| American girls today are the daughters | | | | doctorates, and 51 percent of |
| of the revolution -- the first | | | | professional degrees. |
| generation that is reaping the full | | | | The professions of law, medicine, and |
| benefits of the women's movement. Their | | | | business administration are increasingly |
| mothers and grandmothers fought and won | | | | gender-balanced. In 1970, fewer than 10 |
| the battles that produced the 19th | | | | percent of students earning graduate |
| Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, | | | | degrees in these fields were women. In |
| giving women the right to vote. They | | | | each decade since, that number has |
| spearheaded the efforts that resulted in | | | | increased. Today women earn |
| the 1973 Supreme Court decision of Roe | | | | approximately 40 percent of these |
| v. Wade, which legalized abortion. They | | | | professional degrees. |
| pressed for Title IX, giving girls equal | | | | The 109th U.S. Congress (2005-2007) |
| access to sports participation in | | | | contained a total of 84 female members |
| school. Thanks in part to the courage | | | | -- the highest number in its history, |
| and perseverance of these foot soldiers, | | | | with 14 women in the Senate and 70 in |
| women today play a wide range of | | | | the House, including the Minority Whip. |
| professional sports, have easy access to | | | | In 2006, there were three states where |
| effective contraception, and attend Ivy | | | | both senators were women -- California, |
| League colleges and West Point (Harvard | | | | Maine, and Washington. As a point of |
| and the U.S. military academies didn't | | | | comparison, in 1991 there were only four |
| admit women until the mid 1970s). | | | | female senators and 28 congresswomen in |
| From a psychological point of view, the | | | | total. |
| move toward economic and social equality | | | | Since 1971, the number of women serving |
| for women has made our daughters see | | | | in state legislatures had increased more |
| themselves in ways that are unfamiliar | | | | than four-fold. In 2006, 22.8 percent of |
| to those of us who are older. Girls | | | | the 7,382 state legislators in the U.S. |
| today are growing up in an environment | | | | were women. Women held 20.8 percent of |
| where the status of women is at an | | | | the state senate seats and 23.6 percent |
| all-time high. The oldest members of the | | | | of the state house or assembly seats. |
| cohort of alpha girls we studied were | | | | Three women served as presidents of |
| born in the late 1980s -- a tipping | | | | state senates (CO, ME, WA), and two |
| point of sorts -- just as women began to | | | | women were speakers of state houses (OR, |
| outnumber men in college. They have | | | | VT). Additionally, women had been |
| grown with women's ascendance. Consider | | | | elected to statewide executive offices |
| the following: | | | | in 49 of the nation's 50 states and held |
| The newest data from the National Center | | | | 25.7 percent of these positions across |
| on Educational Statistics show widening | | | | the country. |
| gaps between men and women at the | | | | Reprinted from: Alpha Girls: |
| undergraduate and master's degree | | | | Understanding the New American Girl and |
| levels. For the first time, women earned | | | | How She Is Changing the World by Dan |
| more first professional degrees than | | | | Kindlon, PhD (September 2006; $25.95US |
| men. In the 2004-2005 academic year, 59 | | | | $32.95CAN; 1-59486-255-9) © 2006 Dan |
| percent of all degrees were granted to | | | | Kindlon, PhD. Permission granted by |
| women. Women earned 62 percent of all | | | | Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098. |
| associate's degrees, 59 percent of all | | | | Available wherever books are sold or |
| bachelor's degrees, 60 percent of all | | | | directly from the publisher by calling |
| master's degrees, 48 percent of | | | | at (800) 848-4735. |