Five Female Firefighters Are Extinguishing Stereotypes And Fighting For Equality

Gender equality is a hot topic in America, and for good reason. In many different occupational fields, there have been reports of pay inequality and gender inequality in the workforce. These incidents have sparked widespread debate and commentary from Women’s Lib activists and people that simply recognize injustice when they see it.

Some professional fields do have an overwhelming amount of women, like nursing, where Minority Nurse reports that almost 90% of the registered workforce are women. Other professions, however, have much lower amounts of women in the workforce.

Police Chief Magazine reports that female police officers, for example, only make up approximately 12.7%  of the force. The numbers are even more shocking in the field of firefighting in which only 4% of all firefighters are women as reported by UPI.

After reviewing those numbers, it’s encouraging to hear about stories like the one taking place at the West Newbury Fire Department in Chicago. They’re bucking against the statistics and making history by employing an all-female class of firefighters, the first that the department has ever seen.

Alyssa Bosch, Jennifer Hicks, Lisa Evans, Courtney Panaro, and Megan Shea are the five incredible female firefighters responsible for extinguishing stereotypes and fighting gender inequality. Before these women joined the department, only 10% of the team was females. That meant that out of  thirty-two members, only three were women. That number has more than doubled now with the five new female firefighters.

Before these women joined the department, only 10% of the entire team was females. That meant that out of a total thirty-two members, only three were women. That number has more than doubled now with the five new female firefighters. The team is now roughly 25% women.

Stories like this are truly inspiring as they show strong women breaking down barriers that have existed for a very long time. It’s not only galvanizing for other women, but it’s encouraging for all supporters of gender equality, both male, and female.

Some occupations are overwhelmingly dominated by men, but women are just as able to fill the same roles and should be given every opportunity to do so.

Hopefully, that tiny 4% of all firefighters will continue to grow, and eventually even break into the double digits. We all hope that someday we won’t need stories like this because equality will finally be a reality.

Check out this YouTube video posted a couple days ago that talks further about this story as it was reported on by WCVB Channel 5 News in Boston.

This is breaking news, and so we want to reach as many as we possibly can. So, before you forget, make sure to share this incredible moment for women all over America with everyone you know! If you were encouraged by it, they surely will be too, and we hope this will remind people of the importance of equality.