Band 8 IELTS Essay Sample | Some people believe that in present times, women do get as much equality at work as men

Some people believe that in present times, women do get as much equality at work as men, while others believe that even today women have to fight their way to succeed at work. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

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Band 8 IELTS essay sample

Women now certainly enjoy more rights and privileges than they did in the past. This can be seen in the increasing number of women in the workplace. Some argue that in this day and age, women enjoy as much equality as men while others counter this and claim that even today women have to struggle for their success at work. Both sides of this argument will be analysed in this essay before a reasoned conclusion is drawn.

On the one hand, an ever rising number of women are employed in higher management positions in roles that were traditionally considered to be suitable for men only. For example, the current national assembly of New Zealand consists of 54 women and 58 men. This is the highest proportion of women in the national assembly in the history of New Zealand. Women also serve in armed forces in many countries and in sectors like healthcare and teaching, there are more women than men. Therefore, it is obvious why the argument that women get the same equality as men has garnered support.

On the other hand, the situation is different in the corporate world where women still have to overcome many obstacles and challenges to get to the top positions in the corporate world. Take a recent survey conducted by Robert Walters for example. This survey highlighted that an alarming number of employers were hesitant to hire women as head of the departments due to the possibility of women having to take maternity leave. This is reflected in the disproportionately higher number of men occupying higher management positions in Fortune 500 companies than women. When seen in this light, it is obvious that women still have to fight a lot more than men for success at work.

In conclusion, both sides of the argument are valid; however, I personally feel that women still have to deal with a myriad of obstacles to succeed at their workplaces. This is particularly true in the corporate world. It is hoped that one day this gender gap will cease to exist.