International Women's Day: Nary a Whisper, get Out the Kevlar

Here's a quick question for you to use on unsuspecting friends at cocktail parties: What do Kevlar, engine mufflers, disposable cell phones, rotary engines, submarine lamps and telescopes, circular saws, elevated railways, medical syringes, windshield wipers, disposable diapers, fire escapes, and life rafts have in common?

Hmmmm..... still thinking? Take a moment. Close your eyes and see if an image connecting them together comes to you. Okay, open your eyes and here's the answer...

[A: All are inventions by women.]

Here's another question: Who comprises the majority of people the modern workforce in the United States?

Need another moment? Think about what images and ideas pop into your mind.... Ready for the answer...

[A: Women. Yes, women now make up more than 50% of the labor force in our nation.]

Again not the answer that was top of your mind? Well, you're not alone in sometimes overlooking the constant small and large contributions that women make in the world each day.

Sunday was International Women's Day and it went by with hardly a whisper recognizing women--or our positive contributions to our nation. In fact, the top CNN headlines on that day relating to women follow: "Woman arrested in custard attack on politician"; "Unhappily ever after' can hurt a woman's health;" and another article covering the sad, sad question of whether some moms were "pimping" their daughters.

Safe to say that none of these articles were shining a light on the best women are offering the world in the spirit of International Women's Day.

While it's not a criminal offense to ignore International Women's Day, the combined impact of the day-to-day oversight of women's contributions does add up to an economic offense that causes deep and long-lasting harm not only to women, but also to their families and to our ability as a nation to turn this economic downturn around. Consider this: With equal resumes and job experiences, mothers are hired a whopping 79% less of the time than non-mothers. Given that most families need to have both parents in the labor force to make ends meet and put food on the table these days and that women are the now majority of the modern labor force, this information puts our economic downturn in a new light--particularly since over 80% of American women have children by the time they are forty-four.

The hiring discrimination also carries over into wage discrimination, where mothers with equal resumes as other applicants are offered $11,000 less for high paying jobs than applicants without children (fathers are offered $6,000 more). Mothers were also taken off the management track for fewer late days than others without children.

Women face an uphill battle. And littering this field of battle are our children and families: In fact, prior to the economic downturn a full quarter of families with children under age six were already living in poverty and now this number is sadly getting worse, and current foreclosures are highest in homes with children. This family poverty is in no small part due to the wage hits that mothers take, along with the number of times that mothers are overlooked on the job market.

We need "all hands on deck" to move our nation to full economic recovery. With this pervasive wage and hiring discrimination happening on a daily basis, our nation, and our nation's employers, are in danger of losing out on women and mothers' best contributions in a time when they are most needed to both keep families out of poverty and to rebuild our nation.

Women, put on your Kevlar because now that we comprise more than 50% of the labor force and the economy is in a tailspin, we're going to play a big part in getting our nation back on track. Yes, we're certainly needed, yet mothers are paid only 73 cents to every one dollar made by men--a wage discrimination that has rippling impacts on our families and is partially fueled by the fact that women's real and good contributions are often bypassed in favor of reports about "custard throwing" and "pimping."

The oversight of women's contributions on International Women's Day, and every day, matters--as do our assumptions about what women, and mothers, can and can't do. The very fact that there was nary a soft whisper of women's contributions on International Women's Day hits women with a loud bang. It's time to take a new look at how we view women in our nation.

Comments

[itolduso]

A big problem is the lack of women that 'made it' reaching down to help other women. I see lots of women-owned companies with only men in their top positions.

[h0tr0d]

The Bureau of labor statistics for men employed over the age of 16 is 73.8 million. The number of women over the age of 16 that are employed is 66.7 million.....again according to the Bureau of Labor statistics.

[camper65]

How about an International Men's Day? And did I miss Polish-American History Month again? Or European-American History Month?

[EmeraldWorld]

I'm sorry, I was under the impression that "European-American History Month" was all year long. International Men's Day? Hmm, I recall that history courses teach mostly about-you guessed it-MEN. Don't criticize things you know nothing about. It only makes you look even more ignorant than you already are.

[luziannagirl]

Yes, celebrating womens' achievements would be a positive way to help elevate the position of women to parity with men in both pay and in power.

Not surprised mothers are hired 79% less than non-mothers. I actually had a supposedly well-meaning boss actually tell me ---and this was only a few years ago----that he felt my role as a dedicated wife and mother (of 2 then-teens) would compromise my aspiration to rise within the company to a managerial position!

At least he didn't physically attack me---and many would say I should be grateful for that. One fourth to one third of all American women will be physically assaulted by a man in their lifetimes, and a fair number of those assaults are workplace-related.

Amazing what we gals put up with, huh?

[Pavel Somov, Ph.D. - Huffpost Blogger]

I grew up celebrating the 8th of March (in the Soviet Union). We had 2 holidays in Spring: Feb 23 - the Red Army Day, March 8th - International Women's Day. These two holidays functioned as Part 1 and 2 of Valentine's Day: on Feb 23d men got attention on March 8th women got attention. Despite this cultural romantic misapplication, the gender equality essence of the 8th of March celebration was at least officially in the air. I've lived in US since early 90s and it bugs me every spring that March 8th remains a non-issue in the media. Thanks for the reminder,Kristin.

Pavel Somov, Ph.D., author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time," (New Harbinger, 2008) www.eatingthemoment.com
www.huffingtonpost.com/pavel-somov/

[RenePA]

I'm tired. Tired of the run-around, of the clamoring for More, More, More! with regard to proving myself, producing income, and spending on 'stuff' one buys when money flows. Really, who needs it? Don't get me wrong, I love Pier One. But honestly, do you really need a new set of seasonal dishes every year? Or bathroom towels, or new sheets? It's ridiculous the things that people have money (or don't) spend it on.

Peace of mind is what I'm after. Why should this economy tell me otherwise? Why can't I stay home and manage my household? Education is an issue, as my daughter (without her degree) said to me, "Mom, I want to feel ... accomplished." I get that. It's what I worked so hard for over the years; (to me) it's more important that my daughter get her education than my son - I never want my daughter to feel dependent on a man for her well-being.

Women should demand and receive equal pay and zero harassment on the job. But to imply this tough economy means women have to work harder? I'm not buying into that any more than I am buying into spring towels. Greedy bankers and government have created a monster out of the "necessity" of two incomes -- turning American lifestyles into a frantic get-it-all­-done-yest­erday nightmare. I'll happily fight them off with my broom, frying pan, bill management skills and a thump over the head with a diaper pail

[wagadog]

I LIKE your response!

And...you too remember what a diaper pail is! I haven't heard that phrase in decades. Not since, well, since disposable diapers came out. (A: invented by a woman).

[S1m0n]

You know what? The lede listing inventions made by women is kind of...pathetic, after all this time. Or maybe its a matter of damning with faint praise: women inventing things, like women preaching, is no longer so rare as to resemble a dog walking on its hind legs, regardless of Dr Johnson's incredulity. The list is *so* two waves ago. Let's aim higher.

[canfemlib]

The climate for women activists has been pretty frosty for the last couple of decades. It seemed like we made some great progress in the late seventies, some in the early 80's, and then everything came to a screeching halt. Not only that, our culture went into denial, that there was no longer any inequality between genders. Hopefully, we can see our momentum returning. Remember the old days when we used to roar????

[OtayPanky]

There are two reasons for that: The first is that women in the movement have been their own worst enemy. Rather than keep their eye on the few issues that mean everything (body rights and economic equality), they allowed themselves to be diverted by what can only be described in retrospect as nonsense issues.

Some examples: Is porn/erotica OK or not? Is it OK to be a stay at home Mom, or not? Are men superfluous or (worse yet) the cause of all the evil in the world? Hillary is the best candidate because she's a she, etc etc etc.

That's why almost no young women today (Feminista notwithstanding) identify with the woman's movement, Ms Magazine, etc.

The second reason is victim fatigue: At some point, the dominant culture becomes over-saturated with the cries, complaints and demands of the marginalized, and stops responding. So while "the movement" has made strides as such, each member at some point has to break through whatever barriers still remain by virtue of individual excellence, rather than appealing to collective guilt.

Bill Cosby figured this one out, and angered a lot of black leaders by saying so.

[VoteforPedro]

The second reason is victim fatigue:
--

Thank you. At some point the eternal victimhood and whining get old.

[jenniferstu]

Great post! This speaks perfectly to why WomenCount - a nonprofit grassroots organization focused on women's issues - is calling on President Obama to create a Presidential Commission on Women in his first 100 days. Women are an increasing part of our country’s economic structure, and with the economy in crisis, women are hit the hardest. Women need to be an integral part of the solution. Please visit http://www.womencount.org/its_our_time and sign the petition now.

n 1961, President Kennedy created the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women, the first of its kind. Eleanor Roosevelt was the chair. That was 48 years ago, and it's time to do it again!

The Commission will bring together the best thinkers from all parties, industry sectors, and backgrounds to assess the role of women in our society, the inequalities that we still face, and develop strategies necessary for moving forward.

Creating a Presidential Commission on Women is the right thing to do for the future of women in this country. Again, please visit http://www.womencount.org/its_our_time and sign the petition, and tell your friends! Lend your voice and your support, and together we can get this done.

[jhNY]

The medical syringe was invented by an Irishman, Dr. Francis Rynd, in the 1840's. At least the Irish think so.

[NYC]

Appreciated article, maybe you could do a follow up piece on the focus of the stimulous package on infrastructure and how that will impact women... does it help? How many single earning households are run by women, how many affected by the recession?

[maribelle1963]

Well said--thanks for speaking out!