By Carol Lucas
Are women slowly losing their collective voice in this country? Or maybe not so slowly? I have never thought of myself as a feminist until recently; yet as I stand back and take a look at the larger picture, I have to think it is no coincidence that my so-called awareness of this loss began with the 2016 election of Donald Trump and his subsequent appointees to the Supreme Court.
Shortly thereafter, the conservatives’ long-awaited passion to remove Roe-vs. Wade became a reality. This was the first of many efforts to take away a woman’s right to govern her own body, extending itself to contraception as well.
Let me interrupt here with a bit of chronology and, in doing so, bring my personal experience into the discussion. First, as a teacher in the 1960s, I admit that I probably experienced less bias because the profession was made up of many more females then, especially in the elementary sector of education.
However, when I entered teaching in 1964, I was given a preview of the treatment afforded females. A group of five young female teachers, myself included, were brought into a room where the Superintendent gave what could only be perceived as a lecture.
What he said was this: should we become pregnant, we had to let him know immediately, and that we were to resign upon that notification. I might add we were all married. I will leave to your imagination the number of jokes shared among the five of us, all of whom were assertive females.
I will add to this a postscript. I became pregnant with my first daughter in 1968, at which time the principal came to me to say they wanted me to finish the school year. I indicated that my pregnancy would soon become obvious. The poor man who was sent to tell me of this unexpected decision, looked everywhere but at me and answered, “Yes, we know.” Thus I had the distinction of being the first female in that district to teach in maternity clothes. Ah, progress, thy name is Carol.
But the effort to “keep the little woman in her place” isn’t limited to conception and birthing. History shows us that gender bias continues to be a huge barrier for many women.
It has been a long and arduous road to get to where we are today. However, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, in the U.S., “Gender bias continues to create huge barriers for many women. Ongoing struggles include ensuring equal economic opportunities, educational equity, and an end to gender-based violence. Women still make just 82 cents for every dollar earned by men. Black women earn only 64 cents and Latina women earn only 54 cents for each dollar earned by white men. The disparity extends to race as well as gender.
In the 1960s and 70s, feminist activists lobbied for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment which would legally guarantee women the same rights as men. The ERA was unsuccessfully introduced in every session of Congress from 1923 until 1972, when it finally passed both houses by a substantial majority. Twenty-two states ratified it in 1972, but a total of only thirty-five states, three short of the number required for the Amendment to take effect, ratified it before the deadline for ratification expired. Polls showed public opinion in favor of the ERA.
Since then, the ERA has been reintroduced in every session of Congress, but still has not been ratified. Critics say that we don’t need it anymore, insisting men and women are already seen as equal in our country. Many disagree, now more than ever with the threat of a nationwide abortion law looming on the horizon.
With Michael Johnson, the new Speaker of the House, firmly in place, and the majority held by the Republicans in that body, albeit a slim one, women have every reason to be concerned. And yet, if they feel passionately about governing their own bodies, they have the numbers in the voting ranks to squelch this move backward.
Women are registered to vote in this country at higher rates than men. In recent years, the number of women registered to vote has typically been about 10 million more than that of men. Sadly, that gap declined to 7.4 million in 2022.
Ladies, like it or not, the answer is pretty clear. Ask yourselves why, when the Republicans were floundering for three weeks in a quagmire of their own making, were there no female candidates proposed? Whether or not you liked or disliked the person who previously filled that spot, Democrats weren’t reticent about placing a female in the position … repeatedly. It was Charlotte Whitton who said, “Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.” Pause and give that some consideration.
I don’t know about you, but I am not ready to go back to the status of being seen but not heard. While I don’t consider myself to be a Betty Freidan or Gloria Steinem, I will conclude this piece by quoting Madeleine Albright: “It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.”
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”
