Redesigning Women: How the Image of the Successful Woman Has Changed Over the Decades

Valerie Minor (Valerie the Wallflower)
Private Curator
Published in
5 min readMay 21, 2023

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Over the decades, the concept of what makes a woman successful has changed significantly. In the early 1900s, women were primarily valued for their roles as wives and mothers. Successful women were those who fulfilled these roles to the best of their ability and were often praised for their domestic skills and nurturing qualities. However, as the years went on, women began to demand more equality and opportunity. They fought for the right to vote, to work outside the home, and to be treated equally under the law. As a result of these efforts, women have made significant progress in achieving success in all areas of life.

Today, there is no one definition of what makes a woman successful. Instead, success is defined by each individual woman’s own unique goals and aspirations. Some women may define success as achieving financial security, while others may define it as making a difference in the world through their work or activism. Still others may define success as simply living a happy and fulfilling life.

In the early 1900s, women were primarily valued for their roles as wives and mothers. Successful women were those who fulfilled these roles to the best of their ability and were often praised for their domestic skills and nurturing qualities. Women like Mary Cassatt, a…

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Valerie Minor (Valerie the Wallflower)
Private Curator

Introvert that peddles kindness, courage, & vulnerability, advocates for organizational wellness & belonging, and shares stories on how she came to be this way.