The work of women was pivotal to the success of America in
the war, “Women in uniform
took office and clerical jobs in the armed forces in order to free men to
fight. They also drove trucks, repaired airplanes, worked as laboratory
technicians, rigged parachutes, served as radio operators, analyzed
photographs, flew military aircraft across the country, test-flew newly
repaired planes, and even trained anti-aircraft artillery gunners by acting as
flying targets. Some women served near the front lines in the Army Nurse Corps,
where 16 were killed as a result of direct enemy fire. Sixty-eight American
service women were captured as POWs in the Philippines. More than 1,600 nurses
were decorated for bravery under fire and meritorious service, and 565 WACs in
the Pacific Theater won combat decorations. Nurses were in Normandy on
D-plus-four” (NationalWW2Museum.org). Despite their outstanding work, women
were forced to return home to care for their families, and relinquish their
jobs to men who returned from battle. Sadly, women are still expected to step
aside in order a to support the professional advancement of men. Whether it’s
giving up her career to be a stay-at-home mom so her husband can work, or a
co-worker allowing her male colleague to take credit for her idea that earns
him a promotion, women’s aspirations are constantly put on the back burner. After
years of fighting for equity in the
workplace, and at home, “The time is long overdue to encourage more women to
dream the possible dream and encourage more men to support women in the
workforce and in the home” (Sandberg, pg. 11).
As a woman going through my academic studies, I always hungered to learn more. My hand has always been the first to go up, then one day I sat back and left my hand down and looked around me…I was the only woman raising their hand. It appeared that even in courses where the male professors were inclusive of women, and teaching content related to diversity and feminism, women were apprehensive to lean in and share their thoughts. I wondered why this was, and when embarking upon this project decided to look deeper into the issue of gender-bias and female success. According to a study conducted by the Columbia University Teaching Center, “while women now constitute 57 percent of U.S. college students, gender inequalities still persist in the classroom. Instructors were found to call on male students more frequently than female students and were less likely to elaborate upon points made by female students…The Columbia study also found that male students spoke more frequently
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