On International Women’s Day and throughout Women’s History Month, it’s worth considering and reflecting on the triumph and tragedy of the current state of affairs. As people celebrate the many achievements of women who have broken through to lead and succeed in extraordinary ways, people should also reflect on how far we are from gender parity and commit to doing what it takes to become a more gender equal nation.
There are many successes worth celebrating this year. Top among them is the ascension of America’s first woman vice president ― a historic and powerful representation of how far women have come 100 years after we first won the right to vote. Also in the win category is the record number of women CEOs in the Fortune 500, now more than 8 percent, including more women of color than ever before. And in science, women have been instrumental in developing Covid-19 vaccines and helped NASA land a rover on Mars. And in the sports world, women are breaking new ground as coaches and leaders, including Kim Ng being named the new general manager of the Miami Marlins to Katie Sowers becoming the first female coach to make it to the Super Bowl in 2020 and more.
Despite all the success, however, the U.S. is still far from achieving true equity. As much as women are succeeding, they are struggling.
Even before the pandemic there were serious issues facing women. Women were already disproportionately in poverty, facing mental health stress, more likely to toil in low wage jobs, and struggling through an ongoing childcare crisis that was pushing them out of the workforce.
The 2019 Global Gender Gap report ranked the United States 53rd in the world for gender equity (behind Bangladesh, South Africa and Mexico among others). Now, in 2021 the picture is even bleaker. As the Covid-19 crisis drags on, women across American economic and social strata are being crushed and pushed to the brink
How is it possible that the U.S. is behind so many other nations in achieving equity?
For generations, the concerns of American women have been ignored in the public policy and priority making arenas. Beginning in the 1970s, as the feminist movement surged and women began entering the labor force in larger and larger numbers, there were mass calls for investment in social and policy infrastructure to support them, which were never completely heeded.
On International Women’s Day and every day, people must work to create a society where the contributions, struggles, experiences and lives of women are valued. It’s time to start responding in real and urgent ways to the needs of 51 percent. Women cannot afford another 30 years of inching along. It’s years past the time for action.
Read more on NBCNews.com.
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