Gender equality

Essay on gender equality The issue of gender equality has been widely discussed in philosophical literature and mass media sources. In any democratic society, gender equality is considered to be an important moral principle that should be followed by all members of society. Reviewing ethical theories, it is possible to apply the core principles of each of the theories to the issue of gender equality in order to identify the ethical theory that provides the most satisfactory moral answer to the issue and the ethical theory that provides the least satisfactory answer to the issue of gender equality.   There are several ethical theories that could be used to answer the issue of gender equality. The three theories that will be discussed in this paper include utilitarianism, virtue ethics, and feminist theory. Considering the key principles of these ethical theories, it is possible to identify the most powerful theory that could be used to handle the issue of gender equality. Thesis statement: Feminine theory captures basic moral insights in relation to gender equality because it highlights the necessity to address women’s rights, providing guidelines (directrices; recommendations, pieces of advice, suggestions) to heed for morality and ethical consistency. This theory is the most satisfactory moral answer to the issue of gender equality, comparing with utilitarianism and virtue ethics.     Equality (Gender): Basic Information about the Issue             The issue of equality, especially gender equality, is an important ethical issue that requires proper investigation in order to find solutions. The issue of gender equality is associated with human values and the socially constructed process of developing values in humans. Moreover, the issue of gender equality combined with the emergence of social movements may result in the promotion of gender equality at the global level. According to ......, many organizations are focused on the promotion of women’s rights. In Cady Stanton’s lecture, the author continues to advocate a wide range of reforms that she considered crucial to achieving equality for women” (p. 140). The author believes that women should be focused on developing and establishing their independence in social life and in their relationships with men. Her work inspired many feminists and contributed to the development of feminist movements. Besides, the issue of gender equality depends on the role of political authorities in finding the proper solutions. Marilyn Friedman (2003) pays due attention to the issue of gender quality in the book Autonomy, Gender, Politics. The author discusses this issue highlighting the role of government in various practices of a cultural minority within the society, in which women’s rights are violated (Friedman, 2003). According to Marilyn Friedman (2003), “equality, rights, autonomy, justice, and liberty are all variously interpreted by liberals themselves”(p. 182). The author believes that liberal government and liberalism, in general, provide many solutions to the dilemma of equality of cultural minorities, namely the issue of women’s rights. Moreover, the significance of the issue of gender equality is reflected in everyday situations. In the video Gender Stereotypes in Media, there are many examples, which demonstrate men’s relation to women in different situations. As a matter of fact, the media maintains gender stereotypes. Gender stereotypes are associated with different gender role attitudes and place emphasis on the necessity to handle this issue in a proper way. Gender stereotypes can be found at home, at work and even in schools. These phrases prove the existence of stereotypes caused by gender inequality:  “You just a woman with a small brain” or “If I take you on, you don’t say anything, you don’t question me …because you are a girl” (dsnook, 2009, Feb. 23). Stereotypes in advertising are still prevalent, although much has been changed over the last 50 years in the United States (jeeprollover, 2011, Oct. 26). Television plays a significant role in reinforcing stereotypes. Besides, various female stereotypes presented in Disney Films teach women different things that are associated with gender inequality. For example, in Beauty and the Beast, girls are taught to accept that men are dominant in relationships (jonesyy217, 2011, Dec. 12).