28 Jun The (Good?) Old Days Part VII – The Women’s Movement

This has been quite the last century or so for women. The right to vote in 1920. “Rosie the Riveters” hit the factories with all the men at war during the 1940s. The women’s liberation movement starting in the 1960s but really picking up steam in the 1970s. Yet the “Mad Men” era was still very much a man’s world. Think about that. Less than 100 years ago women could not even vote for President or the local school board. And for millions of years before that things were pretty much one way. Now in one short century such a dramatic and positive set of developments for equal rights.

As I mention in my new book (find it on Amazon!), when I grew up we had roles. After family dinner, my mom and sisters would get up and clear the table as my dad and I sat. But if it snowed, I got up at 6 in the morning to shovel our walks and driveway. I told this story to a friend who said, “Yeah, now we clear the table and shovel the snow!” In the business world, this manifested in many different ways. Not long ago I rented office space from a 50-something gentleman who confided that he still feels women should not be in the workplace, that they distract the men too much. Another that I worked with in a law firm wouldn’t let a young female associate help me on a new big client “because she might have babies and leave.” Never mind that she was 28 and not even engaged to her boyfriend, much less married or pregnant. And even if! I said, “You know I could leave.” He said, “That’s different.” It wasn’t.

So with all the advances there is still quite a ways to go. Twenty-five years ago major law firm partners were about 2% women. Now it’s over 20%. That’s great, but not good enough. Law school applications went from 10% to 50% women from 1972 to today. But women still do not get paid the same is men in many industries. And still only 10% of entrepreneurs are women. For me, it’s very simple. I have worked with many, many amazing and talented women and there should be every effort made to remove the glass ceilings, equalize pay and end discrimination. Hopefully time and the retirement of the old fashioned men will help all those things. On this one, it’s much much better than in the old days.