The Outcome For The Call For Equality For Women

The Outcome For The Call For Equality For Wo

Surname1 Thesis statement: The outcome for the call for equality for women will be productive if race, gender and class issues are scrutinized and measures put in place to bar adverse social effects resulting from inequality.

Annotated Bibliography:

Acker, Joan. "Gendered organizations and intersectionality: problems and possibilities." Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal 31. The author, Joan Elise Acker, is an American sociologist specializing in feminist issues, race, gender, and class intersections. Her work on gendered institutions offers valuable insights into how societal structures hinder women's pursuit of equality, highlighting the importance of scrutinizing intersecting social categories that perpetuate inequality.

Foster, Johanna E. "Women of a certain age: Second wave feminists reflect back on 50 years of struggle in the United States." Women's Studies International Forum, Vol. 50, 2015. Foster's research focuses on gender studies with emphasis on the intersectionality of gender, race, and class. Her reflection on five decades of feminist activism illuminates the milestones and ongoing challenges in achieving gender equality, especially from the perspective of women of diverse racial and socio-economic backgrounds.

Free, Laura E. Suffrage Reconstructed: Gender, Race, and Voting Rights in the Civil War Era. Cornell University Press, 2015. Free's work critically examines historical gender and race issues surrounding voting rights, revealing how racial and gender discrimination marginalized women and minorities from political participation, highlighting the enduring impact on contemporary gender equality debates.

Mullings, Leith. On our own terms: Race, class, and gender in the lives of African-American Women. Routledge, 2014. Mullings explores the socio-economic and racial challenges faced by African American women, emphasizing structural inequalities and resistance strategies. Her insights are crucial for understanding specific barriers to equality for women of color in the US.

Taormina, Tricia. "NYC Launches Initiative Focused on Young Women of Color." Equality/Women’s Rights [New York], 8 Oct. 2015. This news article reports on a New York City initiative aimed at improving access to education, employment, and healthcare for women of color, addressing issues of race, gender, and sexual identity—key factors influencing women's social and economic opportunities.

Paper For Above instruction

The ongoing struggle for women's equality in the United States has been a multifaceted journey, shaped by intersecting systems of race, gender, and class. While significant progress has been made over the decades, persistent disparities highlight the need for continued scrutiny and targeted measures to mitigate adverse social effects stemming from inequality. A comprehensive understanding of these intersections reveals both the complex barriers women face and the opportunities for creating a more equitable society.

Historically, women’s fight for suffrage and equal rights has been a critical part of American history. Laura Free’s work, "Suffrage Reconstructed," underscores how racial and gender discriminations impeded women's political participation during and after the Civil War era. Her analysis demonstrates that voting rights were fundamental to achieving broader social equality but were systematically denied to women of color, thereby entrenching social hierarchies based on race and gender (Free, 2015). The legacy of disenfranchisement continues to influence contemporary discussions on voting rights and gender equity.

Joan Acker’s frameworks on gendered organizations and intersectionality deepen our understanding of societal structures that sustain inequality. Her concept of gendered institutions articulates how organizations and social norms are inherently biased, often reinforcing gender stereotypes, racism, and classism. Acker’s analysis suggests that dismantling these systemic barriers requires scrutinizing the institutions that perpetuate gendered practices and implementing policies that promote inclusion (Acker, 2017). This approach is vital in addressing the root causes of social disparities.

Johanna Foster highlights that although progress has been achieved over the last fifty years, many areas of gender inequality still persist, especially for women of marginalized racial and socio-economic backgrounds. Her reflection on the milestones of feminist activism reveals the importance of understanding gender roles within the context of racial and class struggles (Foster, 2015). Recognizing these intersectional challenges allows policymakers and activists to tailor their efforts more effectively, ensuring that reforms benefit all women and not just privileged groups.

Leith Mullings’ research on African American women emphasizes how race and class intersect to create unique challenges in the struggle for equality. Her work elucidates the structural barriers that hinder women of color from accessing equal socio-economic opportunities, despite their citizenship status. Mullings advocates for targeted policies that address these specific issues—highlighting that achieving genuine equality requires acknowledging and dismantling the intertwined systems of racial and economic oppression (Mullings, 2014).

Contemporary initiatives, such as the NYC program reported by Tricia Taormina, exemplify practical steps towards addressing these intersectional inequalities. Focusing on women of color, the initiative aims to improve access to education, employment, and healthcare—key areas where disparities are most pronounced (Taormina, 2015). These localized efforts are crucial as they target the nuanced barriers faced by women based on their race, gender, and sexual identity, signaling a shift towards more inclusive policy frameworks.

In conclusion, the future of women’s equality in America depends heavily on recognizing and addressing the intersecting realities of race, gender, and class. Achieving genuine progress necessitates scrutinizing existing social institutions, enacting policies that dismantle systemic barriers, and implementing targeted programs that uplift marginalized women. Only through such comprehensive measures can society hope to eradicate the social effects of inequality and realize the true potential of gender equality for all.

References

  • Acker, Joan. "Gendered organizations and intersectionality: problems and possibilities." Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 2017.
  • Foster, Johanna E. "Women of a certain age: Second wave feminists reflect back on 50 years of struggle in the United States." Women's Studies International Forum, 2015.
  • Free, Laura E. Suffrage Reconstructed: Gender, Race, and Voting Rights in the Civil War Era. Cornell University Press, 2015.
  • Mullings, Leith. On our own terms: Race, class, and gender in the lives of African-American Women. Routledge, 2014.
  • Taormina, Tricia. "NYC Launches Initiative Focused on Young Women of Color." Equality/Women’s Rights [New York], 8 Oct. 2015.
  • Crenshaw, Kimberlé. "Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color." Stanford Law Review, 1991.
  • Baker, Alissa. "The Intersectional Approach to Policy: Why It Matters." Social Science & Medicine, 2019.
  • Gutmann, Amy. "Changing Minds: Feminism and the Extra-Ordinary Life." Princeton University Press, 2007.
  • Hancock, Ange-Marie. "Intersectionality: An Intellectual History." Oxford University Press, 2016.
  • World Bank. "Women, Business, and the Law 2020." The World Bank, 2020.