Women in the Millennium:
Madness or Mission
By Lenora Walker Pate
Attorney, Sirote & Permutt, P.C.
The Twenty-first Century has finally dawned. A new time, generation, century,
and millennium. What will it mean for all of us, especially for women?
The Twentieth Century, sometimes labeled the Century of the Woman, meant real movement. Why? Because women were always on the move! We moved into the workforce en masse, into professions by the millions, and even into business executive and ownership positions. We did’nt stop by moving out to vote and into the jury box. We dared to move into politics, combat, and even space.
By the end of the Twentieth Century, women were "on the move" making more than a statement. We were making an economic difference, by owning 9.1 million businesses (e.g., 38% of all firms), employing more than 27.8 million people, and generating more than 3.6 trillion dollars annually in sales. That difference resulted in women owning more than 60% of our nation’s wealth and 35% of our nation’s stocks and mutual funds.
Despite the Twentieth Century meteoric movement in economics for some, many women were left behind. As the century turned, women and girls still comprised 78% of America’s poor, and almost 88% of Alabama’s poor, with 40% of Alabama’s single, female heads of households (60% if African-American) living in poverty. Although movement into the workforce occurred, the Twenty-first Century still reveals stagnant disparities in pay, with the national average being 76 cents earned by a woman (63 cents in Alabama) for each comparable dollar earned by a male.
If the Twenty-first Century finds women still in disparate economic positions, political disparities also abound. Even though women struggled in the last century to gain the right to vote, political glass ceilings were hard to break. At the end of the Twentieth Century, only nine women were serving as United States Senators, with a record number of 65 serving in the 535 seats in the 106th United States Congress.
Although women comprise 53% of the Alabama electorate, Alabama still ranks last nationally with only 7.9% of Alabama’s state legislative seats held by women in 1999 (up from 4.3% in 1998)! Despite incremental political movement with more women than ever before in politically appointed positions in Governor Siegelman’s administration and in state and local elected offices, no woman represented Alabama in Congress at the millennium moment!
The Twentieth Century women’s movement involved more than economic and political strides. It involved women moving into new networks to share ideas, to organize, and to effect change. It culminated in Alabama’s first Women’s Economic Summit in 1998, presented by the Women’s Exchange, in partnership with the Business Council of Alabama. Over 750 women from Alabama businesses, state and local governments, and nonprofit agencies convened to develop broad legislative initiatives to help Alabama’s women. Summit 2000 promises great hope for creative strategies to implement the Summit ‘98 education, business, leadership, personal, social, and technology initiatives.
Women were also "on the move" during the last century, serving and volunteering. According to the Alabama Federation of Women’s Clubs, women gave hundreds of thousands of dollars and hours annually to the arts, conservation, education, home life, international affairs, and public affairs. Women remained the fund raising and service arms of churches, synagogues, communities, schools, clubs, and charities. Women also moved hearts as nurturers, care givers, custodians of our culture, and keepers of our civilization. No matter what the Twentieth Century woman was doing, she was always nurturing!
Women helping other women to reach new heights resulted in the creation of The Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham, dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls by bringing together women’s resources and women’s needs. When a woman helps another woman, she helps all women; when men join in, they help all mankind!
Yet, women in the Twentieth Century often moved so fast, in so many different directions, that a frenetic frenzy of "moving" madness plagued our busy hearts, minds, and bodies. One tired friend even mused that we needed a new club called WOMEN: Women On the Move Engaged in Nothing! In the new millennium, we can fulfill the real purpose of the Twentieth Century women’s movement by calling the new club WOMEN: Women On Mission Engaged Now!
The cosmic happening of the millennium moment has created a true sense of divine urgency. It is indeed our time to become authentic Twenty-first Century women of substance, with servants’ hearts of purpose, passion, power, and peace. To do so, we must push beyond the historic Twentieth Century agendas of equality and our personal issues.
To reach the Twentieth Century movement’s purpose will require a new mission. One that involves a renewal of spirit and soul that will penetrate our hearts, minds, and hands. One that will serve as a change agent for social justice, healing of civil discord, and remedy for the crises that plague us. Authentic renewal of soul and spirit is not limited. It is a global phenomenon with infinite potential and perspective that can empower actions locally, while thinking and dreaming globally. Seeking authentic renewal of our souls and awakening of our spirits can and will transform us into women of substance and purpose. To begin, we must prayerfully seek our individual, uniquely, and divinely ordained missions. The process can set out hearts on fire with passion and our minds ablaze with Truth.
As a byproduct, women can become empowered to use our substance, purpose, and mission to transform our community, state, and world. Imagine - a transformed Alabama in the Twenty-first Century! One filled with men and women of faith and goodwill - of common sense and uncommon decency - united in spirit and in love to allow the transforming power of our Creator to move us beyond our historic problems into a transformed future.
This is our time, our generation, our century, our millennium!
What will we it be, Twenty-first Century Women? More madness or mission?
The choice is ours!
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