U.S. and China Comparison on

U.S. And China Comparison on Gender INEQUALITY and INEQUITY Comparison of U.S. And China: the Issue of Gender, Gender Roles, the Treatment of Men and Women Global Gender Gap Rankings The United States ranks 31st and China 60th in gender disparities in more than 200 surveyed countries in the world (Hausmann et al., 2009). The Global Gender Gap Index serves as a framework in reflecting the magnitude and scope of gender disparities and progress made on them in the selected countries.

It interprets the disparities according to categories, namely, economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. It was introduced by the World Economic Forum in 2006 to create greater awareness on the situations and challenges of gender gap as well as elicit initiatives to close or reduce the gap. The initiative suggests that countries with low ranking do not use the full potential of one half of their population. This reflects a misallocation of their human resources and undermines the competitive potential of the neglected half.

The results imply the extent of gender equality rather than women empowerment. The data presented in the Report come from publicly available and dependable sources. They include the World Development Indicators of the World Bank, the Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Program, and the annual Executive Opinion Survey of the World Economic Forum. Although no country achieved complete gender equality, the Nordic countries ranked highest. The top five are Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden and New Zealand (Hausmann et al.). In economic participation and opportunity, the U.S.

is 17th and China is 38th (Hausmann et al., 2009). In educational attainment, the U.S. is number 1 while China is 87th. In health and survival, the U.S. is 40th while China is 130th. And in political empowerment, the U.S. is 61st while China is 62nd. The Survey interprets the results as the U.S. falling in the labor force participation of women, such as those in the professions and technical positions. These falling marks negate the gains made by women lawmakers, senior officials and managers. The U.S.

also did poorly in women's political empowerment by falling from the 56th rank in the previous survey to the 61st in the last one. China, on the other hand, scored higher in economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment and even in health and survival. It is, however, prominently among the lowest ranking in health and survival because of disproportionate sex ratio at birth. This is seen as contributing to the "missing girls of China" phenomenon (Haussman et al.). Dropping to 61st position, the U.S.

falls behind South Africa, Cuba, Colombia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Lesotho and Namibia (Jordans, 2006). Women account for only 13% of Congress seats. The survey interprets that many American women have jobs but substantial income gaps persist between the genders. These two situations explain the low ranking of the U.S. China, on the other hand, is one of the two biggest countries in terms of population. Chinese families traditionally prefer boys and the preference has led to mass abortions of female fetuses and female infanticides (Haussman et al.).

Gender Equality in China "Missing Girls" Phenomenon China's one-child policy of 1978 was instituted to contain the country's overwhelming population, promote economic growth and preserve the environment (Wetzstein, 2010). The result has been so effective that today, Chinese boys outnumber Chinese girls by the millions, creating a sexual imbalance. The astonishing phenomenon lured opportunistic traffickers to take Chinese girls and women into forced marriages and the sex trade. The disappearance of "an entire nation of women and girls" was described by Reggie Littlejohn, founder of Women's Rights without Frontiers, as gendercide.

A 2009 study published at the British Medical Journal reported in 2005 that there were 32 million extra Chinese men below 20 years old. In addition, another 1 million extra were born that year. This was consistent with the prediction of the Chinese Academy of Social Services of 30 to 50 million men. Sex-selective abortions explained the son-preferential ideologies, which are extremely difficult to uproot. Chinese parents want a son to carry the family name, inherit family properties, support them in old age and conduct funeral ceremonies.

Sons belong to their father's line but daughters are incorporated into their husbands' families. The one-child policy, therefore, compels couples to choose between their future and having daughters (Wetzstein). Country Gender Review China has made vast progress towards gender equality in the span of the past hundred years (East Asia Environment & Social Development Unit, 2002). Chinese women today, unlike those in ages past, can now take on careers in almost all walks of life. Their economic status, health, education, and political participation in society have increased.

They now comprise 40% of the newly self-employed and more than one-third of private entrepreneurs. These are proofs of emancipation. But at the same time, problems affecting women have also grown in the last two decades. These include trafficking, prostitution, and female infanticides. Statistics show that female suicide rates in China remain the world's highest. These negating developments steal from the gains already made by women in the labor force and politics.

The message driven is that Chinese traditional gender roles cannot be expected to change in a few generations (East Asia Environment & Social Development Unit). In the pursuit of the ultimate goal of gender equality, the Chinese government commits itself to people-oriented, coordinated and sustainable development (State Council Information Office, 2005).

It aims at implementing a basic national policy of equality between men and women, protect women's legal rights and interests, realize the goals of the Development of Chinese Women Program, and ensure that they enjoy the same rights as men in politics, economy, culture, society and family life. The Chinese government will encourage gender equality and women's development in all social sectors and strengthen cooperation with international entities working for the same end (State Council Information Council).

Gender Equality in the United States While American women appear to have achieved equity with men in areas, such as education, inequity surfaces in other areas such as income and political representation (Gaddis, 2010). The educational arena best exemplifies this inequality and this inequity. While women have outnumbered men in the acquisition of bachelor's degrees from 8.2% in 1970 to 13.6% in 1980, their median incomes continue to be disproportionate. An American woman's median income in 2000 was $21,963 as compared to an American man's $30,868 and both were high school graduates.

With bachelor's degrees, an American woman earned $35,408 and an American man earned $49,982. Furthermore, there have been more poor women than men in the United States. Single women households were below poverty level at 29% and only 12% among single men. The main cause is that women are still predominantly employed in traditional female jobs, such as service and administrative support positions (Gaddis). The best way to determine gender equality or inequality in the United States is through a comparison with other nations (Gaddis, 2010). The foregoing Global Gender Gap Index provides the comparison.

It puts to the surface the concept that the status of women in a given society depends on their representation in government. In 2004, women occupied only 14% of legislative positions in the United States. Sweden gave 45% to its women and scored the highest in the Index tally. Considering that women generally comprise half of the population of every nation, political representation should be proportionate.