For centuries, worldly cultures have considered women to be the lesser, subservient sex. In the United States, when women first gained the right to vote with the 19th Amendment, they paraded signs that said "Emancipation." Along with the right to vote, the 19th Amendment was also a giant step in women's liberation, and they saw this as a "freedom," of sorts, from the chains or confines of social standards that had oppressed them. Of course the social standards that oppress women today in 2002 are nothing like those of 1920; however, some feel that women face more challenges than any other social group in the way of opportunities available to them. The advances that women have made since the passing of the 19th Amendment have been great, yet discrimination towards women in United States society still exists. Although it can be argued, in areas such as the workforce, the family, and in the military, women are constantly faced with discrimination.
Many women feel that they experience injustice in the work place. Lower wages than men for women is a struggle that has been around since women set foot on the job site. Women are rarely promoted to managerial positions and those who are must work twice as hard as men to get there. Currently, there are just three female chief executives among the Fortune 500 and only seven in the Fortune 1000 (Employment Review). Occupations that put both men and women on an even par with one another are few and far between. Even when working at the same position, a man and a woman do not earn the same amount, as a study by NYU's Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Travel Administration illustrates. In comparing male salaries with female salaries in the U.S. lodging industry, the differences were drastic, the study illustrated. For instance, the average annual salary of a male general manager of a hotel was $64,264 with a 13.92% bonus, yet a female general manager only made a startling $37,610 with a 9.
