May not totally be discrimination
- I think the book was called "Freakonomics", not sure, but I remember reading somewhere that some of the differences that are chalked up to discrimination may actually be totally legit, in particular the apparent over-representation of men in the top spots. Before I'm called a chauvinist pig by those that noticed my name, there is statistical evidence that men dominating the top spots is a result of a fundamental sex difference, not discrimination. For many things that can be measured, males of a species will often exhibit much more variance than females. In the context of the bell curve that these measurements usually take, females will have a higher, narrower bell, while men will have a shorter and flatter one. What this means is that men will naturally dominate the top AND BOTTOM, while women will dominate the middle. So the apparent disparity may not be because of a "glass ceiling", but a statistical feature that CANNOT be changed without a major change to our species.
- —Guest Mark
A first step....
- That's all it would be: a foot in the door of the legal system, something we often don't have. Women are abysmally ignorant of their own history and actual status in the world, and why not, since their history has been kept out of the curriculum even though many women nowadays can actually ATTEND school and participate in the male curriculum. Until women actually have the legal right to control their own bodies, their social progress will remain fraught with mental conflict and despair. Ignorance is definitely NOT bliss and continues to make human existence on the planet more tenuous with every passing year. All issues are women's issues, but unfortunately, most women continue to be the silenced majority.
- —tuletess
Women's earning power
- While the stat quoted about 77 cents on the dollar that women earn compared to men is widely used, there is another more disturbing figure that shows women's earning potential over a 15 year period is much lower than that. The Institute for Women's Policy Research did a 15 year longitudinal study of men's and women's yearly earnings and found that looking at more long term earnings, women made 38 cents to the men's dollar. And the reason for that was care giving work that women did, causing them to be out of the workforce for periods of time, or to cut back on their hours, or to transition to part time work. This is exactly the kind of situation that prompted Ann Crittenden, the author of "The Price of Motherhood" to claim that motherhood is the biggest risk factor for women's poverty in old age. Of course care giving can include elder care and care of a partner or other relative. Women are still predominently the ones on whom those responsibilities fall.
- —Guest LindaJ823
Elsie
- We need the Equal Rights Amendment to make discrimination on account of sex or gender just as unconstitutional as discrimination on account of race, religion or national origin. Without the ERA all legislation benefitting women, such as Title IX, is vulnerable to being weakened or abolished.
- —Guest Laura Callow
Twiss
- Without the guarantee of equal protection of the law that men get as a constitutional birthright, laws against sex discrimination AGAINST WOMEN can be ignored or overridden. Today it's the backlash push for single sex public education despite Title IX. Whatever the pretext, that has always been a male advantage grab. We must fight for a fuller meaning for equality under an ERA amendment, one that sees human equality as covering not only men's needs but those specific to women such as reproductive autonomy. The last ERA campaign yielded to politicians' demands like Caroline Maloney's today to exclude issues that were "too controversial." These issues were controversial because they are so essential to women's equality. Let's get it right this time through real dialogue among women at all social and economic levels about sex discrimination as they experience it. We can't allow religion or party politics to block women's right to full legal equality. See more at www.equality4women.org
- —Guest Twiss Butler
!!??
- I didn't know that either... Thank you for teaching me something new today.
- —Guest valerie
Our Rights Need to be Set in Stone
- We do have laws that grant us our rights, but as the last two or three decades have proven, they can be undermined or even taken away at the whims of Congress, appeals court or circuit court judges, and the Supreme Court. Having an equal rights amendment in the U.S. Constitution would set those rights in stone. It would make them permanent. It would tell Americans in no uncertain terms that our rights are not to be played with and that women's equality is not a fad but something that is here to stay.
- —vero2244
A long way to go yet....
- Sadly, I thought that the Labor Board and the Maine Human Rights Comission were there to help protect equality in the workplace.... I was sooooo wrong! I am now trying to continue my fight (put up with 12 years of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, hostile work environment etc.). Also found that Human Resources works for 'the Man'. Yes, even women still don't pony up to making sure this illegal and unethical treatment gets squashed like it should be. HR just pushes me out instead of holding the persons responsible for the illegal behavior, responsible for their actions. Why bother having all these laws and policies in place if they don't actually do anything? I am trying to find a civil litigator willing to go up against one of the largest businesses in the state, as well as their legal team - also the largest in the state... Hard to find anyone willing to fight such a big entity! I'd love to hear ay helpful hints! Thanks.
- —O_So_Frustrated
Strict scutiny in the Courts
- Having learned myself a few years out of college that indeed the ERA in the 70's did NOT pass, I felt completely betrayed. I've heard older feminists talk about "when we passed it" and even some women's organizations refer to the federal equal protection clause as having enough to consider us "equal under the law". Well, that's still not constitutional protection. The main reasons it is STILL needed is: - Pay equity -- which translates further to Social Security and economic justice - Treatment in the courts system -- cases dealing with racial inequities have what's called 'strict scrutiny' so that the law is applied the same all across the board. Gender issues in the courts do not follow any kind of scrutiny, so the law can be carried out however is decided by the presiding judge in cases involving gender. Domestic violence issues would be the main benefactor of an ERA.
- —Guest Kathleen
equality = human rights
- Now it's clear why abuse/murder of women is so widely tolerated. America is a chauvinist country and is not civilized yet.Hypocrites!
- —Guest terrisavibbert
Women need equality!
- Something needs to be done about women's rights! I've worked at male professions all my life, & gotten underpaid & passed up for raises & promotions, evwen thought I was more qualified & a better worker many times. Not to mention the sexual harassment & attempted blackmail! Oh...sleep w/the boss & MAYBE you'll get that raise! Ha! Every boss that's come onto me, I've quit the job, because I REFUSE to have my body be the priority & not my mind or capabilities! I'm 51yrs. old, & I STILL get the same unequal treatment! Not to mention a few really good jobs I've passed up because my spouse/partner didn't want me working around men or were afraid I'd get a better job than them! Women get paid less than illegal aliens! No benefits, no child care, but we're supposed to do it all for less than men! WHEN will we see a female President? Personally, I believe if we don't get a female President soon, the male species is going to get us all destroyed.
- —Guest bcopanos
Not just needed but Imperative
- Instead of inching toward equality with all the current bills, the ERA will codify in the Constitution that women ARE EQUAL! Period. Then all the other discrimination legislation will be unnecessary.
- —Guest pat luciano
Didn't even know about this
- I was really surprised to read that there's no Equal Rights Amendment. I just assumed there was one because women pretty much have the same rights as men. But then again, I couldn't tell you which amendment gave women the right to vote. I thought the ERA passed during the women's movement of the seventies. How come that didn't happen? We weren't taught anything about this in school.
- —Guest Cathy
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