August 26th is National Women's Equality day... In 1920, the United States adopted the 19th amendment to the constitution that granted women the right to vote, and the ability to continue fighting for their equal rights. This amendment came after 72 years of suffrage, and non-violent protest, and for what? We still have to fight for respect from our peers, community, and country. Yes, we have more rights now than we have had before, but we are still so far from being equal to men.
1. Escalators vs. Stairs
The path to success is different for everyone, but there are obvious differences in the paths for men and women. Men in the workplace have the opportunity to climb to the next level much easier than women do. They have "more power" in the workplace and therefore have more accessibility to move up. Women have to work that much harder.
2. The glass ceiling is cracked, but not shattered
We have worked so hard to climb the ladder of success, but have stopped just short of breaking the glass ceiling. Women have reached the ceiling and cracked the glass, but it hasn't broken all the way through. We are starting to get more jobs in higher positions, and we have moved so far up in the world.
3. Would you rather have 79 cents or a dollar?
Obviously there has been lots of discussion about what men can do better than women, and apparently, that includes making more money than us. I don't understand how women can do the same amount of work that men do, and still get paid less for it.
4. Strength is in the testosterone
So it has been proven that men are able to gain muscle easier than women and that normally leads them to have more muscle. This may not seem like a big deal, but we are now perceived as weaker, and that hurts the image of women.
5. But just because these are real life things, doesn't mean they have to stay like this
Women can do anything that they put their mind to, just like men can. We just need to keep pushing. Generations before us pushed boundaries and got us the freedoms that we have today, and we need to keep on running with that.
We can use our freedoms we have now, to push the limits for the following generations. We can only become stronger. And the moment we become stronger, the more we can benefit the world.
