“They have the right to work wherever they want to – as long as they have dinner ready when you get home,” a quote extracted from the mouth of someone who is considered to be one of America’s greatest of all time, critically acclaimed actor John Wayne.
He filmed his last movie in 1976, 47 years later one would think a perspective such as this would be considered antiquated and out of place. Surely today’s minds have evolved beyond the barriers of traditional gender norms. And yet, it seems we’ve lost progress. A facet of our society has devolved and has reverted back to its archaic, sexist roots. Women are now being expected to fit into a traditional box, despite living in the non traditional modern world.
We live in an era where money is scarce, but in high demand. In response to inflation and rising interest rates, women have adopted a new mindset. In pursuit of our own financial independence, we’ve planted seeds and watered our own companies and careers. We’ve grown our own success and blossomed into girl bosses. Now, we’re being condemned by the media for focusing on financial stability instead of starting a family or being a housewife.
Many content creators relevant to present day consumers have claimed that a woman’s responsibilities lie in her ovaries. According to them, since time waits for no one, our biological clocks are ticking. It’s more irresponsible for us to wait until we have the money to support a family than it is for us to start one early, while we’re still fertile, but incapable of providing. Their suggested solution to this issue is to simply marry a rich man.
Though that may be a viable option for some, most households require dual income to survive and many men are not in the position to support themselves as well as their spouses or families. Studies show that since the 1960’s the percentage of dual income households in the US has risen 66% to accommodate for economic fluctuations in recent years.
There’s nothing wrong with being a “traditional” woman if that’s what you choose, but suggesting that all women ought to stay home as opposed to pursuing their careers is simply promoting an illogical, unrealistic standard. Women are versatile and capable of whatever they put their minds to. There is no box that can contain all that we have to offer, traditional or otherwise.
