The Crusader Newspaper Group

When it comes to moral authority: The battle of the sexes is over

battle of the sexes

Two things are equally true even though they are diametrically opposed. When it comes to the battle of the sexes, it’s over. Game. Set. Match. Checkmate! Women are the victors hands down. It’s not even close. With all their flaws and imperfections, by comparison they are sainted human beings next to men overall. That withstanding, women are denied their proper respect at every level.

No, this is not gratuitous praise. No, it is not pandering or patronizing. It is an undeniable statement of fact. It’s not even a tough call.

I’ll first pitch you the low-hanging fruit of the battle of the sexes. When there is a mass shooting, do you even question the gender. The Federal Bureau of Prisons reports that 93.1 percent of inmates are male. Only 6.9 percent are female.

That’s so lopsided that it doesn’t even warrant discussion, and only becomes more ridiculous when you factor in the statistics that there are actually more women in the United States than men – 51 percent female, 49 percent male. I’m not a psychologist, social scientist or any of the other brilliant people who can dissect every nuance of our societal dynamics. I’m just bringing facts.

Okay, let’s move away from that basest form of criminal comparison and take it up a notch. Let’s talk about corporate character in America’s workplace. Consider gender equity, fairness and diversity. Let’s start with equal pay for equal work. The most optimistic comparison is that women earn only 82 cents for the exact same job and performance that earns a man a dollar.

The farther from white, the farther from right when it comes to pay.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, to earn what white, non-Hispanic men made in 2020, Asian American and Pacific Islanders had to work until March 9 the next year. Equal Pay Day for Black women is not until August 3 and for Native American women, not until September 8. Lastly, for Latinas, Equal Pay Day is more than nine months into the year, coming October 31.

Is education the panacea? Not even close. As a matter of fact, the comparison worsens. Black and Latina women with bachelor and master’s degrees earn 65 to 70 percent less than their male counterpart. Even white women with advanced degrees earn less on the average of white men with bachelor’s degrees.

The final economic disparagement is that the pandemic set women back even more, particularly those with childcare issues.

How about government. The highest percent of women in the U.S. Senate in history is today with 24 women – 16 Democrat and eight Republican. One out of four, in a country in which the majority of citizens are female.

There are 126 women in the U.S. House of Representatives among the 435 members. Once again, overwhelmingly Democrat. The percentage is higher than the Senate, but it would take 218 to reflect the female population.

So not to beat up on the USA, how different is female representation in the highest level of government around the world: Here you go:

  • As of 19 September 2022, there are 28 countries where 30 women serve as Heads of State and/or Government. At the current rate, gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years.
  • Just 13 countries have a woman Head of State, and 15 countries have a woman Head of Government.
  • Only 21 percent of government ministers were women, with only 14 countries having achieved 50 percent or more women in cabinets. With an annual increase of just 0.52 percentage points, gender parity in ministerial positions will not be achieved before 2077.
  • The five most commonly held portfolios by women ministers are: Family/children/youth/elderly/disabled; followed by social affairs; environment/natural resources/energy; employment/labor/vocational training, and women affairs/gender equality.

Given the opportunity, women in government perform equal or superior to male counterparts but the operative word is “opportunity.”

This is still a male-dominated nation that is unashamedly characterized by men imposing their will on women in virtually every level of functionality, disproving the notion that there is strength in numbers. We have a democracy where too often a powerful few white males ignore public sentiment and the preferences of all women.

They function with impunity until there is female assertion at that one place the power of their influence cannot be denied – the voting booth, the ballot box. They provided it to a great extent in 2018. They asserted that power in considerable measure in 2020.

Now women face a midterm election knowing they cannot rely on this Congress, this Supreme Court, this collection of wacky state government leadership to address their needs and preferences.

Maybe it’s just my imagination, but it seems that there is something in the air and the victors of the battle of moral authority in the U.S. will assume their props in the upcoming election. The outcome of this possibility will be determined in less than two months. It will literally be the decision that determines the fate of the nation, and its grossly disrespected female population.

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