This year marks the 90^th anniversary of the 19^th amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote in the United States. In 1971 the Congress designated the date as “Women’s Equality Day.”

It is a significant milestone, but it evokes conflicting emotions. On the one hand, the hardships and sacrifices made by our foremothers in order to bring about passage of the 19^th amendment are inspirational, even guilt-inducing. One cannot help but admire the determination and physical courage it took to stand against the forces of polite society and law enforcement that were brought to bear against the suffragists. Who among us would be willing to be imprisoned, beaten, tortured and force-fed in support of a cause, no matter how worthwhile? Those brave women deserve our recognition and respect.

On the hand, it is discouraging to realize that 90 years have gone by since that historic event in 1920, and despite remarkable advances in the lives of women in the U.S., equal pay protection remains an increasingly elusive goal. Women make up over half the workforce in the country, yet, according to new data from the Bureau of labor statistics, the gap between men’s and women’s median earnings widened between 2007 and 2008.

To illustrate the impact of the gender wage discrepancy AAUW has published several pieces of research on the subject. The most recent works are Gains in Learning, Gaps in Earning and Behind the Pay Gap. Each year, AAUW and coalition partners across the country publicly recognize pay inequities on Equal Pay Day that will next occur on Tuesday, April 12, 2011.

The good news is that AAUW members have the opportunity to act now to redress the gender pay disparity. The Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 182) would provide women with more tools than they currently possess to obtain fair pay in the workplace. It is imperative that the U.S. Senate acts on this bill when Congress reconvenes in September, but certainly before the end of the Congressional session in December.

Even though Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow are supporters of the legislation, they need to know that it is important to the voters of Michigan. Further, if you have family, friends or acquaintances in states where Senators have not yet realized the need to pass this legislation, an informative phone call or e-mail message to constituents in those states might prove to be beneficial to the passage of the bill.

Yes, we have come a long way in the last 90 years, but there is still a great deal waiting to be accomplished. Let’s make passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act a priority for AAUW members in Michigan, and throughout the U.S. Future generations will thank us for our actions, just as we show appreciation for the fortitude of our suffragist foremothers by remembering Women’s Equality Day.

Barbara Bonsignore

AAUW of MI Public Policy Director

August 25, 2010

Posted under Equity in the News

“The End of Men?”

Image Credit: John Ritter

Author Hanna Rosin’s recent Atlantic Magazine cover story examines the impact the changing workplace is having on men, as women make gains under the shifting economic landscape.  Are women more suited and better able to perform in the postindustrial economy?  And, how do organizations like AAUW adapt its advocacy and programs without appearing/sounding or being anti-male?

Katha Pollitt of THE NATION, reassures male readers that Rosin’s article is not about the “extinction of men, Women on Topbut about men’s declining economic ability to dominate women and various sociocultural consequences.”

Yes, the world is a changin’ and former rules of engagement and division of labor continue to evolve and fall in favor of new ones.  Hopefully, what will emerge is something more balanced and equitable.  

What are your thoughts?  Join the conversation!

Janet Watkins

Posted under AAUW of Michigan, Equity in the News, Women and Work

August 8, 2009 marks the historic swearing-in of Sonia Sotomayor as a Supreme Court Justice.  AAUW, along with a variety of other groups and organizations applaud the confirmation of this talented, well-qualified woman. What did you think of the vetting process that preceded Judge Sotomayor’s confirmation?

 A few weeks ago, during the Senate hearings, Marie Wilson, initiator of The White House Project wrote an article published online by the Huffington Post entitled “Our Children Are Watching.”  I think her words are profound, and worth reprinting, in part, for the consideration of AAUW members.

Marie Wilson refers to those long-ago days before the success of the Take Our Daughters to Work Day campaign.  The organizers of that event said to themselves, “A girl is watching.  What is she learning about  being a woman?”  Their hope was that posing the question “would force women and men alike to view their surroundings in a completely different light, and reexamine the subtle and overt messages which girls interact with on a daily basis.”

As Marie watched the Sotomayor hearings she returned to the question of what girls are learning from the images they are seeing on the screen.  She writes:

The knowledge we are imparting to girls is this:  you may work really hard and make it to the top of your class. You may get distinguished degrees from princeton and Yale, have a successful career, and even be hand-picked by the President of the United States for the highest court in the land.  yet people on TV will call you “domineering” because you’re an outspoken woman.  They will bring up your menstruation and call it “really bad” for the decisions you make.  if you’re a woman of color, they may even joke about sending you vacuum cleaners to clean up after meetings.  At the very least, you will be asked to cut off the parts of yourself that reflect your race or gender in exchange for a seat at the tables of power.

While there are those who see Justice Sotomayor as a role model for young women, particularly women of color, who may choose to follow in her footsteps, the proceedings may also serve to discourage them from following her example, precisely because of the treatment they witnessed during the hearings.  Will young boys believe this treatment is acceptable and deserved?  Senators, including Majority Leader Harry Reid, described the questioning as fair and evenhanded, with no acknowledgement of bias or lack of sensitivity.  What does that say about the highest levels of leadership in the country?

In her conclusion Marie Wilson writes:  “I implore our congressional leaders and our talking heads to take this weighty concept into account the next time they judge Sotomayor on anything but her record and merits - and to remember, our children are watching.”

Barbara Bonsignore

Posted under Equity in the News

Learning new skills is sometimes challenging, but almost always worthwhile.

Posted under Equity in the News

           I will openly admit I’ve struggled with the open membership issue as it relates to our proposed bylaws.  Even as I write this and read it back I cringe.  I’ve always believed myself to have an open mind…open to all points of an argument.  But I’m hesitating over opening membership to anyone who is committed to our mission versus those who’ve earned a degree. 

            I’ve heard argument after argument as to why I should be open to this issue:  inclusive versus exclusive (strong argument); if we, as an organization, advocate for equity in education and breaking barriers for women and girls how can we put obstacles in their path to that very organization?

            But then I hear myself say (or think), ‘but don’t we serve as examples and motivation to other women to achieve their education; won’t this change the type of organization we are; would the American Bar Association allow people who have not passed the bar to join the ABA; we can’t be called by the same name (University Women);’ and on and on.

            I do believe part of my hesitation hinges on two things…change and control.  No one seems to like change over which they have no control.   But I do have control over how I react to change.  

            Since AAUW has allowed men to be members and have allowed those with an associate’s degree to join we have not been overrun by men or people with associate’s degrees…we haven’t been overrun by anyone.  We are still struggling to recruit…anyone.

            I’m thinking it’s time we all look at AAUW, not as a precious treasure to be locked away in a cabinet never to be touched, only to be looked at, but as a working tool to move our mission forward; including those who believe as we do that women and girls deserve a place at every table no matter the size, no matter the structure to hear their strong clear voices, “Women and girls matter!”

Kathy Banfield Shaw

AAUW of Michigan President

Member, Marshall & Battle Creek branches

May 2009

Posted under AAUW of Michigan, Equity in the News, The AAUW Community