Observations

As a professional woman, I am naturally interested in reading about successful women in science, politics and business. There indeed have been many inspiring women across all walks of life. There is ongoing debate on whether we have reached an age when a woman truly has equal opportunities to men. On the surface, I would say that things have never been better. But we are not living in a society where there are true equal opportunities for women, and I am not sure that there will ever be a time. That is, if women want to have everything in life that men do - such as family, kids and career.

Let's take a look at some famous women who are truly inspiring. I now notice that they were either born into privilege, married to privilege, or remained single or childless. In politics, there have been Indira Ghandi, Benazir Bhutto, Margaret Thatcher and Hillary Clinton. The former two were born into privilege and inherited their status. The latter two were married to wealth and power, respectively. In business, there have been Katharine Graham, Meg Whitman, Carly Fiorina and the rising star of Sheryl Sandberg. Mrs. Graham inherited The Washington Post. Whitman, Fiorina and Sandberg married rich husbands who were also not busy for one reason or another. A working mother from humble background married to someone without money or power has a natural disadvantage in business or politics, unless she wants to be a bad mother intentionally. After all, Katharine Hepburn once famously said, "only when a woman decides not to have children, can a woman live like a man. That's what I've done."

Perhaps the only area where women could have a real chance in equality is in academia, which does not require extensive travel, rigid hours, and maximum flexibility in one's personal life. Although some of the notable female scientists were single and childless such as Rosalind Franklin and Barbara McClintock, there also have been Marie Curie, her daughter Irene, Rosalyn Yalow, Elizabeth Blackburn and Carol Greider.

Therefore, ambitious young girls, please consider science as a career! :)