A Woman could have done it!

While we were looking at pictures of the Hoover Dam, I had an interesting discussion with a special little 7-year-old. I told her the Dam was man-made in the thirties. She turned to me with intensity and said, "a woman could have done it". She went on to explain with great conviction, that at one time men believed that women couldn't do what they do, but they can.

Two contestants on "The Amazing Race" are firefighters. They met while going to the Firefighter academy. They were two of the three women chosen from over one hundred applicants in that group to become firefighters. One of the women has 3 daughters. One of her little girls said to her, "Boys can be firefighters too". 

For some reason in an off-gender occupation, we say things like, women firefighters or male nurse. I remember one of my students sharing that his patient had commented he was a "male nurse". He seemed annoyed and he said to her, "I am male, and I am a nurse, so I guess I'm a male nurse".

According to my little person, men have realized that women are smart enough to do what men do. I think what has shifted is women believe more in themselves to do whatever job they want to do. I remember a discussion I had with a young man, and he said that women pay more attention to learning something new than men do. Men seem to rely on previous knowledge that may not serve them well. I think there is some truth to that statement. If I am learning something I have never done before I am Lazer focused or should say I used to be. I could probably drop the Lazer part of it now.

Equality is not just for women. Equality is for everyone. I know there are some very physically powerful, strong women out there. But men will always remain the strongest of the genders. Men will never give birth; I am pretty sure that will never change. With today's technology women don't need a male partner to conceive. Male couples can now have children through surrogacy. In most homes, running a household and raising children are very much a joint effort, with no defined jobs. Men are proud to be a "stay at home dad". Women are equally as proud to be "the bread winner".  I believe as generations move forward that there will be no gender defined jobs. Equality may be a work in progress, but I love how it is progressing.