Women, Equality, and Security

August 17, 2015, In: Home

Throughout most of the history of the United States men have dominated many cultural aspects of life. From a political arena that still hasn’t seen its first female president to the workplace where women still fight for equal pay, women have routinely been pushed to the fringe in this country.

However, this has not stopped women or women’s activist groups that push for equal rights in all walks of life. Luckily, women have started to experience more equality in recent years. With political figures like Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and Carly Fiorina becoming major political candidates, women’s issues have been pushed more into the forefront than ever before.

While the issues of women’s equality in America are far reaching and complicated, there are a few major areas where these topics are most visible on a national level. The physical security of women has drawn major attention over the last couple of years due to highly publicized instances of domestic violence. Additionally, financial security and the security of households are also issues that affect women directly in different ways.


Physical Security

One of the biggest areas of concern is the many types of physical violence that take place against women. The two most popular forms are rape/sexual assault, and domestic violence. However, being raped is not the same for everyone who is forced to experience this horrific act, and domestic violence can also take different forms.

Some of the numbers are eye-opening regarding the statistics of rape. Over 22 million American women have been raped at some point in their life; equal to almost 20% of the female population. While rape affects women of all ages, the statistics show that 80% of rapes happen against women under the age of 30, with 15% occurring against children under the age of 12. Because of numbers like these major conversations are taking place about how to protect women from predators that aim to harm them.

After highly publicized instances of domestic violence by high profile athletes, domestic violence victims are receiving more attention and care than ever before. While hitting a women is never a positive thing, the publicity of this issue is positive. It is causing men to rethink the way they think about, and treat the women in their lives.


Financial Security

One of the biggest myths about the male-female relationship, is that women need men to provide for and take care of them. These types of sentiments are what led to women not being hired for many jobs, and not being paid as much as their male counterparts for much of American history. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 sought to eliminate sex-based wage discrimination in the workplace, however women are still paid only 78 cents to every dollar that a male of the same position makes.

This discrepancy in pay can be connected to the outdated thoughts that women belong in the home; cooking, cleaning, raising children. While this model may have worked in the 18th century, modern America requires that everyone hold an occupation to help provide a lifestyle for their family. Additionally, financial security provides women the peace of mind and sense of freedom that men have been able to experience their entire lives. As long as women are being paid less, they will and should fight for equal pay rights, and increased financial security.


Household Security

With more and more women raising families on their own, household security is a major area of concern for both single and married mothers. Even if someone is living in a nice neighborhood with a low crime rate, they could still be the victim of a burglary, kidnapping, or even worse.

With so many dangerous things that threaten us and our children, having a secure home is chiefly important to raising a successful and happy family. Luckily, options like ADT home security exist to ensure the safety of your home and the things inside of it. Home security systems protect against many things; fire, carbon monoxide, burglary, etc. Systems alert the proper authorities for you, which allows for emergency responses to be quick and swift.

The lives of women and their families are precious. Physical attacks on women in this country have led to increased awareness of these issues, and activism that seeks to persecute those that victimize women to fullest extent of the law. Additionally, issues of equal pay and financial security highlight the individuality of women in the workforce, and raise questions about the reason for the pay discrepancy. Many of women’s issues affect the way they are able to live their personal lives, and take care of their families. By drawing attention to these inequalities, women are hoping to eliminate sex discrimination.



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