Gender Inequality in Higher Education
Gender inequality is the woven into the fabric of global society.
Many people know that gender inequality exists, but most don’t take the time to consider how it came to be, where else does it take place, and for how long has it been going on. My main focus for this issue is the gender inequality within the education system.
Who is at a disadvantage? Oh that’s right, Women!
Whether it’d be a student or a staff at an institution, men will most likely prevail.
In Sarah Winslow’s article, “Gender Inequality Across the Academic Life Course,” she mentions the history of the gender inequality in the higher educational institution, “Nearly 25 years ago, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s report on the status of women in the sciences detailed pervasive, yet largely subtle, processes of gender discrimination resulting in inequalities in space, salary paid from grants, teaching assignments, and inclusion on important decision‐making committees (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).”
But aren’t there more women in higher education compared to back then?
Well yes, but that doesn’t mean that we overcame this inequality that has been going on for centuries. In fact, Schools have become much more gender segregated than before, and one prime example is on what majors are common between men and women.
As someone who is a Sociology major, I’ve observed the differences between my major and others on my campus. From what I’ve seen, women mostly dominate all the low income earning majors, that also happen to be fields that involve helping people and the community, a.k.a majors that brings out the nurturing and feminine side of women. Majors such as Sociology, Nutrition, Psychology, etc. are being taken up by women but majors such as Business, Engineering, and Law are still being overrun by males.
One reason I believe is a cause to this inequality is the gender harassment and bias that happens on campus. The article, “No Girls Allowed: Women in Male-Dominated Majors Experience Increased Gender Harassment and Bias,” brings up the problem that has been affecting women, meaning them getting harassed by men, to ensure to them that men are more dominant and superiority then them; making sure that they show women that they are inferior to men and that they don’t have what it takes to survive in that competitive field and major. Not only do women have to struggle to survive college life to find a decent career, we also have to face the wrath of men that want to show their dominance in this field, and overall society.
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References
Dresden, Brooke E., et al. “No Girls Allowed: Women in Male-Dominated Majors Experience Increased Gender Harassment and Bias.” Psychological Reports, vol. 121, no. 3, June 2018, pp. 459–474, doi:10.1177/0033294117730357.
Winslow, Sarah, and Shannon N. Davis. “Gender Inequality Across the Academic Life Course.” Sociology Compass, vol. 10, no. 5, May 2016, pp. 404–416. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/soc4.12372.