The issue of women’s rights is an issue that has not waned in importance. The concern for the issue gained prominence in the suffrage movements of the 19th and 20th century but it should be noted that the issue has its roots in the most basic societies of all cultures of the world. Though significant amount of attention has been directed to lest developed countries regarding the issue, recent literature have indicated that problem is one that remains prevalent even in developed countries.
The debate is whether if even if there are significant legal and social developments to deter unequal or biased treatment of women, many women still feel the existence of limitations to their economic, social and personal development. One of the sectors that have stated such an opinion is women who have advance education and middle to upper management. This is considered as an indication that existing measures to ensure gender equality are mot effected or may even exacerbate the challenges women face in society.
The main reason seen for such a development is that there is greater pressure for women to fulfill professional roles and family roles whereas men are being given greater levity in choice between the two. Whereas before, women are expected not either become a homemaker or a professional but rather to fulfill both roles with higher standards of performance than their male counter parts. In discussing this issue, there are key questions that should be answered? What are the existing measures, legal or otherwise, that ensure equal opportunity for women? How is the effectiveness of these efforts measured or monitored?
What are the consequences of failure? How do women gain access to them? What are the factors that deter women from exercising rights? What are the factors, if any, that act as “glass ceilings”? What are the standards of “equality” or empowerment among women? What is the implication of gender inequality to society? If women in developed countries who have traditionally been considered as more empowered steal are not able to resolve inequality issues, what insight does this provide for women’s issue globally?
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Gender and Society Volume 14 Number 2 April (2000). 275-294. Dev, Sudipta. Women in IT shatter glass-ceiling myth. 2000. 14 June 2007. http://www. itpeopleindia. com/20020225/cover1. shtml. Falk, Erika and Grizard, Erin. The Glass Ceiling Persists: The 3rd Annual APPC Report on Women Leaders in Communication Companies. Pennsylvania: The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, 2003.