By: Marcia King-Gamble
www.lovemarcia.com
This month’s topic Strong Women resonates strongly with me. I am a woman who grew up with trailblazers like Gloria Steinem and Bella Abzug. These were powerful feminists of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s and the two were founders of The National Women’s Political Caucus.
This group billed itself as a multi-partisan grassroots organization
dedicated to recruiting, training, and supporting women who sought elected and
appointed offices in government. But they were so much more. Credit for founding
The National Women’s Political Caucus should also go to Shirley
Chisholm, Betty Friedan, Fannie Lou Hamer, Jill Ruckelshaus,
and Mildred Jeffrey.
Now back to the women’s movement which exploded
in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Until then, in certain states a husband forcing sex
on his wife was not legally considered rape. Any purchases made all belonged to
her husband, even if these items were purchased with her own earnings. Back
then, married women could not obtain a credit card or get credit without her
husband’s signature.
My personal experience with this was
twenty plus years ago when I moved South from New York. I was in a commuting
situation and opened a checking account in my name only. My husband opened his
own account to be used when he came into town, yet the banker without
permission, linked both accounts. When I questioned my balance, I was rudely told
that as a married woman our accounts were the same.
You can imagine how upset I was when one day I discovered I had almost zero in the account and discovered that my husband’s purchases were being charged to my account. Let’s just say after my conversation with the banker, he probably has never been the same. Adding fuel to the fire, he implied he would be reaching out to a co-worker (male and my counterpart), to let him know I was belligerent.
A comparable situation occurred when I
attempted to buy a place on my own. Mind you, I was using my own funds, and yet
was told my husband needed to sign off on the paperwork so that I could obtain my apartment. Now really?
Back in the day, some states even barred
women from jobs that required lifting more than 25 pounds. California
employment ads often discriminated by gender and race. Nationally, firefighting
and police work was restricted to men. Even women broadcasters were rare and
paid far less than their male counterparts. Jobs that required authoritative figures
were often off limits to women. Law and medical schools had female quotas. And
on average, women made 59 cents for every dollar a man made, even when doing
similar work. The largest gender pay gap involved women of color.
Crude references were often made about women’s hormonal imbalance. Interesting,
because even today women have to deal with the B word, while a man who might
say the same thing Let me not digress. This post is about strong women. Do you think
most men could make it through labor?
Yet here we are today, and while some progress has
been made, women, more so than men, are still the objects of sexual harassment,
hence the “Me Too Movement.” Thanks to Activist, Tarana Burke who
created this group in 2006, women have come out of the woodwork to share their experiences
about unwanted advances. They have shared painful and embarrassing memories
kept hidden for years, fearing repercussion.
Women. You are my Sheroes! For years we have had to be
strong, even stronger in our silence.
To paraphrase, singer, Helen Reddy’s words – “We are
women. Hear us Roar!”
6 comments:
Marcia, what a trip back in time for me. I'd add that when I went to the police after my husband hit me I was told to go home and that I "belonged" to him. That was in 1965. Do I want to go back to those "good ole days"? Not in this or any other lifetime.
Oh and we were also responsible if the marriage didn't work out, he was unfaithful...the question was always "what did you do?" or "what didn't you do?" I'm ever so grateful to those women who stood up first and who blazed a trail many of us followed so that my granddaughters and great granddaughter have rights and protections we paid and sacrificed for.
Great post, Marcia. Yes, I remember when my mother could not buy a car by herself. It is encouraging to see how far we've come, even though we're not at the finish line yet.
LOVE THIS POST! All these strong women were behind my decision to design my own major in Women's Studies, in what had been an "all-boys" college. I had to fight the male dean. Thanks goodness I had two STRONG professors who fought for me. What I didn't realize at the time, that both of them were also fighting for tenure. They both got tenure, but they could have been at risk for fighting for my major (1987.) Although I put Women's Studies as the title of my major, when I graduated, my diploma said Gender Studies. Grrrrr. But I was on the committee that fought for an official minor that went through the year after I graduated and Anow that once all-male college has an official woman's studies major and their own office. I too was told I had to get my husband signature to buy a car with my won money. I was getting a divorce at the time, but didn't tell them.. Instead I walked out after telling hem I would let every woman I knew not to do business with them. they finally relented and gave me a loan, as I was storming away. Another GRRRRR - that was 1989. And still, women aren't paid what they are worth and things are going backwards.
Judith your situation makes me so angry. Ufortunately, what has happened today ia a lot of women have also ruined men's lives by not telling the truth and damaging is a man's reputation. You are my shero. Look how far you have come.
Thanks Lynn. Incredible, really. Most of the women I know are the bread winners and far brighter than their significan others. Makes you wonder.
Deb N what a great story. I love it. Reminds me of our chancellor giving his speech about women coming there looking for their MRS. Degree I wanted to spit. You made history.
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