Thank you Johnson & Johnson for sponsoring this post.
Growing up I was all about “girl power” — I mean, it was pretty much the motto of all tween and teen girls in the 90s thanks in no small part to one very popular all-female group.
But what type of girl power should we really be celebrating?
As a mom of two (soon to be three) girls, I’m acutely more aware of the challenges that females still face in our society and the importance of setting an example to the next generation.
That’s why I’ve made a point to encourage my girls to find role models that I truly want them to emulate and goals beyond simply achieving fame and fortune.
I want to raise girls who want to change the world!
Related: 6 Health Inventions that Changed Daily Life Forever
10 Milestones in Women’s Health We Should Teach Our Daughters
The following milestones in women’s health aren’t necessarily well-known, but they forever changed that trajectory of women’s lives for the better. These are the type of milestones that we should be teaching our daughters!
1849: First Female Doctor in the United States
In January 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell, graduated from New York’s Geneva Medical College. Not only that, but she ranked first in her class!
A few years later, Blackwell opened a clinic and eventually founded Women’s Medical College to train other women to follow in her footsteps. (source)
1886: Johnson & Johnson Launches with More Than 50% Female Employees
At a time when women were widely expected to remain in the home and take care of their families, Johnson & Johnson was a pioneer in opening the workforce to females.
Of their original 14 employees, 8 of them were women.
1894: Johnson & Johnson Invents the Maternity Kit for Safer Childbirth and Postpartum Care
In 1894, Johnson & Johnson invented the Maternity Kit, with the goal of making childbirth less dangerous for both mother and baby. Included in the kit: sterile medical supplies and a detailed delivery guide.
The maternal mortality rate in the United States has dropped significantly in the past century.
Image Courtesy: Johnson & Johnson Archive
1897: First Mass-Produced Sanitary Pad Invented
Originally included in the Maternity Kit, “Lister’s Towels” were sterile, disposable sanitary pads.
Women were the early focus of many of Johnson & Johnson’s first consumer products and educational campaigns. As caregivers (both at home and in the nursing industry), Johnson & Johnson recognized that prioritizing women’s health care was essential to keeping the entire country healthy.
Image Courtesy: Johnson & Johnson Archive
1908: First Female Scientist at Johnson & Johnson
Not only did Johnson & Johnson welcome women in the workforce at a time when women’s roles were limited, they placed them in prominent leadership positions.
In 1908, accomplished chemist Edith von Kuster became the company’s first woman scientist, working under the leadership of Scientific Director Fred Kilmer.
By the early 1910s, women headed up 25% of Johnson & Johnson’s departments.
1917: Women Take Over Factory Roles During Wartime
To keep things running at home while men were away at war, women stepped into factory roles at Johnson & Johnson.
This kept critical health care products and supplies in production at a time when they were needed most.
1931: First Female Contraceptive Gel Available by Prescription
Johnson & Johnson was at the forefront of developing new family planning methods to give women more control over their lives and careers.
ORTHO-GYNOL, produced by one of Johnson & Johnson’s operating companies, was the first contraceptive gel available by prescription.
Image Courtesy: Johnson & Johnson Archive
1940: Johnson & Johnson Launches MEDS, One of the First Tampons
Can we get a collective round of applause for this one?!
It might not be an invention that gets a lot of fanfare, but it is a life-saver! Periods would be a lot more inconvenient if tampons weren’t around.
1944: Johnson & Johnson Institutes Revolutionary Maternity Leave Policy
Maternity leave has never been a priority in the United States, and historically, women are vulnerable to losing income, seniority, and even their jobs after childbirth.
Not so at Johnson & Johnson, which launched an extensive maternity leave period for women in 1944.
Though unpaid, this 6-month leave offered women the assurance of knowing they would retain their positions and seniority level upon return to work.
In the 2000s, Johnson & Johnson continues this tradition with 8 weeks minimum family leave for both mothers and fathers.
2015: Launch of the WiSTEM² D Program to Get Girls Excited About Science and Technology
As a kid, math and science were my favorite subjects. I even read through my collection of space books over and over – just for fun!
However, somewhere along the way I decided that math and science weren’t “cool” anymore. It’s an all-to0-common story among young girls in the United States.
In 2015, Johnson & Johnson created the WiSTEM² D (which stands for “Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing & Design”) outreach program for girls ages 5-18.
Through both in-school curriculum and after-school programs, WiSTEM² D aims to stop the “leaky pipeline” of losing talented young women from pursuing math and science degrees.
Visit ourstory.jnj.com to learn about more milestones in women’s health and Johnson & Johnson’s Commitment to women.
Johnson & Johnson’s Continuing Commitment to Women
From pioneering the development of products that prolong the lives of women, to expanding their opportunities in the workforce, for over 130 years, Johnson & Johnson has shown a commitment to women.
“ I’m proud to be a leader at Johnson & Johnson…And the reason why I’m most proud of this is because of everything that we do, every single day, to help women all over the world—not only those who work here—live healthier, happier lives…We’ve increased the number of women leaders in this company over the last couple of years…across all of our functions, all of our geographies around the globe.” (source: ourstory.jnj.com)
Watch the video below and click here to learn more about Johnson & Johnson’s commitment to women.
Image Courtesy: Johnson & Johnson Archives
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
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[…] I was also surprised to learn that Johnson & Johnson has also been a champion of women since the beginning of the company. Click here to find out more about Johnson & Johnson contributions to women’s health care a… […]