The New Role of Women

Our world is constantly transforming into a more progressive place. As seen in the multitude of women’s rights movements in response to Trump’s election, many people are pushing for gender equality and will not let their beliefs be muffled by injustice. These movements defy the rhetoric of the past that told that women they are only useful for cooking and cleaning. In fact, nowadays more are finding that a woman’s intellect and experience, just as any man’s, can be extremely beneficial to the world.

In previous generations, women were not nearly as active in society as they are today. The main focus of most women’s lives were dedicated to finding a successful husband, raising children, and then keeping up with household chores. This standard had to do largely with the way they were raised; many women grew up in an atmosphere where their mothers and aunts worked around the house. This atmosphere only reinforced the idea to young girls that women were only good for chores. This mentality is rapidly evolving and can be safely considered archaic by today’s standards.

The monumental strides that leaders of our generation are taking have provided more opportunities for women by shaping the norms of our society. For example, in 2012, Pixar’s first female heroine graced our movie theater screens. Merida, the red-haired archeress from Brave, is a confident young princess who proves that girls do not need men to help them save the day. Because this film is targeted specifically at our generation’s youth, it provides young girls with an example where women have an ability equal to that of men. Domestic chores, as the movie shows, are not the only option in life for females.

Successful businesswomen are just one example of how women have redefined their roles in society. Today, there are more females than ever before working in large corporate offices. The movement of women into the workplace effectively shatters the stereotype that women only make good stay-at-home moms.

Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, is a constant reminder that women can be powerful leaders. Harvard Business School graduate Sandberg paved her way to success. She is now the board member of numerous successful foundations and has a net worth over 1 billion dollars. However, a position like Sandberg’s is still rare among women. Sandberg explains to Women in the Workplace 2016 publishing, “Women are underrepresented throughout the workplace pipeline, from entry-level all the way to the c-suite. The disparity grows as you move up the ladder, with women accounting for just 18% of c-level employees.”

So, it is obvious that times are changing; women are now beginning to take on high ranking business roles. As the role of women in generations has changed, so has our society as a whole. We would not be where we are today without the presence of so many intelligent and influential women that inspire us. Women have stepped up to new opportunity, and in response, so has our world.

Amelia Chen and Ellie Tsapatsaris
staff writers

Graphics: Sophia Swanson