice but it isn’t an overall cure. Rather than holding the men accountable or preventing the attacks, society tends to tell the woman what she should do to protect herself-allowing the responsibility to fall upon her. This is not tackling the problem at its core, its a temporary delay of an inevitable outcome. This is especially true when looking at nightlife and drinking. Women have to be careful of how much they drink and who they’re around. Being drunk creates vulnerability, giving a predator an easy target. When going out, women have to be more aware, thus limiting the amount of fun and relaxation they can have in comparison to their male counterparts. While men have to be careful on what they drink, how they get home, etc, women have an extra variable they need to think about-their sex. It is unfair to state that men do not get assaulted or can’t be perceived as vulnerable but their sex does make them appear superior to many, thus decreasing the likelihood of a potential attack. As the patriarchy is so interwoven into our society, even women are indoctrinated into thinking that masculinity equals power and domination versus femininity which indicates sensitivity and vulnerability.
Furthermore, it is crucial to look into the online world alongside the physical one. A report by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that, on average, 51.8% of advertisements in 58 different magazines portrayed women as sex objects. This number increases to 76% when looking at advertisements in men’s magazines. The objectification of women encourages the outdated belief that women are nothing but their looks. This causes a domino effect of women being treated as lesser both in everyday life and in the workplace. An unwavering focus on beauty standards not only makes those who do not fit those standards feel insecure, but breeds a new generation of children who believe that attractiveness comes above all. It leads to a lack of female solidarity generated by jealousy and a society of women who value their worth on what others think of them. A division in femininity over an unrealistic beauty standard keeps the patriarchy in power as women cannot come together to make a unified stand. It also causes children to engage in sexual acts and objectification as they have been indoctrinated into believing that’s what they should do. For example, a study by the American Journal of Psychiatry found that between 10% and 25% of adolescents had sent sexts and 15% to 35% had received them. An immature mind being exposed to mature content has long to lasting, damaging effects surrounding both their confidence and mental state. The Dove Self Esteem Project found that only 11% of girls called themselves beautiful and six in ten girls avoid certain activities out of fear of the way they look. The explicit sexualisation of women within the media leads to young girls comparing themselves to every other girl around them, basing their own worth on if a man would find them attractive-yet again feeding into the patriarchy and putting men on a pedestal. Then, when a girl has the confidence to call herself beautiful, like the aforementioned 11% of girls, they subject themselves to being called “cocky” or being bullied. In a time where sex is treated so lightly amidst the youth, it is to be expected that the age of girls sexualising themselves for attention will get lower. Then, even if they do sexualise themselves online, they still run the risk of getting hate. Publications.Parliament.uk said that, 27% of women who have received online abuse have received threats of physical or sexual violence and 47% have experienced sexist/misogynistic abuse. 59% said the perpetrator was a stranger and 27% said they personally knew them. Amnesty found that 55% of women suffered stress, anxiety or panic attacks due to the online abuse and that 67% of women were apprehensive when contemplating using social media. Not only this, but a shocking 36% felt their physical safety was threatened. So, when women are not being sexualised, they are being abused for simply being active on social media-regardless of their age. Online hate lingers and can reach further distances than in-person hate. No matter where they are, women are subjected to sex-based abuse.
So, who should be held accountable? Well, it starts with the men. From the suffrage movement to the current protests over the US abortion ban, women have been fighting for change for a long time. While it has had a massive, largely positive impact, it becomes increasingly harder implement change when there is a force of men pushing back or just not joining in on the fight. If men are the main cause, they are also the quickest way to improvement. Holding each other accountable, spreading awareness, and just being aware of the inequalities themselves helps society progress as a whole.
In conclusion, while men can also be victims of harassment, abuse and sexualisation, women are the main target, being perceived as vulnerable based off of historical prejudice. To progress into a more equal society, accountability needs to be taken and awareness needs to be spread in an open and constructive way. It is nearly impossible to rid the world of every kind of abuse and discrimination, but big improvements can be made one step as a time if everyone works together. That is the way to build a better future.
