Women Proving Experience Matters
Celebrating the women who are redefining what women are capable of accomplishing
In honor of Women's History Month, the annual celebration of the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society, I thought it was vital to recognize a group of women who are redefining what women are capable of. In just a few years a handful of women who possess the benefit of decades of experience living as men are shattering the proverbial glass ceiling. Women who have extensive experience as men are achieving more, faster than any other women in history.
For example, Caitlyn Jenner, with 65 years of experience living as a man, was named ‘Woman of the Year’ after just nine months of being a woman. It is hard to ignore the fact that Caitlyn’s experience as a man gave her a leg up on 167 million other women vying for the honor of being named the very best woman of the year—an achievement even more astonishing given the fact that she did it in just her first year as a woman.
Seven years later, Rachel Levine with 53 years of experience living as a man, was named ‘Woman of the Year' as well. Just a decade after becoming a woman Levin was appointed to serve as Assistant Secretary for Health becoming an Admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps making her the first woman to hold both positions in our nation’s history.
Just days ago the Biden administration awarded Alba Rueda, Argentina’s Undersecretary of Diversity, the United States Department of State’s International Women of Courage Award. With just 16 years of experience living as a man, Rueda beat out almost four billion other women for the award.
In sports, we’re seeing more and more women with experience as men competing at the highest levels. In 2019 Cece Telfer, after just two years as a woman, became the first woman with experience as a man to win an NCAA title.
Three years later Lia Thomas became the first woman with experience as a man to win an NCAA Division I National Championship. Lia only had three years of experience as a woman before reaching the pinnacle of her sport beating women with almost two decades more experience living as women.
The one thing these women have in common is their experience living as men. It goes without saying that experience is crucial in any field, including sports, business, and politics. It provides individuals with a deeper understanding of the challenges, nuances, and dynamics within their respective fields.
Through experience, athletes gain a better understanding of their sport, develop their skills and tactics, and learn how to overcome obstacles. Similarly, in business, experience allows individuals to learn the ins and outs of their industry, develop a network of contacts, and make more informed decisions. In politics, experience helps individuals navigate complex policy issues, build relationships with stakeholders, and understand how to effectively communicate with constituents.
Overall, experience is vital in enabling individuals to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in their chosen field. In the coming years we’re sure to see more and more women achieving amazing feats in politics, business, and sports—many of these women will be able to point to their experience as men as the reason for their success.