In America many years ago, women were discouraged from pursuing a higher education because it was against the cultural norm. Today, education is no longer a female taboo, but being a leader is.

Fifty-six percent of Syracuse University students are female, and this isn’t unique to just our university. Women have represented the majority on college campuses since at least 2000, according to a February 2010 article published by The New York Times. Female students also tend to have higher GPAs than men, typically work harder and socialize less.

But statistics are mute when the numbers don’t match up with the results. While women attend college in higher numbers than men, they still don’t have equal opportunities in the job market.

It’s ironic really. It would seem women would at least have leveled the playing field in the job industry. But, they continue to hold substantially less influence despite their academic performance.

In 2011, women earned an average of 77 cents for every dollar made by men – a 23 percent difference. Not only do women in America make less, they also have a lesser chance of advancing positions in their careers than men. We live in a masculinized culture, a trend that extends globally.

A June 2011 article published by Forbes Magazine discusses the reasons why women do not hold any prominence in the corporate world. Multiple justifications were given, including women having different tactical methods in the way they approach situations.

But ultimately, the message was simple: society has built a strong resistance against allowing women the same power as men.

It is the reason there has never been a female president, because a fundamental belief is that being a leader means being a man. Even when women are getting the same education and degrees as men, they still fall second.

The working world is stubborn. Since the ideal leader is a man, the favored characteristics when looking to employ are masculine. To hire a woman for a corporate or high-ranking position is to take a risk.

It is not that women are unqualified, it is that they do not meet the requirements society decided are necessary to make them leaders. One needs to either be a man or be able to think like one.

But our generation is evolving.

Generation Y has introduced a whole new realm of acceptance of change. We adapt quickly, have a firm global perspective and are more open to diversity.

In an era when companies are committed to becoming more culturally diverse, women are slowly making progress and pushing against resistance. But workplace norms still make it difficult to rid old customs in order to welcome new ones.

There is something about men working under a woman that does not rest easily with our patriarchal system. An assertive woman in a high-ranking position may seem intimidating and unnatural to men now, but so did allowing women to go to college not too long ago.

This country is heading in the right direction. Ninety-one years ago, there was one woman in the U.S. Senate, and she held that title for just one day. Fast-forward to the present, where 20 women, the largest number in American history, simultaneously hold senatorial offices.

Whether or not our generation will allow a complete acceptance of gender equality is unknown. But we are definitely continuing to make progress.

Paris Bethel is a sophomore advertising major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at [email protected].

Published on January 23, 2013 at 2:30 am