Writing Women Back Into History

It’s Women’s History Month!

How many of you know about the history behind this special month? I’m guessing not many. So here’s a little back story.

In 1980, a group of dedicated women founded the National Women’s History Project. Their goal was to get women written back into the American narrative. It’s hard to believe, but at that time—just 35 years ago, a measly 3% of textbooks mentioned female accomplishments. These women were tired of seeing their half of the population excluded from history because of gender so they got Congress to officially recognize the month of March as Women’s History Month.

In the almost 100 years since women’s suffrage, progress toward gender equality has moved at a snail’s pace, especially considering the rate at which technology has advanced during the same time frame.

We’ve all heard the statistic that women make 77 cents to every dollar earned by a man, but what about the fact that no country has achieved gender equality across all areas of public and private life? Or that at this rate, it will take 81 years to achieve gender parity in the workplace, more than 75 years to reach equal pay between men and women for doing the same work, and more than 30 years to reach gender balance in decision-making[1]?

Yes, today in America men and women have the same legal rights. But our attitudes about gender roles are what need more work. These attitudes are responsible for why women still make less money than men and why we tell our young boys to act like a man when they cry. While these are broad generalizations, you get the picture.

A majority of you that tune in to Off the Grid are male. This doesn’t mean women’s issues don’t inadvertently affect you. You all have mothers. Many of you have sisters, girlfriends, and/or daughters. You don’t have to let them fight the good fight alone. You too can help banish gender bias. Hell, you can fight for paid paternity leave, be a stay at home dad, invite your female co-workers to collaborate, and make women feel like they’ve contributed more to a day than just their looks. Most of all, you can encourage women to lean in.

To see one woman who isn't afraid to lean in, check out the Governor's interview with Abby Martin in the video below. 

[1]http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2015/02/wom...