Jill Ker Conway

The greatest part about thus class is that we are learning about influential people who made a difference and that is apparent again this week with Jill Ker Conway. I was unaware of who Jill Ker Conway was and the her journey to being so successful. Starting in the outback of Australia with her hardships of growing up in farming country to eventually find herself in the Harvard area in the 1960's. Becoming the first female President of Smith College and sticking up for herself when there are many reasons to turn back. She ran against other men and she showed them what such a great leader she really is. She is a leader for the women's movement as she pushed against cultural assumptions and took her life head on with no one being able to hold her back.

Jill Ker Conway's amazing accomplishments did not come in a time that was filled with opportunity as she was trying to find her way in male dominated work environment that was extremely tight. She pushed pass all expectations especially in a time where women spent 55 hours a week in the home just to take care of children while the husband went out and provided for the family. When expected to sit back and let a husband provide she took her own initiative proved to men and women that she was a leader and she was good at it. From being the first female President of Smith College to also being in the Board of Directors at Nike, there was nothing that she couldn't do but even with all of this she would not get payed the same as men. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was when equal pay was going to forced for men and women but even to this day it is still not the case. She fought her way through many adversities and her journey was not easy. She is an inspiration to men and women showing that it is not going to be easy but if you are a leader then it is going to come out at one point or another.