The passage from this country's Declaration of Independence is familiar to almost every individual in this country: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” (Jefferson par.2). This statement seems to imply that all people, regardless of creed, gender, race, or ethnicity, have equal access to advancement in all facets of life. However, despite this concept's status as a founding American ideal, complete equality among all groups of people has never been a reality in this country. Instead, different categories of people are placed in a hierarchy and retain varying degrees of wealth, power, and prestige, often due to prejudice and discrimination. One area where this stratification is extremely pronounced is the difference between the opportunities available to women and men. Since the conception of this nation, women have been the subordinates of men. For many years, women have been deprived of basic freedoms, such as the right to vote and property, and today they are still denied the right to make certain decisions regarding their own bodies. In today's society, it is widely recognized that men control more wealth, have greater opportunities for advancement, hold more powerful positions, and are more respected than women. In this article, I will explore several aspects of inequality that contribute to gender stratification. Over the past century, the number of women in the workforce has increased significantly. In 2009, “[w]omen made up 46.8 percent of the total U.S. labor force (Quick). This is in stark contrast to the number of women in the workforce in previous years. However, women are still disproportionately represented in many occupations, such as secretary, administrator, and...... middle of document ...... so to speak, women, occupational segregation is a problem for many categories of people in the United States. States. All of these employment disadvantages have resulted in a primary problem for ethnic and minority groups: low income. Incomes vary widely among different groups of people in the United States, suggesting that discrimination is widespread in this country. According to the United States Census Bureau, the average median family income was "$58,407" in 2006. Given this fact, the $40,000 the average Hispanic American family earns is extremely low. The average median family incomes for African Americans and Native Americans are even lower, at $38,206 and $38,800, respectively. Income is an integral part of every person's life, affecting not only a person's house, car and clothes, but also their health and education..