A Tribute to Strong Women

Nov 28, 2019

Happy Thanksgiving to all the ambitious, independent, powerful ladies who are staying true to #HERVOICE, #HERLIFE, #HERPOWER in spite of all the shit we deal with on a consistent basis.

To all the strong women - We love you. We admire you. We love watching you kick ass and succeed.

On this day, I’m taking a moment to recognize how blessed I am to live in this moment in history, in this country, as a woman.

Some of the most basic things we take for granted were still an uphill battle for women just a few decades ago.

A brief stroll back in history reveals that women were not allowed to…

Get a credit card:
In the 1970s, it was illegal for a single woman to get a credit card from the bank. And even a married woman would need the signature of her husband to open up on account. Talk about the impossibility of achieving financial independence!
Wear bikinis:
In the 1920s, many local governments issued standards for women’s bathing suits that prohibited them from showing too much leg on public beaches (too much leg?! Never) with law enforcement patrolling beaches with measuring tape. Women who insisted on wearing something other than an ankle-length potato sack were asked to change; defiant female bathers could be arrested.
Take birth control:
In the 1950s, women’s reproductive freedom and her right to decide when and whether to have children were only just beginning to be openly discussed. In 1957, the FDA approved of the birth control pill but only for "severe menstrual distress." Then, a 1965 Supreme Court ruling approved birth control but only for married woman, and #allthesingleladies were still denied the right to use oral contraceptives in 26 states. In 1972, the Supreme Court finally overturned a Massachusetts law that made distributing birth control to singles illegal. #FIGHTFORTHESINGLELADIES
Work while pregnant:
Up until 1964, maternity leave was considered permanent. Employers were under no obligation to retain workers who got pregnant, and as many as 40% of businesses took advantage of the lack of laws. Women carrying children didn’t have complete protection and access to benefits until the 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act was passed. We love you working mamas!
Get an Ivy League education:
As a Yalie, this still pisses me off. Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth and the other elites claimed to chose only “the best and the brightest.” Somehow not a single woman qualified. They barred their doors to half the population, not because of inferior IQs, grades or test scores, but simply because of gender. Except for Cornell, the first Ivy didn't admit women until 1977. The reason given? The Ivies would have to lower their standards to admit women. Yes, that was the argument.
Practice law:
Even if a woman had gone through all the years of school and passed every test, she could still be denied the right to plead a client’s case until 1971. No wonder the laws have been such bullshit. Laws for women can’t change if we don’t actually have women in the courtroom! Side note: watch the RBG Movie, On The Basis of Sex if you haven’t yet. I cried at the end, rewinded it, and cried again, her victory was that moving.
… There’s much more, but these stood out to me.

This is all to say, that while there is still a long road ahead, we are blessed! I hope you take time to not only celebrate your friends and family, but also to remember the many women who have come before us who have courageously fought for the progress in equality we have made today.