An Inconvenient Truth: Gender Inequality

This past week, we started to read Jane Eyre in English class. The author, Charlotte Brontë, emphasizes the issue of gender inequality and the role of women in society during the nineteenth century. However, as I've learned through class discussions, these issues still present themselves today in the twenty-first century. I find this issue very irritating as a modern teenager, because I do not understand why our world has come so far with things such as technological advances, but gender inequality still remains a problem.

In the nineteenth century, Jane struggles for a sense of belonging within her life. She is suppressed not only because she is a woman, but also because she is an orphan. Brontë illustrates the issue of gender inequality within her Victorian style literature. Women during this time period were exploited for work, provided cheap labor, and inferior to men in almost all senses. They were considered lower class, a problem even more severe for Jane, because she was an orphan.

Nowadays, gender issues are less severe in certain areas, like the United States. However, inequality is still present within the twenty-first century. Women face issues such as unequal pay, double standards, and domestic abuse. In some countries, like Saudi Arabia, women are still forbidden to drive. While on the surface women may seem equal, I still believe there is an underlying inferiority that some people perceive women with. Even in class this week, Mr. Allen mentioned that teachers discriminate on books that they read in class, depending on whether or not the boys will "get into it." This demonstrates the archetypal characteristic of gender inequality. Ultimately, I believe the inconvenience of this truth is that it has become so rooted in our society that everyone believes it.

This issue really irritates me because I do not understand why our society has progressed so far with some issues, but we've made little progress with this issue of gender inequality. Especially as a female teenager, I have high aspirations to be successful when I grow up. But, when I hear about gender inequality, it upsets me to know that I might not be able to make an equal income with a male co-worker. I hope that one day, this will not be the truth. However, I believe the only way we can come to terms with this issue is through awareness and actions against issues such as unequal pay. While it may take time, I'm not sure if there is any other way to solve this inconvenient truth.