“Mad Men” has officially taken over television. ABC’s critically-acclaimed drama about the golden age of advertising and marketing is about to begin its third season, but there are actually many lessons that we can learn from the show…aside from discovering how we can get away with smoking, drinking, and having affairs in the workplace.

Back in the day, the marketing and advertising industry used to be something of an “old boy’s club” that more or less secluded women from membership. Many younger women don’t realize the extent of the gender gap that existed in the 1960’s workforce—their female predecessors were generally resigned to secretarial positions while fictional Creative Director Don Draper and his team spend most of their time boozing and flirting when they’re not creating advertising.

Due to the fact that “Mad Men” begins in 1960, the Women’s Liberation and Civil Rights movements were still a few years away. Peggy Olson, the heroine of the show, enters the advertising industry when she is hired to work as a secretary for a New York City ad firm. While Peggy slowly works her way to a copywriting position, she is still fighting some major gender roles. Female employees were expected to act as both a mother figure and a waitress; an unfortunate aspect of sexism that wasn’t just exclusive to the advertising industry!

Peggy’s revolutionary personality provides a bit of contrast to the other female characters on the show. Joan Holloway, the office manager, has reached the top of the corporate ladder by lying about her age and sleeping with her boss. Peggy’s success in shattering the glass ceiling of the ‘60s by asking for her own office and standing up for her own ideas make her an inspirational character for future businesswomen everywhere. However, many generation Y women argue that she is not the greatest television role model, stating that she’s made too many sacrifices for her career. Peggy does not have a family, works long hours, and is arguably too intense about her job. The question remains—could she have succeeded as a female employee in the 1960’s without being anything else?

Today’s women have a different set of gender challenges to overcome. The workplace is in need of trailblazers who will destroy any remaining gender stereotypes, advocate for equal pay for men and women, and support the rights of working mothers. While Peggy’s success at jumping from secretary to junior copywriter is certainly impressive for the 1960’s, modern women need to adjust their goals. Only 15 out of the 500 largest companies in the U.S. have a female CEO at the helm. This needs to change!

One of the best parts of watching “Mad Men” is that we are reminded that change is always possible. While corporate America is still extremely flawed, there is no denying that we have made tremendous progress in the last five decades. So, instead of wondering if Peggy should have relaxed a little, we must now ask—will the women of Generation Y ascend from middle management to the executive office?