Why men and women should not be treated equally.

AuthorChelette, Beate
PositionBusiness & Finance

IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND equality and find a way to make it work for men and women, we must define what equality means, why it is important, and to whom it matters. Equality simply means that women want the same as men--the same rights to choose careers, and the same access to jobs, private clubs, and associations. It includes the same compensation for the same work. Equality also is the expectation to be treated just like the person sitting next to you, being able to spend your hard-earned money at any establishment. Anything less is unacceptable.

Equality matters to all of us--to Baby Boomers because they taught their children that all people should be treated fairly, even if they did not experience it themselves; to Generation X because it is a single-parent generation whose members want the same opportunities for their daughters and sons even though they personally may not have been treated equally.

An extensive national survey of Millennial conducted by Harstad Strategic Research predicted in 2014 that the upcoming presidential election will be decided by Millennial and that the winner will be closest aligned with their values. It comes down to population numbers and Millennials are the largest group. If 75% of Millennials consider protecting the rights of women as an important issue, it does not take a rocket scientist to predict who the winning party will be.

Aside from the obvious that treating people equally is the right thing to do, organizations especially must pay attention to equality for a number of reasons, including that a company's success depends on it because generational shifts change consumer behavior. Millennials comprise 25% of the U.S. workforce but, a decade from now, that number will be 75%. Think about it. Gen X is relatively small; 75,000,000 Baby Boomers are retiring, and Millennials are the largest group at 80,000,000 strong. If you ignore how Millennials affect business and social values, you may as well close your doors now.

Equality matters to our country because we depend on new ideas from all innovators, regardless of sex, age, or religion. New and novel ideas are the results of someone recognizing a need within his or her own environment. So, let us take a look at who is responsible for innovations--younger generations who are dissatisfied with existing ways.

Failing to adjust to the demands of these new buyers could mean facing the same fate as Kodak. Not too long ago, Kodak had 80% of the market for film...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT