Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day: Little-known facts
There's a high likelihood your workplace will be crawling with kids today.
It's not because the neighborhood day care center closed. It's the fourth Thursday in April, which is when millions of parents and kids celebrate Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.
So if things seems a little more hectic or a little louder than usual today, keep in mind that this day is all about inspiring our future. Here's a brief history of how this day came to be.
It started in New York City.
The event, according to the National Women's History Museum, was founded in New York City. After an article in Parade magazine, the event became national in 1993. That year, the Take Our Daughters to Work Day Foundation was created to "grow the program across the country and internationally," according to the museum. "Participation grew rapidly and by 1996 over 5 million girls in 14 countries participated in that year's event."
It was originally called Take Our Daughters to Work Day.
The Ms. Foundation, which is credited with the creation of the event, says on its website the day is "one of the most successful national public education campaigns ever launched. It achieved its goal in making girls visible, valued and heard in the workplace, became known to 8 out of 10 people across the U.S., and now involves 35 million participants each year."
According to National Women's History Museum, Take Our Daughters to Work Day was "created to help show girls that being smart was something to be proud of, not something to hide, and that their ideas could be heard and had value. By providing girls with real-life adult role models in various professions, the program sought to show girls that gender was not a prohibitive factor to their desired profession."
It was started by Gloria Steinem.
The famed feminist activist started the event as part of the Ms. Foundation. She is referred to as one of the Ms. Foundation's "founding mothers." Today, the Ms. Foundation's vision statement is: "We believe in a just and safe world where power and possibility are not limited by gender, race, class, sexual orientation, disability or age. We believe that equity and inclusion are the cornerstones of a true democracy in which the worth and dignity of every person are valued."
Boys started to be included and the name officially changed in 2003.
The Take Our Daughters to Work Foundation, created in 1993, officially rebranded to Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day Foundation a decade later. Today, the goal of the day, according to the foundation, is to encourage "girls and boys across the country to dream without gender limitations and to think imaginatively about their family, work and community lives. This national, public education program connects what children learn at school with the actual working world. Children learn that a family-friendly work environment is an employer and family issue and not just a woman’s issue. Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work helps girls and boys across the nation discover the power and possibilities associated with a balanced work and family life."
