I recently came across an article from CNN, 5 things women couldn’t do in the 1960s, that really made me think. My life would be so different today if I were born a generation earlier. While we’ve still got a ways to go, it’s amazing the advancements that have been made in a relatively short period of time. Such as?
- Starting a business –> A woman couldn’t start a business without her husband’s permission.
- Owning a home –> I still have service companies routinely ask for my husband. 😉 Surprise!
- Having a credit card –> Banks could reject unmarried women, no questions asked.
- Playing organized sports –> The female body was ‘too fragile’ (and the Earth was flat).
- Use contraception –> Life planning, a beautiful thing.
What would you miss the most in your life if we lived in the past?
On that note, I’ve seen a push to encourage more girls to learn to code and go into traditionally male-dominated fields, such as math or science. Just today, I saw that Lego has introduced a play-set with three female scientists: a chemist, an astronomer and a paleontologist. GoldieBlox made headlines earlier this year by creating a video about its non-traditional female toys.
I think it’s great that girls today are being encouraged to broaden their horizons outside of their Pepto Bismol world (and wish some of this stuff had been available when I was growing up!). But I do hear criticism from some corners that it’s being overdone and girls don’t need special toys and games to show them what they can do.
What do you think? Is it important for girls to have female role models and mentors (even cartoons and action figures)? Guys, please feel free to chime in as well. I’d love to hear your opinion!
A not so girly-girl in a not so girly world,
Jaime
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