These women received accolades for their individual achievements as well as for their status as trailblazers. They are all women who are succeeding in arenas typically dominated by men. Thanks in part to their efforts, girls growing up in the twenty-first century will take it for granted that women can be astronauts, sports stars, and CEOs. These female success stories demonstrate that our society offers equal opportunities for women. American women no longer face substantial barriers to progress. Women who want to succeed can and will do so, provided that they are willing to devote the necessary time and energy to achieving their goals, as the notable women of 1999 have been. This is true in virtually every aspect of society, including education, sports, the workplace, politics, and popular culture.
In this sense, 1999 is not special. The women who have broken into the traditionally male bastions of sports fields, space shuttles, and CEO suites are merely this year's standouts in a movement several decades in the making: that of women securing impressive gains in public life. Their successes add another chapter to the story of women's advancement in American society.
THE FACTS
It is difficult to argue with the statistical evidence of women's success. By nearly all measures, women have made great strides in a relatively short span of time. Women's gains in education have been particularly dramatic. At the start of this century, women were denied access--either by law or social custom--to most of the educational programs that provided professional training. Now, at century's end, those barriers are gone and women earn the majority of associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees. It is no longer exceptional for a woman to
... (1998 of 12963 Characters)
