“What do women want?” A question the romantic comedy genre has been trying to answer for years. Mel Gibson was hit by lightening and suddenly could hear all the low self-esteem, self-sabotaging thoughts of the women around him. Richard Gere offers a prostitute a condo in New York City and gets turned down, a total slap in the face to any man proclaiming he might know what women want.
One of my favorite movies of all time is “Baby Boom”, the 1980s story of a fast-rising corporate woman who is suddenly given a child by a long-lost cousin. Prior to the baby debacle, the lead character has a tense conversation with a male boss who tells her he can, and does “have it all” because he has a wife to “take care of things.” Diane Keaton’s character responds, “Is that what you’re worried about? Well, don’t! I don’t want it all.” Apparently that was the answer to “what women want” in the 1980s – they want what they can get!
Fast forward nearly three decades and a new Pew Research Center proves just the opposite. Women no longer want what they can get – damnit, they want it ALL!
The graph below shows that more women than men value a high-paying job as one of the most important things in their lives.
Yet the statistic above doesn’t seem to affect the one below – the fact that, in addition to a high-paying job, women value marriage and family as very important as well – even more so than men.
So what’s the answer to that old question, “What do women want?” According to Pew Research Center, EVERYTHING!
About the Author: Marcy Twete
Marcy Twete is the Founder and CEO of Career Girl Network and the author of the book “You Know Everybody! A Career Girl’s Guide to Building a Network That Works.” At Career Girl Network, Marcy provides women with information, resources, and networking to empower them in their careers and to advance the work of women in business as a whole. Prior to launching Career Girl Network, Marcy worked in numerous nonprofit organizations and as a consultant in the field of nonprofit fundraising, marketing, and community relations. Marcy is a graduate of the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and a native of rural North Dakota. She is the Vice Chair of the Chicago Board of Directors for Step Up Women’s Network in Chicago and a member of the Advisory Board for Girls on the Run Twin Cities, and is dedicated to advancing the work of organizations that move the needle for women and girls worldwide.
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