Today was the 114th running of the Boston Marathon and a record number of women participated as registered runners. Out of 26,790 entrants, 11,350 were women. That’s an impressive number considering women have only been allowed to run in the Boston event for 38 years.
From the start of the race in 1897 up until 1972, women were barred from participating. It doesn’t surprise me that women were excluded in the beginning. It annoys me – but doesn’t surprise me. But I didn’t realize women were barred during my lifetime.
When I hear about this kind of blatant gender discrimination happening just one generation ahead of me, I wonder how my parents and teachers had the gall to tell me I could grow up to do or be anything I wanted to be. What made them believe that, when they witnessed blatant discrimination first hand? I can only suppose the women who took risks and shattered stereotypes were so inspiring that people wanted to believe the doors they opened would never close behind them.*
Now that I am raising a daughter, I am more cautious than my parents were about what I tell her. I feel I should set realistic expectations. Yes, she lives in a world where there is more gender equity than in previous generations, but I don’t want to create a false sense of reality. Sure, I’ve witnessed strong women blaze trails. Hillary Clinton ran for president, but she’s not in the Oval Office. And Lilly Ledbetter fought pay discrimination, but women still earn .77 cents for every dollar a man earns.
What do you think? Are women today more or less optimistic than their mothers were about women’s equality?
*Roberta “Bobbi” Gibb was the first woman to run the Boston Marathon in 1966. She wrote about her experience here. It’s a beautiful read.
