Professional women provide their views.
By: Gwen McNamara
From the suffrage movement and fight for property rights in the 19th century, to the struggles for reproductive freedom and equality in the workforce in the 1960s, the feminist movement has achieved much for women.
But even as an increasing number of women attend college and work their way up the corporate ladder, the fact that the wage gap persists and many professional women feel forced to choose between work and family raises the question: was the feminist movement a success? We asked area businesswomen what they think.
"If you look at the majority of large, Fortune 500 corporations, at the board of directors or upper echelon management, it’s still dominated by men. That being said, over the last few years many corporate women are opting out to do their own business. So while the movement is still struggling in large corporations, the entrepreneurial marketplace is really giving us a huge outlet to try out new things, new talent and start new business. There’s no limit or ceiling when you have your own business."
Terry Adams
Adams Consulting Group
Princeton
"In my opinion, the feminist movement is a great success. Equality is a basic human right. The feminist movement identified this, offered women camaraderie and a forum for discussion, encouraged education, opportunity and growth."
Lorine Murray-Mechini
Ford Farewell Mills and Gatsch, Architects, LLC
West Windsor
"The combination of the feminist movement and having very successful women mentors has been the most influential factors in my being selected to lead the largest children’s rehabilitation hospital in the country. I have been blessed with working with very strong women, who never met a challenge they couldn’t rise to. Women provide the opportunity to introduce passion into discussion in ways that are much different from our male counterparts."
Amy Mansue
Children’s Specialized Hospital
Mountainside
"Despite the women’s rights movement, breaking into the corporate or political world is tough. It’s still a boy’s club. Especially in business now that the set-aside for women and minorities has been eliminated. It used to be that the state would have to set aside a certain percentage of contracts with small businesses for women and minorities. Someone sued, and last year it was overturned. Considering we only got the right to vote last century, we’ve got a ways to go."
Veronica Lett
AW Financial Solutions
Trenton
"The feminist movement offers a precious foundation that America embodies: choices. We can choose to be at the top of our game in business. Some of us can also choose to be a homemaker full time; or none of the above. Either way we choose our destiny. Unfortunately, starting a family and propelling a career are often sought within the same time frame in a woman’s life. While I recognize I can’t be the kind of Betty Crocker mom my mother was, if the decision to have kids surfaces, I can only hope that I own that highly sought after buzzword of the new millennium balance."
Amanda Puppo
MarketReach Inc.
Hightstown