One of my guilty pleasures is watching “The View”. I love listening to Whoopi, Joyce Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farrah Griffin, and Ana Navarro talk over each other, read from cue cards, and go to breaks on the urging of their long-suffering floor producer.

It’s not about the content or the quality of the conversation – this is no Meet the Press – but it brings together the best of what I love about women gathered together to solve the world’s problems. We all have opinions and we all want to share. This is the tradition of change that I come from.

At the end of each show, regardless of what the topic, guest, or giveaway is, I leave feeling like I had a really good dessert. I mention this show, because March is Women’s History month. It’s a time to honor the contributions, achievements, and resilience of women throughout history and in contemporary society.

Women and Television

When Barbara Walters launched the View, there were few women producers. She took her skills, talents, and moxie and put together an amazingly reliable daytime formula – the show has been on the air since 1997 – that delivers a rich tapestry of women’s experiences through sharing stories of triumph, struggle, and perseverance that have shaped our world.

The panel has changed over the years, but the mixture of ideas, points of view, and chutzpah have always made it feel like these women would welcome me in their kitchen and I could join in the conversation, too.

It’s A Man’s World; With Some Notable Exceptions

Maybe because it’s Women’s Herstory Month that I am more attuned to how women’s contributions have had less press than men. This certainly is true in film and television. The dominant roles of producer, director, and studio head, were always filled by men. But there were exceptions.

In the days before Talkies, Mary Pickford co-founded the film studio United Artists in 1919, where she produced many of her own films and others. Sherry Lansing became the first female head of a major Hollywood film studio when she was appointed president of 20th Century Fox in 1980. Later, she served as the CEO of Paramount Pictures.

I Love Lucy!

Lucille Ball was a successful television producer through her production company, Desilu Productions, responsible for shows like “I Love Lucy.” She was, perhaps, one of the most business-savvy women to come out of the 1940s and 1950s, not to mention a helluva comedian.

Kathleen Kennedy currently serves as president of Lucasfilm, where she oversees the “Star Wars” franchise. The Force is definitely with her!

Behind the Cameras

One of the first female directors in the Hollywood studio system, Dorothy Arzner directed numerous films during the 1920s through the 1940s, including “Dance, Girl, Dance” and “Christopher Strong.”

A favorite of mine and many others, Penny Marshall, became one of the most successful female directors in Hollywood with hits like “Big” and “A League of Their Own.”, as well as lending her comedic timing and talent to “Lavern & Shirley”.

Quinta Brunson is the new-girl on the scene with her show, “Abbott Elementary”, where she is producer, head writer, show runner, and lead.

C-Suite Females

Amy Pascal served as the co-chairperson of Sony Pictures Entertainment, overseeing the production of numerous successful films and franchises. Stacey Snider served as the CEO and chairman of 20th Century Fox before its acquisition by Disney. She has been involved in the production of many successful films. Donna Langley serves as the chairwoman of Universal Pictures, overseeing the production and distribution of numerous successful films and franchises.

Oprah Winfrey sits atop the dais of Harpo Productions. She continues to be both a creative force behind and launching pad for other women in the arts.

We Stand the Shoulders of Those Who Came Before

As wonderful as these women and their achievements are, it is important to remember that other women, who helped to shape their lives and contributed to their successes, will mostly remain unknown and unsung. I say this not to trigger feelings of guilt; rather to remember that we all had mothers, grandmothers, Aunties, sisters, girlfriends, teachers, mentors, and idols who shaped us, molded us, held us to higher standards, and expected extraordinary things of us. They, too, are deserving of being acknowledged during Women’s History Month.

Despite discrimination and oppression, women have made significant contributions to every aspect of society, often leading movements for social justice and change. Throughout history, women of color, indigenous women, LGBTQ+ women, and women with disabilities have made history, but have not necessarily been acknowledged for it.

For example, the collective efforts of Suffragettes in Britain and the U.S. have helped to raise the status of women. The leadership from “church ladies” around the globe caused governments to improve conditions for children, improved education, and saw to it that clean water and nutritious food was made available to all members of the community. Matriarchs from indigenous peoples and spiritual traditions world-wide have kept the practices, rituals, language and teachings alive, and seen to it they are preserved and passed down to younger generations.

Legal Standing: Omission of the Feminine

I grew up in a time when women had few rights. We needed the signature of a man to open a bank account. Credit would not be extended to us in our name only. We were excluded from clubs, bars, organizations, and sporting events.

Laws were written only in the masculine. None of the codes or statutes that governed our nation used the feminine “she” or “her”. All personal nouns were “he/him”, except when specifically referring to a woman. To all intents, women were invisible.

Looking Towards the Future

While Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate progress, it’s also a reminder of the work that still needs to be done to achieve full gender equality. Women continue to face barriers in the workplace, politics, education, healthcare, and other areas of life. Issues such as the gender pay gap, lack of representation in leadership positions, gender-based violence, and reproductive rights remain pressing concerns.

Women, young and old, provide the bulk of caregiving done in this country, mostly without pay and without respite. Their burden is increased by a lack of financial supports and resources that could be easily addressed through wage and gender-gap amendments to laws and regulations.

Ageism continues to challenge inclusivity and equity as older women remain overlooked or excluded from drug trials, gender-tailored mental and physical health interventions, and cost of living adjustments.

We Can and Must Learn from History

Until recently, these inequities had been addressed through long, hard-won fights in legislatures around the country, led by women activists. Today, they are under systematic attack by male dominated collectives, and are already being dismantled. This is a threat to our freedom and autonomy as women, and a threat to our democracy.

I marched for these freedoms as a young woman. I can and will stand for their preservation as an elder. This is what we can learn from Women’s History Month.