Daughters of the Revolution

American girls today are the daughters of the51 percent of professional degrees.
revolution -- the first generation that is reapingThe professions of law, medicine, and business
the full benefits of the women's movement. Theiradministration are increasingly gender-balanced. In
mothers and grandmothers fought and won the1970, fewer than 10 percent of students earning
battles that produced the 19th Amendment tograduate degrees in these fields were women. In
the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right toeach decade since, that number has increased.
vote. They spearheaded the efforts that resultedToday women earn approximately 40 percent of
in the 1973 Supreme Court decision of Roe v.these professional degrees.
Wade, which legalized abortion. They pressed forThe 109th U.S. Congress (2005-2007) contained a
Title IX, giving girls equal access to sportstotal of 84 female members -- the highest
participation in school. Thanks in part to thenumber in its history, with 14 women in the
courage and perseverance of these foot soldiers,Senate and 70 in the House, including the Minority
women today play a wide range of professionalWhip. In 2006, there were three states where
sports, have easy access to effectiveboth senators were women -- California, Maine,
contraception, and attend Ivy League colleges andand Washington. As a point of comparison, in 1991
West Point (Harvard and the U.S. militarythere were only four female senators and 28
academies didn't admit women until the midcongresswomen in total.
1970s).Since 1971, the number of women serving in
From a psychological point of view, the movestate legislatures had increased more than
toward economic and social equality for womenfour-fold. In 2006, 22.8 percent of the 7,382 state
has made our daughters see themselves in wayslegislators in the U.S. were women. Women held
that are unfamiliar to those of us who are older.20.8 percent of the state senate seats and 23.6
Girls today are growing up in an environmentpercent of the state house or assembly seats.
where the status of women is at an all-time high.Three women served as presidents of state
The oldest members of the cohort of alpha girlssenates (CO, ME, WA), and two women were
we studied were born in the late 1980s -- aspeakers of state houses (OR, VT). Additionally,
tipping point of sorts -- just as women began towomen had been elected to statewide executive
outnumber men in college. They have grown withoffices in 49 of the nation's 50 states and held
women's ascendance. Consider the following:25.7 percent of these positions across the
The newest data from the National Center oncountry.
Educational Statistics show widening gaps betweenReprinted from: Alpha Girls: Understanding the
men and women at the undergraduate andNew American Girl and How She Is Changing the
master's degree levels. For the first time, womenWorld by Dan Kindlon, PhD (September 2006;
earned more first professional degrees than men.$25.95US/$32.95CAN; 1-59486-255-9) ©
In the 2004-2005 academic year, 59 percent of2006 Dan Kindlon, PhD. Permission granted by
all degrees were granted to women. WomenRodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098. Available
earned 62 percent of all associate's degrees, 59wherever books are sold or directly from the
percent of all bachelor's degrees, 60 percent of allpublisher by calling at (800) 848-4735.
master's degrees, 48 percent of doctorates, and