Gender Inequality – Now and the Past

Posted: December 22nd, 2022

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Gender Inequality – Now and the Past

It is possible to identify some of the issues that happened many centuries ago in the current society, and even though some concepts might have changed, some still exist and the evaluator can recognize some similarities as well. The report uses Amie Tsang and Liz Alderman’s article to illustrate how today, the issue of gender inequality continues to evoke sharp reactions and even though many developed and developing nations create policies that they believe will lower the gender inequality, more men still enjoy better positions. It is vital to borrow lessons from Mesopotamia and learn how the failure to empower women derailed their progress resulting in a situation where they depend on their husbands. People in the contemporary society need to find long-lasting solutions that would address the issue that continues to evoke sharp reactions.

Gender Inequality in Mesopotamia

Initially both men and women worked and shared almost equal economic opportunities because the society heavily agrarian practices. The main occupations were raising livestock and growing crops, although some men and women served as artisans, weavers, potters, priests or priestesses, and teachers. At the head of the Mesopotamian society were the kings and priests who enjoyed the services of the people assigned to their respective palaces and temples.[1]  Women enjoyed almost equal rights as men because they had the opportunity to own land, run their private businesses, file for divorce, and engage in trading deals.[2] The initial beer and wine creators in Mesopotamia were women and many served as healers. Men, however, later occupied the positions after realizing they generated much income, thus replacing women. People did not really consider what one did as a job, but rather as their contribution to the community and to the gods for maintaining peace and harmony in the society. Henceforth, the role of women in the Mesopotamian society changed with most of them serving as a wife, a housekeeper, or mother.[3] Girls lacked the chance to attend schools headed by scribes or priests unless they belonged to a royal family. Mostly, girls remained at home at performed the house chores in the same way they did when they got married.  

Today, nothing much has changed in the way men and women relate, especially with regard to getting economic and social opportunities. Tsang and Alderman present information that help to show how gender inequality still affect individual and national growth in several developed nations. The authors elaborate how gender inequality presents numerous disadvantages with one of the major constraints being that it causes unhealthy competition between both genders with men in many situations having the chance t dominate in many social and economic aspects.[4] Tsang and Alderman elaborate how gender inequality presents limited chances for females to explore their talents in areas that many consider to be a male’s area of work.

Comparing the Mesopotamian society and the current one, it is apparent that even though some changes have occurred over the years, much needs to happen to achieve a situation where both males and females enjoy equal chances. Girls lacked the chance to attend particular schools in the ancient time, but at least more girls have the chance to attend school today. Data by Tsang and Alderman show that presently, about 45% of the countries in the world record fewer enrollment for boys entering secondary schools compared with girls.[5] Boys recorded lower attendance rates than girls for several decades in regions such as North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

The issues of gender inequality compel many nations to develop regulations that would protect the community from unnecessary exploitation. The Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects women’s rights and freedoms, and the formation of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women in 1961 paved way for increased protection. The enactment of the Equal Pay Act (1963) and the Civil Rights Act (1964) provided more protection for women with their provisions.[6] The Supreme Court’s decision in Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson in 1986 outlawed sexual harassment at the place of work, and the cover included for women belonging to minority groups. Other laws that play vital roles in safeguarding women’s rights and freedoms in the U.S. include the Family Medical Leave Act (1993), the Violence Against Women Act (1994), and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (2009).[7] A clear difference between the current societies and the Mesopotamian is the ancient society lacked clearly outlined regulations to safeguard women from violations or inequality. The transformations that have occurred over the years imply that people know gender differences do not make a person insignificant.  

Other than developing policies that would provide more opportunities for women, different nations embrace alternatives that would encourage equality between both genders. Firms in London, for example, are offering more female employees opportunities that would increase their representation in the workforce.[8] Law firms in the city are offering female lawyers more flexible working schedules, and an increasing number of technology companies want to increase the position of its female engineers. Similarly, media companies are hiring greater number of female employees to mirror its customer base more effectively.[9] Furthermore, developed nations such as the U.S. and the UK now require companies to give reports of the measure their gender pay discrepancy have elicited far-reaching debates regarding inequality at the place of work. Furthermore, corporations – the vast majority of which provide more employment opportunities to men than men, are put into light and are regarded as being gender insensitive.

The developments in the contemporary times, however, imply that many societies now understand the effects of empowering a particular gender disregarding the other contrary to the ancient times in Mesopotamia when women had very limited chances to advance their wellbeing. Other than the Code of Law by Hammurabi, the royalty did very little to create more working opportunities for women.[10] The situation was even more difficult for women belonging to the lower social classes who had to serve as slaves, prostitutes, housewives, while some became witchcrafts.[11] Interestingly, whereas women who practiced acts such as witchcraft and prostitution did not evoke harsh criticism from members of the society, such practices continue to evoke debates in many societies today. Some contemporary thinkers feel that prostitution exposes people to numerous health adversities, with the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections being the major threat.

The existence of the laws and programs, however, does not mean that women enjoy similar rights as their male counterparts. The income gap between men and women in the U.S. remains high despite the fact that more women have achieved doctorate, masters, and bachelor’s degrees than men.[12] Even though some statistics reveal that some women get relatively the same with what many men get, the publications revealed in November 2018 indicate that the pay gap between both genders may even increase in the near future. The existence of the laws and regulations do not prevent all cases of sexual harassment many women encounter in different areas such as the place of work, learning institutions, and other settings. A survey showed that women in workplaces where they rely on tips are more likely to experience sexual harassment in their lifetime, as well as physical and verbal assault. Unfortunately, many women face discrimination because of their race. The payment a woman gets may depend on their ethnicity or race.[13] Even with the existence of the regulations, women get fewer promotions despite having achieved higher education levels than men. Current data show that women occupy less than 6% of CEOs and less than 11% of top earners in the U.S.

The same case applies to the ancient time in Mesopotamia where even though men had the chance to enjoy more freedom than women, the latter were highly protected as it appears in the Code of Law by Hammurabi. The Code stipulated that a man shall be put to death for sleeping with a woman who still leaves with her parents.[14] Even with such protection, women still performed functions that could not be termed as requiring much skill such as counseling girls preparing to enter marriage, singing for the dead, and witchcraft, although some engaged in practices that would require some competence such as midwifery and herbal healing.

The way forward

The issue of gender inequality, which traces its origins to the ancient times and still create social differences in the current time, requires various stakeholders to work towards finding appropriate intervention approaches that would lead to long-lasting solutions. The government should be at the forefront for advocating for gender equality by creating more job opportunities for women, and providing them with better pay.[15] The government should also refine the policies that protect women and ensure that all corporations adhere to the regulations. The law enforces should ensure violators receive the right punishment to serve as an example to others who think that women do not deserve equal opportunities or social justice because of their gender.[16] Curriculum developers should also play a role by creating content that enlighten learners on the need to empower both genders without giving preference to either of the two. Instructors must ensure they deliver content that inform on the dangers of creating more opportunities for men and denying women the chance to serve in technical areas.

Conclusion

The study elaborates how the issue of gender inequality existed in Mesopotamia and still poses significant global challenges. Women in Mesopotamia lost economic equality when men realized certain businesses could generate a lot of income. As a result women had no option but serve as housewives who depend on their husbands for their livelihood. A few women secured odd jobs that could hardly generate adequate income to sustain their needs. Tsang and Alderman narrate how gender inequality still exists in the current time, although people now understand the need to achieve equality. Nations, unlike during the ancient times, develop policies that call for sameness in the various sectors, and create policies that protect women from any form of violation. The existence of these regulations seems to have little effect on women because many still experience pay inequality, sexual harassment, and racism. The situation reflects the Mesopotamian society where the existence of the Code of Law by Hammurabi neither protected women from performing minor jobs nor provided girls better learning opportunities.

Works Cited

Mark, Joshua. “Mesopotamia.” Ancient History, March 14, 2018. www.ancient.eu/Mesopotamia/. Accessed on 2 November 2019.

Martin, Lisa. “Gender Pay Gap: Discrimination found to be most Significant Contributor to Inequality.” The Guardian, August 21, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/22/gender-pay-gap-discrimination-found-to-be-most-significant-contributor-to-inequality. Accessed on 6 November 2019.

Tsang, Amie and Alderman Liz. The Gender Pay Gap: Trying to Narrow it.” The New York Times, May 13, 2018. www.nytimes.com/2018/05/13/business/gender-pay-britain.html. Accessed on 2 November 2019.

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[1] Mark, Joshua. “Mesopotamia.” Ancient History, March 14, 2018. www.ancient.eu/Mesopotamia/

[2] Mark, Joshua. “Mesopotamia.” Ancient History, March 14, 2018. www.ancient.eu/Mesopotamia/

[3] Ibid.

[4] Tsang, Amie and Alderman Liz. The Gender Pay Gap: Trying to Narrow it.” The New York Times, May 13, 2018. www.nytimes.com/2018/05/13/business/gender-pay-britain.html.

[5] Tsang, Amie and Alderman Liz. The Gender Pay Gap: Trying to Narrow it.” The New York Times, May 13, 2018. www.nytimes.com/2018/05/13/business/gender-pay-britain.html.

[6] Martin, Lisa. “Gender Pay Gap: Discrimination found to be most Significant Contributor to Inequality.” The Guardian, August 21, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/22/gender-pay-gap-discrimination-found-to-be-most-significant-contributor-to-inequality

[7] Ibid.

[8] Tsang, Amie and Alderman Liz. The Gender Pay Gap: Trying to Narrow it.” The New York Times, May 13, 2018. www.nytimes.com/2018/05/13/business/gender-pay-britain.html.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Mark. “Mesopotamia.”

[11] Ibid.

[12] Lisa. “Gender Pay Gap: Discrimination found to be most Significant Contributor to Inequality.”

[13] Ibid.

[14] Mark. “Mesopotamia.”

[15] Tsang and Alderman. The Gender Pay Gap: Trying to Narrow it.”

[16] Ibid.