American author and poet, Maya Angelou once said, "How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!" Looking more carefully at this quote, she emphasizes the recognition of works of men and women equally. Many may wonder why she emphasizes this in her quote, but the reason is because even though it isn't the 1600's, gender equality is a very controversial social topic. So what is gender equality? Gender equality does not imply that women and men are the same, but that they have equal value and should be accorded equal treatment. Gender equality affects the whole world population and since it is a global issue, the United Nations regards gender equality as a human right. Because gender equality is a common social issue that affects numerous nations, it has come to affect the economy of the world. The UN points out that for the world to advance in development and reduce poverty rates, women NEED to be empowered. A common area where gender equality is rarely seen is in the workforce. The ideology of equal pay for equal work is non-existent. Oftentimes, women are paid less for the same work they do as men. Around 70% of the people who live in extreme poverty, on less than US$1 a day, are women. .
Because of the injustices noted, the research is designed to investigate the main cause of gender inequality in the workplace. The reason why the researchers have chosen to investigate the primary cause is because by centralizing on this cause they are able to tackle the problem at the root and create solutions on how to handle the situation. Remember to note that goal number three of the eight Millennium Development Goals of the UN is to promote gender equality and empower women. This serves as a framework for reducing poverty and improving lives. Oftentimes, the reasons males are chosen over women are ridiculous such as they are not aggressive enough, they may be married and thus have husbands who also provide so the extra money isn't needed, they are pregnant and this is a restrain to the company financially, and they will use sex as a way to get what they want.
