“My mother told me two things constantly. One was to be a lady, and the other was to be independent. The study of law was unusual for women of my generation. For most girls growing up in the ’40s, the most important degree was not your B.A., but your M.R.S.”
– Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg is known for dedicating her life to advancing gender equality in our country. She put into motion critically important legal parameters to support womens’ rights that I benefit from on a daily basis. But as I reflect on the legacy Justice Ginsburg leaves behind, I’ve come to realize the more symbolic importance of her example for all women, including me. Her life story provided a much needed example of how we can do it all; the compromises, sacrifices, and perseverance inherent for women in choosing to realize their career goals, while still being a wife and mother. RBG went against the status quo at a time when women were neither expected nor encouraged to do so, becoming a role model for women in realizing their ability to be multifaceted.
Justice Ginsburg made a major shift in her life when she chose to leave Harvard Law School and attend Columbia University– a decision that came about as a result of her husband taking a job in New York City. For many women, especially in that era, a move like that would be the end of their academic career. For RBG, however, she enjoyed a true partnership of equals with her husband, one that was firmly ahead of its time. His support of her career pursuits was a critical ingredient for her success, and their marriage shows an example of how a strong partnership can help to elevate women.
The choices Justice Ginsburg made in pursuing her family and career bring to mind my mother-in-law’s life story. She left college in her sophomore year to marry my father-in-law who had been just drafted during the Korean war. She moved to an army base in Texas where the next chapter of her life began. She raised four children and supported her husband in his career with multiple moves, she took additional college classes and worked outside of the home but regretfully she never completed her degree. My mother-in-law has every reason to be proud of her accomplishments but, she still looks back on that time and wishes she had the support and role models that would have allowed her to complete her education while raising four children in Missouri in the 50’s and 60’s. Even when I was in the early years of my career as a young mother, there were not many examples. As RBG’s legacy has become quite notorious, it’s my hope that her life story will continue to provide a roadmap for new generations of women still navigating the challenges of dual roles.
So while the legal protections and precedents she helped establish are of paramount importance, my gratitude to RBG goes beyond her legal work. Justice Ginsburg, thank you for your courage, perseverance and being a shining example that gave me and all women a path forward.
I’d love to hear from you – what role models, if any, did you look up to throughout your life? Were you able to have examples of women advancing their careers while balancing their home life? What, if anything, will RBG’s legacy mean to you?
I share your gratitude for RBG. I thank her for being an example of how it is possible to persist with one’s values toward one’s goals gently and steadily, like water flowing around obstacles, rather than caustically offending anyone who might disagree with her. And, it seems that she understood the importance of tackling one issue at a time to develop a strong foundation in the case for equal rights for men and women – rather than trying to accomplish everything at once. It seems that today, the public focus is often on instant gratification and “get rich quick” mindsets rather than patient, steady and strategic thinking to achieve great things and that is what RBG demonstrated throughout her life. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this incredibly inspiring woman.
As a young woman working in Philadelphia in a new field in the early 1990’s known as Managed Care I met many women who were physicians, nurses, health care professionals, insurance professionals and Health Care and Insurance Executives (few and far between) who were working in this exciting new field that would reshape health care delivery. These women were raising children, supporting spouses or significant others, furthering their education and committing to their own careers. We were still a minority as females but the doors started to open. RBG made it easier and possible for our generation to keep pushing for a seat at these leadership tables.
I look at my own daughter, nieces and her peers who learned from us that careers, family life and community contribution is possible, more importantly a natural way of life. Their husbands, significant others and male friends are committed and involved as well. Their confidence is incredible. My son in medical school has a girlfriend who is a physician’s assistant (PA) and they are truly equals in all ways. Thank you RBG for leading us in the right direction, for showing us how to teach and raise our daughters and sons as true equals in all ways of life.
Justice Ginsburg’s impact is far-reaching, indeed! As a very young girl, my mother stayed home with us. I am one of four children and her first daughter. My very first impression of women in the working world was watching a 1980’s Diane Keaton movie about a fierce, female executive working to have a successful career and raise a child on her own. I remember her high-powered suits, the sound of her heels clicking as she walked, and the scenes where she was the only woman in the room full of men. I remember thinking, I want to do that! As I grew older, I had the opportunity to see my mother go back to school for her LPN and start working as a night-shift nurse. I remember seeing how nervous she was to go back to school and to jump into the working world. I remember feeling so proud of her determination. My mother, along with many other fierce women in my life, shaped my lens that being an excellent mother and an accomplished professional are not mutually exclusive. Today, I proudly raise five children, 4 of whom are girls and have fostered a successful, rewarding career at the same time. I have a husband who supports and encourages my continued growth, just the same as I do his. I never once have taken this for granted as I know so many women, like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, have led with great intention to reshape the role and impact of women in this world. Thank you for the opportunity to weigh-in.