Women’s History Month is more than just a celebration of the contributions women have made over the years, but is an opportunity to highlight the obstacles we still face.
It’s been a year of firsts for women. The first female vice president was sworn in. Amanda Gorman made history as the youngest known inaugural poet. For the first time, women are leading the U.S. national intelligence agency and treasury department. The NFL’s first-ever female referee took to the field at the super bowl. Chloé Zhao became the first Asian woman to win a Golden Globe for best director. And now, Beyonce has more Grammy wins than any woman in history. But with all these firsts, we need to stay focused on the obstacles we still face.
According to a Pew research poll, 42% of women face workplace discrimination in the United States and earn, on average, 82 cents for every dollar men make. Women hold just 7.8% of CEO positions in S&P 500 companies, and although we’re making strides when it comes to women in power, females make up just over a quarter of all members of the 117th Congress.
So, as we celebrate the great women who have gotten us here, we push on to create more strong and smart female leaders, scientists, doctors, teachers, caregivers, artists and mothers of the future.
The 2021 Women in the Workplace report found that women are more burned out than they were a year ago. Experts believe changes in child care and flexible work schedules will need to happen before this can turn around.
The National Women’s History Alliance designates a yearly theme for women’s history month. The 2022 theme is “women providing healing, promoting hope.” this theme is a tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic.