Natalie Khan

BUS 311

Professor Buckler


Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a pioneer in changing the way the government views gender roles. She helped pave the way for all genders to have equal representation. RBG set precedence in her role in the Women’s rights movement, LGBTQ’s movements and simply equality for everyone. She dedicated her career to ensuring that disregarded or minority groups received justice and was known for skillfully disagreeing in court. The laws that RBG helped pass were “employers cannot discriminate against employees based on gender or reproductive choices”. As an assistant manager in Starbucks I cannot express the attitude shift and disregard for me when I announced my pregnancy to my manager. This is still an ongoing issue in the workforce because family planning is something that should not concern an employer. I was even told to consider a demotion if I could not manage the job duties. I presented this issue to the HR department and made my manager aware that I was knowledgeable on the policies of working while pregnant as it states in the department of labor flyer in the backroom office.  Another important law she helped pass was “women have the right to financial independence and equal benefits”. As a woman it is very disheartening to work the same role for less income because of who I am and not what I know. I am proud to have lived in an era where women such as RBG have continued to make these strides for us so we can have our rightfully deserved treatment. As a woman I will continue to push through barriers as well.  “Men are entitled to the same caregiving and social security rights as women”. This law helped demolish the idea that only women can be caregivers. Equality for all means we can all do each other’s job and there are no gender specifications excluding anyone from it. She also helped pass the law that women are just as much entitled to occupy a seat on a jury, in 1979 it was still just an option for women to participate in jury duty. It was argued that women have household obligations that exempted them from participation, RBG argued that our participation was just at much our civil duty to comply with as men. I have encountered a handful of unequal treatment due to gender bias and as I have learned to push through those stereotypes by addressing the issues with management. Making my voice heard also helps, and challenging the status quo when necessary.