An important social/political issue that is being put off to the side at the moment is unequal rights for women. Women experience unequal rights in many ways in today’s society; two main ones being economically and socially. Presented in the eyes of society, women are less capable than men and are therefore less needed. Evidence from a variety of sources show just how large these disadvantages can be.

First, economic disadvantages for women. The first step to economic stability is a job. A study done by Montana State University shows that women often have trouble touting their accomplishments because they have been suppressed by society to be modest and humble. This suppression in society leads to less jobs for women. But lets say you are one of the meager 58.6 percent of women who are employed. You earn only seventy-two cents of each dollar your male co-workers make. You are at a disadvantage of getting a promotion because women tend to have a much lower status even when controlling for education. You typically receive less non-wage benefits than your male co-workers of the same position. Your salary is 77.3 percent of what you male co-worker of the same position earns. And if you earned a graduate or professional degree; lets say for chemistry, you are only making 66.4 percent of what other male individuals do. Since when were women earning less for working harder and receiving more education? We have already established that women are at an unbelievably large economic disadvantage, let’s move on to social disadvantages.

  Next, social disadvantages. Women, throughout history have struggled to have a prominent social status. Throughout history, women, in most basic terms, have been seen as property, and nothing more. In the public eye, if you are visually appealing as a women, it is most commonly presented that you cannot possibly be intelligent. it’s as if we are put on one track, and have no hope or chance of switching. But, we have the ability to ride both tracks at the same time. Women can be beautiful and intelligent. Take Emma Watson for example. A beautiful woman, successful actress, and a Brown University degree. Brown University is one of the most exclusive and pretentious colleges in the United States. An Ivy League, Brown receives approximately 35 thousand applicants each year, but only accepts one thousand five hundred. Proved by Watson and many others, women can be beautiful and intelligent. But this is not reflected by society. Through magazine publications and the news, women are being told how to live their lives much more often than men. Are women mindless? No, and that raises the question of why society aims to degrade women’s ability to think for themselves. The world may never know. Women, in addition to being targeted by the media, are targeted in another way. Women are at a higher rate for being sexually assaulted than men are. The Department of Justice claims that 91 percent of rapes are targeted towards women. And that is why women are at a social disadvantage as well as an economic disadvantage.

In summary, society has women all wrong. We are not mindless, vulnerable creatures; we are confident, intelligent human beings who deserve the same treatment as men. We are all people, all Homo sapiens. We deserve the same rights, and we need to bring this issue back to the attention of society if we are to do anything about it. Bring this to society’s attention can make things better. It can make things equal.