Guest Editorial: Women’s History Month 2024

“We’ve come a long way, baby” is a phrase that was popular years ago. It was a Virginia Slims cigarette ad that targeted women and alluded to the changing status of women in American society. Not too long-ago women were treated as second-class citizens. It’s surprising that so many people today don’t remember those days. There was a time when women were not able to do a lot of what is taken for granted now. Back in the day, women were not allowed to buy property on their own; they were encouraged to get married and have their husbands take care of all important matters. Women could not wear pants, and very few of them worked outside the home. They were not generally seen in any of the political halls of power and good jobs were usually off limits to them. There is at least one sitcom from the 1950s that provided a humorous depiction of this situation: The “I Love Lucy Show.” This program featured Lucille Ball, her husband Desi Arnaz, and their family interactions, which usually turned out to be hilarious. Basically, Lucy was the housewife who took her duties seriously, and any money she needed was given...