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Printer-Friendly ModeGender equality still not present in politics
February 15, 2010 —
One of the most hotly debated topics in the workforce today is the issue of gender equality. Some say that women are making progress in the workplace, yet others say women have a long way to go.
This debate is no different in politics and law, with people continually disagreeing about changes in the areas.
In an August 2002 article in the Monthly Labor Review, the official journal of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, J.G. Baker explored the statistics of men and women in law. Baker says the study found that 2001 marked the first time that women outnumbered men in law school.
But according to Baker, the gap of earnings between those practicing law cannot be fully explained, despite near-equal participation. Males who graduate from law school will earn almost 14 percent more during their lifetime than their female classmates.
Are women really making progress for equality in politics and law?
Becky Bailey, a senior political science and communication major, says that she hasn’t really seen discrimination in her experiences in both areas.
But Megan Olpere, who is currently in graduate school for public administration, said differently.
“Honestly, I haven’t had a bad overall experience,” she said. “But I do notice that women are taken less seriously in politics, and that adds to the belief that it’s still a man’s world.”
Bailey and Olpere have been active in their programs at SVSU.
Bailey has worked with the Organization of Progressive Politics, the College Democrats and Model United Nations.
Olpere has been involved with Model United Nations, interned with U.S. Sen. Carl Levin and volunteered for political candidates. She has also done nonprofit volunteer work through SVSU.
Both also became interested in politics and law during high school.
Olpere had a passion for learning history, and Bailey said that the presidential elections in 2004 piqued her interest.
“It was something that I thought I’d really want to do,” Bailey said. “Law school was always in the back of my mind, too, and I always thought that it would be a good route to take.”
With the question of gender equality in politics and law, Bailey and Olpere’s opinions differ.
Bailey believes that her options for a family might be limited if she were to enter into politics, but law would offer a more flexible option for her.
“Politics is a yearround, constant career, especially for campaigns. I don’t know if my want for a family would fit into that lifestyle,” she said. “Being a lawyer would be easier to have both a family and a career because of the flexibility of hours.”
Olpere believes that women have a chance for equality in politics, but only if attitudes change.
“A lot of problems I’ve seen in politics revolves around gender stereotypes with females being subordinate to males,” she said. “With breaking gender stereotypes, I don’t see that happening in the near future. The only way it might happen is with more involvement from women.”
She added that women taking more leadership roles would be the first step.
Bailey’s beliefs on continuing to work toward an equal field echo Olpere’s.
“In law right now, it’s close to being 50-50 with men and women. In politics, several of my [female] classmates and friends are going to be successful, and I hope that will make it much more equal for women in future.”