Feminist Synthesis Essay

The United States has allowed systematic sexism to take place for hundreds of years. The Equal Rights Amendment, originally introduced in 1923,if ratified would have ensured gender equality. However, due to widespread sexism, the Constitution, a near century later, has yet to be amended. The United States must diminish ongoing discrimination against women by granting legal minority status and acknowledge the overlooked hate speech against women (through explicit media) that is engraved into American pop-culture.

Feminism has always been at the forefront of the battle for equality. In the 1970’s the second wave of feminism swept over the United States and the surging want for equality was once again evident. Feminists attacked discriminatory social ideals furiously and the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a core aspect of this. The ERA “demanded a gender-neutral society in which men and women would be treated exactly the same” (Schlafly). For the amendment to pass it

Women must be afforded minority status as they are not given the same opportunities as men; whether it’s education, pay, or employment options women get the rough end of the stick. If women were regarded as a minority group then they would benefit from affirmative action, and be given equal opportunities in terms of education and pay. Unequal pay for equivalent jobs is still a major problem; women are paid only 78 cents to the dollar. From a study done with 1000 companies, it was found that “only 6.6% percent of executives were female”(Andre). If women were classified legally as a minority it could help end these discriminatory practices. Policies that are given to minorities that “redirect jobs and educational opportunities to those who are most in need of them” will lessen the achievement gap between women and men