For so long, the ideal family has been viewed along the lines of the traditional 50s home with the perfect mother who stays at home to cook, clean and care for children and seems to enjoy every minute of it. It was the husband’s job to work and put food on the table, then come home and have that food hot and ready to eat as soon as he walks through the door.  It is important to remember that there is nothing wrong with this way of living, but it is equally important to note that over the years, the traditional gender roles have slowly begun to equalize and in some cases, reverse themselves completely.

“Women are almost equal,” senior Ryan Gerard said. “There are some people who treat women unfairly but for the most part there is a sense of equality.”

Living in a male-dominated society in which men hold powerful positions such as CEOs and presidents of major companies, it is often difficult for women to gain much stature in their jobs and places of work. Despite this, women have become increasingly independent from men majority of women have steady and stable jobs, with the increasing support and efforts in the equal pay fight, many women are able to easily support themselves, something that would have been considered taboo just a few decades ago. Women no longer rely on men for income or for them to provide a certain lifestyle.

“The times have changed enough so that if women want to work, they should absolutely be able to work,” senior Cara Kassul said.

Women are making leaps and bounds in their independence. The Pentagon recently lifted its ban on women in combat situations. While women have been part of the military since the 1940s, with the removal of the ban, women can now serve on the front lines in battle.

“Being a man, I naturally want to protect women,” Gerard said. “But if women want to be on the front lines, then they have the right.”

It is no secret that women have generally been cast in the weaker, more fragile role in society and with one look at the previous generation’s films and media, it is easy to see women’s less than glamorous role. But that way of thinking is on its way out. Women from all walks of life are finding and growing in their own independence.

“It is a good thing that we are being treated equally, but there are some men who will always criticize what we have accomplished,” senior Delaney Becker said. “Hopefully gender equality won’t be an issue in 10 to 15 years.”