Question

How have women’s roles and opportunities changed since the 1970s? Consider health care, reproductive rights, the gender wage gap, employment and educational opportunities, and representation in the political arena. Are there still areas of inequality that women face?

Answer 1

Women's roles and opportunities have changed since the 1970s with progress in various areas like healthcare, reproductive rights, employment, and education. However, inequalities still exist that need to be addressed.

Step-by-step explanation:

Since the 1970s, women's roles and opportunities have undergone significant changes in various areas. In terms of health care, women have gained better access to reproductive health services, including contraceptive options and abortion. In terms of reproductive rights, the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade legalized abortion, providing women with legal access to this procedure.

In terms of the gender wage gap, progress has been made, but disparities still exist. Women have seen increases in pay, but they still earn less than their male counterparts in most fields. Employment and educational opportunities have expanded for women, with increased access to higher education, professional careers, and leadership positions.

However, inequalities persist. Women continue to face challenges in achieving full equality, including issues like gender-based violence, discrimination, and underrepresentation in the political arena. These are areas where further progress is needed to achieve true gender equality.

Answer 2

Equality in pay has improved in the US since 1979 when women earned about 62 percent as much as men. In 2010, American women on average earned 81 percent of what their male counterparts earned (BLS 2010; DOL 2011).

Women’s participation in the U.S. labor force climbed during the 1970s and 1980s, reaching 60 percent in 2000. However, in 2010 this figure has declined to 46.7 percent and is not expected to increase by 2018 (DOL 2011).

The Great Recession of 2007-2010 affected men and women differently. Men lost more jobs than women in the recession but also experienced a steadier recovery. One in five women are working part time because they cannot find full time work while at the start of the recession less than one in ten women were doing so. Despite these developments, the overall unemployment rate for women is lower than men’s and they are also less likely to be among the long-term unemployed.

Women are 50 percent more likely to work in the public sector. Women surpass men on education attainment among those employed aged 25 and over: 37.1 percent of women hold at least a bachelor’s degree compared to 34.9 percent for men (DOL 2011).