Blog #33: Women Advancement

Women have been making their way up the advancement ladder for many decades now. Lawyers are no different. The first woman appointed to the Supreme Court was Sandra Day O’Connor. She was not considered to hold a very high esteem when President Reagan called her up in 1981. No one even knew who she was and she had no experience in a Federal Court System at all. In no way am I implying that Justice O’Connor did not hold her own because she certainly did. Sandra Day O’Connor got her seat on the bench because President Reagan said he would appoint a woman to the Supreme Court. This act opened up the door of opportunity for many women. We now have two women on the Supreme Court and there are women who head Fortune 500 companies and there are women partners in law firms. Women are making advancements in every occupation. The problem is that the number of women in these positions is still very low. Linda Tarr-Whelan stated in “Shared Leadership: The Value Women Leaders Bring,” that if women made up even 1/3 of the boards in America it would make a big difference in the economy and in society. This number, however, is only at 16%. Women have done everything they need to do to prepare and get the education they need to succeed. America just is not “utilizing their talents” (Linda Tarr-Whelan). Women face so many challenges in the form of stereotypes. It is okay for a man to be aggressive; he is just going after what he wants. When a woman is aggressive she is seen a hot-tempered and bitchy. If a woman shows empathy, then she is too emotional and cannot make the tough decisions that are necessary for her to make. When a man shows the same empathy, then he is sensitive and caring. This double standard is only succeeding in keeping women down. As Madeline Albright said, “it is harder to be a woman, then a man” (Madeline Albright on Policy, Sexism, and Politics).