3월 여성 역사의 달을 맞아 제 자신이 존경하는 여성들을 생각해봅니다. 미국의 첫 여성 비행사인 Amelia Earhart(애밀리아 이어하트), 중국계 미국작가인 Maxine Hong Kingston(맥신 홍 킹스턴), 여성 권리 옹호가 Gloria Steinem(글로리아 스타이넘), 흑인 시인 Maya Angelou(마야 앤절루) 등, 제가 존경하는 여성들의 이름들을 떠올려 봅니다. 

87년 전인1920년 미국 헌법의 제 19조 수정조항(The 19th Amendment)이 통과된 이후 여성들이 투표권(suffrage)을 행사하게 된 것이 미국 여성 역사에 있어서 큰 마일스톤(milestone)이었습니다. 올해 2017년 여성 역사의 달 주제는

"Honoring Trailblazing Women in Labor and Business (노동조합과 비지니스에 파이어니어 역할을 한 여성을 기리기)" 입니다. 

3월, 여성 역사의 달(Women's History Month)에는 미국 사회에 공헌한 여성들의 업적을 초중고 학생들 모두가 배웁니다. 10 여년 전 여름에 세계 한민족 여성 네트워크(KOWIN) 컨퍼런스에 가서 여성 CEO를 어떻게 교육시킬까에 대해 강연하면서 특히 한국인 사회에 여성 평등 교육의 중요성을 느낀 바 있습니다.   

"What Every American Should Know About Women‘s History(모든 미국인이 알아야 할 여성의 역사)" 라는 책에서는 각 분야에서 활약하는 여성들과 여성 지위 향상과 동등한 권리를 위해 싸워 온 여성들에 대해 매우 잘 설명하고 있습니다. 이 책은 미국 여성 역사를 프린스턴 대학교(Princeton University)에서 가르친 적이 있는 저자 Christine Lunardini(크리스틴 루나디니)교수가 직장생활, 가정, 사회개혁을 통한 여성의 동등권(equal rights)에 대해 쓴 책입니다. 

여학생들뿐만 아니라 남학생들도 포함하여 모든 학생들이 자신이 존경하는 미국의 여성을 선택하여 그에 대해 깊이 연구하고 왜 그녀를 존경하는지 작문을 써보는 일도 의미있습니다. 가족 모두가 역사적으로 유명한 여성의 자서전을 읽어보는 기회를 갖도록 권합니다. 제가 읽고 공감했던 The Female Advantage (by Sally Helgesen) 라는 책은 여성 CEO가 쓴 일기와 여성 CEO들의 리더쉽 스타일에 대한 책인데, 여성뿐만 아니라 남성들도 읽어보면 도움이 될 책이라고 생각합니다. 

미국의 코리언 커뮤니티에는 여성단체들도 많지만, 3월이 여성 역사의 달이라는 점을 상기하고 미 주류사회 여성 단체들과 함께 죠인트 액티비티(joint activities)를 마련하는기회도 만들면 좋을 것입니다.

미국의 여성 역사의 달을 맞아 아래의 퀴즈를 풀어보세요.

1.    What Amendment gave U. S. women the right to vote? (미국 헌법에서 여성에게 투표권을 부여한 수정조항은?)

2.    Who became the first female Secretary of State, appointed by President Clinton in 1997? (클린턴 대통령의 임명으로 1997년 미국의 첫 여성 국무장관이 된 사람은누구입니까?)

3.    What European country was the first to elect a female president? (어느 유럽국가가 첫 여성 대통령을 선출했습니까?)

4.    Who was the first female U. S. Supreme Court justice? (미국의 첫 여성 대법원 판사는 누구였습니까?)

5.    What African American woman was known as a leading abolitionist and lead in the Underground Railroad? (노예제도 폐지를 주장하고 탈출 노예를 돕는 비밀 조직망인 “지하철도”에서 활약한 흑인 여성은?)

6.    Who wrote “The Feminine Mystique” in 1963 and became a leading figure in the Women’s Movement? (1963년  “여성의 신비” 를 출판한 저자이며 여성운동의 중요인물이 되었던 사람은 누구입니까?)  

Answers 

1.    The 19th Amendment

2.    Madeleine Albright

3.    Iceland in 1980

4.    Sandra Day O'Connor

5.    Harriet Tubman

6.    Betty Friedan