Women and the Economy -- Alison blog post 4

I write this blog post from my home in Harrisonburg, VA, happy and thankful to be done with my second to last semester of school. I now have just two more classes at UNC and I will officially be done with undergrad! Of course, before then I will also have completed my amazing WomenNC experience, another fact which is hard to believe.

As I think about heading into the workforce in a few short months, I can't help but reflect on the situation of women and the economy and women in employment. I recently read this NY Times article, entitled "Why U.S. Women Are Leaving Jobs Behind," about the economic downturn and lack of childcare and flexible policies that often push women out of the workforce. 

Of course, employment and economic participation are fundamental human rights and for many women, not working is just not an option. Women also consistently earn less than men (see infographic below). In my research, I hope to address the ways women face workplace discrimination and harassment, and how this has been successfully fought in North Carolina, in the US and around the world. For a soon-to-be-grad, this topic feels especially important, but I hope I can illuminate why all people should mobilize for workers' rights and power in often dehumanizing and overlooked systems.

Thanks to Lois for sending the link to this infographic. See more at: http://beijing20.unwomen.org/en/infographic/human-rights.