American women can have it all

For years, we were told as women that we “cannot have it all.” We were told that you cannot be a successful career professional, a devoted wife, a good mother, a woman of God, and a principled member of society at the same time. The notion that you have to choose one over another has been ingrained into the minds of millions of women, but that notion is wrong.

Today, thanks to cultural shifts and policy changes, the reality is women can absolutely have it all. This is a new era and the numbers clearly reflect this. There are now more college educated women in the workforce than college educated men, and mothers are now the primary breadwinners in four out of 10 families in the United States. Over the past five decades, we have seen major societal shifts and policy changes that have made this one time dream a reality for American women across our great nation.

From the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 to the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, significant changes in federal law have been made that make it easier for working women to have it all. More recently, we saw the child tax credit doubled from $1,000 to $2,000 per child under the age of 17 under the leadership of President Trump, which has been a significant benefit for middle class American mothers and families with children.

We have also seen a rise in female entrepreneurship. From 1997 to 2017, there was a 114 percent increase in the number of businesses owned by women. In 2018, there were more than 12 million businesses owned by women, who now comprise four out of 10 entrepreneurs in the United States. There are millions of women across the country who are setting the stage for a new era of working women who can have it all. Look at former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who as the daughter of immigrants went on to become the first woman to serve as the governor of South Carolina while also raising two children alongside her husband.

Look at Laura Mills, an Ohio attorney, wife, mother and business owner who became known as a “champion for battered women,” all while raising her three children. Look at Nusha Pelicano, the owner of five Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt stores and a single mother of six children who wakes up to train at 4 a.m. each morning to be an Ironman competitor before taking her children to school. These women are the epitome of what it means to have it all. While much work has been done and women across the United States are thriving more than ever before, the fight is clearly not over yet.

Efforts for policy changes that support women and families continue to garner bipartisan support. Ivanka Trump, who focuses on the education and economic empowerment of women, has said, “It is encouraging to see members on both sides of the aisle putting forward paid family leave proposals,” adding that more than 25 years since the Family and Medical Leave Act was passed by Congress, “we finally have bipartisan agreement on the importance of paid leave for working parents” in the United States.

Paid family leave and other key federal policies that are on the horizon in Washington will further serve to help women flourish with their careers, homes, and communities. The incredible women across our great nation continue to serve as daily testaments against the notion that women cannot have it all. The truth is American women can have it all in 2019.

Madison Gesiotto is an attorney and a commentator who serves with the advisory board of the Donald Trump campaign. She was an inauguration spokesperson and former Miss Ohio. She is on Twitter @MadisonGesiotto.