Pioneering woman from 1954

The business column of a nearby metro paper recently noted the death of a ‘pioneering female member of the then-Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the American Royal Board of Governors’ and Jenkins Music managerial ranks. Her passing was noted because in 1954 she’d been recognized as their “Man of the Month.”

In case you don’t remember that era, there were even fewer women in management ranks then.

The article included a reminder of how far we’ve come. The company’s handbook told female employees they were “expected to be wearing suits, dresses, or skirts and blouses, at all times, in subdued colors” and that “sleeveless dresses, blouses, bright colors, pullover sweaters, colored play shoes, gaudy costume jewelry and accessories, should not be worn during business hours at the store.”

Women entering today’s workplace seem to think they have equal access. While doing research for my Soroptimist club’s 80th anniversary, I was stunned at how few women serve on the board of directors or are in key executive positions in Topeka. Stunned.

That same news article didn’t help me feel any better. A Kansas City networking organization primarily for professional women noted about 7% of their area’s top executives and directors are now women. (Their goal is to reach 20% by 2015.)

Instead of feeling like cardboard in the rain, this article showed me why it is important for Soroptimist members to be visible and active in their help for women and girls in our communities. SITK members who serve as DiscoverME mentors/volunteers are proof that we can balance our job, family, and community service. According to WOA recipients, the moral support we provide is as important as the financial support we provide – it encourages them that someone else has walked the same path, has empathy for the journey.

While work attire and conditions have changed considerably for women since 1954, the journey is not complete. Don’t feel overwhelmed gals. As part of the SITK ‘team,’ our efforts are multiplied compared to what we’d accomplish individually.


To read entire article.
Have a question about SI Topeka? Contact us.

Feel less guilty gals

Research has now documented what most women have known for years. The fact that “habitual guilt [by which they mean a kind of internalized feeling of guilt] was more intense in women than in men in all three age groups studied.”

Over the years, casual conversations with other mothers indicate we always put our families first. Whether it is scheduling events, purchasing clothes, or sometimes even the movie we see. We’ll bring our lunch to work for multiple days so we can register the kids for baseball or gymnastics. Some even forego career moves.

Yet research mentioned in my last blog pointed out, we women are more likely to volunteer to help through community service organizations.

SITK has just made a very progressive move to help recruit new members. New members can prepay their annual dues for Soroptimist. By prepaying, the amount paid per month induces less guilt about spending money on ourselves. It lets us feel good about helping other women and girls as part of a group – we know the power of one multiplies when we bundle that energy as a unit. Plus it’s fun to work on projects together! For details on the prepay plan, email sitkclub@aol.com .

As always, to keep up with SITK become a fan on Facebook. We’ll be looking for you at Google’s St. Pat’s parade!