Guest post from Janet Bandows Koster at AWIS
Dear friends of women in science,
A while back, a message from Janet Bandows Koster of AWIS got buried in my email and I just found it, about a month later. With apologies to her for the long delay, I'd like to post it now. She sent it to me Oct 3 as a guest post, so please cast your minds back to that date, when Half the Sky was showing on TV, to get the full flavor of her very interesting guest posting.
cheers, Laura
Last night, I watched the second part of the PBS documentary Half the Sky. And, while the messages of women's empowerment, girls' education, and opportunity for all were not new, the inspiring stories did remind me that we have become rather dispassionate about those issues in this country. Trying to be too PC (politically correct), we eschew feminism and prefer cute photo ops with girls playing with pink Legos. We continue to question the existence of inherent bias although research has documented its existence over- and- over again. Or, we change the terminology because it is uncomfortable instead referring to "implicit assumptions" rather than talking about downright discrimination.
A continuous stream of data bombards us about America's inability to attract women to tech disciplines like engineering and computer science or about the loss of women from the STEM workforce yet we recoil at the mention of quotas or the application of Title IX to STEM disciplines. The newest such study, by researchers at Women in Global Science & Technology and the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World, notes that women's representation in STEM fields is "alarmingly low in the world's leading economies, and...actually on the decline in many, including the United States."
So once again we ask "WHY" and wring our hands about the loss of such great talent from well-paying, highly regarded jobs because we are unwilling to challenge the system, unnerved by the suggestion that we may alienate men, and terrified that we will not be taken seriously by serious scientists.
Let's turn the tables for a moment and ask "WHY"not...
• More than 1 female director of NIH in 125 years
• Further NSF funding for research on gender in science and engineering
• Proportional representation of women in the National Academies of Science reflecting the existing availability pool
• Greater scholarly recognition for women in disciplinary societies
Most importantly, let's ask why we in this country have become so complacent about the equal rights of 50% of the population to good jobs, pay parity, health care, respect and recognition.
Don't think it's your problem? America is heading into an election which will determine the course for women in the economy, in access to good healthcare and to resources like funding for science research, and in social standing but neither Presidential candidate in this election has found it necessary to respond to questions regarding their position on these issues and others which directly impact women in STEM.
Long before the negative pac ads appeared on TV every two seconds and long before the debates were scheduled, AWIS submitted six questions to each party's campaign staff. We have not received responses from either to date. A dispassionate observer would say the parties clearly have more important issues to respond to than women's place in American society. But that's not me.
So what about it, ladies? Let's ratchet up the passion...and not apologize.
Janet Bandows Koster is the Executive Director and CEO of the Association for Women in Science
Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the organization.
Thanks Laura for passing along this guest post. I get fired up when I read books like Half the Sky and like Janet wish there wasn't so much complacency.
I'm proud to work in an industry where women are well representated up to Sr. Manager levels even though the drop-off in healthcare leadership still happens at the Director/Executive Director level. I enjoy seeing women VPs in other areas outside Research which brings up the major point, why is R&D still so predominantly male? And the follow-up question, how do we change that culture?
Although I appreciate the time it took for the Obama administration to answer the questions AWIS posed, I still feel dissatisifed with their answers, particularly around Title IX. If no one is willing to enforce that ruling as it applies to government research funding (NIH/NSF/DOD/etc.) I don't see changes on the horizon. I'm all for carrots, but sometimes sticks work much better!
In the meantime, I will do my best to stay fired up!
Helen
We have received comments from the Obama administration and you may find them here at http://www.awis.org/associations/9417/files/Obama_campaign_response.pdf
Thanks for your help and support.
Hi Laura,
I know your life is busy and complex, but I'm sorry to get this call to action so late before the election. I can still email to ask them to respond to AWIS, though.
FBP
