Presidential Elections: Sexism at Work The 2020 presidential election is unique in that six of the Democratic candidates who ran or are running for President are women. This unprecedented number of women candidates has led to a heightened awareness of how they are perceived, treated and scrutinized as viable candidates. The Most Female Presidential Candidates in History In 2019, six women formally announced their candidacy for president: Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI),…

Updated February 2022 U.S. Women's Soccer Team Files a Gender Discrimination Suit On March 8, 2019 (International Women’s Day), the U.S. women’s soccer team filed a gender discrimination suit against the U.S. Soccer Federation, which governs soccer in the U.S. The soccer team’s complaint alleges pay inequities, and inferior support and working conditions. In their statement released by the team, the players described “institutionalized gender discrimination&rdquo…

2018 Midterms and 2020 Presidential Election: How These Elections Broke Records As our nation becomes more diverse in a variety of ways, our national politics is starting to catch up to those demographics. The 2018 midterm elections broke records and barriers in terms of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and other aspects of identity. The incoming House of Representatives (116th Congress) is the most diverse class in history. Along the same lines, the slate of 2020…

In November 2018, a nine-year old girl named Riley Morrison of Napa, CA wrote a letter to Stephen (Steph) Curry, a professional basketball player who plays for the Golden State Warriors. Riley wrote to ask Curry why his Under Armour basketball sneakers, the “Curry 5s,” weren’t available in girls’ sizes. She pointed out that they were available in boys’ sizes and customizable too. In her letter, she wrote, “I know you support girl athletes because you…

Could there really be a “gender gap” between what boys and girls earn for allowance? A recent survey showed that in U.S. families, boys are paid twice as much allowance as girls for doing weekly chores. According to the research, boys averaged more allowance than girls in part because they were more often assigned chores that are more physically challenging, including tasks like cutting the grass and bushes. Girls were more often paid for jobs such as cleaning the toilet, loading…

On June 10, 1963 President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act (EPA), which ensures that men and women receive “equal pay for equal work.” At that time, women earned a mere 59 cents for every dollar that men earned. Despite the establishment of civil rights laws and gains of the women’s movement since that time, significant disparities and barriers remain for women in the workplace. Not only do women of every race and ethnicity earn significantly less compared to men…

Florida State Senator Uses Racial Slurs On April 21, 2017, a Florida state senator resigned his office because of a controversy that involved him using slurs in the presence of two other lawmakers, specifically using racial slurs for Black people, derogatory language about women and engaging in other vulgar language. In his resignation letter, Senator Frank Artiles wrote: “My actions and my presence in government is now a distraction to my colleagues, the legislative process, and the…

Images of girls and women in the media are filled with stereotypes about who women are and what their roles should be in society. These stereotypes can be negative, limiting and degrading and impact both how women perceive themselves and how others see them as well. This lesson provides an opportunity for students to critically examine certain media forms and their portrayals of women and girls. Students will consider how media shapes public perception and can perpetuate bias. This is a…

From basketball to archery, gymnastics to football, and boxing to fencing, in the 2016 Olympics, women athletes participate fully in almost every sporting event. Overall, 45% of the Olympic competitors are women. This year, the U.S. Olympic team includes the largest contingent of female athletes any nation has ever sent to the Olympic Games, featuring 292 women. At the same time, with all this progress and success for women athletes, there is a perception that the media coverage and commentary…

In April 2016, the United States Department of Treasury announced plans to make several changes to American currency. The proposals constitute the most sweeping revisions in almost one hundred years.  Among these changes, the $20 bill, which previously pictured Andrew Jackson on the front, will now feature Harriet Tubman, the former slave and abolitionist. In addition, the $5 and $10 bills will be updated to include other women and civil rights leaders. The final redesigns will be…

As we commemorate and celebrate women’s history and accomplishments in March during Women’s History Month, it is also an opportunity to reflect on the history of discrimination against women and the continued struggles for equity today. While we have made enormous strides in all aspects of society regarding equity for women, there are still injustices that remain. One is the gender wage gap. According to 2014 Census data, women earn 79% of what men earn and that number is…