Blog 4 1970-Today

Gender and Power:

Women in the Workplace

Who run the world? Girls! Or shall I say women. Living in this generation, it's a women's world. Okay enough with the song quotes, but seriously, women really have come a long ways to get where we are now. We ended the 60's by forming the National Organization for Women, not a bad way to end that decade I'd say, but we weren't stopping there; we started the 70's off just as strong. Women like to be heard loud and clear and what's the best way to do that? Well a strike of course. In 1973, the Supreme Court legalized abortions and they also did their best to make women aware of the dangers of maintaining heterosexual relationships with men. Even though abortion is still debated about in todays world it was a huge right that was granted to women in the 70's. Sex wasn't talked about too often, but more and more people started talking all kinds of stuff about it. People were writing books and magazine articles and just simply discussing it in conversation. Crazy, I know.

 

 

Not only were women being granted rights to their own body, they were being wanted in The White House and Court (and not for accusation either). In 1984 Geraldine Ferraro was chosen for - wait for it - VICE PRESIDENT! And right after in 1986 President Reagan nominated Sandra Day O'Connor

. She was the first women to serve on the Court! Wow, what a great achievement for both women. These women were taking advantage of this and making sure they were being heard loud and clear. Not only did they already grab everyone's attention with these achievements they continued to surprise people with their decision making and standing up for what they believed in. They weren't about to be just a pretty face, they wanted to be known and that's exactly what they are.

 

In this era women didn't actually have a set role they were suppose to follow. That's a first.! By the 1980's it was largely perceived that women were meeting their goals and succeeding in changing everyone's attitudes on gender roles. They were repealing oppressive laws that were based on sex, integrating "boys' clubs" such as military academies, the United States Armed Forces, NASA, single-sex colleges, men's clubs, and the Supreme Court, and by accomplishing the goal of making gender discrimination illegal. Women were on a roll and life for them was great.

 

Just as they thought life couldn't get any better, they were granted more money! Not as much as men of course, but it's still a step closer. In 1992 women were now getting paid 71 cents for every dollar paid to men. Now a days we think of 71 cents as almost nothing; a few coins you might find in the couch cushions if you even have the energy to search. But, 71 cents was a lot it was almost what men were making - almost. By 1996 women were going big or going home! Women were succeeding majorly in the Summer Olympics with 19 Gold Medals. That's crazy! What a great way for women to end the 90's.

 

There's always room for progress no matter how much you have already achieved. In 2000 Hillary Rodham Clinton became the only First Lady ever elected to the United States Senate. In 2005 Condoleezza Rice became the first African-American woman to be appointed Secretary of State. These events happened only 15 and 10 years ago. Showing us that even today women are stepping up their game and not stopping until they have achieved every single thing a man has and might I add, look good doing it too!

 

Beyoncé said it best - Who run the world? Girls!!!