Lecture 3- gender issues Flashcards
1
Q
What was work like for women in 1970s
A
Women’s role was to be at home and look after the family. When women were in the workplaces, they weren’t the managers or bosses
2
Q
How has this improved
A
- Women today have choices they never enjoyed in the past
- Access to the vote, contraception, divorce
- There are more female heads of governments and more women leading organisations and running businesses than at any other time in history
3
Q
How can women in work be improved further
A
- In many parts of the world women do not enjoy the same legal rights as men and they lack access to education and employment
- Inequalities in the workplace and at home
- Abuse, violence, harassment and sexism
4
Q
Feminist theory
A
- A conflict theory that suggests that power in society is divided on the basis of gender
- Early feminism focused on the study of female issues and the representation of women in society
- Evolved over time to consider contemporary issues and intersectionality of women’s experiences
- Used for looking at gender differences in the 21st century
5
Q
What are the waves of femenism
A
- First wave: Political equality, rights for representation in society, suffragettes (Wollstonecraft, Martineau)
- Second wave: Social and economic equality, women’s liberation movement, equal rights, equal pay, challenged social norms of women being housewife or mother (Oakley, De Beauvoir)
- Third wave: Intersectionality, focusing on rights of those ignored by the second wave (e.g. minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ, lower social class), social perceptions of women, reproductive rights
- Fourth wave: Empowerment of women, digital feminism, #metoo
6
Q
What is liberal feminism
A
- Addresses gender inequality by utilising existing system
- Legal reform e.g. Equality Act, legalisation of abortion, contraception on prescription
- Challenge media representations of women and girls
- Impacted many aspects of women’s lives – education, family, work
7
Q
What is Marxist Feminism
A
- Women are exploited by both capitalism and men
- Domestic division of labour
- Challenges notions that women should stay at home and look after the family
- Examines assumptions about women’s abilities and commitment to their careers
- The glass ceiling and the pay gap
8
Q
What is radical feminism
A
- Maligned, parodied and stereotyped
- Suggests that the patriarchy is present and ingrained in all aspects of society
- Changes in employment, education and homelife are superficial and token gestures compared to oppression of women that still exists
- Women are controlled physically, psychologically and ideologically by men (Millet)
- The only solution to achieve equality is to restructure society
- Female supremacy, female separation, political lesbianism are extreme branches
9
Q
Feminism progress in the west
A
- Progress has been made in the West
- “While women in the West are fighting for a seat in the boardroom, women in the developing world are fighting for their lives” (United Nations)
10
Q
Global gender index 2022 findings
A
- Iceland is the most gender-equal country in the world for the 13th consecutive year (the UK is 22nd)
- North America has progressed the most towards gender parity (76.9%)
- South Asia has the area with the largest gap (63.2%)
11
Q
Main changes within the workplace
A
- Women make up 39.2% of the global workforce (47.3% in the UK; 46.3% in the EU) (World Bank, 2021)
- Increasing numbers of women attracted to careers in politics, business, universities and professional services (e.g. law, accountancy, banking)
- Some men are choosing to stay at home to look after children, and are entering traditional female dominated occupations such as nursing, primary school teaching, and flight attendants
12
Q
What is Horizontal occupational segregation
A
- Women’s employment is concentrated in what’s known as the ‘5 Cs’: cleaning, caring, clerical, cashiering (retail) and catering (low paid)
- Men are more likely to be managers, plumbers, engineers, architects, surveyors and IT professionals (higher paid)
(EHRC, 2015)
13
Q
How many women are nurses and teachers (secondary)
A
88%, 60%
14
Q
Why are nurses and teachers mainly nurses?
A
- Stereotypes about the “natural” skills of men and women which makes them more suitable for certain types of jobs – through the media
- Jobs that have historically been carried out by women have lower status and are under-valued
- Flexible work, which can accommodate caring responsibilities, tends to be low-skilled (and low paid); fewer flexible working options for senior management
15
Q
What is Vertical occupational segregation
A
- Across the world, women are underrepresented in positions of power (links to vertical line) and influence – politics, media, business and in many other fields
- 224 (34%) of the 650 members of the House of Commons (MPs)
- The first woman was admitted in 1919
16
Q
How many managerial positions are globally held by women
A
28% (Catalyst, 2019)
17
Q
How many CEOs in the world are women?
A
18% (Catalyst, 2019)
18
Q
How many women are leaders in SME’s compared to large companies
A
- 28% of SMEs are led by women, compared with 16% of larger companies (Catalyst, 2019)
19
Q
How many women of colour hold management positions?
A
- Latinas: 4.3%
- Black women: 4.0%
- Asian women: 2.5%
20
Q
When will the gender index gap and gender equality in high positions be reached?
A
- At the current rate of progress, the global gender index gap will not be closed until 2154 (132 years!)
- Gender equality in the highest positions of government will not be reached for another 130 years
- Women Count Report (2021) predicts that gender parity in the FTSE350 will not be reached until 2036 (and increase of 4 years compared to the 2020 report, due to the pandemic)
