Unit D - Blog #37

Women's progress as of 2003 showed increase numbers across the board in law firms, court appointments, professors at law schools, and in Fortune 500 companies. However even though the numbers increased, they are still so low. Fortune 500 companies now compromises of 15% women as compared to 6%. But still. Women are half the population and only 15% of major companies have women in high offices. In the supreme court it is 22%. Judges that interpret the law are made up on mostly men allowing for our laws to be male dominated, no wonder we cannot enact change. Women are now at 76% of a man's pay as compared to 73%. I wonder why there is even a gap in the first place. If a woman and man go through the same schooling and have the same experience there is logically no reason why their pay would be any different. And this happens in law firms in major cities, not rural areas. Discrimination suits are still filed in law practices for women being sexually harassed or paid less. This only reinforces the stereotypes of women lawyers who are found to be bitchy, emotional, or not as aggressive in the courtroom. Men see these as weaknesses even though if the woman is aggressive she becomes bitchy. The same qualities that we look for in a male lawyer are seen as bad in a female lawyer. But is she is not aggressive then she is weak leading to a double bind.