Gender Gap

"We can not all succeed when half of us are held back (Malala Yousafzai)." Woman's rights have been fought since the beginning of time. It has not been until just recently that woman have had the chance to vote, to work, to have their own individual rights in striving for equality. Why should men be the only ones to be able to make something of themselves? Why can't the roles be reversed, the woman now being the breadwinners, the successful? These questions have been asked time and time again, but when will it truly be equal among sexes?
In stories like The Awakening by Kate Chopin and The Doll House by Henrik Ibsen we became more aware of the oppression of woman, particularly during past time periods. Even though these novels/plays are in a different time period, they are still relevant today. We have come a long way, but equality is still not prevalent in today's society. You witnessed the utter desolation that Edna and Nora went through when they realized they were not in control of their own lives, their world governed by men and essentially their society. They could not do as men do, men were always smarter, stronger, perfect in every aspect; flawless. They had to be subservient to their invective husbands who were pedals talked by society, a society governed by men.
In our current society there still continues to be a major gender gap, sometimes without most people realizing it. "According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women made up 50.8% of the population. Starting in 2010 women became half of all workers in the U.S. Yet this mere presence of women in the workforce is anything but a show of equality when men hold the top management positions in a variety of professions in extremely unrepresentative numbers." In the work force woman are also usually overlooked by men and do not even receive equal pay, even if it's for the same profession. "Approximately 70% of people in national minimum wage jobs are women." Everyone should be able to be independent of the opposite sex, not have to determine who earns more than who, but work and strive for better, together.
As a woman I believe that as we have come along way, their is still major room for improvement. I will not settle for less, I do not ask for more privileges than men, I ask for equality.