Tomorrow marks the end of Women’s History Month.
Now, let’s face it: how many of us were even aware that March was a month to celebrate women? And, more importantly, why do we even need a national women’s history month? After all, we don’t celebrate men’s history month. Typically, national “months” are used to raise awareness of minority groups, which, accounting for half of the world’s population, women are obviously not. However, perhaps we do need this time to remind us that women are still regarded as second rate citizens in much of the world.
Most members of our generation regard gender discrimination as an issue of the past, something that occurred “back in the day” when women weren’t allowed to vote, when our grandmothers were our age. The majority of today’s females think of themselves as modern women that are free to choose any career, get a divorce, wear what they want, and speak openly about their views. Thanks in part to the feminist movement and sexual revolution of the ’60s, U.S. women now enjoy the same rights as their male counterparts.
However, the inequality of women in the U.S. can still be seen today. Granted, it’s to a much lesser extent than in the past, but they are not immune to gender prejudice. College-aged women are na