I’ve at all times been a fan of breaking glass ceilings, whether or not based mostly on ethnicity or gender. I believe it began as a result of I used to be raised by a single mother. She struggled to make ends meet working as a secretary, however gave us an excellent life. Again then it was very exhausting for a lady to rise previous secretary. However by the late Nineteen Seventies extra alternatives have been turning into out there, and on the age of 47 Mother broke by means of the glass ceiling and have become supervisor of the customer support division at Hunt Wesson, a place at which she carried out fantastically.
So I very a lot loved studying Higher Quicker Farther: How Operating Modified Every little thing We Know About Girls, by Maggie Mertens
This e book chronicles the historical past of ladies’s operating, and societies notion of how “fragile” girl are usually. This was a notion that appeared to start out as quickly as there have been higher class ladies who didn’t need to do guide labor. There was the widespread perception, together with within the medical occupation, that they, and their reproductive techniques, have been delicate and so they shouldn’t pressure themselves an excessive amount of. The writer gave some astonishing examples of this, like stairways with half-height stairs being put in in faculties for girls in order that they wouldn’t pressure themselves going upstairs. I at all times questioned how the instance of working class ladies was ignored, together with the servants of the higher class. These girl did fairly strenuous work and their reproductive techniques didn’t appear to get harmed. Maggie defined this for example of racism mixed with sexism: working-class girl have been regarded as of “decrease breeding” in order that they have been nearer to their “animal nature”, making them extra sturdy. I’m glad we now stay in additional enlightened occasions!
One of many traditional examples of how this “fragility” notion affected ladies is the 1920 Olympics. It was reported broadly that a number of girl collapsed on the end of the 800 meter run. Primarily based on that it was assumed they’d overexerted. For many years ladies weren’t allowed to run greater than 200 meters within the Olympics. Maggie defined how the proof for the collapse on the end was truly fairly doubtful.
One other apparent instance is that of Kathrine Switzer, the primary official feminine finisher of the Boston Marathon. She was instructed by varied medical doctors that her uterus would fall out if she continued with such lengthy distance operating. I keep in mind having fun with seeing her being interviewed 50 years later and reporting her uterus was nonetheless intact!
Maggie goes over these and plenty of different in masking the fascinating historical past of ladies and operating on this extremely really helpful e book.
One other Ceiling to Breaokay?
I usually keep away from masking politics on this discussion board, however I’m excited in regards to the chance that we are able to break one other glass ceiling on Nov 5 by electing the primary girl president of the US. I like her forward-looking insurance policies. Individuals could be reluctant to vote democrat as a result of the standard pondering is that the economic system fares higher beneath republicans. However within the analyses I’ve seen, economists endorse Kamala’s financial proposals in comparison with these of her rival.
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