Leadership and Gender

Women’s empowerment and its importance in society

Women’s empowerment is one of the most hotly debated topics in the world right now. Even though they have enormous potential and the same rights as men to participate fully in society, women have historically been among the community’s most disenfranchised members. According to studies cited by Andrews (2017), firms with the largest proportion of women on their boards of directors have seen sales increase by 42%, return on equity reach a record high of 53%, and capital investment yield reach a record high of 66%. These figures provide the perspective on the influence of women in the society and how involving them in the matters of the nation including business and science, is beneficial to the society. The movie “Hidden Figures” provides an empowering platform for the women population in the society as it depicts the significant influences of women who were involved in science and mathematics, and helped NASA in their space program for astronauts. The women in this film demonstrate how the community holds back the women in the society based on their gender, color and the issues that affect them while juggling the various responsibilities required of them. Women in the society have equal rights and abilities to perform the activities that are prioritized for their male counterparts.

Synopsis

The movie depicts three women who are determined to make a mark for themselves in a male-dominated field of mathematics and science while working for NASA. Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson are three black women who have decided to pursue careers at NASA despite the challenges of gender and race being against them. As it turns out during the time, women were not considered to have the acumen to take up leading roles in the society, especially in the involvement on matters of science and mathematics. Additionally, the issue of segregation was at a high during the time that made it near impossible for women of color to be recognized in their efforts to pursue their education let alone careers in science and mathematics.

In the movie, Mary Jackson becomes among the first female student to set foot in an astronaut’s class, and among the first student of color to be allowed to take the course after going through a tedious court hearing to permit her. Katherine Johnson is among the first women to enter a NASA briefing room on the space projects since her ideas were being taken into account for her exemplary expertise in mathematics. While the challenges of segregation and gender are among the top highlights in the movie, a story of how these women strive to overcome these problems while remaining true to their passion is told. These women are vital to the NASA program as they play a significant role in ensuring the safe launch of an astronaut into the earth’s orbit from space. Their actions not only restored confidence to the space program but also restore a nation’s morale and incite the appreciation of women in the whole world.

The Gender and Leadership Context

In the movies, women are not considered leaders in the society and elected to take a step back on matters of leadership due to their gender. Women are seen as inferior to their male colleagues due to the challenges that affect them in the society such as having a menstrual cycle every month. The movie portrays what happens in the world of today since women are never considered for top jobs in most places in the society. Women are considered to lack the capacity to perform the duties that men take up due to the inferiority complex associated with their gender; thus, importance has been given to the boy child on matters of education and opportunities in the society. This is a misleading narrative since women equally can be in positions of leadership and power in the community. Despite the small number of women in these posts, women have always been role players in politics and top jobs in the society over time as the increased appreciation of women has been realized.

Importance of Women in the Society

Women have been confined in the past to offices hoping their efforts will be recognized, however, failure to identify their efforts has led much push to be appreciated while others have played by the society’s narrative. It has been shown that in some instances, the women outperform their male colleagues on matters of empathy, interpersonal relations and social responsibility due to their active and passionate involvement (Andrews, 2017). Women are wired to nature and excel in matters that require team execution, which is a typical scenario in the working environment. Women are keen to listen to other coworkers and make meaningful relationships that are not focused on the issue of finances and position at their workplaces. Do women not only thrive in conflict resolution but also help other workmates manage their stress and daily societal problems that affect them by sharing with each other. Moreover, women have become vital to the society since they present positive change and empowerment of a better culture that treats every human being with dignity and respect (Andrews, 2017).

Conclusion

Women are as talented as men in the society are, and there is need to recognize that fact. Therefore, it is imperative to provide the women with equal rights and opportunities to be involved in activities that they are passionate about and desire to achieve. Women have been marginalized in the society due to the inferiority labeling associated with their capabilities; often men are given immense opportunities to pursue their dreams with total neglect to the girl child. However, the women “Hidden Figures” shift the narrative by showing that women have equal competencies to their male counterparts if not better since they manage more than just their profession. Women are mothers at home; caregivers, and wives, at the same time tasked with the demands of the workplace and can balance these parts of their lives efficiently and better than their male colleagues can.

Reference

Andrews, S., (2017). The Power of Perception: Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, and the Gender Divide. Orange County CA: Morgan James Publishing.