Governor Phil Bryant might have a few more enemies following a statement he made last week regarding working moms.
In a Washington Post Live interview, Bryant responded to a question regarding the decline of our country’s education by stating the cause was “both parents started working … the mom got in the work place.” One would hope that the statement was a blunder, and it was not the governor’s intent to enrage every working mom, single mom or two income household. Whatever the meaning behind Bryant’s statement is, the fact is that there are more women in the workplace now and certainly more moms.
The family dynamic is changing from the “Leave it to Beaver” family make-up that has long been portrayed as the American ideal. A majority of homes now have both parents in the workforce. With the current state of the economy and the ever-increasing cost of living, very few families can afford to live off just one income. Additionally women have been working hard to break through the glass ceiling, fighting for equality professionally. That fight has yet to be won.
Women are still paid less than their male counterparts and fewer women are in high-ranking positions. Some professions seem to be less female-friendly than others. Traveling to three separate courthouses last week, I saw first hand how male-centric the Mississippi legal system still is. Of the 40 different lawyers or judges I encountered, only three were women. As I was introduced to different attorneys, many assumed I was a paralegal or a secretary. I could not help but feel a tinge of sexism by the assumption. I imagine it is the same feeling the majority of people had after hearing Bryant’s statement.
While sexism isn’t as bold as it was when our grandmothers began to pursue meaningful careers, it still exists. It lies in the passive aggressive statements made by lawmakers. It creeps through the low number of female graduates in professional schools. It manifests in the absence of women in CEO or other high-ranking positions.
Governor Bryant was right that there is a problem with women in the workplace, but the problem is that equality has yet to be reached.
Anna Rush is a law student from Hattiesburg. She graduated from Mississippi State University in 2011. Follow her on Twitter @annakrush.
