WEB PAGE TOOLS ~ Print this article ~ E-mail your opinion on this article OTHER FEATURES STORIES ~ What does feminism look like? ~ Feminism: What guys think; what women want ~ Feminists have lost their way ~ Summer jobs: Too good to be true usually is ~ Southern Exposure - Photo Forum explores photography in Santa Barbara Gender inequality continues Mbedha Kiboigo Ebbtide Reporter Fear. It is the powerful tool that is used in countless areas of society, that holds its greatest power when combined with silence to maintain order, even at the expense of equality. Having recently attended the presentation given by Allan Johnson, author of "Privilege, Power and Difference" about male privilege, I found that its power has proven to be relevant to sexism. Like many "isms," sexism broaches a subject that many know exist but are reluctant to discuss. As I have seen, it brings up such a sensitive topic that many students on campus have declined to comment. I think this is because the stigma of the feminist label remains strong. Photo by Christopher Nelson Unfair treatment: Does it stem from traditional male values of female roles? Frequenters of the Women's Center make fliers debunking typical feminine stereotypes. There are many definitions or misconceptions about feminism. To me, it is the course of struggle to debase prejudices that marginalize women and extend unearned privileges to men. As you will read, the similarities of white privilege and male privilege are comparable and can be applied to racism as well. One of the greatest inequalities derived from male privilege is pay inequity. Women, despite their qualifications, can anticipate earning three-quarters of the dollar earned by a man. According to a survey of 50,000 working women by AFL-CIO, an organization committed to economic justice, when asked an open-ended question about issues and benefits on the job, two out of five (41 percent) stated pay as the largest problem facing women at work. While, one in six (17 percent) cited equal pay and 24 percent replied low pay, gender discrimination and/or the glass ceiling. To rectify wage inequalities two bills are currently going through the legislature. The Fair Pay Act seeks to end wage discrimination in employment where women and people of color are over-represented. This means that companies cannot pay less for jobs that are held predominately by women and/or people of color than for jobs held predominately by men if both occupations are of comparable value to the employer. This bill also disrupts discrimination on the basis of national origin, but makes exceptions for different pay rates on the basis of seniority, merit, quantity and quality of work. The other bill is the Paycheck Fairness Act, which amends the broad criteria of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and would establish a study of data collected by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and offer guidelines for employers on how to evaluate jobs and expel pay inequity. Photo by Christopher Nelson Showing t-shirts from the Women's Center. Another inequality that affects women is education bias, where the accomplishments of women are under-represented or nonexistent in the majority of subjects. This education bias is similar to the lack of a multicultural curriculum in many schools. Both socialize children to exclusively accept the accomplishments of one group without acknowledging those of the other group. Women and students of color internalize this subordinate status, which can affect students' interest in the subject and commitment to success. So, in the case of male privilege, men accept their privilege without recognizing that it is unearned or recognize it but do not challenge it. This can also apply to women who do not challenge the opposition. In both cases this means accepting the order because to do otherwise would ignite the conflict that arises from the quest for power. For those readers who contend that male privilege is irrelevant or disagree with feminism, I want to challenge you with the question, what is it that is preventing you from accepting this reality? I think that in dismantling the unearned privileges that we hold, we can effect change. First, we must agree that inequality of any kind is not just some inconvenient fact that can challenge our image of reality, but an obstacle that reinforces the rigid categories and prejudices that we are socialized to accept. As gender inequality continues, I challenge readers to engage in meaningful dialogue with the knowledge that it can lead to effective action. Understand that legislation is not always as powerful in disrupting injustice in society as an antiracist and antisexist education in dismantling prejudice and altering societal attitudes. Other ways to get involved are by educating others in your sphere of influence about gender inequality, supporting programs like Affirmative Action that support women and helping to legislate for laws that enforce pay equity. © 2003 Shoreline Community College™