June 25, 2022

What Barbie Reminded Me About Equality ?

Move over, Ken. Today, Barbie has got center stage.

This weekend, I was in my home office catching up on some work when my focus was interrupted, and my curiosity peaked by the beautiful sound of classical music floating through the air. I got up to investigate and stumbled upon this scene in my daughter’s room.

Barbie on stage performing her little polymer heart out in front of an audience of spellbound Barbie music aficionados. ?

? Moments like this are touching for any parent, but Barbie’s presence on that stage was also symbolic to me. While sharing her passion for the arts with an audience of women and educating and enriching them through her music, Barbie also reminded me of the fundamental right for equality for women and girls– whether in education, the workforce, sports, or music.

There were no Ken dolls on stage that day. Barbie wasn’t playing homemaker in her Dream Home. My daughters put her right where she belonged– center stage, leading a stunning performance in front of an audience of her peers. ?

This June marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX being passed into American law, helping create gender equality in schools that receive federal funding.

The remarkable academic achievements of women and girls over the past five decades are the by-product of a cultural shift that began in the 1960s and produced Title IX. It forever changed the landscape for young girls and women and their visions of what females can accomplish. ??‍?‍??

Keynote messages of empowerment from successful women in arts and sciences, business, healthcare, sports, and other fields continue to inspire me because of my profession and as the father of two young girls. ?‍?

As a sports columnist and inspirational leader Christine Brennan shared with me, Title IX has been instrumental in shaping the future success of girls by giving them an equal opportunity in education and sports. Life lessons of leadership, performance, teamwork, winning, and losing may start with a Barbie or a ball, but they’ll be carried forward into the future of young hearts and minds who shape our world for the better.

As a female professional reading this post, or a man who has inspirational women in his life, what opportunities have opened up as a result of Title IX?