Women's Roles In The United States

The role of women in the United States has changed dramatically in the past century. As a nation, we have made great strides in ensuring equality and upholding citizens basic civil rights, and amazingly we still live in a world in which women are not entitled to these rights. As a nation we have made great strides in ensuring everyone is given equal opportunity and amazingly we still live in a country in which women are indirectly discouraged from taking these opportunities. A man who had a dream once said “there comes a time when silence is betrayal” so I believe it is time for us to stop denying an inconvenient yet fundamental truth: that women are still not equal. As a nation, we have become too focused on what actions we previously made

The numbers tell the story quite clearly. Even though women make up the majority of the workforce or 51% they “fall substantially behind men when it comes to their representation in leadership positions”, as cited in the article “The Women’s Leadership Gap” by the Center for American Progress (par. 7). The article goes on to state that only “14.6% of executive officers, 8.1% of top earners, and 4.6% of Fortune 500 CEOs” (par. 8) are women. This fact that more men and fewer women fill leadership positions is a byproduct of what has always been the status quo. A status quo that is stacked against

When a man speaks up in a competitive environment and defends his opinions he is often acknowledged as someone who is commanding, direct and knows what he wants. However, when a woman is put in this position she is often viewed as bossy, demanding, controlling, or threatening. This viewpoint ultimately stems back to the lack of representation. We fear what we don’t know and as a society, we’re unaccustomed to women holding power positions. However, these negative connotations used to describe women dissuade them from taking risks and ultimately striving for these top positions. And when we do encourage women to speak their minds we expect it to be in an agreeable manner rather than a confrontational one. Which raises the question, if women are unable to stand up for themselves against their male colleagues how will they ever be on the same level as them?

Hopefully, the one thing that has been clear throughout my speech is the societal narrative we have about women. Is this dialogue intentional? No, it's subconscious making it all the more damaging and deep rooted. So how do we change this narrative? Women, we need to stop shaming one another for being bold and unapologetic. Instead, the success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Men, be aware of and challenge the status quo. Be secure enough to let a woman question your opinions with