One day maybe it won’t be necessary to have a Women’s History Month or even a day. I’m just not sure it will happen in my lifetime.
When we are paid equally for equal work that will be start. When our accomplishments are taught in school that will be an improvement. When our thoughts, beliefs, needs, wants and desires are as important as men’s then we will have gained ground.
According to womenshistorymonth.gov, Women’s History Month started in1981. The site says, “These proclamations celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields.”
While things have improved in the last 40 years, there is still a long ways to go.
Gallup earlier this month released a study about what women and men want in the workplace.
The top 5 things women from an employer:
- Allows for greater work-life balance and better personal wellbeing.
- Significantly increases my income or improves my benefits package.
- Allows me to do what I do best.
- Provides greater stability and job security.
- The organization is diverse and inclusive of all types of people.
“Diverse and inclusive” did not make the top 5 for men. What does that say? Do they want to keep work male dominated? More white? Or the fact they have probably never been in the minority it has never dawned on them diversity would be a good thing. Maybe diversity threatens men because then they lose a certain collective power. Maybe it means the good ole boy network would erode.
The Gallup study said, “One in two women report diversity and inclusion is a very important factor in their decision to take a job, compared with three in 10 men. Organizations that prioritize DEI and communicate their values accordingly are going to win the competition for female talent.”
I love that more books, movies and news articles are being written about women. I’m learning about contributions by women that were not written in any of my history books. I can’t remember female authors who I had to read either.
And while I certainly would continue to be a lifelong learner even if there had been equity in my education, I wish I weren’t playing catch-up at my age. Until I feel caught up, if that is even possible, there will always be a need to celebrate Women’s History Month.
