sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat

sartorias started a great discussion about women's changing roles with this post in her lj. I responded to a comment there, but had enough thoughts that they needed a post of their own.It got me thinking--sure, we've come a long way, but there is so much further to go. Where are the women electricians and plumbers? Certainly those are much more lucrative careers than cutting hair or cleaning teeth.And now women have many other options besides being a secretary or teacher. However, the secretarial profession has changed quite a bit. Secretaries nowadays are often college educated and are given much more responsibility. I don't think the pay has caught up with this, though. I have a pet theory that may not be backed up with facts at all. The mostly male middle managers of a generation or two ago were downsized and replaced with mostly female administrative assistants (or some such similar job titles) who can put in the same sort of work, be paid less, and ultimately have less authority. Works great for the employer. I'd be interested to see if the facts back up this theory. I'd be very surprised if there wasn't at least a grain of truth there.There's a lot more I could say, but I suppose I can sum up my attitute as: grateful to those who came before for paving the way for more opportunities for women, and frustrated that we still have so far to go.