I tagged this under the principle of “Broad prosperity,” but the prosperity is not that broad, particularly if one is a woman. I recently completed a paper about class and classism in the US, and in one section, I wrote about the intersection of class with other social categories. This particular section discussed that of being a woman.
Regardless of the class to which she belongs, the work, financial and social contribution of a woman is not as valued as that of a man. Particularly in the effort to raise oneself through social ranks to the next higher class, a woman faces a serious handicap by virtue of her gender. I think this goes beyond the glass ceiling and the wage disparity. It includes barriers relating to credibility and respect given to women as equals.
Women are primarily the means for others – for men – to secure their own positions. In fact, men can achieve these positions precisely because a woman is working for them, for their interests, helping them.
Is it possible, dear reader, for a woman to remain in the upper class by herself? She does so either next to or because of a man in her life – her husband, father or brother, to name a few examples.
This “handicap” only multiplies if a woman is a member of a minority group, and if she has children, the barriers seem insurmountable.
