Making it matter

The birth of National Women’s History Month dates back to March 8, 1857 when women factory workers in New York walked out in protest over their poor working conditions. And though International Women’s Day was first observed in 1909, it was not till 1981 that Congress created the National Women’s History Week to be celebrated on the second week of March. The commemoration was expanded from a week to a month in 1987 by a yearly resolution passed by Congress and a proclamation issued by the President.
This year’s theme, “Women’s Education – Women’s Empowerment,” underscores the role that education plays in empowering women. It is important to note that this equal opportunity to learn was granted to women by the Title IX of the Education Codes of the Higher Education Act Amendments that was passed in 1972 and enacted in 1977. It specifically prohibited gender discrimination by federally funded institutions. It made possible access to scholarships, facilities and classes that used to be closed to women – a clear victory for women in their fight for civil rights. This legislation marked the beginning of empowerment for women.
According to statistics, there are 30.7 million women 25 years and older with a bachelor’s degree or more in 2010, higher than the corresponding number of men (29.2 million). Women had a larger share of high school diplomas, including equivalents, as well as associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees but more men than women had a professional or doctoral degree.
Truly, only with a matching education can a woman feel competent to fight for equal rights and privileges accorded to her male counterparts. But even with her education, a woman still has to fight for her rightful place at work, in the government and in society. Regardless of the strides our predecessors have already made for equality, gender discrimination and glass ceiling problems still exist. We still find women in the workforce receiving lower pay for the same job that men do or never ever achieving the position that men of the same qualifications did.
But the impetus on women’s education for empowerment should not be taken lightly nor should it be misconstrued only to pertain to acquiring academic degrees. Education for empowerment should embrace the many other nuances of learning such as keeping oneself abreast of the information, news, changes and trends in world politics, events, technology, etc. Giving women the tools to cope with a constantly changing environment and giving them opportunities in which to fully grow and develop their latent talents and gifts is an empowering kind of education that no classroom or online class can ever top.
This month, as women organizations, clubs and societies gather for their respective observance of the National Women’s History Month, it is our hope that this year’s theme, empowerment through education, find its niche in every place that needs a woman’s touch – in homes, churches, schools, work, government, communities, legislature, judicial system and everywhere her wisdom and spirit will make a difference.
Imagine that difference that Rosa Parks made by her act of defiance in giving up her seat for a white man. Imagine works and visions of Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams, second President of the U.S. in her letters and opinions on society, of Clara Burton, civil war nurse and founder of American Red Cross, of Jane Adams, social activist and co-founder of Hull House, African American Josephine Baker who rose to international prominence as a star, Civil Rights activist and World War II heroine, and many others…They were women whose work and contributions are etched in our history.
Empowerment through education, indeed, no one knows how to make it matter better than women!