Today is International Women’s Day, a chance to recognize all women have achieved and overcome.
There are so many women who have paved the way for us girls and women of today. It’s hard to name some because there are so many strong and influential women who have helped break the ceiling for women.
We have a female Vice President of our county, there are female coaches on professional men’s sports team, and I could go on and on about the many advances women have made, especially in the workforce.
Women can now work and raise young children. Women can enter careers that were considered for just men in the past. Things have improved but we still have a ways to go. There are still limitations, stereotypes and politics to change.
I am fortunate to work in Athletics (a very male-dominated field in the past) and have the opportunity to work with two men’s teams as their strength and conditioning coach. I am treated with respect by both teams and feel comfortable working with them.
Despite this great opportunity I’ve faced some uncomfortable encounters as a woman. I had an older coworker make some very bizarre and inappropriate comments about delivering a baby when I was close to having Alice. I had an incredibly difficult time finding a place to pump on campus (when I was able to breastfeed!) and found little accommodations to help with this.
It’s not easy being a woman but we have come a long way. I am grateful for the many amazing women who have helped paved the way and hope we continue to make gains and strides and take back the rights we have earned and deserved. As one of my favorite women who helped fight for our rights, Ruth Bader Ginsburg said “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.” We have taken a lot of steps, but we still got more moving to do to continue to gain ground.
I hope my girls can be raised in a world with even more opportunities than I have where they can do whatever they choose or want to do. That should be the opportunity all girls and women in this country have.
#internationalwomensday #womensrights #rbg #glassceiling
