The women’s reaction was swift over the weekend after a controversial publication in The Wall Street Journal asked the future first lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, to leave “Dr.” of its title.
The author of the opinion, writer Joseph Epstein, urged Biden, who received his doctorate in education from the University of Delaware in 2007, to leave the degree because he is not a doctor.
“A wise man once said that no one should be told” Dr. “unless she has given birth to a child,” wrote Epstein, who began the play by addressing Biden as “Madame First Lady – Mrs. Biden – Jill – kiddo.” “Think about it, Dr. Jill, and leave the document immediately.”
In response, the women went to Twitter to encourage other people with degrees to add them to their name.
“Claudia Antolini, a British woman, says:” Are you a woman with a doctorate? No matter your discipline, take a picture here to prove that we are here, we exist and we will not leave the title for the comfort of any mediocre man. ” over 5,000 comments and over 63,000 likes.
“To all the women who are doctors: in solidarity with @DrBiden and to oppose the sexist @WSJ opinion about her, please consider adding“ Dr ”to your twitter name to show how many of us we are. We deserve respect. You have obtained your doctorate, “wrote Dr. Rana el Kaliouby, an expert in artificial emotional intelligence.
“In solidarity with @DrBiden, I add my title. I am a proud first-generation Latin immigrant who worked hard to get a doctorate in [America.]It was not easy. I sacrificed myself. Therefore, I will not give up my title for the mediocre comfort of #JosephEpstein “. wrote Dr. Glicella Salazar-DeSimone, who earned a doctorate in molecular and cell biology.
“Today I added ‘Dr.’ to my profile name. Thanks to WSJ for the push,” wrote Dr. Laura Scherer, an assistant professor in the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
In addition to her doctorate, Biden, who has been an educator for more than three decades, has two master’s degrees, according to her official White House biography. She taught at Northern Virginia Community College during the eight years that her husband, President-elect Joe Biden, served as vice president in the Obama administration.
Biden has not publicly confirmed her future plans, but in August CBS News hoped to continue teaching, a move that would make her the first first lady in the country to take a paid job outside the White House.
The future first lady tweeted on Sunday what appeared to be a response to Epstein’s opinion, and wrote, “Together, we will build a world where our daughters’ achievements will be celebrated rather than diminished.”
A Biden spokesman asked The Journal to withdraw its opinion and wrote on Twitter: “If you had respect for women, you would remove this disgusting display of masculinity from your diary and apologize.”
The view, which the editorial page editor of The Journal has strongly advocated, comes at a time when women’s successes continue to dwindle in today’s world, the data show.
Women continue to lag behind in leadership positions in the workforce, and in the past ten months, more than two million women have left the workforce, according to the National Law Center (NWLC).
A 2018 study that examined presentations at medical conferences found that men used formal titles when referring to other men 72% of the time, but only 49% of the time when referring to women. Women wore formal titles 96% of the time, regardless of the gender of the companions.
“Sexism is widespread in our society and women are judged by different criteria, especially women in the public domain,” said Dr Pragya Agarwal, a UK-based behavioral scientist and author of Sway: Unraveling Unconscious. Bias “” As soon as a woman becomes visible, they undergo a much higher control and control than a man usually does. “
Agarwal and other experts on unconscious bias say it is vital for future generations if women reach the titles they have won and their value.
Over the past decade, U.S. women have outpaced men when it comes to earning doctoral degrees, according to a 2018 report from the Board of Graduate Studies.
“Any individual should be able to share the credentials they have earned,” said Serena Fong, vice president of Catalyst and an expert in creating inclusive work cultures. “For women, especially those of color, because there are few in these leadership positions, and [because] we know the importance of the models to follow, it is important that they show the credentials they have and that they are celebrated for that “.
She added: “Women must constantly demonstrate their worth and therefore being told, ‘Don’t do this,’ is counterproductive to fighting bias.” added.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama showed her support for Biden, with whom she worked closely on issues such as education and military families during her first and second lady stage, in a post on Instagram.
“Right now, we’re all seeing what’s also going on with so many professional women, whether they have degrees like Dr., Ms., Ms. Or even First Lady: all too often, our successes are met with skepticism, even and all with mockery, “Obama wrote in part. “We doubt those who choose the weakness of the ridiculous over the strength of respect. And yet somehow their words can be kept; after decades of work, we are forced to prove ourselves us “.
Biden also received the support of Douglas Emhoff, who in January will become the country’s first second knight.
“Dr. Biden earned her degrees through hard work and pure grain. She is an inspiration to me, to her students, and to Americans across the country,” Emhoff wrote on Twitter. “This story would never have been written about a man.”
Bernice King, a minister and daughter of civil rights activist, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., also showed his support for Biden, noting that his father, who earned a doctorate. of Boston University, he was also a “non-medical physician.”
“Dear @DrBiden: My father was not a doctor. And his work greatly benefited humanity. Yours does too,” King wrote on Twitter.