Women’s History Month 2022
During Women’s History Month, we often recognize those trailblazing individuals who shattered glass ceilings by becoming the first women to reach certain vaunted positions in our society that had historically been reserved for men and from which women had for so long been excluded.
In the year 2022, I know that many may find it dispiriting to continue to celebrate these “firsts.” After all, shouldn’t our country have reached a point where we are no longer surprised when a woman becomes the president of a major company or the coach in a men’s sports league? Since we believe that women are entitled and deserving of pursuing any career in any field, why should we continue to celebrate that which we ultimately desire to be so commonplace as to not even be worthy of mentioning?
The answer, I believe, is both simple and complex. For starters, our country should have reached that point; but clearly, we have fallen short. Despite the intentions we’ve set and the progress we’ve made in the category of gender equity, we still have plenty of work to do. As long as there are “firsts” that have yet to be attained, we must still devote extra energy and attention to ensure that those remaining glass ceilings will soon become shattered shards on the floor of history.
It is also important to realize that, whenever we celebrate a woman for becoming the first to accomplish a certain feat, we are simultaneously issuing a stern condemnation – of the society that had held women back; of the institutions that had overlooked so many qualified women in the past; of the male decision-makers who deprived us of women’s intellect, perspective and talent for fear of sacrificing their own unearned privilege. Implied whenever we recognize these “first” women is that these particular celebrations are long overdue. These celebrations are tinged with the irony and recognition that, if a man had been appointed to the same position, it would have been met with silence. These celebrations are important because the occasions they recognize are triumphs of justice rather than an indication of the inevitable passage of time.
We also have an unfortunate tendency, as we celebrate these female “firsts,” to recognize the historic accomplishment at the expense of the individual who accomplished it. Too often, we talk about the person’s gender, race or sexual identity; her ethnicity or religion; her culture, background and socio-economic status. These are certainly important aspects of the person she has become, but, in and of themselves, they do not explain, define or amplify the fullness of her individual humanity.
In the case of Kamala Harris, it is undoubtedly good that, when we celebrated her for becoming the first female vice president of the United States of America, we recognized her gender as well as her African American and South Asian heritage. But we were remiss when we failed to also mention her eloquence and passion, her drive and dedication, her service and compassion and strength. It was these qualities that empowered her to climb the political ladder and to swing the hammer of justice over and over until, at last, she shattered the glass ceiling that others had managed only to crack.