The Pill Changed Everything

In 1960, the FDA approved the pill. We can point to bigotry, racism, white supremacy, misogyny, and patriarchy as the leading causes of the hatred we are seeing in society today. Still, when women were finally able to take control of their own bodies, everything changed. Keep in mind, it wasn’t until 1973 that women were finally able to get a loan or a credit card. Perhaps the biggest fear is the changing of the guards.

Not only do women want their own careers, but households with two working parents are also becoming the norm. Women are delaying or choosing not to have children. The timing has changed, too, whereas thirty years ago, women were having children in their early 20s; now, the majority are waiting until their 30s. More women are going to college, having successful careers, and making decisions about how they want to live their lives today.

In the past sixty-plus years, cultural shifts have been evident. Women go under the heading ‘two steps forward, one step backward’. Outlawing abortion, demeaning women in a public arena (aka our misogynist President), and even women’s peers who want to return to a time when men rule the roost. The backlash right now is insane, particularly since the “Me Too” movement (thank god) changed more than we realize. Take a look at some old 80s films to see how women were filmed and how language was used.

Fewer women are having children. We can point to Korea, Japan, and even Greece, where birth rates have plummeted. Why? Perhaps because having is rewarding but hard work, expensive, stressful, and the responsibility generally falls on one person’s shoulders, and in a male-female marriage, it is typically the woman. We might all be able to live a hundred years but those early years of ones career are essential, and nobody should discount the importance of ones own self worth.

Giving women a financial bonus to have a child is not the answer; instead, it requires a complete restructuring of how businesses and governments help women (and families) flourish. Childcare, housing, a 4-day work week, and diversity in the workforce create environments where women want to have children, as these are basic needs that help reduce stress when juggling a family and a career.

Perhaps Hillary Clinton had it right, it does take a family, and right now women are not getting the support and recognition that they deserve from their male counterparts or their government.