Changing of the Guard?

Last week, the data showed that girls are outpacing boys in kindergarten by 71 percentage points. Girls excel in math and literacy, as well as social and emotional skills, including emotional control and behavioral regulation, and motor skills.

Women were always treated with less praise than their male counterparts. As early as kindergarten, girls are often told they aren’t good at something, while boys are encouraged to keep trying. That behavior has slowly changed, and now things are shifting.

Yet, even though 51% of the population is women, we earn just 11% of the pay and own only 1% of the land, yet we do more than 65% of the work. Women-led businesses fuel the economy, and only 10% of CEO positions of Fortune 500 companies are held by women. Essentially women are still underrepresented.

There are many differences between genders, but the one significant fact is that only women can have children. Most women want to return to work after having children, but the support system is grim, particularly for women without deep pockets. The need for a robust childcare industry is far from where it needs to be.

Men, particularly white men, have been booted up the ladder for decades, and that is starting to wane. The shift in girls outshining boys in early education is also connected to changing roles and expectations, as well as the evolving nature of work.

Taking away abortion rights keeps women in underserved communities, creating more poverty and making it harder to rise up. All of this comes from men’s fear of women being equal, or running more companies, or not needing them.

Boys and men are struggling, but women have always struggled. The saying behind ever man is a strong woman, no shit. As women change the guard, do we once again have to help the lost men? Maybe at some level, Cher always had it right?