When we hear of discriminatory practices, we almost always think of race and sex. This doesn’t mean that we are wrong for associating discrimination with those two characteristics, but we often forget that discrimination can be a multi-layered situation. One can also be discriminated against based on race AND sex and not just one or the other. In feminist studies, they call this “intersectionalism”. Intersectionalism is understanding that there are some bodies who experience layers of discrimination, not just one singular discrimination. This particularly applied to black women. Not only do black women experience discriminatory practices based on their race, but they also experience discrimination dependent on their gender. You can also think of this with queer women. They face discrimination because of their sexual identity as well as their gender identity. As you can see this can get quite complicated. The layers of discrimination can feel compounded if you happen to have several characteristics that tend to be discriminated against. The “newest” form of discrimination that can be layered on top of race and gender is age.
Age discrimination seems to be an increasing problem in this modern age. Despite the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) preventing employers from discriminating against those who are 40 years and older, there are still situations where those of an older age are experiencing being “pushed out” of their employment in order for younger workers to take their place. Not only is there age discrimination but there is also a gender situation too. From an AARP survey, 57% of men from ages 45-74 say that they believe that age discrimination is a concern. This is a decrease from the 72% of women of the same age group that say that age discrimination is concerning. The reasons why more women consider this a problem may be because older men are typically portrayed as getting wiser with age. Women aren’t really portrayed in such a way despite the fact they are in powerful positions at an older age too.
In recent news, four women over the age of 40 have filed an age discrimination lawsuit with their company stating that they were wrongfully terminated. Two of the four women detailed that their employers said they were being let go due to budget cuts. However, when they left they were replaced by workers who were half their age and were given 10% increases in wage. Our Los Angeles discrimination attorney at JML Law, a Professional Law Corporation, has heard this song and dance before. We have represented clients who have been blatantly or subtly discriminated against and we will do all we can to ensure that your justice is received. No one deserves to feel this way, especially aging because there is no way to stop aging. Call 818-610-8800 or click here to start a free case evaluation today. We are ready to hear your story and get you the justice you deserve.
