Pam, it is true that women have more opportunities today, than in my generation, but I never felt that anything was holding me back, mostly because my parents encouraged me to do anything I wanted. I think it's very dependent on how you are raised and where you are raised. When I was 13-14, I was hanging out in the city, on my own, using public transportation, going to cultural events and shopping with my friends. I also was doing stuff my parents wouldn't have liked! I've had other women I work with look at me like I was crazy when i tell stories about stuff I did as a teen. Yet, all of my friends were like me; I was probably a bit meeker than most of them. When I moved to Florida in high school, it was totally different.
Many of the parents of my kids' friends were aghast when I let them take the train to Cambridge or Boston, alone, when they were 15-16. They had done it many times with me; they could handle themselves. Many of the other parents wouldn't let their kids babysit, either, fearing lawsuits. They didn't let their kids get their licenses, or drive much if they had them. They spent most of their time harassing their kids to study and do millions of extra curricular activities. While my close friends weren't all like this, I would say the majority of the parents in the community were.