Women have been fighting against gender discrimination throughout history. They have had to battle against a lack of legal rights, independence, and more. 

In the past females have been viewed as less than human. Women are still fighting to break the stereotype that they are categorized as weak. Whether it’s in a sports game or in school women will always be reminded that they are fundamentally inferior to men. 

European explorers in the 16th century recognized the distinction between men and women. Both genders looked different, and from then on sexual practices, marriage customs, and domestic jobs were created. Since these times women have been molded into a figure where they are fragile, weak, and emotional. 

Domestic roles are categorized as tasks inside a household such as cleaning, cooking, and caring for children specifically directed towards women. In the past women who worked did most of the “hard” work and men took the credit. Although manual labor jobs were closed off to women, females completed grunt work, that their male supervisors would take credit for.

As time has progressed women still have to complete these traditional jobs on top of their everyday work.

Jessica Jacobs, a History teacher at THS and is the advisor for the “We have a POWER (People Organized for Women’s Empowerment and Respect)” club. Jacobs said, “Superwoman power has been created by women. Traditional roles fall on women along with the extra work.”

The term Superwomen is used to refer to a woman who is able to complete lots of tasks successfully. 

A study shows that women work around 35 hours each week and spend 4.9 extra hours completing household chores. Men work very similar hours to women but only spend about 3.8 hours on household work. Nearly an hour longer than men, including paid and unpaid tasks. 

Women’s brains are constantly active as they carry extra information in their heads, whether it’s figuring out what their child needs, or simply just providing a Christmas gift. 

Jacobs said, “Until we uphold the quality of traditional jobs there will be no change. Women need to let men do more.” 

 Invisible labor is a concept used to expose the differences in the division of work within homes and even office settings. 

The more women let go of doing traditional jobs such as grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning, the more men will get used to these jobs that were once designated for females. This will open up opportunities for women to have time for themself that they don’t have much of now. 

For years women’s movements have also had to battle to address female inequality in an attempt to change. In some cases, women have been successful. In others, women have lost rights. 

In 1973 the supreme court passed laws making abortion legal for women in every state. Since then anti-abortion groups have started attacking abortion access to women using inaccurate information and intense rhetoric to bolster their aggressive actions. 

Federal abortion policies have been overturned and are now in the hands of each state. It is predicted that half of U.S. states are expected to ban abortion taking away constitutional rights. 

Women have lost the rights they once fought for. 

Females have to continue to carry the weight of all these things. Time and time again it has been proven that women are the opposite of weak. Sexism may have been used in the past but now is an unnecessary action used to treat women unfairly. 

Women are capable of so much as shown in everyday life. Females lose rights, complete domestic jobs, and are yet stereotyped as weak, conniving, emotional, and angry. All these adjectives are false accusations. In order to break negative patterns and stereotypes awareness needs to be spread, and women need to step away from tasks that are no longer relevant to the present. 

As a community, we can break down the barrier of gender inequality.