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Argumentative Essay
From walking on foot to flying jets, humans have manifested significant advancements. Both men and women participated in these advancements to change their fate, bring innovation and inculcate flexibility in daily operations. However, a contentious matter has resonated since ages and a wide range of people still deem it to be on the same level. The peril is of gender discrimination, especially women. The women are still deemed to be largely suppressed and repressed despite the accomplishment of an honorable social status and accomplishing an integral part to stand side by side with the men. This decade has essentially redefined stereotypes and translated the gender specificities profoundly. Irrefutably, they have advanced to accomplish wonders in contemporary society and the widespread gender discrimination is diminishing with the passage of time. The issue of gender discrimination is not accelerating in the contemporary state of affairs and the perception of widespread gender equality is irrational as per solid evidence.
To begin, it is essential to explicate the manifestations of gender discrimination. Gender encompasses each sex and is not confined to women only. Since the occurrence of the waves of feminism in the previous centuries, the social perception has been constructed that women are not offered an equal role in comparison to men. In the previous decades, the statement had critical significance; however, the dimensions of the issue have largely changed ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"ODQd2POK","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(\\uc0\\u8220{}Equal Opportunities for Women and Men\\uc0\\u8221{})","plainCitation":"(“Equal Opportunities for Women and Men”)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2397,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/H8YOvGFC/items/J4JFQ8T9"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/H8YOvGFC/items/J4JFQ8T9"],"itemData":{"id":2397,"type":"webpage","title":"Equal Opportunities for Women and Men","container-title":"Open Society Foundations","abstract":"A report by OSI's Network Women's Program, <em>Equal Opportunities for Women and Men: Monitoring Law and Practice in New Member States and Accession Countries of the European Union</em>, describes and evaluates gender equality mechanisms, policies, and programs in Central and Eastern Europe.","URL":"https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/reports/equal-opportunities-women-and-men","language":"en","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",4,13]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (“Equal Opportunities for Women and Men”). It is worthy to highlight that the perception of widespread gender discrimination is fabricated these days and is deemed similar to previous decades. Without a shade of doubt, this argument is fallacious and constructed based on irrational beliefs, values, and evidence.
Besides, there exist several empirical illustrations that highlight the equal opportunities received by women. It is critical to mention that race is also targeted to be suppressed similarly to gender disparity. The former President of The United States (USA) was a black man. Had the menace of racial discrimination been pervasive to an immense extent, he may not have been offered the opportunity to become the president of the United States. The fundamental purpose of underpinning this argument of race is to optimize the rationale for gender. Similar to race, gender victimization is also delineated in an exaggerated manner. However, it never implies gender discrimination and disparity has been entirely eradicated in the society ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"kIVBcICg","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(\\uc0\\u8220{}Equal Opportunities for Men and Women Important for Growth in Emerging Europe and Central Asia\\uc0\\u8221{})","plainCitation":"(“Equal Opportunities for Men and Women Important for Growth in Emerging Europe and Central Asia”)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2399,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/H8YOvGFC/items/I7URUIJG"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/H8YOvGFC/items/I7URUIJG"],"itemData":{"id":2399,"type":"webpage","title":"Equal Opportunities for Men and Women Important for Growth in Emerging Europe and Central Asia","container-title":"World Bank","genre":"Text/HTML","abstract":"Achieving gender equality can help support economic development and prosperity in the countries of Emerging Europe and Central Asia, says a new World Bank report.","URL":"http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2011/12/06/equal-opportunities-for-men-and-women-important-for-growth-in-emerging-europe-and-central-asia","language":"en","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",4,13]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (“Equal Opportunities for Men and Women Important for Growth in Emerging Europe and Central Asia”). There exist certain instances which reflect the menace exists but meanwhile, the majority of events indicate the menace is being reduced and confronted potentially as opposed to the common social perception.
In addition, women have stepped into jobs that were previously designated for men. The gender barriers and stereotypes are being shattered thoroughly. The argument of the cynics is based on the belief that women are paid less in comparison to men at the workplace and are often harassed or abused. Several researchers and documentaries have stipulated that women have potentially advanced to get equal pay and in some instances, even higher than the men ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"jDYBeJmg","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(\\uc0\\u8220{}Improvement in the Status of Women in the United Nations System\\uc0\\u8221{})","plainCitation":"(“Improvement in the Status of Women in the United Nations System”)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2403,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/H8YOvGFC/items/ZNRDQPDW"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/H8YOvGFC/items/ZNRDQPDW"],"itemData":{"id":2403,"type":"webpage","title":"Improvement in the status of women in the United Nations system: Report of the Secretary-General (2014)","container-title":"UN Women","abstract":"This report (A/69/346) provides information on the status of women in the United Nations system during the reporting period from 31 December 2011 to 31 December 2013, including on progress made and obstacles encountered in achieving gender balance and up-to-date statistics and recommendations for","URL":"http://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2014/8/improvement-of-the-status-of-women-in-the-un-system-2014","shortTitle":"Improvement in the status of women in the United Nations system","language":"en","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",4,13]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (“Improvement in the Status of Women in the United Nations System”). The issue of wages and salaries is a contentious aspect involved in the debate about gender discrimination and stereotyping. Such inspiring are the manifestations for women in the contemporary era. The surge in the number of working women also augments the argument that gender discrimination has abolished to a significant extent. Previously, women were deemed the potential subjects to look after the house chores and children. After being suppressed and subjected to radical discrimination, women preferred not to step up for their rights in most of the cases. These events have witnessed a paradigm shift. Thus, the issue of gender discrimination is alleviating and the status of women is enhancing with the passage of time.
Besides, the print and mass media potentially validate the argument made. Media plays one of the leading roles in ensuring and depicting that gender discrimination is drastically turning into an issue of the past. For instance, the unfortunate events where women are harassed or discriminated are highlighted and reported by media in true letter and spirits. None can escape the spotlight of media in such circumstances irrespective of the social status and position. Besides, the notion of women being reflected as superwomen in the movies further supplements the argument. Had the women been discriminated as they suffered in the past, these movies would have demonstrated the state of affairs as widespread discrimination rather than presenting them as the savior of the worlds. The film industry is dominated by women in true letter and spirits. A critical appraisal of the matter unleashes intriguing details. Since decades, movies and fictions pictured the reality pertinent to the social status of women. When they were discriminated, the movies featured men assuming the leading roles. A thorough apprehension of the matter affirms the influence of the gender roles on the film industry. The wonder woman and similar characters are fictional but are stemmed from the increased social stability and sustainability of women ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"JA9CC9S8","properties":{"formattedCitation":"({\\i{}Women\\uc0\\u8217{}s Political Empowerment and Leadership | UN Women NC Aotearoa New Zealand})","plainCitation":"(Women’s Political Empowerment and Leadership | UN Women NC Aotearoa New Zealand)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2405,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/H8YOvGFC/items/WVDCKP7D"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/H8YOvGFC/items/WVDCKP7D"],"itemData":{"id":2405,"type":"webpage","title":"Women's Political Empowerment and Leadership | UN Women NC Aotearoa New Zealand","URL":"https://unwomen.org.nz/womens-political-empowerment-and-leadership","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",4,13]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Women’s Political Empowerment and Leadership | UN Women NC Aotearoa New Zealand).
Likewise, the economic paradigm of events adheres to the belief that women are advancing to manifest a dominant role in society to stand side by side with men. For instance, the employment sector is witnessing an immense change in the role assigned to women. In the past, women worked under the necessity of having more than one wages to make both ends meet. As per empirical researches and surveys, women are in certain places paid more than men. At any point in history, it never happened. Approximately 40% of the global labor force and 43% of the agricultural sector demonstrates the strong presence of women. However, these numbers vary from state to state. In 2010, 71% of women actively took part in the labor market in the Pacific and East Asia ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"aAwLpi8m","properties":{"formattedCitation":"({\\i{}Women\\uc0\\u8217{}s Empowerment})","plainCitation":"(Women’s Empowerment)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2407,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/H8YOvGFC/items/C9GSGK5K"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/H8YOvGFC/items/C9GSGK5K"],"itemData":{"id":2407,"type":"post-weblog","title":"Women's Empowerment","URL":"/","language":"en-US","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",4,13]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Women’s Empowerment). Furthermore, the concept of the richest women and poor women is also compressing with the passage of time. To sum up, the previous peril of gender discrimination is being thoroughly addressed by the global community and thus is shaping positive ramifications for women across the world.
It is essential to highlight the strong arguments made by cynics. They stipulate that women are deprived of certain dimensions of life. They are not offered unequal participation in education. These arguments are neither irrational nor fabricated. There are certain areas where women seek potential reforms to share equal status with men. Healthcare is another paradigm where women report discriminatory treatment ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"8tiL3Zja","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(\\uc0\\u8220{}A Perspective on Women and Health Care\\uc0\\u8221{})","plainCitation":"(“A Perspective on Women and Health Care”)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2401,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/H8YOvGFC/items/F6ANVFN4"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/H8YOvGFC/items/F6ANVFN4"],"itemData":{"id":2401,"type":"webpage","title":"A Perspective on Women and Health Care","container-title":"HealthyWomen","abstract":"Women tend to use more health care services than men, and often they are faced with tough decisions when it comes to paying for their medical needs. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that women are 33 percent more","URL":"https://www.healthywomen.org/content/article/perspective-women-and-health-care","language":"en","accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",4,13]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (“A Perspective on Women and Health Care”). Irrefutably, these issues exist and none can claim women have advanced to rejuvenate an absolute equal social status. The cynics exploit this argument to manifest that women have been perpetuated with similar or increased suppression in comparison to the past. In the current world of globalization, forcefully lowering the voice of women has become a daunting task. A wide range of international bodies as the United Nations (UN) has launched programs to raise the emblem of women empowerment throughout the world.
The political paradigm also highlights the enhanced influence of women in shaping policies and contributing potentially towards the welfare of society. Jacinda Ardren, the leader of New Zealand, is an explicit illustration of the advancement women have made. Her example serves the purpose to shatter the gender stereotypes and staunchly express the reverence and honor nourished by women at the international level. None can confront the notion of a lady becoming the president merely on the basis of gender nowadays. Such remarkable are the manifestations of the advancement made by women these days. However, a woman subjected to opposition based on the policies and competency ought not to be incorporated in gender discrimination.
The most imperative part of the argument is deliberating the transformed norms of gender pattern and specifications. The emergence of the term drag queen is essential to be highlighted here. The drag queen is the term associated with the men who are inclined towards using the makeup similar to the manner wherein women use ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"qdAgLEUt","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Shapiro)","plainCitation":"(Shapiro)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2409,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/H8YOvGFC/items/G7UYBPQ4"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/H8YOvGFC/items/G7UYBPQ4"],"itemData":{"id":2409,"type":"article-journal","title":"Drag Kinging and the Transformation of Gender Identities","container-title":"Gender and Society","page":"250-271","volume":"21","issue":"2","source":"JSTOR","archive":"JSTOR","abstract":"[This case study of the feminist drag troupe the Disposable Boy Toys (DBT) examines the relationship between drag and gender identity. Drawing on multiple methods, the author explores the range of gender identities that emerged through participation in DBT. Members saw DBT as the central catalyst for their own identity shifts. The author suggests that these identity transformations occurred through four collective mechanisms: imaginative possibility, information and resources, opportunities for enactment, and social support. The author finds that DBT served as an identity incubator in which participants were able and encouraged to interrogate, play with, and sometimes adopt new gender identities. The author concludes that context is critical in understanding the meaning and importance of drag. Performing gender in this politicized, feminist context shaped the gender identities of the troupe's members in fundamental and varied ways, suggesting that oppositional communities can be an important venue for identity work.]","ISSN":"0891-2432","author":[{"family":"Shapiro","given":"Eve"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2007"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Shapiro). A vast dimension of specific gender issues is vested in this concept. The gender specificity has been shattered. None can disregard the truth that the line that divided men and women socially, politically and economically has been removed to a significant extent. If the state of events of the previous decade is assessed, critical revelations are made. The practice of gay and lesbians marriage has further strengthened the belief that social structure ought not to be influenced by the radical values of differences among various genders. It is the fundamental human right of women to live their life as per their will and desires without getting influenced by coercion or discrimination. The collective growth of society is largely dependent on the equal contribution of both men and women. It is worthwhile that international bodies, public, media and several states have comprehended the magnitude of the issue and have therefore confronted these challenges in true letter and spirits. The awareness and the potential intent to combat gender discrimination have changed the social perception to great lengths. For instance, men have become to dress and act like women and vice versa without any reluctance.
In the end, the voice and movement for women empowerment were launched at several instances in the past but the contemporary state manifests the equal role shared by women in all walks of life. From looking after families to working in grave circumstances, women themselves have carved their path to change their role in society and eradicate gender discrimination. Thus, it ought not to be asserted that gender discrimination is pervasive. The onus relies on the policymakers and the general public to promulgate prudent policies to raise women above the levels and remove the shreds of gender disparity prevalent in society. Moreover, the cynics of the argument can also potentially contribute toward the provision of rights to the deprived women instead of merely highlighting the lacunas and delineating the events again and again.
To conclude, the deliberated instances offered an exquisite illustration of the argument that the issue of gender discrimination is not accelerating in the contemporary state of affairs and the perception of widespread gender equality is irrational as per solid evidence. Women have become an integral part of the economic, social and political structure. For instance, media defines the role of women as the key figure to ensure social progress and further highlights and strongly opposes the manifestations of gender discrimination. The leader of New Zealand speaks volumes about the essential value and standards offered to women. The pop culture and movies also augment the argument by glorifying the women involved in an immaculate and unprecedented manner. The bottom line is that the culture of gender discrimination and stereotypes is abrogating persistently and thus the perception of widespread gender discrimination similar to the previous decades is irrational and fallacious.
Works Cited
ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY “A Perspective on Women and Health Care.” HealthyWomen, https://www.healthywomen.org/content/article/perspective-women-and-health-care. Accessed 13 Apr. 2019.
“Equal Opportunities for Men and Women Important for Growth in Emerging Europe and Central Asia.” World Bank, http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2011/12/06/equal-opportunities-for-men-and-women-important-for-growth-in-emerging-europe-and-central-asia. Accessed 13 Apr. 2019.
“Equal Opportunities for Women and Men.” Open Society Foundations, https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/reports/equal-opportunities-women-and-men. Accessed 13 Apr. 2019.
“Improvement in the Status of Women in the United Nations System: Report of the Secretary-General (2014).” UN Women, http://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2014/8/improvement-of-the-status-of-women-in-the-un-system-2014. Accessed 13 Apr. 2019.
Shapiro, Eve. “Drag Kinging and the Transformation of Gender Identities.” Gender and Society, vol. 21, no. 2, 2007, pp. 250–71. JSTOR.
Women’s Empowerment. /. Accessed 13 Apr. 2019.
Women’s Political Empowerment and Leadership | UN Women NC Aotearoa New Zealand. https://unwomen.org.nz/womens-political-empowerment-and-leadership. Accessed 13 Apr. 2019.
