Empowered Voices: Acknowledging Women’s Contributions in the Past 50 Years
Celebrating the women who have broken barriers to create change is important in understanding today’s challenges and successes.
What better way to do this than to dedicate March as Women’s History Month to inspire future generations.
As I write this blog, I reflect upon my past 50 years.
I’m grateful to all the trailblazing women who forged a path forward in a predominantly man’s world, providing me opportunities to become the woman I am.
Permitting Married Women to Work
For instance, in the 1920s, married women were not allowed to work because they were expected to stay home to perform the household chores and wait on their husbands.
In the 1970s, it was becoming not unusual for married women to work. Thank goodness!
Here’s my story…
After getting married in June 1972, Gary and I moved to Moscow, Idaho, to complete his engineering courses and attain his degree from the University of Idaho.
While Gary was attending classes, I wanted to work. We had not discussed my working.
I knew he was traditional in many ways, so I was unsure how he felt about it. When I broached the subject, he was amenable. We certainly could use the money.
I applied for a teacher’s job because I had a degree in secondary education. To my dismay, there were no openings, not even as a substitute teacher. Now what?
I thought it’d be fun to be a waitress for a bit and was hired. It was a family-owned business on Main Street.
The plus side was the enjoyable interaction with the local patrons. The negative side was the owner’s penalty for making a mathematical error on the bill.
Back in the day, the waitress manually wrote the price down on the bill and added the line item charges without a calculator. If we undercharged or overcharged, that amount was deducted from our pay. After six months, I quit.
You may be wondering if I got another job. Yes, I did.
I was a Special Ed Aide at Moscow High School until Gary received his engineering degree in December 1974. He was then offered an engineering job at The Boeing Company.
In January 1975, we eagerly headed to Renton, Washington, where I changed my career focus from teaching to a business direction.
Shift in Societal Attitude Toward Working Mothers
I continued to work until the births of my two adorable sons.
Then, I stayed home each time for a year. That’s because in the 1970s and early 1980s, daycares were not licensed to care for babies under one year old.
In the early 1980s, the lines were drawn between working mothers outside the home and stay-at-home mothers.
Stay-at-home mothers believed they provided more nurturing care for their children than working mothers.
In contrast, working mothers recognized the benefits of their children socializing with other youngsters. Not everyone lived in a location where there were children to play with.
As a working mother, I was devoted to spending quality time with my sons. I assisted them in learning reading, spelling, and math. They were taught behavior, manners, and etiquette.
Daycares were expensive, so most of my paycheck went toward paying the daycare cost, with approximately $50 left each month.
Yet, the work experiences aided my future job advancement, further rewarding me for the short-term financial hardship that resulted from daycare costs.
As I progressed in my career, I received recognition in Marquis Who’s Who in the West 1987–1988 and Marquis Who’s Who in America 1989–1990.
I obtained a Master’s degree in Business. My career niche was in contracts, and I was compensated appropriately for my professional expertise.
Women, Heartbeat of Society
Let’s never forget that the waves of feminism throughout history have been instrumental in promoting women’s rights and equality, from the suffragettes who campaigned for women’s right to vote to today’s advocates who lobby for wage equity and women’s reproductive rights.
Helen Reddy’s 1972 song “I Am Woman” captures the essence of womankind. We are empowered, strong, independent, and unstoppable!
