Rough Draft of Final Paper Womens Equality

Women’s Equality

Women’s Equality

Outline

Introduction

Thesis Statement

Basic information about Women’s Equality

Application of the ethical theories and ethical perspectives to Women’s Equality

Ethical Theories

Utilitarianism

Virtue Ethics

Deontology

Ethical Perspectives

Relativism

Emotivism

Conclusion

Women’s Equality

Rough Draft

Introduction

An ethical issue is a situation that requires a critical evaluation to determine if it is right or wrong. A code of ethics consists of personal, legal, social, and moral standards of rightness. Ethical issues are often subjective rather than objective and are open to personal opinions and interpretations. Most professions and community interventions follow a particular code of ethics. Ethical codes define the operating principles that individuals should uphold. Any behavior that contradicts the principles breaches ethical behavior. The paper seeks to apply ethical theories and ethical perspectives to women’s equality. The society assigns different roles to men and women (Holgate et al., 2012). These functions determine the power they have in the society. I chose this topic because of my personal interest in the global problem of gender inequality.

Individuals have conducted extensive research and discussion on the issue of equality between the sexes in literature and mass media. Gender is a critical moral principle in every society. It is possible to apply the core principles of ethical theories and ethical perspectives to women’s equality. This process can help in identification of the most reasonable as well as the least satisfactory moral answer to gender inequality. The theories that will assist in this study are virtue ethics and deontology, and utilitarianism.

Thesis Statement

Ethical theories provide moral insights into women’s equality because they highlight women’s rights and provide guidelines for morality and ethical consistency. Ethical principles provide reasons for judging actions as right and wrong. Besides, they attempt to provide justifications for judgments. Feminist ethics recognize and care for all individuals equally.

Basic information about Women’s Equality

Gender inequality continues to persist in spite of national and international measures to promote equality. Gender equality advocates access to services such as basic education, equal economic opportunity, political empowerment, and health. By understanding the degree and causes of gender equality in most parts of the world, it is possible to develop a fundamental step towards economic progress and human development.

Every woman deserves equality and the opportunity to access education and participate in all fields of public life (Lutz, 2001). Today, women have advanced professionally and regained self-images. Women in some parts of the world have progressed in numerous fields. However, inequality still exists. Some women had ambitions of entering male-dominated career fields. Some of them have achieved these goals by becoming leaders in medicine, business, and law.

Applying ethical theories to Women’s Equality

The theory of utilitarianism on equality raises many issues. First, it is important to note the number of people that a decision affects, what makes them happy and the morality of the outcome. The Utilitarian perspective recognizes different desires and interests among individuals and provides rational choices that can maximize the satisfaction of the choices (Cohen, 2001). Utilitarianism results in different outcomes depending on the parties involved and what makes them happy. This view may suggest that equality may be difficult to achieve because differences could persist.

Virtue Ethics focuses on the character of an individual. Virtue Ethics theory does not strengthen the role of morality but is useful in moral reasoning that stems from a person’s character (Mosser, 2013). Applying this theory into women’s equality can provide explanations for gender stereotyping and inequality.

Deontology claims that people act virtuously because the society expects them to act in that manner. Women in workplaces receive unfair wages whereas others do not secure employment positions and promotions based on gender. From a deontological point of view, inequality is unethical. It would be ethically right not to discriminate since because the society does not support discrimination. But it would be ethically right for companies to employ individuals and promote based on their competitive merits. Deontology directs individuals to be consistent in doing the right thing. This theory can help deal with inequality by compelling people to do what is morally right.

Applying ethical perspectives to Women’s Equality

Relativism asserts that one should engage in what the society says is right. There is no independent way to determine right and wrong because there are many diverse cultures. Besides, people belong to different groups, belief systems, and judgments. Relativism suggests that there are no absolute ethical standards that can apply to people of all societies universally (Coomaraswamy, 2002). Some people do not believe in equal rights for women. They claim that gendered roles enable the society function effectively. Men expect women to behave in a certain manner and fulfill certain roles. The question of how to respect a culture and consider gender roles unequal and unjust in the same culture arises.

The moral language of emotivism involves an expression of human feelings. For example, stating that discrimination against women is wrong is a strong way of saying that one disapproves discrimination. But people have different feelings and desires. Thus, people may try to achieve their selfish goals without considering others.

Conclusion

Where interactions among people exist, ethics becomes a principle that guides and evaluates behavior. Gender equality is a prevalent issue where women live in a society that limits their access to economic, educational, and marital equity. Ethics must provide principles for people to observe (Lutz, 2001). Gender analysis acknowledges that the lives, priorities, needs and issues of men and women vary. Personal interests and social positions of women vary and depend on age, income levels, ethnicity, disability, income levels, and sexual orientation. It is essential to seek women’s equality where individuals consider the differences in women and men. The various theoretical approaches can help to produce equitable outcomes.

References

Cohen, J. (2001). Appreciating, understanding and applying universal moral principles. The Journal of Consumer Marketing, 18(7), 578-594. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/220123991?accountid=30552

Coomaraswamy, R. (2002). Identity within: Cultural relativism, minority rights and the empowerment of women. The George Washington International Law Review, 34(3), 483-513. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/219699615?accountid=30552

Holgate, J., Abbott, S., Kamenou, N., Kinge, J., Parker, J., Sayce, S., . . . Williams, L. (2012). Equality and diversity in employment relations: Do we practise what we preach? Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 31(4), 323-339. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/02610151211223021

Lutz, M. A. (2001). On the norm of equality. International Journal of Social Economics, 28(10-12), 782-799. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/274638390?accountid=30552

Mosser, K. (2013). Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility. San Diego.