What do we women have to thank for our liberation in the 20th century? You may be thinking the birth control pill or the right to work outside the home or abortion rights. But really, the Vatican newspaper says perhaps we have the washing machine to thank. Yes, the washing machine. The idea was presented in “The Washing Machine and the Liberation of Women — Put in the Detergent, Close the Lid and Relax,” published in l’Osservatore Romano, the semi-official Vatican newspaper, to mark International Women’s Day. This article, which goes on to chronicle the history of the washing machine, may seem like a joke at first because the idea of the washing machine as liberator of women seems so ludicrous. But when we really think about it, we can’t expect anything affiliated with the Vatican and Catholic Church to champion birth control, abortion, or completely equal rights for women. With that said, maybe the article, which was written by a woman, should have focused on the neutral topic of education for women. No one can deny education has liberated women in the 20th century. If you’d like to read more on the accomplishments of women, then check out our “Women Who Rock” series. [Reuters]
