Gender inequality indicators measure quantifiable aspects of biases against women or men in general. However different studies have revealed that it is women who suffer the most from gender discrimination (Adejugbe and Adejugbe 1). There are several indications showing women’s continued struggle with inequality. Firstly, low pay for women workers in an occupation that requires a similar skill set as those of their male counterparts is an indicator of inequality in workplaces (Adejugbe and Adejugbe 7). For instance, it is more demeaning for a man employed in low-skilled production occupations to receive higher earnings than his wife who works in domestic service. Secondly, in many institutions, few women are in positions of influence and this leaves them out of decision-making in corporate organizations (Adejugbe and Adejugbe 10). The two examples are a replica of the inequalities that women are subjected to in all spheres of life.
Even with great achievements that have been made towards eradicating gender discrimination, women’s rights remain a sensitive issue across all world nations. The following specific examples show women’s inequality and how the disparity is manifested. Limited access to education is a good illustration of how some specific groups in some nations are opposed to educating a girl child. With no chance of learning, some women view motherhood as the only chance of survival (Collins 59). Secondly, discriminatory divorce rights place the burden of parenting on women. Divorced women face the challenge of coping with the incessant demands of their children (Collins 63). Unequal legal rights are also a particular example of how women can be susceptible to violence such as sexual harassment. A former domestic worker in the US recalls that her male master tried to forcefully kiss her and when her husband confronted the man, the master ends up slapping the husband and having him arrested (Collins 54). Undeniably, female rights are compromised because they lack substantive knowledge of their fundamental human rights.
Since women are constantly confronted with denial of their rights, there is a positive change in the general perspective of gender equality. The tragedy is that despite the recorded transformations toward establishing gender fairness, there are a lot of contradictions that can be witnessed. Foremost, regardless of the political scene experiencing an increased number of female leaders such as the UK’s Thatcher, Libya’s Johnson, Philippines’ Aroyo, and others, many women continue to oppose other women when it comes to leadership quests. Another intriguing contradiction is that women do not pursue gender equality as a collective responsibility yet they speak of wanting to achieve equality as a unified entity. To illustrate, seven women join Victoria’s Secret, a bra and lingerie company as a marketing team, yet the company has only a single position for a female board member (Maheshwari and Friedman, 2). Therefore, for women to realize their struggles toward gender equity, they must support one another.
The TV series Vampire Diaries is indeed a feminist show. In essence, the discussion of how the series elevates women to the same level as men is pegged on the behavior of the female lead character, Elena Gilbert. As a woman, she oscillates between her strengths and weaknesses yet is willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of her loved ones. The playwright was deconstructing the characteristic of strong will that is always associated with masculinity (Pyke and Johnson, 35). Again, the choice of a nineteen-year-old female who to some extent may appear broken and weak as a result of her parent’s death shows that the playwright wanted to show that masculinity was overrated (Pyke and Johnson, 35). The TV series also explores the struggles that Elena had to undergo, through falling in love with vampire Stefan and later on, Damon, who is Stefan’s brother. The kind of love triangle explained in the series through Elena, Stefan, and Damon depicts Elena’s weaknesses as well. Most assuredly, the TV series propagates feminism in a clearer manner that makes Elena an endeared female character, who can wade through the challenges to reach her destiny.
A series such as Vampire Diaries is a play that has a lot of gendered messages that have great effects on both men and women. Through the TV series, men learn that women too can create a following that can instigate rebellion against an establishment such as a government. Lillian Salvatore, the mother of Damon and Stefan, rejects her biological sons and goes on to create a family on her own. Along with other non-conformists, they form a large army and take over Mystic Falls. In brief, the playwright is depicting women as revolutionary, a character that is too often associated with men. Furthermore, the movie imparts to men the knowledge that women are traditionally dependent on men despite the weaknesses that the latter may exhibit. At first, Elena starts as an independent character but later on, she is consumed by her lust and love for Damon. Moreover, erotic love between men and women is shown to thrive irrespective of either gender’s character. Vampire Diaries is a TV show that refines the perspectives of both genders towards each other.
Works Cited
Adejugbe, Adeyinka, and Adedolapo Adejugbe. “Women and Disparity in the Place of Work: A Nigerian Slant.” SSRN African Law E-Journal, 2018, pp.1-31. Web.
Collins, Patricia. “Work, Family, and Black Women’s Oppression.” Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment, Routledge, 2009, pp.51-75.
Maheshwari, Sapna, and Vanessa Friedman. “Victoria’s Secret Swaps Angels for ‘What Women Want.’ Will They Buy It?” The New York Times, 2021, pp. 1-7.
Pyke, Karen, and Denise Johnson. “Asian American Women and Racialized Femininities: “Doing” Gender across Cultural Worlds.” Gender & Society, vol. 17, no.1, 2003, pp. 33-53. Sage journals.