A little more than two years since I left my “day job” to devote myself full time to building my own business, I have come to realize that I need to follow my passion — which is helping women thrive, personally and in business.
So I reached out to a group of women, ranging in age between 23 and 63, to get their take. What, in their opinion, were the biggest challenges that women face today? What did they need the most help with?
Their responses were heart-wrenching.
Because most of those who responded are well-educated women who are in business for themselves or are involved in high-profile professions, I expected to hear a lot about business stuff, like leadership, marketing and so on. And sure, there was a measure of that. But what most of these women identified (either as issues they struggle with themselves or from their own observation) were intensely personal.
What women need
They talked about a lack of self-esteem, self-confidence and taking care of themselves. They want to feel supported, they want balance, they want time, they want to love and respect themselves for who and what they are.
In a way, their feelings and frustrations are a natural outgrowth from what is commonly recognized as the second wave of feminism, launched in the late 1950s and early ’60s after the publication of The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan.
In 1957, Friedan was asked by her alma mater to conduct a survey of her classmates at Smith College for their 15th reunion. A psychologist by education, Friedan’s survey turned up what she termed “the problem that has no name” — a deeply rooted sense of unhappiness among suburban housewives in the 1950s and early 1960s.
This so-called “feminine mystique,” she said, was created in large part by messages in the mass media and advertising. Women of that era were told that they had two choices in life — being a happy housewife or an unhappy, neurotic careerist. Women should focus on marriage and family; even women’s colleges offered only classes that were considered “suitable” for women.
Friedan, through further research, documented how women of this generation bought into that mystique, much to their own misery…which was passed along to their children, affected their personal lives and stunted their growth as human beings.
Friedan’s book was hailed by futurist Alvin Toffler (Future Shock) as pulling the “trigger on history,” and it contributed in large part to massive societal changes that encouraged women to take their place in business and the professions.
And they did.
- In 2012, 47% of law degrees were awarded to women, compared to 6% in the late ’60s.
- In 1970, women comprised nearly 8% of medical school graduates, compared to 30% of doctors in 2010.
- And the U.S. Census Bureau reports that 26% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are women. Back in the 1950s, women weren’t even allowed to go to engineering schools.
These changes, however, are a mixed bag. Today, women in the United States still make
about 25 percent less than men doing the same work — even in traditional “women’s” occupations, such as teaching and nursing. They still are disproportionately under-represented in government (20% of members of Congress) and at the corporate directorship level of Fortune 500 companies (17%).
Even with those discouraging numbers, women are, in fact, making huge strides to take their place in all walks of life. But instead of leaving the feminine mystique behind, they have packed it up with their advanced college degrees and toted it with them.
They still believe (on some level) that they have to do all the housework. They still believe they are responsible for making sure the kids get to school on time. They still are the ones who take off time to care for their ailing parents (or in-laws). They still…well, the list goes on and on.
What about you? What issues do you think challenge today’s women the most? I want to do everything I can to help women succeed, personally and professionally. And I’d love to hear from men, too. Please respond in comments or feel free to email me at jackie@key-dynamics.com.