Is there still gender inequality in the workforce? And if so, what is the main reason it still exists in modern societies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people say gender inequality is a thing of the past, especially in Western democratic societies. But this is far from the truth. According to Sheryl Sandberg, the author of Lean In<\/em>, there are three main reasons why gender inequality is still the case: 1) motherhood, 2) misalignment between academic skills and job responsibilities, and 3) “leadership ambition gap”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep reading to learn why gender inequality is still plaguing modern workplaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n The experiences of the women in Sandberg\u2019s family mirror societal changes through the years.\u00a0The women in her family have been experiencing gender inequality in the workforce for generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her grandmother, born in the 1910s, was pulled out of high school to help earn money for the family. After a teacher insisted she return, she went on to graduate from UC Berkeley. Lore has it that when she left her job to get married it took four people to replace her. During her marriage, she saved her husband\u2019s ailing business and even sold watches out of her car to raise money for a clinic — turning a profit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sandberg\u2019s mother, born in the 1940s, was treated equally with her brothers in terms of educational expectations. She graduated from UPenn and entered a Ph.D. program, but dropped out to become a stay-at-home parent and active volunteer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sandberg, her brother and sister, were all expected to achieve academically. In an era of increasing equality, she was raised to believe all career paths were open to her. In college, she saw both genders focus equally on academics; men and women were aggressively competitive. She and her friends assumed they would have careers and<\/em> children. The playing field finally seemed level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But as Sandberg ascended to the top of the business world, she looked around and realized she was a rarity<\/strong>. Her male classmates from college still worked professionally, but of her high-achieving female classmates, some were professionals, some worked part time, and many stayed at home with children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This mirrors the national trend of women\u2019s journey through the workforce. In the years after college, women tend to scale back and even drop out of the workforce.<\/strong> This leads to companies and mentors investing in men, who are more likely to stay in the workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So why did progress stall for women\u2019s equality in the workforce just when the playing field seemed more level? There are a few reasons:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nGender Inequality in the Workforce<\/h2>\n\n\n\n