Women's Independence...Have We Overcome?

Ugh. I'm home sick. And that means, I'm down for the count. But it also means that I get to be HOME and spend time with my daughter, even if from bed. And it means I get to be a part of her world of homework, lunches to make, and school projects.

So, this week my daughter finished a school project she's been working on and talking about for the past several weeks. And yesterday, I was able to view her final product.

I am in awe.

Not only do I have to brag as a mother...yes, she did a great job on her video documentary, but she really opened my eyes to something I knew little about. She opened my eyes to the struggle for Women's Independence during the Gilded Age at the turn of the nineteenth century. I learned about the Gibson Girl, Bloomers, Victorian Fashion Reform, the dawn of the bicycle, what the heck crinoline is, and more...I learned about the fight for Women's Suffrage.

And I am moved.

It never dawned on me that, as women, we once had little freedom in this country. It never dawned on me that the women of the turn of the century had to literally fight society for the freedom to vote, and more. It never dawned on me that society looked down on those women who were intelligent, bold, and who desired more for themselves than to be adorned as nothing more than a cake topper or trophy. It never dawned on me the suffering at the hand of men, mainstream thinking women, and society in general that these women steadfastly endured.

It just never dawned on me. I take the freedoms I have today for granted.

It also makes me think, as I watch her video and take in the visuals of women being beaten by the police, ridiculed by men, and outcast by other women...

If I had lived in those days, what would have I done?

Would I have marched on Capitol Hill in support of Women's Suffrage? Would I have thrown away my corsette and boldly worn the forbidden bloomers to make a point that women don't have to follow the mainstream? Would I have broken away from my traditional role and ventured out, alone, on a bicycle therefore asserting my need for freedom and independence?

Would I have stood up for my beliefs and risked reputation, family, and even endured physical ridicule for the freedom to have my voice heard through my vote?

Would I?

I hope that I would. But I don't know. I really don't.

I say this because I don't do anything NOW.

No, there are no marches on Capitol Hill for the sake of Women's Independence like in the turn of the century or even the 60's or 70's... but I can stand up for my rights even in the seemingly insignificant happenings of my everyday. And I don't do even that.

For example: I work in IT. Yes, Information Technology is a world of and for men. There are few women in my field. And often, the men will actually tell me how little I must know about technology. I end up having to prove myself on every project that I know what a SQL server is and I know how to analyze a technical portfolio and I know how to do regression testing on an Oracle rules engine.

On one of my previous assignments, there were six of us analysts: 3 men and 3 women. We all had similar experience with technology. My boss broke us up into two groups and even sat us apart: the girls and the boys. Then he gave the boys access to one of the business modeling tools. The girls were left to do the writing and other non-technical aspects of our project, while the boys were off learning new technology. The boys were charged with analyzing the technical pieces of the project of which they had zero experience with in human services and the girls had TONS.

Our boss rarely spoke to the girls and rarely came into our workspace. Yet, he was often found in the boys workspace cracking jokes as though they all belonged to a fraternity. When the girls would offer advice on using a new piece of technology to make our jobs easier, our boss quickly dismissed the idea. However, when the boys put together a horrific and painstakingly difficult spreadsheet to pull requirements (rather than the tool a girl recommended), he was elated.

We, as women, soon gave up. We even joked about the situation. But, we sat back in our roles as 'girls' and did the tidings of the non-technical. We word-smithed, created charts and graphs, and settled into mostly administrative roles.

And what did I do? I was sneaky. I took one of the licenses to the boy's tool. I learned how to use it and created a model for one of the team leads. But that's it.

I passively protested. I did nothing more.

I didn't stand up to the obvious prejudice nor did I even confront my boss. I merely sat back. I didn't protest the obvious gender bigotry nor did I stand up for what I knew was right. I simply fell into the mainstream and did what I was told. Why? For the sake of my job? For the sake of my role on the project? For the sake of not rocking the boat or upsetting the status quo?

And that makes me sad. And that makes me feel shame.

No longer will I sit back. No longer will I contribute to women's oppression by quietly accepting what I know is less than what I can give. The Suffragettes paved the way so that I can have the freedoms I take for granted...and I will never take those freedoms for granted again.

Never again.



I am grateful for their courage.

I am grateful for their strength, conviction, and drive to fight for what they knew was right.

I am forever indebted and moved. For they risked it all so that the world would know...

I am woman...

Hear me roar.