On this, the first day of Women’s History Month, I wanted to review some of the amazing “firsts” that have been made in women’s history just in 2021 alone. Women are breaking new ground in everything from sports to politics to religion. Here are just a few:
- Rear Admiral Margaret Grun Kibben, Chaplain, US House of Representatives, January 4
- Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States, January 20.
- Avril Haines, US Director of National Intelligence, January 20
- Janet Yellen, United States Secretary of the Treasury, January 26
- Sarah Thomas, Super Bowl referee, February 7
- Maral Javadifar and Lori Locust, Super Bowl champion coaches, February 7
- Sister Nathalie Becquart, undersecretary in the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops office, February 7
- Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, March 1
There is reason to celebrate each of these remarkable women. But let’s not applaud their accomplishments as a sign of having achieved gender equality. Think of it this way: if we really wanted to achieve equality, we would have to have the following consecutively:
- 60 more female chaplains of the US House
- 48 more female vice presidents
- 6 more female directors of national intelligence
- 77 more female secretaries of the treasury
- 432 more female Super Bowl referees
- 810 more female Super Bowl champion coaches
- 56 years of female undersecretaries in the Synod of Bishops office
- 6 more female directors-general of the WTO
Obviously, we are nowhere near gender equality, and we have no realistic way to ever get there. But numeric equality isn’t really anyone’s goal. I point out these numbers merely to show that while one woman is good, it’s not nearly enough. The real goal isn’t to break the glass ceiling, it’s to achieve equity from this time forward. Women must be fully included in all levels of leadership now and forever, and for this to occur, the historical impediments of sexism must remain, indeed, historical.
For me, I’m honored to work alongside the women of Duke Neurology who are breaking new ground every day by performing innovative patient care, education, and research or by supporting those who do.
In solidarity,
Andrew