So Have Women Made Progress or Not?

Our local paper is The Finger Lakes Times, an award winning daily in the small market size.  Unlike some papers, it is faithfully there ever afternoon (except Saturday) and every Sunday morning.  None of this downsizing to e-news part of the week.  I am grateful.  I like sitting with the newspaper after dinner like my Grandmother Abrams did.  I feel her reading over my shoulder and helping with the crossword.

Sunday there was an important editorial by Betty M. Bayer, professor and chair of Women's Studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva NY. In "Important Anniversaries in March..."she wrote at the end of women's history month about the absence of women in the history books, in Wikipedia, in the Vatican, and amongst the shakers and movers in current events; even though women have places of importance, even though women have positive media role models.  She notes that the ERA never passed, that women still have lesser expectations than their brothers, that women of achievement are the exception not the rule.

I suppose one could argue most men of achievement are also exceptions.  Too many people settle for less, still the choice of the individual and the push from family are still sex based.  Just this week the buzz on The View was about Susan Patton graduate of Princeton urging young women to pick their mates in college where the pool of candidates is greatest rather than pick their careers. Have we returned to an Ivy League MRS program? Evidently our female contributions to the gene pool are still more important than our intellectual contribution to society. 

In fact in her editorial Bayer states that the top job for women is still secretary or administrative assistant.  I'm not certain how she defines "top job", but I am appalled.  If that is the glass ceiling most women bump up against, we have failed to make much of a difference for most women.  I know many women who are professionals and live with power and creativity.  I also know that a notable feminist or two have been on Facebook in their retirement facing financial disaster.  They were our founding foremothers.  This should not be.  I know my encouragement to young girls interested in animals to consider veterinary schools to become a doctor instead of a tech goes over the heads.

So is lowering of one's career sites about mom and dad's expectations?  Is it about academic opportunities available to girls? There seem to be more women in college than men.  Is this about women's invisibility in history class because we teach it as it has always been taught? Are we still compelled by gender to consider happiness tied to marriage? Do we think that sound fiscal planning, health insurance and a retirement plan are somehow up to the men in our lives? I don't know. Some of these very big questions are driven behind the scenes by market forces who do not always see women.  I do know my Grandmother Abrams would shake her head in disbelief.  How could we still be asking these questions in the 21st century? She would have found Bayer's article as alarming as I did.