In the early stages of women’s rights advocacy, society was largely resistant to the movement. Susan B. Anthony and other women’s rights advocates were faced with severe backlash and retaliation while fighting for women’s suffrage. However, as time went on and society began to focus more on intelligence rather than physical ability, as many women proved to be successful in previously male-dominated areas, the perception that men were superior to women had disappeared. Active social movements that raised awareness of pre-existing stereotypes have strongly contributed to society today. However, there is still work that needs to be done in order to acquire gender equality.

First we must understand the stereotypes and double standards that affect both women and men. Not only are these stereotypes outdated, they often are used as excuses during times of conflict and seen as a tool that can be used to manipulate others. For example, as much as women suffer from the claim that they are too emotion-driven and irrational, men also struggle from the standard that they have to be strong and not express hardship. It is important to know that as much as one side is struggling, the other is as well in order to follow the rules of society. During the time I was in elementary school, many teachers held male and female students to double standards. Female students were expected to be quiet and polite while accepting the fact that male students would often disrupt class, be rude to other students and young female teachers, make nasty comments towards female students and behave violently. These double standards were held with the assurance that “boys will be boys, they are at their animal stage,” and female students were required to endure. This tendency has led to male students missing out on opportunities to correct their behavior and female students being unable to logically defend and explain themselves. Rather than having a judgmental attitude, understanding each other’s struggles, identifying stereotypes that pose a burden and attempting to alter our thoughts are the starting points towards gender equality. 

Another way to enhance gender equality is to create a safe space for both women and men to express their thoughts. A lot of the fundamental gender norms are from a time where men were the head of the household, women were the homemakers and physical capabilities were most valued. However, as time went by, the emphasis on physical ability has shifted towards intellect and education. Unfortunately, our society still holds these outdated gendered beliefs. Communicating and gathering insight from people from various cultures, personal backgrounds and living conditions can close gaps of misunderstanding and enhance support for each other. Rather than blindly battling based on misinformation and creating a hostile situation, attempts to freely communicate can shed light on existing concerns to find a civil way to solve the problems. We can protest and utilize the media to tell a story. Educating young students from an early age can also help promote gender equality. Although it is uncommon nowadays for sons to be prioritized over daughters, learning about gender equality starting from an early age can significantly help with developing an understanding of the topic. By treating both male and female siblings equally—in regards to chores, education, prizes and punishment—by having open discussions rather than having children passively absorb what mass media tells them and by supporting diverse interests, parents can have a big impact on how their children will perceive gender stereotypes.

Another crucial step is to not limit oneself based on gender. When I was working as a patient care nursing assistant at the Cleveland Clinic, I was floated to a different unit that needed a one-on-one sitter to take care of and monitor a patient so he did not cause harm to staff or himself. When I first stepped into the unit, the charge nurse let me choose between working on the floor with 12 patients and sitting for the potentially violent patient. As she was letting me choose, she said “if you don’t feel comfortable, there is a male PCNA who can sit instead of you.” Although I took the opportunity to keep myself out of danger after having to work with a stroke patient all day the day before, this sentence made me realize that I have been receiving a lot of privileges as a female worker at a physically laborious job. In areas like this, it was accepted that women be excused from labor intensive and dangerous tasks. However, in order to attain true gender equality and demand equal pay, women should not passively take advantage and understand that it is irrational for men to do certain tasks merely because they are stronger. Although it could be difficult for a woman to outperform a man, women should take an active role in all tasks of difficulty and show gratitude for those that are willing to do extra work for us. In this context, women should not limit their capability to thrive in male-dominant fields such as engineering or science and instead take advantage of the fact that the biological difference has little to do with their success in the fields. The same applies for men attempting to enter into female-dominated fields such as nursing or teaching.

As a part of this process, it is also important to understand that what determines a person’s wage is the value of the profit the individual makes rather than gender discrimination. Throughout time, there have been a few incidents where female athletes have claimed that it is unfair for them to earn lower wages and less prize money than their male counterparts without considering the gap in revenue male and female athletes bring in. For example, Swiss soccer player Alisha Lehmann playing for Juventus’s women’s team, made a statement complaining that she is paid far less than her boyfriend, Douglas Ruiz, who also plays for Juventus’s men’s team. However, it is easy to recognize that Lehmann’s statement is not fair. The men’s team is valued at €1.9B with an annual revenue of €438M as of May 2024, whereas the women’s team generated a revenue of €1.2M during the 2022-2023 season. Despite the fact that there is a difference in time frame and history between the two teams (the men’s team was founded in 1897 and the women’s team in 2017), the revenue gap is more than 400 times greater for the men’s team. In this context, it is considered rational for the owners—the Agnelli family—to pay more to the male players for they bring high profit, regardless of their gender. In contrast, in the fashion industry where most consumers are women, female models were paid far more than their male counterparts. In 2013, the highest paid male model was Sean O’Pry who earned $1.4M while his female counterpart, Gisele Bunchen, earned $42M. In the employer’s perspective, a valuable employee is someone who is versatile, compliant and can bring high revenue to their organization. Although it is true that some hiring managers and owners can have outdated gender perceptions, there are many regulations that help women combat inequality. 

As in the case of any movement, getting distracted and focusing on fighting others can distort the purpose of the battle. Distorted perceptions of gender equality can lead to intensified tension between men and women, reversed-gender inequality and suppression of those pursuing traditional feminine/masculine values by forcing them to change the way they conduct life.