by Emily Schilling
Editor

Those old enough to remember the ad campaign for Virginia Slims cigarettes in the 1960s-’70s are familiar with the advertising slogan “You’ve come a long way, baby.” The successful ad campaign which introduced the slogan tied in perfectly with the feminist movement of the time period, when women were fighting to gain equal rights.

A child of the ’60s, I was surrounded by references to women’s liberation, pink collar jobs, and equal pay for equal work. I remember when my childhood idol, Marlo Thomas, released the ground-breaking record album and book “Free to Be … You and Me” which taught children that no matter what their gender, they could achieve any goal they set for themselves.

When I grew to young adulthood, women’s rights was still a hot button topic. More and more women were achieving success in careers once open only to men, but still, terms like “glass ceiling” were fervently discussed as well-qualified females struggled to attain top management positions. As a newspaper reporter right out of college at a tumultuous time for working women, I was fortunate to cover events like Equal Rights Amendment marches and Ms. magazine founder Gloria Steinem speaking out to a women’s group. The times were changing and women were at the forefront of the changes.

Years passed, and I assumed all women — including those younger than me — were familiar with workplace equality issues and gender roles. Well, I assumed wrong. Recently, I threw phrases like “glass ceiling” and “pink collar” out to women in their 20s and 30s, and they had no idea what I was talking about. As far as they were concerned, the sky — not a ceiling — was the limit when it came to their goals. Anything was possible.

After that revelation, I asked my 14-year-old daughter a question that probably would have led to a passionate debate 40 years ago: “Can girls do the same sorts of jobs boys can?” She was puzzled I would even ask such a dumb question and replied matter-of-factly, “Girls can do the job better.”

I don’t expect there will ever be a world totally without gender bias, but it surprised me that in my lifetime things could change so dramatically. Women have come a remarkably long way — and with young people who are growing up in a world in which anything is possible, the path ahead seems clear for a longer journey ahead.