This November, the voters of Vermont will almost certainly choose a woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Big deal. Whoever wins will join the 144 women (more or less, depending on the election results) who now serve in the House and Senate. That’s slightly more than 27%, still well short of the percentage of women in the electorate (just about half), but twice as many as served a decade ago. In case you hadn’t noticed, the Speaker of the House and the Vice President are both women. Even though the state has yet to elect a female representative to Congress, there are plenty of women who win elections in Vermont. The State Treasurer is a woman. So are 44% of the state legislators, including the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
When I voted yesterday, I used one of the voting sites to determine policy positions for candidates. The one question that everyone across the board, most Dems, Republicans, and Independents answered the same way was “Should employers be required to pay men and women the same salary for the same job?” They answered “yes.” There is broad consensus across the board that women should be treated fairly and equally.
Are there pockets of resistance and problems to be solved? Of course. But, over time, those pockets will wane and the problems will be solved. Women have more opportunity than ever before in history right at this present moment.
I live the life of a liberated woman. I own my own business and property and manage my own money and other affairs. I am married to a man who is my partner and peer and who doesn't influence my choices unless I ask him to.
I can live this life because of the millions of hours of toil and the unwavering perseverance of my forebears in their efforts to procure women's rights.
Do I still face headwinds? Occasionally. But there are so many workarounds and opportunities these days that there is no way that those opposed to women's empowerment can stop any woman truly determined to forge her own path.
I, for one, am grateful for this progress and choose not to ignore it, but to celebrate it while serving on a board of directors of a group dedicated to empowering women even further.
Nitpicking statistics, especially when it is not in good faith, will get us nowhere except embroiled in bitter discord. Instead, let's celebrate the wins and keep working toward a more just world—together.
When I voted yesterday, I used one of the voting sites to determine policy positions for candidates. The one question that everyone across the board, most Dems, Republicans, and Independents answered the same way was “Should employers be required to pay men and women the same salary for the same job?” They answered “yes.” There is broad consensus across the board that women should be treated fairly and equally.
Are there pockets of resistance and problems to be solved? Of course. But, over time, those pockets will wane and the problems will be solved. Women have more opportunity than ever before in history right at this present moment.
I live the life of a liberated woman. I own my own business and property and manage my own money and other affairs. I am married to a man who is my partner and peer and who doesn't influence my choices unless I ask him to.
I can live this life because of the millions of hours of toil and the unwavering perseverance of my forebears in their efforts to procure women's rights.
Do I still face headwinds? Occasionally. But there are so many workarounds and opportunities these days that there is no way that those opposed to women's empowerment can stop any woman truly determined to forge her own path.
I, for one, am grateful for this progress and choose not to ignore it, but to celebrate it while serving on a board of directors of a group dedicated to empowering women even further.
Nitpicking statistics, especially when it is not in good faith, will get us nowhere except embroiled in bitter discord. Instead, let's celebrate the wins and keep working toward a more just world—together.
Great piece highlighting textbook confirmation bias.