Are you looking for quality JC H1 General Paper model essays on Gender Inequality? Have you been searching for good full length and complete samples answers, but cannot find any? We understand, and that’s why we wrote these few complete answers for you, even with meaningful and useable quotes to use. As you start using the following model essay examples for your upcoming Promos exams, or your eventual Cambridge – UCLES – SEAB GCE ‘A” level examinations (Syllabus: 8807), as to serve the GP theme of Social Issues, Work, Women, Family, etc, question types.
The following are several full length model essay samples for this GP topic of gender inequality, for your perusal. Bookmark this page on your browser, so that you can return to us at AceSpecialistHub.com easily.
Q1: Examine whether “the weaker sex” is an appropriate description of women today?
The weaker sex can be defined as the sex that is less independent, less able to look after themselves and makes less of a contribution to the society than the dominant sex. In the past, men were looked upon as the dominant sex and thus they have always had many advantages over women, especially since traditional beliefs depict women as being weaker. Even today, women are still seen as the weaker sex, in the physical, psychological, economical and political aspects.
Research in biological science has testified that women are born with more fat than muscles. Hence, women are physically less strong than men, with female weightlifters and samsui women being possible exceptions. In a sense, therefore, women lose out to men in jobs that re quire physical strength since they are less capable of doing strenuous work. Moreover, nature has it that women are the ones to give birth, and during the gestation period of nine months, women experience general discomfort and tire easily. This may in turn affect their work performance. In addition, women have to suffer pain during child bearing and they usually have to rest for a few days after child-birth before they are fit enough to work again. Of course, this could mean that women can endure pain much better than men. However, modern women often rely on medicine (painkillers) during child-birth and many prefer to have an operation instead of having the baby delivered naturally, so in actual fact, they do not have to endure much pain. Another aspect of the physical weak ness of women is that, except in Israel, women are not required to do National Service, thus leading people to think that women are physically less strong than men. Female weightlifters have proven that women can be as strong as men through training but few women are willing to give up their feminine image for a muscular body.
(Such an area of gender equality is scary…)
Besides being physically weaker than men, women are also psychologically weaker than men. Women are generally more sensitive and softer hearted than men. Hence, they may tend to mix feelings with work. As a result, women may lose out in business as they tend to sympathize with others too much. No doubt, there are women who are skilful in business but they are a minority and most of them are under a glass ceiling at work as they are considered the weaker sex and men are generally unable to accept female superiors. The fact that women give in to their emotions more readily has thus become a perceived setback to women’s careers. Another psychological weakness of women is that they are more prone to depression. Moreover, women have a higher suicide rate than men. Women are better at establishing good relationships with others and this may help in their work but on the whole, women are still the weaker sex in a psychological sense.
Tradition has it that women do not have to work. Even today, this idea is deep-rooted in many people’s minds and therefore fewer women than men work and thus women make a smaller economic contribution to the country and to their families. In the Third World countries, women usually work for more hours than men but despite this fact, they are still seen as the weaker sex as they are paid very little for their work, that is, if they are paid at all. In certain countries such as India, traditional marriage customs have it that the woman’s family has to pay a huge dowry to the husband for the husband to take care of the wife, indicating that the wife is incapable of taking care of herself. In other countries such as European countries, should a marriage end in divorce, the husband is often required to pay alimony to the wife as it is thought that the wife may be unable to survive independently. For centuries, husbands were the breadwinners. Today, even though more women are going out to work, the wives still get allowances from their husbands, who felt that it is their responsibility to provide for their wives, who are the weaker sex.
(As of 2021, here are the top 10 female CEOs in the world)
In the past, women were not allowed to participate in politics as they were considered incapable of handling such matters. Even today, far fewer women are active in politics than men. The Prime Minister of Pakistan is one of the few. In Singapore, there is only one female member in the parliament (that has change since. Halimah was sworn in on 14 September 2017 as the 8th President at The Istana.) Much of this situation can be attributed to the sensitive and emotional nature of women which renders them less suitable candidates for politics as they are more prone to mix feelings with work. On the other hand, however, women are more caring and have keener minds which allows them to observe an issue from many different points of view and thus to make better decisions on the best action to take. However, even though women have this advantage, not many women are willing to go into politics and also few people, especially men, are able to accept female leaders. As such, women are the weaker sex.
(The fresher examples are Kamala Devi Harris, an American politician and attorney who is the 49th and current vice president of the United States.)
(Some examples of political issues in Comprehensions questions here)
In conclusion, women can be seen to be weaker than men in physical, psychological, economic and political aspects. It can also be seen that men have more advantages over women than women have over men and this is further reinforced by traditional attitudes (that women are weaker) which are still deep-rooted in most societies.
(This topic on Inequality in Gender is definitely a repeated trends question. Look out for it.)
Q2: Women today are better off than those in the past.’ Discuss.
COMMENTS
Weakness:
1. One-sided treatment of the topic. Candidates sim ply agreed with the question without analysing it. They discussed only the positive aspects of the modern women’s life. There was no mention whatsoever of how possibly modern women can be considered worse off than women in the past.
2. Over-generalization. E.g. giving a description of the improvements in the lot of women in an urbanised / developed setting, and generalizing from this that all women today are thus better off.
3. Limited scope of discussion. A number of GP students limited their scope of discussion to Singapore, whether consciously made of the conditions in other countries like China, Japan. No mention was pan-America etc. to add a geographical dimension to their discussion.
4. Wrong focus. There were cases where:
(a) the focus was on comparison between men and women (instead of between women in the past and present),
(b) candidates were preoccupied with providing a long discussion on discrimination that still exists against women, without relating it to the question.
5. Lack of clear organization. Skipping back and forth from the past to the present in a very confusing manner, with no overall cohesion.
6. Lack of development of ideas. Some candidates merely listed ideas. This could be due to either lack of time or knowledge.
7. Sweeping and exaggerated remarks. E.g. ‘Society no longer discriminates against women.’ ‘Women in the past did not have to worry about anything except their children and husbands.”
Strengths:
1. The better candidates did present both sides of the picture and cited good examples to support their statements.
2. A few candidates were able to offer critical insights into the situation of women today. They saw the irony of career-women in Singapore employing Filipino/Sri Lankan maids and treating them in the same way their mothers or grandmothers were once treated, i.e. ‘slaves” with a low status, with little or no freedom. Thus these employers seem to have perpetuated the discrimination against women themselves the lot of women in general has therefore not improved.
SUGGESTED APPROACH
A. Yes, women today are better off than those in the past in certain areas marriage, education, politics etc. Several movements over the years (suffragette movement, Women’s Liberation Movement) as well as general changes, have brought about improvements in women’s social, political and personal standing in life.
Laws exist to protect their rights..
Chiefly seen in more developed parts of the world.
Specific areas of discussion: E.g.:
1. Marriage.
(a) In developed countries today, women have the freedom:
(i) to choose to remain single or to get married, (ii) to choose their own life partner (as against arranged marriages in the past) (iii) to go out to work after marriage (as against being compelled to being a full-time home maker).
(b) Polygamy is out and monogamy in, in most mod ern societies.
(c) The modern woman also enjoys legal rights like the right to file for separation/divorce. Thus she does not have to remain trapped in an unhappy. marriage.
(d) Widows can and do remarry without having to fear the wrath of society.
2. Education, employment and social status.
Modern women, in developed countries especially, have the opportunity to be educated up to the tertiary level. They have earning power and are thus financially independent. Their social status is enhanced, especially in the case of those who are successful in climbing up the corporate ladder.
3. A higher standard of living. E.g.:
(a) Modern home appliances like the washing ma chine and the dish-washer have made housework easier for the modern housewife in developed countries. She thus can have more time for leisure. (b) Medical advancement has made childbirth safer. Family planning allows the modern woman to determine the size of her family.
4. Politics.
(a) Modern women have the right to vote and thus do have a say in how their country is governed. (b) A few women have made history by becoming Prime Minister (e.g. Margaret Thatcher) or President (e.g. Mrs Aquino), Halimah Yacob and Kamala Harris in recent times.
(c) Oxford-educated Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1991 in recognition of her ef forts in fighting for democracy in her country. Myanmar.
B. Women today may not be better off than women in the past.
1. In developed countries/urbanised societies: e.g. (a) Pressure/stress. The modern working mother leads a stressful life in trying to be a good wife / mother as well as a competent career mother. (b) (i) Discrimination against women still exists today, even in the developed countries. (ii) Stereotyping. E.g. Modern advertisements. that depict women as sex objects / bimbos.
2. In the more backward, conservative/traditional cultures:
Poor quality of life/low social status. e.g. (i) India. Parents still prefer sons to daughters. Arranged marriages are still quite common. Cases of bride-burning by husbands unhappy over dowry payments have often been re ported in the newspapers.
(ii) China. Pregnant women, especially in the rural areas, have been forced to undergo abortion by officers keen to uphold China’s “one-child family’ policy.
Expect more GP model essays for Gender Inequality topic , as this is definitely a Repeated Trends question. (Alternatively, you can read the related pages for family, social issues, children, etc.)
Happy revision!