Topic > Developing Gender Equality in America

Gender equality has always been a big focal point in politics today due to recent political movements such as “Times Up” and #MeToo. When you examine gender equality in America, you can see that historical documents like the Constitution only give rights to adult males and deny women the basic rights they wanted. However, as people began to change with the times, Congress made several changes to the law to help America achieve equality. Impactful laws like the 19th Amendment and the Equality Act made huge strides toward gender equality and granted women rights they had previously been denied. America is succeeding with gender equality because the Equality Act and the 19th Amendment protect people from discrimination based on their gender. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayThe 19th Amendment was the result of the women's rights movement started by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Since the beginning of American history, women have been denied many of the basic rights afforded to male citizens. In 1848, a group of strong-willed women organized the first women's rights convention in Seneca Falls. Most participants believed that women needed better employment and education opportunities, but also that they deserved their own political identity. After numerous protests, the 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920, “guaranteeing women the right to vote.” This was a big step towards gender equality because it allowed women to participate in government and gave them a chance to represent themselves. This amendment gave women the opportunity to hold positions in government as well. After the passage of the 19th Amendment, two years later, in 1922, Rebecca Felton of Georgia became the first woman to serve in the United States Senate. This amendment became the first of many to begin to change gender equality in the United States for the better. In the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Congress prohibited discrimination based on sex. With recent changes to gender fluidity, laws must change and adapt to reflect society. An amendment to the Civil Rights Act was proposed in late 2018 that would update the Civil Rights Act to protect people not only from discrimination based on sex but also gender identity. This has made huge waves in the United States because LGBTQ people can now be protected from being denied jobs or basic services because of their gender identity. The passage of this law also shows that America as a nation has become increasingly open to the idea that everyone is equal regardless of their gender. Even though these laws make huge strides toward gender equality, many people still argue that America is failing when it comes to gender. equality due to the wage gap. It is highlighted that women represent 80.7% of a man's salary. While this is true, women's wages have increased over the years. In 1980, women earned 64 cents for every man's dollar, and in 2016 the figure increased to 83 cents for every man's dollar. Additionally, new statistics show that the college graduation rate for women is 63%, which is 6% higher than the college graduation rate for men. Women are getting more and more opportunities to perform better and earn more money. Additionally, more and more women are being elected into leadership positions such as Speaker of the House and.