I consider myself very lucky. I grew up at a time when women were told they could be anything or anyone they wanted. The sky was truly the limit. At least that is what we were led to believe.

Looking back, I probably took some of the opportunities in front of me for granted. My mother and grandmother, and all of the other women who came before me, didn’t have that luxury. For a long time, the opportunities open to women were limited. Do you want to be a nurse, teacher or secretary? These were the options available to women when they were finally allowed to enter the workforce. And they certainly weren’t lucky enough to have dedicated programs or pathways for diversity, equity, and inclusion to support the advancement or recruitment of women. If women wanted to move ahead in their careers, they often had to make significant sacrifices.

Sandra Day O’Connor, who went on to become the first woman Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court had difficulty finding a paying job when she graduated from Stanford University Law School in 1952 because law firms at that time were only hiring men. She ultimately found employment after she offered to work without a salary and agreed to share an office with a secretary. Her actions helped pave the way for all women.

Read more at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/teresahopke/2024/04/25/finding-hope-for-an-equitable-future-for-women-at-work/?sh=7a18d22cec48