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.
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