Undoubtedly major changes have occurred over the past few decades that have made the roles of men and women more equitable. Nevertheless, much remains to be done before one can argue that women stand on par with men. People, institutions and society as a whole have become more aware of the inequities of the past and thus change has come about; albeit gradually. Yet, I would argue that it will take at least another generation before equality is practiced and the boundaries between men and women are broken down.

For instance, in the workplace men still draw higher salaries than women, quite often for the same job. Women frequently are discriminated against when they are still in their childbearing age and employers frequently will chose a man over a woman for that very reason. I have often seen and experienced men in my workplace attempting to delegate what they consider more of the traditional roles to women, i.e., making coffee, running personal errands and making photocopies. Unfortunately, many women still perform that role and thus perpetuate this discriminatory behavior. On the other hand, for women like myself who choose not to fall into that trap, it becomes difficult to break the pattern. Yet the obstacles are not insurmountable because as most employers know, the law has set some clear guidelines that employers must adhere to in order to avoid any potential lawsuit. Thus, I frequently find myself addressing the issue at work and have gotten some rather positive results. I believe that it is imperative for women to speak out on this issue and to encourage other women not to perform the typical menial tasks assigned to them due solely to their gender.

In politics there is a large discrepancy between men and women with men definitely dominating in the field of local and national politics. Some inroads have been made yet much remains to be done. I believe that the American public still favors men in the roles of politicians. Geraldine Ferraro's running for Vice President was an encouraging step in the right direction and hopefully it will promote other women to run for higher offices. I believe that women can make an important contribution in this area and add integrity to the filed of politics.

The recent Persian Gulf War has also shown the difficulty society stiff has in integrating women in traditional male-dominated areas. Yet, no one would argue that women played an important and integral role in the war. Nonetheless, many felt that women should stay home with their children rather than engage in battle. Fortunately, due to their excellent and professional performance, the military has decided to review its past practice of denying access to women for certain jobs. The barriers are gradually breaking down in this area also.

This essay illustrates the upper end of the ability range among essay responses to the English Placement Test. The essay is coherently organized with a clear focus. The reader immediately gets the sense that the writer is in control The skillful use of transitional markers such as yet, thus, on the other hand, and nonetheless gives the reader a sense that the writer understands the complexities of this issue, and is able to deal with those complexities. The writer provides both general examples and specific illustrations to support her ideas. She explores the topic thoughtfully and with some depth, in paragraphs that are well developed, in sentences that are syntactically varied, and with a language that is mature and sophisticated. The student will clearly be able to do exceptionally well in performing writing tasks at the university level.