Outlook
Spring/Summer 2008 Vol. 102 No. 1
OTHER FEATURE STORIES
Voter
Turnout
Women Political
Cartoonists
TechSavvy
Girls
Contents
Where the Girls Are
Spring/Summer 2008 Vol. 102 No. 1
Features
AAUW
Ruth Sweetser
Barbara O’Connor
Linda D. Hallman, CAE
Jill Birdwhistell, PhD
President,
AAUW Association
President,
AAUW Educational Foundation
Executive Director
Chief of Strategic Advancement
D. Ashley Carr
Rebecca Lanning
Alan Callander
Elizabeth Bolton
Director of Communications
AAUW Outlook Editor
Layout and Design
Senior Editor
Kemmell Watson
Advertising Representative
AAUW and the AAUW Educational Foundation advance equity for
women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. AAUW,
founded in 1881, is open to all graduates who hold an associate’s or
higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university. In
principle and in practice, AAUW values and seeks a diverse membership. There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation,
national origin, disability, or class. This publication is available in
alternative formats for those with visual impairments. For information, contact the AAUW Helpline at 800/326-AAUW (2289) or
[email protected].
AAUW Outlook (ISSN 1044-5706) is published by AAUW and distributed free of charge to all AAUW members. For information, contact the AAUW Helpline at 800/326-AAUW (2289), helpline@
aauw.org, or 202/785-7700 (TDD). To join, contact 800/326-AAUW
(2289) or [email protected].
Editorial offices: AAUW Publications Office, 1111 Sixteenth St. N.W.,
Washington, DC 20036 ([email protected]), 202/785-7700, fax 202/
463-7169.
Advertising: AAUW Outlook Advertising Office, same address,
202/728-7742 ([email protected]). Address changes: AAUW Member
Records, same address, 800/326-AAUW ([email protected]). AAUW
home page on the Internet: www.aauw.org.
Copyright 2008 AAUW. All rights reserved. AAUW Outlook is available on microfilm from University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, MI 48106.
Printed in the U.S.A.
Where the Girls (and Boys) Are—
and Where the Real Crisis Is
7
By Christianne Corbett
AAUW’s latest research report examines the
current state of education, highlighting the
progress of women and girls while debunking
the so-called boys’ crisis.
Helping Girls Envision a
Tech-Savvy Future
12
By Tamara Brown
The Tech Savvy conference in Buffalo, New York,
is inspiring girls to envision careers in science,
technology, engineering, and math.
Ready, Set, Vote!
AAUW’s Woman-to-Woman Voter
Turnout Program
16
By Lisa Maatz
Get ready for the presidential election—and other
key races—with AAUW’s Woman-to-Woman
Voter Turnout Program.
Plus: Special Pullout Section
AAUW Congressional Voting Record
A Thousand Words:
Women Cartoonists Let Their
Drawings Do the Talking
20
By Elizabeth Bolton
Meet two Pulitzer Prize–winning women in a
male-dominated field who are making their
opinions known—without saying a word.
Departments
From the Executive Director
Presidents’ Message
Member Spotlight
Equity Watch
AAUW News and Notices
Affinity Partner Report
Marketplace
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AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
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From the Executive Director
Strength In Numbers
I
am honored to be given the opportunity to serve as the executive director of our prestigious and historic organization. The six
months since I joined AAUW have been both exciting and energizing. I am especially fortunate to have come into my role at a
time when members and leaders have made so much progress in
laying the groundwork for organizational transformation. Their
vision for the future—and their eagerness for AAUW’s revitalization—is incredibly motivating.
In my long career as a leader in national nonprofit organizations, I have always regarded AAUW as one of the most powerful, dynamic, and influential associations in our country. For
many years, early in my career, I was a soprano soloist with the
U.S. Army Band and Chorus. Now, with AAUW, I am proud to
be using my voice in a different way, speaking out for values that
unify us as a community dedicated to breaking through educational and economic barriers so that all women have a fair chance.
Every time I talk about this remarkable organization, people
are impressed with our strength—our nearly 100,000 members
throughout the country. While many organizations claim significant numbers of “supporters,” we have actual, committed members, who care deeply about our mission and work hard to
advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education,
and research.
To put it another way, imagine all of us converging on New
York City—we could fill Madison Square Garden five times over!
If each AAUW member represented a mile, we would stretch
from coast to coast 37 times! And if we came together to create
our own “City of AAUW,” our population would rival that of
Savannah, Cambridge, Santa Barbara, Sioux Falls, or Green Bay.
We are truly a powerful force!
Even more exciting is what we do with our power—what we
have been doing for women and girls for 126 years. Nationally, we
are the leading nonprofit association supporting graduate education for women, providing more than $4 million in fellowships
and grants annually. At the local level, we give easily that much for
undergraduate scholarships each year as well. We have literally
www.aauw.org
Linda D. Hallman, CAE
AAUW Executive Director
educated thousands of women who may never have been able to
receive their education without us!
We also exercise our power with Congress, where AAUW’s visibility, expertise, and credibility give us significant influence on
issues important to women—pay equity, education, Title IX, civil
rights, social security, FMLA, taxes, and many more. We don’t
win every battle, but they always know we’re there—and that we’ll
be back!
Our outstanding research has always fueled our strength. Our
most recent report, Where the Girls Are: The Facts About Gender
Equity in Education, debunks once and for all the myth of the
“boys’ crisis” in education. The report received terrific coverage by
major news media across the country, earning front-page placement in the Washington Post and prominent features in the New
York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and USA Today and on the
NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. AAUW’s ability to capture media
attention demonstrates the power and credibility of our message.
There is incredible strength in our “City of AAUW,” each of
us committed to a fair chance for women and girls. Our challenge
in the coming years is to leverage this power collectively to achieve
our dream of gender equity.
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
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Presidents’ Message
AAUW’s Future: It’s Up to You!
Over the past several years, AAUW members have been engaged in an intensive effort
to transform our organization while also expanding our reach and impact. In February,
at the joint meeting of the Association and Educational Foundation boards, board
members adopted a Value Promise to serve as a benchmark for assessing every activity
and program we undertake. This promise succinctly expresses the value of affiliation
with AAUW:
Ruth Sweetser
By joining AAUW, you belong to a community that breaks through educational and
economic barriers so that all women have a fair chance.
Barbara O’Connor
This simple concept has far-reaching implications for unifying AAUW; it reflects our
values and provides a vision for our future, and it embraces all who share those values
and vision. Many challenges remain ahead of us, but with this Value Promise clearly in
mind, we are already moving forward. Here are some current projects that advance our
mission and will help our AAUW community break down barriers and give all women
that fair chance.
In May, AAUW released a new research report, Where the Girls Are: The Facts About
Gender Equity in Education. This comprehensive study of girls’ educational
achievements describes the remarkable progress girls have made in the last 35 years,
while refuting the myth of a “boys’ crisis” in our schools. More important, it shows that
we must reach out to students who are facing educational barriers: those who need skills
and opportunities that will enable them to overcome the consequences of the incomerelated disparities that divide our schools and our country.
Read more about the report in this issue of AAUW Outlook, and learn about a program
in Buffalo, New York, that is already helping girls break through educational and
economic barriers by promoting initiatives in the traditionally higher-paying fields of
science, technology, engineering, and math. A part of the National Girls Collaborative
Project, the Buffalo branch’s Tech Savvy program is a terrific example of what the
AAUW community is doing to advance our mission.
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AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
www.aauw.org
Presidents’ Message
“A ship in port is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.”
—Grace Murray Hopper, Pioneering Computer Scientist and Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy
This spring, AAUW branches and states have been incredibly active, with our work on
Equal Pay Day and in support of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act garnering much attention
to the pay gap and workplace discrimination. These successes demonstrate that when more
women take part in the political process, the issues that matter to women are more likely to
receive the consideration they deserve.
Promoting women’s active participation in the upcoming election, therefore, is a key strategy
to overcoming the obstacles to equity that remain in place in the United States today. As
Election Day approaches, AAUW’s Voter Turnout Campaign is in full swing. Read the
article about the voter campaign in this issue to find out how you can participate in your
community to make this election count. We are pleased to provide the AAUW Congressional
Voting Record, 110th Congress, as a special pullout section to help you get started.
Engaging in research and advocating for issues we care about are two of AAUW’s strategies
for ensuring that all women have a fair chance—at getting a good education and earning a
decent wage in an equitable workplace. When each one of us in the AAUW national
community helps implement these strategies in a focused way, we can indeed break down
barriers and improve women’s lives.
In closing, we invite you to attend the 2009 AAUW Convention, which will take place June
26–28, 2009, at the historic Renaissance Grand & Suites Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri.
Formerly known as the Statler Hotel, this strikingly beautiful setting for the 2009 AAUW
Convention was once the site of a 1919 women’s suffrage convention that led to the
founding of the League of Women Voters. As we transform AAUW into a revitalized
organization with a vibrant Value Promise, we are transforming our convention, too. Stay
tuned for more information about the convention’s new format and features, and please plan
to join us in St. Louis!
Ruth Z. Sweetser
President
AAUW Association
www.aauw.org
Barbara L. O’Connor
President
AAUW Educational Foundation
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
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Member Spotlight
AAUW Women Honored
Ann Kerman
On March 10, the California State
Assembly honored Ann Kerman, who
was named Woman of the Year for the
38th Assembly District. Vice president of
membership for the AAUW Santa Clarita
Valley (CA) Branch, Kerman is the constituent program manager of the Los
Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
She previously served as the executive
director of the Santa Clarita Valley School
and Business Alliance, an organization
that provides local students with career
education and experience. Assemblyman
Cameron Smyth nominated Kerman for
the honor. “I have had the pleasure of
working with [Kerman] for several years,
and her commitment to the students of
our community is unmatched,” Smyth
said in a statement. He also highlighted her
extensive community service involvement.
significant accomplishments over her
35-year career. The annual award honors
Marylhurst graduates who have excelled
in their chosen fields.
Mayer had a long and distinguished
career in the Air Force, holding positions
in the Office of the Secretary of Defense,
the Defense Logistics Agency, the Defense
Security Assistance Agency, the Defense
Contract Management Agency, and the
headquarters of the Air Force. She was
also decorated with the Defense Superior
Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and
the Bronze Star.
After her discharge from the military,
Mayer worked as the deputy vice president of KBR Government and Infrastructure’s Global Procurement and
Col. Mary J. Mayer (left) with Marylhurst University
President Nancy Wilgenbusch
Supply Management Organization. She
continues to volunteer with veterans’
associations and as a mentor.
In October, Marylhurst University
honored Col. Mary J. Mayer, U.S.
Air Force (Ret.), with the 2007 Nancy
Wilgenbusch Distinguished Professional
Award. Mayer, co-president of the AAUW
Gresham (OR) Branch, was selected for
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AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
www.aauw.org
Where the Girls (and Boys) Are—
and Where the Real Crisis Is
By Christianne Corbett
AAUW’s new research report, Where the Girls Are, takes a detailed look at the
status of girls in education. Despite media attention devoted to the so-called boys’
crisis, the report finds that this focus on gender overlooks key factors affecting the
persistent achievement gaps among students in the United States today.
W
omen and girls have made
tremendous progress in education
over the past century, in part as a
result of the work of AAUW
members and others committed
to gender equity in education.
Today, on average, girls earn
higher GPAs in high school than
boys do, and women make up a
majority of undergraduates on
college campuses. Yet many people remain uncomfortable with the educational advances of girls
and women, especially when they threaten to outdistance their
male peers.
The AAUW Report: How Schools Shortchange Girls, published
in 1992, set off a stormy public debate fueled, at least in part, by
this discomfort. The report found that girls received less attention in the classroom than boys did and that girls were not well
represented in math-related fields. As the “girls’ crisis” received
increasing attention, critics countered that boys were the new
disadvantaged group, facing discrimination in schools now
designed to favor girls. From the incendiary book The War
Against Boys: How Misguided Feminism Is Harming Our Young
Men (Sommers, 2000) to more subtle insinuations such as the
New York Times headline “At Colleges, Women Are Leaving
Men in the Dust” (Lewin, 2006), a backlash against the
www.aauw.org
achievements of girls and
women emerged.
Today, much of the popular
discourse on gender and education reflects a shift in focus
from girls to boys, implying
that issues of equity for girls
have been addressed and now it
is time to focus on boys.
AAUW’s latest report, Where
the Girls Are: The Facts About
Gender Equity in Education, refutes this notion and puts to rest
fears of a “boys’ crisis” in education. The report demonstrates
that girls’ successes have not come at boys’ expense and that
neither girls nor boys are unilaterally succeeding or failing. In
fact, by most indicators—such as standardized math and reading test scores, high school graduation rates, and attainment of
college degrees—both boys and girls on average are doing better than ever.
This trend does not mean that all boys and girls are doing
well, however. Large discrepancies have always existed in the
American educational system and continue today. These longstanding inequalities could be considered a “crisis” in the sense
that action is urgently needed. But the crisis is not specific to
boys; rather, it is a crisis for Hispanic, African American, and
low-income children—both girls and boys.
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
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Girls’ Successes Not at Boys’ Expense
One of the first things one notices when looking at
the many charts in Where the Girls Are is that both
girls’ and boys’ average test scores on standardized elementary and secondary school exams, such as the
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP),
have improved or remained stable in recent decades.
If girls’ achievements came at the expense of boys, one
would expect to see boys’ scores decline as girls’ scores
rose, but that’s not what has happened.
Geographical patterns further support the idea that
girls and boys succeed or fail together. In states where
girls do well on tests, boys also do well, and states with
low average test scores among boys tend to have low
scores among girls. For example, test scores on the
2007 main NAEP fourth-grade math assessment by
state show that the five highest-scoring states for boys—
Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Kansas, and
Minnesota—were also the highest-scoring states for girls.
Similarly, three of the four states with the lowest scores for
boys—Mississippi, New Mexico, and Alabama—were also three
of the lowest-scoring states for girls.
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AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
Neither has girls’ success on college entrance exams come at
the expense of boys. While average scores for both girls and boys
have improved over time, on both the SAT and the ACT, boys
retain a small consistent lead in overall scores. On the SAT, boys
maintain an advantage on both the mathematics and verbal sections. On the ACT, boys perform better on the mathematics and
science sections, and girls perform better on the English and
reading sections.
High school graduation rates
and college attendance present a
similar story. Women are attending and graduating from high
school and college at a higher rate
than are their male peers, but these
gains have not come at men’s
expense. Indeed, the percentage of
young men graduating from high
school and earning college degrees
today is at an all-time high.
Women have made more rapid
gains in earning college degrees,
but both women and men are
more likely to graduate from college today than ever before, and
among traditional-age undergraduates from high-income families,
men are still more likely than
women to attend college.
Perhaps the most compelling
evidence against the existence of a
boys’ crisis is that men continue to
outearn women in the workplace.
Among all women and men working full time, year-round, women’s
median annual earnings were
77 percent of men’s earnings in
2005. And according to AAUW’s
Behind the Pay Gap report (2007),
one year out of college, women
working full time earn just 80 per-
www.aauw.org
cent of what their male colleagues
earn; 10 years out of college,
women earn only 69 percent of
men’s earnings.
Family Income and
Race/Ethnicity
Family income level and race/
ethnicity are closely associated with
academic performance. On standardized tests such as the NAEP,
SAT, and ACT, children from the
lowest-income families have the
lowest average test scores, with an
incremental rise in family income
associated with a rise in test scores.
Race/ethnicity is also strongly
associated with test scores, with
African American and Hispanic
children scoring significantly lower
on average than white and Asian
American children. African American and Hispanic students and students from low-income families
also have lower high school and
college graduation rates than do
Asian American and white students and students from higher-income families.
Exploring reasons for racial/ethnic disparities is beyond the
scope of the report. We do know, however, that a strong relationship between race/ethnicity and family income level exists
and that part of the racial/ethnic differences in educational
achievement results from differences in family income level.
The true extent of the overlap between income and race/ethnicity may be masked by limited measures of family income.
Other possible explanations for the educational achievement
gaps by race/ethnicity include differences in school funding
and quality, teacher expectations, and racism.
African American and Hispanic girls have a great deal in
common with African American and Hispanic boys in terms
of educational performance. For example, the U.S. Census
Bureau reported in 2006 that, overall, approximately 4 percent
more women than men ages 25 to 29 had completed high
school. But while 95 percent of white women had completed
high school, only 67 percent of Hispanic women and 61 percent of Hispanic men had done so, resulting in a gap of 28
percentage points between white and Hispanic women and a
much smaller gap of 6 percentage points between Hispanic
women and men.
Gender differences in educational achievement vary by
race/ethnicity and family income level as well. The 2007
main NAEP math assessment for the eighth grade is a
good example of this variation. Among students who took
this exam, a gender gap of 2 percentage points favored
boys. When broken down by race/ethnicity, however, a
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three-point gap favored males among white students, no
significant gender gap appeared among Hispanic students,
and a one-point gap favored girls among African
American students.
Similarly, boys outperformed girls on average on both the
math and verbal portions of the SAT. Broken down by
race/ethnicity and family income level, however, the male
advantage on the verbal portion of the SAT showed up only
among students from low-income families and was not seen
among African Americans. From these examples, it is clear
that talking about “girls” or “boys,” “men” or “women” as
homogenous groups is often meaningless. Race/ethnicity
and income level must be taken into consideration as well.
Conclusion
The overarching message of Where the Girls Are is one of
good news. Overall and within racial/ethnic groups and family income levels, girls and boys are improving by most measures of educational achievement, and most achievement gaps
between students of different races/ethnicities and income levels are narrowing. The past few decades have seen remarkable
gains for girls and boys in education, and no evidence indicates a crisis for boys in particular.
Yet the disparities by race/ethnicity and income level are
persistent. The achievement gap by family income level is
already apparent when children enter kindergarten. As students progress through the educational system, these achievement gaps remain stubbornly in place. On average, most chil-
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
9
dren from families with higher incomes—both girls and
boys—test well and go on to colleges and universities, whereas poor children perform poorly on tests and are more likely
to enter the workforce without a college degree. The achievement gap is also observed in racial/ethnic groups, with
African American and Hispanic students underperforming
compared with their Asian American and white peers.
The recent success of the bestseller The Dangerous Book for
Boys, which includes chapters entitled “Making a Bow and
Arrow,” “The Five Knots Every Boy Should Know,”
“Slingshots,” and “Famous Battles,” suggests a yearning for
so-called simpler times when gender roles were more clearly
defined and boys could be boys. In part, the idea of a boys’
crisis in education has garnered so much media attention
because many of the ideas put forth by its proponents—for
example, that boys are disadvantaged by the “feminized”
classroom—are based on this nostalgic idea that boys and
girls have very different roles, are fundamentally very different, and by extension learn very differently.
A “girls versus boys” framework has broad appeal but is
not an effective way of understanding the problems in education because the categories “girls” and “boys” are just too
broad. Gender differences cannot be fully understood without attention to race/ethnicity and family income level.
There is no boys’ crisis in education. The true crisis is that
American schoolchildren are deeply divided across race/ethnicity and family income level, and improvement has been
slow and unsteady. Where the Girls Are: The Facts About
Gender Equity in Education is a call for action to refocus the
public debate on these deep divisions.
Christianne Corbett is AAUW’s research associate and a coauthor of the
research report Where the Girls Are: The Facts About Gender Equity
in Education.
Visit www.aauw.org to download a free copy of
AAUW’s Where the Girls Are and to view press coverage
from the release of the report.
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AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
www.aauw.org
Helping Girls Envision a Tech-Savvy Future
By Tamara Brown
AAUW’s new research report, Where the Girls Are, shows that students from low-income
families are less likely than their peers from higher-income families to graduate from high
school or college. Without a solid education, these students may face lifelong economic
hardships. The Tech Savvy program helps students see the opportunities presented by careers in
the traditionally well-paying areas of science, technology, engineering, and math.
T
he concept of seeing new possibilities underlies the efforts of
the AAUW Buffalo (NY) Branch’s Tech Savvy conference.
Inspired by the AAUW research report of the same name, the
conference provides girls in western New York a fun way to
explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and math
(STEM). Three years since its inception, the program serves about
350 students and 170 parents, educational professionals, and
other adults and is now the largest program of its type in the western New York area.
Why Tech Savvy?
The Tech Savvy conference
is a great asset to the Buffalo
metropolitan area. According
to the Buffalo News, more than
one-third of the children in
Buffalo live below the poverty
level, and the New York Times
reports that only about 45 percent of Buffalo-area students
entering ninth grade go on to
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AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
graduate from high school. That graduation rate is even further
reduced for students from the inner city and for racial and ethnic minorities. Thus, there exists a persistent need to encourage
students to stay in school and reap the benefits of economic security that education affords. Through the Tech Savvy program,
AAUW collaborates with local school districts, as well as with
industry, university, and community partners, to provide that
encouragement to students.
Research by the National
Center for Education Statistics
shows that, in fourth grade, the
number of girls and boys who
express a fondness for math and
science is approximately equal. By
eighth grade, twice as many boys
as girls show an interest in these
subjects. Moreover, among girls
and boys who perform equivalently, girls typically display a
lower level of confidence in their
abilities, according to the Report
www.aauw.org
Connecting the dots between preparation and
career goals may be particularly problematic for students
from underserved populations.
of the Congressional Commission on the
Advancement of Women and Minorities in
Science, Engineering, and Technology
Development.
In addition to these trends, other societal forces may reinforce girls’ preconceptions about science and math. Data from
the National Science Foundation indicate
that women currently make up only about
25 percent of the science, engineering, and
technology workforce, so media images
and available female role models may be
rare. And, as AAUW’s Tech-Savvy report
notes, the adults in girls’ lives may send
subtle, unintended messages that do not
encourage girls to pursue STEM; in fact,
adults’ lack of familiarity with technology
and STEM issues may create a gap in providing support to girls. Limited access to
technology in many poor and distressed
communities exacerbates this divide for
girls from lower-income families.
How the Conference Works
Tech Savvy is a one-day conference
that encourages sixth- to ninth-grade
girls to explore STEM careers and to
begin considering their personal path to
college. Because students need the support of parents, teachers, and other significant adults in their lives to succeed,
the Tech Savvy conference also includes
workshops for adults.
Students spend the day with engaging
professionals—mostly women—in sessions they choose from a selection of
twenty workshops. From architecture to
zoology, these workshops endeavor to
accomplish three goals.
First, the workshops illuminate an academic or professional principle. The Buffalo
branch’s Tech Savvy committee tries to balance the material presented in the conference to include both basic sciences and
industry-relevant topics. For example, this
year’s workshop selections included “Six
Sigma Bling,” a workshop that reinforced
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the use of statistics and principles from Six
Sigma process improvement methodology
in making jewelry, and each girl left with a
bracelet she made using these principles.
Second, workshops provide career
information. A hallmark of the student
experience is the opportunity to interact
with dynamic women at the height of their
professions. Workshop leaders give students a chance to explore and ask questions about the pros and cons of various
STEM-related careers. Students are often
surprised at the diversity of career options
available in the local area.
Perhaps most important, the workshops also help students appreciate the
preparation needed for these careers, as
well as optional career paths that they
can pursue. At this year’s conference,
keynote speaker Camille Alleyne of
NASA had a wonderful exchange with a
ninth-grade student who wanted to pursue an aerospace career but didn’t really
like sciences. This thinking is not entirely
uncommon. Connecting the dots between
preparation and career goals may be particularly problematic for students from
underserved populations or for those
whose family members have not attended
college.
Not Just for Girls
Tech Savvy is not just for girls. Subtle
and direct messaging about stereotypical
roles for girls and boys can affect girls’
openness to STEM classes and careers.
Because students receive their most frequent messages at home, the parent sessions are an important aspect of Tech
Savvy. In the midst of today’s many parenting demands, it is especially difficult for
those who are unfamiliar with the educational system to help their children navigate the path toward higher education. For
Tech Savvy participants to be successful,
parents, grandparents, educators, and leaders must continue to reinforce the conference message well after the program ends.
The adult component of the program
is growing. Parents explore issues such as
academic and financial preparation for
college and improving relations with
teachers and counselors. Education professionals and other leaders can learn more
about the latest AAUW research on girls in
STEM, as well as AAUW’s participation in
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
13
the National Girls Collaborative Project.
This year’s conference also included a
public policy briefing, a separate training
track for nonparents, and some fun—a
scientific demonstration and experiment
for the adults.
Savvy Recruiting
Reaching students and the adults in
their lives is increasingly important in
populations where educational resources
are limited, so recruitment is a major
focus of the planning effort for each Tech
Savvy conference. At the Buffalo branch,
our recruitment strategy is, “If we invite
them, they will come.”
This year the branch distributed over
7,000 conference brochures to previous
conference attendees, organizations that
have partnered with the branch in the
past, and other like-minded organizations. Groups such as the Girl Scouts,
after-school programs, pregnancy prevention programs, and grassroots community organizations have proved invaluable
in spreading the word.
The branch also reaches out to local
school districts in many ways—through
individual teachers and counselors, coordinated mailings, and other programs. In
the city school district, the most diverse
district in the greater Buffalo area, this
close working relationship has yielded
district-wide e-promotion of the conference to teachers, counselors, and administrative staff and has boosted both
student and professional attendance.
The “wide brushstroke” approach
applies to both geography and educational background. Participants come
from the city, suburbs, and rural areas;
some drive as far as two or three hours to
attend. Their educational backgrounds
are equally diverse. We target charter
schools, private schools, parochial
schools, and educational support services
for the Native American community.
With additional help from print, television, and billboard advertising, the
recruitment process continues to yield a
large attendance. The program budget
includes transportation grants and fee
14
For Tech Savvy participants to be
successful, parents, grandparents,
educators, and leaders must continue
to reinforce the conference message
well after the program ends.
waivers so that there are few barriers to
attendance for students. Because of our
efforts to keep the program affordable—
participants pay just $5—waivers are
rarely requested.
Building Community,
Getting Results
For the Buffalo branch, one of the most
affirming aspects of the Tech Savvy program is seeing the women of the next generation working together. Schools have
also reported positive effects from the program. Some past participants have used
what they learned at the conference in science projects and career day presentations.
As a result, many teachers and schools
have begun to include the program in their
yearly plans, and many school groups now
regularly attend the conference.
Because of the conference, the Buffalo
branch receives and accepts many invitations to talk about the importance of
equitable education and STEM for girls.
These events in turn offer us a great
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
chance to promote the program—and
sometimes gain new AAUW members.
Since the start of the Tech Savvy conference, the branch has forged partnerships with others who want to get into
the act. The branch funded the first conference with proceeds from an annual
book sale and generous support from the
Praxair Foundation, a partnership that is
continuing. Since then, SUNY Buffalo
has joined the effort, and each year new
partners sign on.
But the best news for our branch,
our partners, and our community is the
response of the Tech Savvy participants:
“I loved it. Thank you. You should do
this again,” said one Tech Savvy student
in her evaluation.
Said another, “Now, I want to go to
college.”
Yes, we think we’ve opened a few eyes
to some new possibilities.
Tamara Brown is president of the AAUW
Buffalo (NY) Branch.
www.aauw.org
Ready,Set, Vote!
AAUW’s Woman-to-Woman Voter Turnout Program
By Lisa Maatz
Women have a tremendous amount at stake on November 4, 2008, and we know it.
This spring, women voters of all ages flooded polling places and caucuses in record numbers.
Now it’s time to get ready for November with AAUW’s Voter Turnout Program.
A part of AAUW’s longtime voter education campaign, our Woman-to-Woman
Voter Turnout Program rests
on this simple but profound
premise: the more women
speak their minds, the more
likely the issues we care about
will rise to the top in policy
debates. Voting is a critical
way that women can use our
political voices to make positive change, as the suffragists
recognized long ago.
And despite the
well-documented
gender gap, in which
more women vote
than men, many
women still don’t
exercise their franchise. AAUW’s Woman-to-Woman Voter Turnout Program and
members across the country are working to change that.
Up for grabs this election year are 35 Senate seats (two more
than usual thanks to some special elections), 435 House seats
(plus the five nonvoting delegates, including the race in
Washington, D.C.), and—in one of the most historic and
watchable races ever—the keys to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Also up for debate is some old-style thinking about red states and
blue states, as well as swing states and purple states. The status
quo is being challenged, and new voters are a big part of the reason for this shift. Many of these new voters are women college
students, who are not just voting for the first time but also getting personally involved in the campaigns.
Truly, politics as usual is not the norm this election. Just ask
likely Republican presidential nominee and decorated veteran
John McCain. The pundits said he didn’t have enough money to
gas up his campaign bus in January, yet now the maverick candi-
date tops the GOP ticket. Or
ask Hillary Clinton, whose frontrunner/presumptive nominee
status was upended by Barack
Obama, the charismatic freshman senator who seems to have
come out of nowhere. That a
woman was a national party
frontrunner—and was seen by
many as the likely nominee
when the race began—should
have been our first clue that, in
this election, many of the old
rules no longer apply.
The congressional
elections find the
Democrats working
to defend their newly
won majorities in
both the House and
Senate, at a time
when Congress is about as unpopular as lame-duck President
George W. Bush. The House Democrats took a rare prize,
snatching the seat of retiring Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL). The
longest-serving Republican Speaker of the House, Hastert
resigned at the end of 2007 and watched his solidly Republican
district go blue in a March special election. Democrats immediately tried to pronounce the race a bellwether for the fall, but a
lot can happen in five months, and this loss could just as easily
help Republicans rally the troops.
Congress is vital to advancing AAUW’s member-adopted
Public Policy Program. Not only does the legislative branch hold
the power of the purse, determining priority programs through
the allocation of our tax dollars, but it also plays a critical oversight role in ensuring that the executive branch implements laws
in ways that are consistent with congressional intent. AAUW,
through our dedicated membership, has long worked to educate
elected officials about AAUW priority issues. Branches coordi-
Voting is a critical way that women can use our
political voices to make positive change.
16
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
www.aauw.org
nate issue forums, host candidate debates, and hold in-district
meetings with their members of Congress; AAUW members
also take the time to send letters to Congress or write letters to
the editor using AAUW’s Action Network e-advocacy system.
Through AAUW’s voter education
campaign, AAUW members also seek
to hold members of Congress
accountable for their actions.
Through AAUW’s voter education campaign, AAUW
members also seek to hold members of Congress accountable
for their actions—or lack thereof—on behalf of women and
girls. We do this by compiling and distributing nonpartisan
voter guides, as well as our AAUW Congressional Voting
Record, to the public. The voting record, which AAUW has
been publishing for more than 25 years, provides the roll call
votes of all members of Congress on key AAUW issues each
session. It is widely distributed and, this year, is included as a
special pullout section in this issue of Outlook. I hope you’ll
share it with friends, family, and others who care about electing policy makers who are committed to equity for women
and girls.
The White House also wields great influence to advance,
ignore, or even hinder AAUW priority issues. It’s no secret
that many longtime AAUW priorities are vulnerable to poor
enforcement or unfavorable regulatory changes, including the
Family and Medical Leave Act and Title IX, the law that prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs that receive
federal funds. Other issues, like pay discrimination and affir-
Lilly Ledbetter speaks in support of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, along
with AAUW’s Lisa Maatz (left) and Deborah Frett (right) of Business and
Professional Women/USA, on Equal Pay Day.
www.aauw.org
AAUW’s Member-Endorsed Public Policy
Program: How It’s Implemented
AAUW’s tradition of advancing equity for women and girls
through political means dates back to our earliest days. In 1913,
members began our first pay equity efforts with a report on U.S.
civil service job classifications and compensation. As early as
1922, AAUW’s legislative program called for a reclassification of
the U.S. civil service and for a repeal of salary restrictions in the
U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau. Even then,
AAUW’s research efforts informed our policy agenda, and today
they remain closely linked.
AAUW conducts advocacy work by lobbying policy makers,
mobilizing our membership, educating voters, and increasing
public awareness of issues, all to influence the debate on
AAUW’s priorities. AAUW’s Washington-based policy efforts
and actions in the field are carefully coordinated to ensure
maximum effect. For example, in any given week, a congressional office may hear from AAUW’s Capitol Hill Lobby Corps
and professional staff, as well as from you, their constituents,
who also happen to be AAUW members. These contacts, via
phone and e-mail, all focus on the same issue and convey a
coordinated message. This synergy is the key to a successful
grassroots effort.
AAUW’s advocacy work has always been political in nature;
this is a key point. AAUW is absolutely, positively nonpartisan:
we do not favor one party over another, and we do not endorse
partisan candidates. Our strength has always been that we
advance our priorities in a nonpartisan fashion, with elected officials from all political stripes. Not only does this policy reflect the
multi-partisan nature of our membership, it’s simply the smart
thing to do to be successful in Washington, D.C.
From AAUW’s very beginnings, however, members have
taken a stand on political questions: women’s suffrage, pay
equity, Title IX, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and many
more. AAUW’s advocacy on behalf of these issues stems from
our political positions about women’s equity. Our goal is
always to advance policies that break down educational and
economic barriers so that all women and girls have a fair
chance. Sometimes, of course, AAUW plays the spoiler, and
we do our best to block legislation that we believe is not in
women’s best interest.
But how does AAUW make these political decisions?
AAUW’s advocacy relies on our member-endorsed Public
Policy Program, which is developed and voted on by the membership and rests directly on AAUW’s mission. The AAUW
Public Policy and Government Relations Department—with
input from the member leaders of the AAUW Public Policy
Committee—implements the program. But it is AAUW member
advocates across the country—members like you, who speak
their minds, engage in voter education programs, and lead community-based coalitions—that truly advance AAUW’s mission
through our policy work.
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
17
mative action, are affected by the quality and commitment of
presidential appointees to such entities as the U.S. Civil Rights
Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission. Still other executive agencies set the tone for
women’s equity issues throughout the federal government: the
Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau and the Offices of
Civil Rights at both the Department of Justice and the
Department of Education are just a few key examples.
The tone and tenor of any presidential administration—its
priorities and philosophies—understandably have a ripple effect
throughout the executive branch. This “shadow presidency,”
while not as visible as the partisan byplay in Congress or budget
battles between the White House and Capitol Hill, nonetheless
provides the foundation that can determine progress or gridlock
on issues critical to AAUW’s member-adopted Public Policy
Program. And then, of course, there is the U.S. Supreme Court,
where so many of women’s gains have been forged and protected.
The president and the Senate control these lifetime appointments. Consider the case of Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Company (2007) and its detrimental effect on pay equity issues,
and you will understand the enormous influence high court decisions can have on women’s lives—and even women’s paychecks.
Clearly, then, the voter education campaign is an important
element of AAUW’s grassroots advocacy and one of the tools we
use to move the mission forward. Since the program’s expansion
in 1995, when we began to target nonmembers as well as members, AAUW has conducted voter education and get-out-thevote activities in almost every state. The campaign has achieved
The program plays a key role
in recruiting and retaining
AAUW members, building
branch and state capacity, and
forging diverse partnerships.
18
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
success in educating women voters—particularly those hard to
reach drop-off or newly registered voters—on the issues at stake
for women. States and branches that undertake voter education
campaigns also find that the program plays a key role in recruiting and retaining AAUW members, building branch and state
capacity, and forging diverse partnerships. The program can
also help to increase AAUW’s visibility and foster leadership
development among our members.
Central to the campaign, and newly revised for 2008, is the
Woman-to-Woman Voter Turnout manual. This original and
well-received AAUW publication guides members and coalition
partners step-by-step through putting together an effective getout-the-vote campaign.
The Woman-to-Woman Voter Turnout Program builds on
AAUW’s strengths. With more than 1,200 branches and a presence in every congressional district, AAUW has the reach to
mobilize women voters across the country. AAUW also has the
community ties and solid reputation with other organizations
needed to build local coalitions and implement communitybased campaigns. Perhaps most important, AAUW has a
nationwide membership that includes Middle America—not
just the two coasts—and Republicans, Democrats, and
Independents. AAUW’s Woman-to-Woman program doesn’t
tell women how to vote; it simply tells women how much we
value their vote and urges them to get to the polls.
Lisa Maatz is AAUW’s director of public policy and government relations.
Tools for Your 2008 Woman-to-Woman
Voter Education Campaign
(available at www.aauw.org unless otherwise noted)
• The Woman-to-Woman Voter Turnout manual,
a newly revised step-by-step guide for putting together
a great campaign
• AAUW Congressional Voting Record, 110th Congress,
First Session
• AAUW voter guide template (includes how-to information)
• AAUW media advisory template (to publicize your efforts)
• AAUW position papers
• AAUW “Power of One Vote” signs, buttons, stickers, and
postcards to publicize your activities and energize your
volunteers; also “I Am the Face of Pay Equity” signs and
stickers (e-mail [email protected] to request them, while
supplies last)
• AAUW “Power of One Vote” e-card to encourage women
to get to the polls
• Washington Update, AAUW’s members-only, weekly
e-bulletin providing the latest policy updates and
programming information, including voter education
campaign ideas (e-mail [email protected] to sign up)
• AAUW voter education campaign website, filled with tips,
suggestions, and useful links
www.aauw.org
A Thousand Words:
Women Cartoonists Let Their
Drawings Do the Talking
By Elizabeth Bolton
Signe Wilkinson Editorial Cartoon © 2008 Signe Wilkinson. Used with the permission of Signe
Wilkinson and the Washington Post Writers Group in conjunction with the Cartoonist Group.
As women voters prepare to make their voices heard this election season, a very small but very
vocal subset of women are making themselves heard loud and clear—without saying a word.
W
omen cartoonists are a small minority
in the largely male, largely white pool of
working editorial cartoonists, but a few
have broken through the ranks to produce some of the most well-respected cartoons available today. Signe Wilkinson of
the Philadelphia Daily News and Ann
Telnaes, a nationally syndicated cartoonist, each have won Pulitzer Prizes for their
work. As the most famous women in the
field, they enjoy wide distribution and
large audiences for their work.
Cartooning’s Early Days
Men have dominated the field of
American political cartooning since the
country’s early days, when Benjamin
Franklin drew the now-iconic segmented
snake, headlined “Join or Die,” to
encourage the colonies to band together
and ratify the Constitution. Indeed, the
legends of cartooning—Franklin in the
18th century, Thomas Nast in the 19th
century, and Herblock in the 20th century—are all men.
The historian Harry Katz describes the
Civil War era as the first golden age in
American political cartooning, with
newspapers in the North and South each
clamoring to excoriate the other side in
ink. Nast, the first to draw a rotund
Santa Claus and the creator of Uncle
Sam, the Republican elephant, and the
Democratic donkey, contributed much
to the lore of political cartoons. He first
rose to prominence during the Civil War.
Abraham Lincoln reportedly called Nast
his “best recruiting sergeant,” and
William “Boss” Tweed tried to buy his
20
silence with a $500,000 bribe in the
1870s. Nast’s cartoons are widely credited
with toppling Tweed’s Tammany Hall
regime, with Tweed himself best summing up the potential power of a political cartoon: “I don’t care so much what
the papers write about me. My con-
stituents can’t read. But damn it, they can
see pictures.”
While Nast’s influence may have been
exaggerated, political cartoons do have
the ability to communicate an opinion in
a glance; they can be more powerful than
words because their message is easy to
grasp quickly. Because of this potential for
widespread influence, it is not surprising
that women found themselves excluded
from the world of political cartooning.
“My constituents
Aggressive and Unladylike?
Women finally entered political cartooning with the suffrage movement.
Faced with an American public that
either didn’t care about suffrage or
equated voting with masculinity,
women began to use the visual power of
cartoons to serve their own interests.
From the cartoons of Nast and others,
suffragists began to understand that cartoons could just as easily depict and
comment on women’s issues. For the
first time, women proved themselves
can’t read. But
damn it, they can
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
see pictures.”
— William “Boss” Tweed
www.aauw.org
capable of handling a medium widely equal pay and freedom from sexual steam. Neither woman started her career
considered aggressive and unladylike— harassment, although issues of abortion as a cartoonist, but both eventually found
a perception that continues to influ- continue to produce cartoons that split themselves being pulled in that direction
ence the way the public thinks about between ‘prochoice’ and ‘prolife,’” note by their frustrations with the daily news as
editorial cartoons today.
Stephen Hess and Sandy Northrop, well as their ability to draw. Telnaes names
One hundred years later, little has authors of Drawn and Quartered: The the Tiananmen Square massacre and the
changed in the makeup of the cartoonist History of American Political Cartoons.
Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings
pool or in the public’s attitude toward
as events that sealed her cartooning fate.
the medium, although
Wilkinson says she
the cartoonist’s job is
began cartooning and
getting harder. As newscontinues to do so
“I try to illuminate what it feels
paper circulations con“because I can.”
tinue to fall, cartoonists
Both women are
like to be on the other side of the
are feeling the effect of
quick to point out that
changing media; more
they address many
rules and regulations written
and more papers are
topics with their work,
turning away from staff
not just what Telnaes
largely by men.”
cartoonists to syndidescribes as the “socated services, which
— Signe Wilkinson called women’s issues.”
cannot promise their
Wilkinson says that,
cartoonists regular work
while she doesn’t often
or publication. And while cartoonists
set
out
to
draw
women’s
issues per se, her
While neither Telnaes nor Wilkinson
can easily publish their work on the sees herself as a prophet for the women’s point of view as a woman certainly influInternet, it’s difficult to make any money movement, both acknowledge that gen- ences her work—and her ability to do
that way. As being a cartoonist becomes der factors into their art. As women in a that work. In fact, her first editor hired
more difficult, being a woman cartoonist male-dominated field, they possess a her specifically because she is a woman; he
does so to an even greater extent.
unique view and operate from a different was looking for a cartoonist with a differstandpoint than typical cartoonists. “I ent point of view.
Entering the Mainstream
But, as Telnaes adds, “There’s still sexwouldn’t say that I feel obligated to
When women’s issues have dominated [address women’s issues] … but I can’t ism, just as there is in most other profesmainstream media, cartoons have say that my being a woman with certain sions which have historically been
reflected that trend, and many cartoon- life experiences doesn’t impact how I dominated by men.” In a 2004 article,
ists advocate for progressive political approach my commentary,” said Telnaes. Wilkinson wrote, “Since I was hired at
Cartooning, for both women, is a way the San Jose Mercury News in 1982, only
positions that tend to favor women.
to
make themselves heard and to let off one other woman has been hired as a
“Today’s cartoonists are advocates for
“There’s still sexism,
just as there is in
most other
Reprinted with permission of the artist.
professions which
www.aauw.org
have historically
been dominated
by men.”
— Ann Telnaes
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
21
“True liberation is
not having a man
draw cartoons
defending your
rights, but being
able to draw your
own cartoons.”
— Signe Wilkinson
full-time cartoonist at a major daily
newspaper, and that was in 1995 when I
was hired at the Philadelphia Daily
News.” Wilkinson continued, “If sex
weren’t a factor, Ann Telnaes, the 2001
Pulitzer Prize winner, would have a staff
cartooning job by now.”
Art and Activism
When asked if they feel an obligation
to represent women’s issues in their art,
both women hesitate.
“That’s an interesting
question,” says Wilkinson. “I don’t set out to
do women’s issues, but I
do tend to do them
more than my male
counterparts.” She often
reveals her perspective as
a woman, even when
cartooning about universal issues. One of her
cartoons about the war
in Iraq, for example,
shows President George
W. Bush sitting in an
abortion clinic while a
doctor informs him of
the consequences of the
war before Bush can
decide whether to go through with the
procedure.
“I try to illuminate what it feels like to
be on the other side of the rules and regulations written largely by men,” Wilkinson says. “Politics has always been an
area where women are not as well represented as men,” Telnaes adds. “So if we
don’t want decisions being made by some
politician who doesn’t have a clue about
the realities of our lives, we had better get
involved and make ourselves heard
through elected office, activism, and art.”
Wilkinson perhaps put it best in her
2004 article, “Where the Girls Aren’t”:
“Much as I admire [male cartoonists’]
work, true liberation is not having a man
draw cartoons defending your rights, but
being able to draw your own cartoons.”
Elizabeth Bolton is the senior editor/writer in
AAUW’s Communications Department.
Signe Wilkinson Editorial Cartoon © 2008 Signe Wilkinson. Used with the permission of Signe Wilkinson and the
Washington Post Writers Group in conjunction with the Cartoonist Group.
22
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
www.aauw.org
Equity Watch
Where the Women Are
Combating Street
Harassment, One
Catcall at a Time
Should cities and towns
enact laws that would
prosecute catcallers? Holly
Kearl, program manager
of the AAUW Legal
Advocacy Fund, doesn’t
think it would hurt to try.
“The very act of lobbying for a law against street harassment can increase public
awareness of the problem, regardless of whether a law ultimately passes or not,” she said.
Kearl pondered this question as part of her master’s thesis,
“Direct Action, Education, Consciousness-Raising, Activism, and
the Internet: Methods for Combating Street Harassment.” Of the
225 women she surveyed, Kearl found that 98 percent had experienced some form of street harassment at least a few times and
about 30 percent reported being harassed on a regular basis.
Before writing her thesis, Kearl suspected that using the
judicial system to combat the problem might have limitations,
so she also looked at how people are fighting street harassment
in other ways. Some women deal with the whistles and shouts
by posting pictures of harassers on websites or confronting
them directly—if it’s safe to let them know their actions are
unwelcome.
“Since doing my research, I try to be more assertive when I
am harassed. I imagine that if woman after woman turned
around and said, ‘Leave me alone—that’s harassment’ or ‘Treat
me with respect’ to harassers, guys would eventually become
deterred from this behavior,” Kearl said.
Kearl’s work has appeared on CNN and ABC, in the
Toronto Globe and Mail, and on blogs. She’s glad that people
are talking about the issue.
“My hope is that dialogue combined with more respect for
women in our society might lead to fewer cases of street harassment,” said Kearl, who completed her degree in women’s studies and public policy from George Washington University in
2007. To find about more about combating street harassment,
visit www.stopstreetharassment.com.
Women and Political Giving
To help their candidates, women have historically given
checks of $50 or $100, stuffed envelopes, and knocked on
doors, according to a story published by the Dallas Morning
News. Now they are writing even bigger checks, however, and
the number of female campaign contributors who give more
24
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
than $200 has skyrocketed. According to the article, 61 percent
of those who gave between $200 and $1,000 to Hillary Clinton
were women. For Barack Obama and John McCain, those
numbers were 44 percent and 23 percent, respectively.
Top Companies for Women
The National Association for Female Executives (NAFE)
recently released its 2008 list of Top Companies for Executive
Women. The list, which includes frequent AAUW partners and
sponsors Prudential and Allstate, recognizes 10 companies that
provide a culture of success for women:
• Allstate Insurance Company
• American Express Company
• Bristol-Meyers Squibb Company
• Colgate-Palmolive Company
• IBM Corporation
• Liz Claiborne, Inc.
• The New York Times Company
• Principal Financial Group
• Procter & Gamble Company
• Prudential Financial
To apply for the list, a company must have at least two women
on its board. NAFE then evaluates applicants according to the
percentages of women who are board members, report directly to
the chief executive officer, serve as corporate executives, run major
operations, are included in succession plans, and earn top compensation. NAFE also considers opportunities for women within
each company, such as profit-and-loss responsibility, job rotations,
and training opportunities.
Although NAFE found that some already successful women
within top corporations had continued to advance, the organization reported a “disturbing lack of progress” in women’s leadership
overall. Catalyst, a corporate membership research organization,
says that the number of women on company boards or serving as
corporate officers has stalled at about 15 percent. NAFE found
that the number of top women earners in their list of Top
Companies had fallen from 27 in 2007 to 16 in 2008.
Global Summit on Women’s Economic Progress
AAUW Executive Director Linda Hallman
recently spoke at the 2008 Global
Summit of Women, held June 5–7
in Hanoi, Vietnam. More than
850 people convened to discuss
strategies for enhancing women’s
economic progress worldwide.
www.aauw.org
Equity Watch
Vietnam, the setting for this year’s summit, is seen as a leading example of women’s progress in the marketplace, with
almost a third of its largest companies headed by women.
“Across the globe as citizens, we all have to hold our elected
officials accountable for upholding laws designed to prohibit
discrimination in pay, hiring, and promotion. We also must
push for new laws that will continue to redress policies that
adversely affect women,’’ Hallman said during the summit.
Now in its 18th year, the summit featured a roundtable
with women government ministers, skill-building sessions,
and ample networking opportunities. About 70 countries
were represented at the event, including China, Japan,
Mongolia, Spain, South Korea, and the United States.
Luisa Diogo, the prime minister of Mozambique, gave the
keynote address. Diogo, who has made her mark as an antipoverty and health advocate, is waging a battle to stop the
HIV/AIDS epidemic affecting Mozambique, where 16 percent of the country’s 20 million citizens have contracted the
disease, costing the nation 1 percent of
its gross domestic product every year.
clear that simply being a woman in our society may jeopardize your financial security,” Hounsell says.
To view the report, visit www.paycheckforlife.org.
Win-Win Arrangements for Employee,
Employer Rare in U.S.
The United States lags behind 20 high-income countries
when it comes to workplace flexibility rights, according to a
report released by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research
(IWPR). The report, Statutory Routes to Workplace Flexibility
in Cross-National Perspective, reviews laws that allow employees to change their hours and work arrangements to balance
work and family commitments and facilitate lifelong learning
and gradual retirement.
While the laws vary by country, the majority of the nations
studied have statutes that allow parents to adjust their working hours, and nearly half have laws that allow flexibility for
training and education. Although there has been progress in
workplace practices, high-quality
flexible work arrangements are still
the exception in the United States.
Women May Find
“In the U.S., the choice tends to
Retirement Security Elusive
be either to work full-time all the
Retirees are supposed to take it
time, or work reduced hours, with
easy. But for too many women, that’s
low pay, no benefits, and little oppornot an option, according to a new
tunity for advancement. Faced with
that choice, and the high cost of child
report released by Americans for
care and elder care, many women are
Secure Retirement.
forced to leave the labor market,”
The Female Factor 2008: Why
Women Are at a Greater Financial Risk
THE FEMALE FACTOR said Barbara Gault, IWPR vice presi2008
dent and director of research.
in Retirement paints a disturbing picWhy
Women
Are
at
Greater
Financial
Risk
in
Retirement
The report concludes that enture: More than 11.5 percent of
and How Annuities Can Help
hanced
rights to flexible work can
women ages 65 and over live in
improve
the quality of life at home and
poverty. That translates into more
in
the
workplace,
support economic
than one out of every 10 women
growth
and
prosperity,
and contribute
retirees living on less than $10,000 per
By Cindy Hounsell,WISER
(Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement)
to
greater
gender
equality.
On the
year. For single women, that number
other
hand,
lack
of
workplace
flexibilrises to one out of every five women.
The report also found that the
ity is a key reason that some women
Secure Retirement
average social security benefit for
drop out of the workforce or accept
women is $800 per month, compared
low-paying, part-time positions.
with $1,177 for men. Cindy Hounsell, president of the
Women of the “sandwich generation” are often simultaneously
Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER) and
raising children and acting as caregivers for their parents.
author of the study, explains that women face economic
In 2007, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Rep. Carolyn
uncertainty in retirement because of their “unique chalMaloney (D-NY) introduced the U.S. Working Families
lenges.”
Flexibility Act, which would give all workers the right to
“With more years of out the workforce to care for family,
request alternative work schedules. Congress has yet to act on
combined with lower wages and a greater life expectancy, it’s
the measure.
ASR-white paper.F:Layout 1
5/19/08
12:19 PM
Page 1
A M E R I C A N S
F O R
www.paycheckforlife.org
www.aauw.org
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
25
AAUW News and Notices
Updates for Members
2009–11 Board of Directors Information
Would you like to play an active role in addressing the challenges AAUW faces now and in leading the restructured board
of directors into the future? AAUW needs dedicated, hardworking, creative, and forward-thinking team players to serve
on the 2009–11 board of directors.
Officers to be elected in 2009 are president, vice president,
and seven directors-at-large. Because new bylaws for the
restructured AAUW will be presented to the delegates at the
2009 convention, it is uncertain that there
will be any elected positions other than
the board of directors. A draft of the proposed bylaws revision will be circulated for
input and suggestions this summer.
Should the final proposal include further
elected positions, those who are interested
could be prepared to run from the floor.
Therefore, at the present time, the only
positions noticed for candidate application by October 1 are those on the board of directors, as
adopted at the 2007 convention.
The position descriptions and the candidate form are available in the Member Center of the AAUW website. The deadline to submit candidate forms is October 1, 2008. The candidates for president and vice president must have previously
served on the Association, Educational Foundation, or Legal
Advocacy Fund board of directors.
Current elected committee chairs and regional directors
who will have completed two terms in those positions are eligible to be elected as directors-at-large for one term.
Under the new board structure, six additional directors-atlarge will be appointed at the first meeting of incoming officers. The secretary and finance vice president will be appointed from the elected or appointed directors-at-large.
Questions should be directed to Sally Bailey, nominating
committee chair, or to Coco Siewert, parliamentarian. Their
contact information is in the Leadership Directory on the
AAUW website.
AAUW Bylaws Revision Update
Because a new set of bylaws, called a revision, will be presented to the 2009 convention delegates (as directed by the
2007 convention), the Call for Amendments process will be
different this year. Ordinarily the deadline for proposed
amendments to the bylaws is October 1. However, we are
not amending the current AAUW Bylaws since there will be
a complete revision, and that date will be too late for comments and suggested amendments to the revision. Draft
revised bylaws will be distributed to national-level positions
and state presidents in July for feedback by August 30. State
www.aauw.org
presidents may share the draft with state boards and branch
presidents. A form will be available to enable members to
make specific proposed amendments to the draft bylaws.
The Bylaws Committee is working hard to create AAUW
Bylaws that are streamlined and flexible and that will allow
AAUW to fulfill its mission effectively both locally and
nationally. The final proposed AAUW Bylaws will be printed
in the Spring/Summer 2009 issue of AAUW Outlook and
voted on at the 2009 convention in St. Louis, June 26–28.
Join the Dialog
AAUW Dialog, AAUW's new blog, is off to a fantastic start.
Since its launch in February, AAUW Dialog has become a
place for members and staff, as well as individuals outside the
organization, to come together and discuss issues of interest
to women and girls. If you haven't already done so, join in the
Dialog today! Is there a boys’ crisis in education? What can
you do about sexual harassment? Is negotiation really the
answer to pay equity? Share your thoughts! Visit AAUW
Dialog directly from the AAUW homepage at www.aauw.org
or go to http://blog-aauw.org.
Former Student Leader Returns to AAUW
Each year, AAUW invites hundreds of young women to
Washington, D.C., for the National Conference for College
Women Student Leaders, a weekend of workshops, speeches,
networking, and inspiration. The 2008 conference, held at
Georgetown University in
early June, was a resounding
success. More than 500 students attended the conference and went home with a
new arsenal of leadership
skills to help them effect
positive change on campus
and in the community.
Kate Farrar, director of
the AAUW Leadership and
Training Institute, attended
the student leadership conference in 2000 as a senior
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
27
AAUW
News and
Notices
Convention
Business
Section/Proposed Bylaws
at the University of Connecticut. Eight years later, she came
back to AAUW to help plan the 2008 conference and shape
the lives of young women the way AAUW had once helped to
shape hers.
“My attendance at the 2000 National Conference for
College Women Student Leaders was life-changing,” said
Farrar. After the conference, she earned a master’s degree in
public administration from the Maxwell School of Syracuse
University, worked as a lobbyist in the Connecticut state legislature, and served as a field organizer in Wisconsin for the 2004
presidential election. During her tenure as associate director of
national programs and policy at Wider Opportunities for
Women, Farrar led a nationwide project designed to help lowincome families achieve economic independence.
“I cannot say the path back to AAUW was planned, but it
brings me full circle in many ways,” she said. While working as
a lobbyist in Connecticut, she often worked with AAUW to
build coalitions on women’s issues. Returning to AAUW, she
said, reminds her of the passion she felt at the conference, and
she was excited to again participate in an event that had been so
meaningful in her life. “I loved seeing in each of those young
women the same vibrant possibilities for change that I had at
their age. That makes it all worth it, for me personally and as a
new member of the AAUW community,” said Farrar.
28
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
Ohio New Little Book Project
Supports Public Education
Passing all five sections of the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT)
is mandatory for high school graduation in the state. Students
consistently score lowest on the social studies and science sections of the test, so the AAUW Heights-Hillcrest-Lyndhurst
(OH) Branch designed and published a new study guide to help
increase social studies test scores.
The New Little Book: OGT Social Studies was written by
branch members and Cleveland-area teachers. Because underfunded public schools often cannot afford materials to help students prepare for the test, the branch secured funds from the
Cleveland Foundation and the Gund Foundation to support
the project and to provide more than 12,000 free copies of the
guide to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and two
other urban districts. The book is priced close to cost so that
other school districts can buy it in quantity.
AAUW of Ohio has adopted a statewide program, dubbed
“Making History,” to get the book into the hands of every 10th
grader in Ohio. Besides helping to raise test scores, branches are
using this project to increase AAUW’s visibility and membership, network with community partners, support public education, and raise the level of education. Any proceeds from the
book will be donated to the AAUW Educational Foundation.
The book has received excellent local
press coverage, as well as rave reviews from
teachers and school districts. To learn more
about this project, visit the New Little
Book website at www.newlittlebook.org.
www.aauw.org
AAUW News and Bylaws
Notices
Convention Business Section/Proposed
COMING SOON
Every Member Poll Results
AAUW’s 2007 Every Member Poll was distributed to all
members in the Fall/Winter 2007 issue of AAUW Outlook
and was also available for completion on the AAUW website. Nearly 12,000 members participated in the survey, an
outstanding response. Find out what members are thinking
about key issues in the next edition of AAUW Mission &
Action, the bimonthly e-newsletter sent to all members
who have provided their e-mail addresses. Check your email inbox for the summer issue, which is scheduled to
mail in July. If you are not currently receiving AAUW
Mission & Action but would like to, you can update your
member information on the AAUW website or by contacting [email protected].
2007 Annual Report Available June 30
The annual report for fiscal year 2007, including financial
statements for both the Association and the AAUW
Educational Foundation, will be available on the AAUW
website (www.aauw.org) on June 30. For further information,
please contact [email protected].
SAVE THE DATE
2009 AAUW Convention Set for St. Louis!
The 2009 AAUW
Convention will take
place June 26–28,
2009, at the historic
Renaissance Grand
& Suites Hotel in
St. Louis, Missouri.
Previously known as
the Statler Hotel, this
stunning venue holds
a special place in St.
Louis and women’s
history as the backdrop for the 1919
convention of the
National American
Suffrage Association.
On that occasion,
convention-goers
established the League of Women Voters to secure the
enfranchisement of women in every state in the country.
Our convention next year promises to be a historic one as
well, with many new features and a new format. Visit the
AAUW website for all the latest convention news as it
becomes available.
www.aauw.org
Catching Up With Fellowship Alumnae
Lillian Karambu Ringera, a
2003–04 International Fellow,
received her doctorate in human
communication studies from
the University of Denver. She
founded International Peace
Initiatives, an NGO dedicated
to supporting African grassroots leaders and movements that mitigate the effects of war, poverty, and
disease. In 2007, she ran for Parliament in Kenya,
vying to represent North Imenti, a constituency that
has never had a woman representative or even had a
woman run for the office. Ringera faced enormous
challenges, including threats of violence, and but she
finished in sixth place out of 16 candidates and vows
to continue to fight in future elections.
In 2005, AAUW member
Claire Passantino was awarded
a two-year Community Action
Grant to implement her Let’s Read
Math project, which helps children explore mathematical ideas
through children’s literature and
fun, math-related activities. Since
that time, the project has continued to flourish and has
reached 12,000 children with math education activities.
In 2008, Passantino received the Susan Nensteil
Humanitarian Award from AAUW of Pennsylvania for
her Let’s Read Math program and its work to increase
children’s excitement about math concepts.
Diedie Weng, a 2005–06
International Fellow, recently finished a documentary project,
Mosuo Song Journey, which
explores the disappearing folk
song tradition of a matrilineal
Chinese ethnic group known as
the Mosuo. The film has been
screened on the Link TV network, in the Library of
Congress, and at various film festivals. Weng has also
been active in teaching video production and producing advocacy videos in different communities in China
and the United States.
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
29
Affinity Partner Report
Support the AAUW Credit Card Program
AAUW has partnered with U.S. Bank to offer a
credit card program to members. In addition to providing AAUW with a revenue stream to use for membership needs, as such programs typically do,
members who use their U.S. Bank credit card will
earn a reward point for each dollar they spend.
These rewards are especially appealing because of
U.S. Bank’s attractive reward program. Points can be
redeemed for cash or merchandise or for gift certificates that can be used for car rentals, electronics, and
restaurants. Certificate redemption begins at as low as
5,000 points, for which the cardholder gets $50 in
rewards. This program has great flexibility, and the
lower redemption thresholds let the cardholder realize
rewards sooner.
AAUW members will be able to choose between
Rewards and Platinum Non-Rewards products. Both
products have no annual fee. Best of all, you help
AAUW promote education and equity every time you
make a purchase.
If you want to learn more or are considering signing up for an AAUW Visa card, call 800/853-5576,
ext. 8768. By using the AAUW U.S. Bank Visa credit
card, you will be earning rewards for yourself, and
AAUW will also benefit by gaining funds it can use to
offer member benefits in the future.
Note: Certain conditions and exclusions may apply. The creditor and
issuer of the AAUW Visa card is U.S. Bank National Association.
Shop Smart with iGive.com
In December 2007, AAUW introduced the iGive
program to members. This unique online store supports a selected group of organizations—the AAUW
Educational Foundation being one of them—by
using a percentage of every dollar you spend and
donating it back to AAUW. What a fantastic way to
support our organization. iGive has over 680 brandname stores, such as Nordstrom, Lands’ End, Best
Buy, eBay, Office Depot, and lots more, so it’s a convenient way to shop while helping to support your
most passionate cause! Another great benefit of iGive
is that you can actually save money when using the
service through exclusive coded coupons available just
for members!
We need your help in spreading the word about
the iGive program. Your family and friends will surely
enjoy this great program that supports health, educawww.aauw.org
tion, the environment, children, and more. Since
AAUW introduced this program, participation has
increased greatly.
iGive is free and easy to use, and it benefits our
organization as well as your branch. If you are a member of a branch, AAUW will provide credit to your
branch when you use the iGive program and support
AAUW. For more details on this exciting program, log
on to www.igive.com and click on Meet Betty to
learn how to register. Then select the AAUW
Educational Foundation as your cause. (Type
“AAUW Educational Foundation” in the search box
and click “Find Cause.”) Thank you for your support!
AAUW Travels!
A great new travel program has come our way!
AAUW has recently partnered with Gohagan and
Company to provide exciting, educational travel
tours that members are sure to enjoy! Gohagan, a
leader in international and domestic cultural travel,
has more than 20 years of experience in the travel
industry. The company provides innovative travel
programs exclusively to nonprofit organizations such
as AAUW, college and university alumni associations,
museums, foundations, and other cultural and
educational institutions.
Trips for the 2009 season include Island Life in
Tahiti and French Polynesia, Village Life on the
Italian Lakes, the Great Journey through Europe, and
Island Life in Ancient Greece. In addition to these
trips, Gohagan has many other travel packages available, including destinations to China, the Amazon,
Russia, Holland, Ireland, Tanzania, and more. As an
AAUW member, you can select any trip Gohagan
offers. Another great benefit of this program is that
Gohagan provides a donation to AAUW every time a
member takes a trip. For more information on trips
available through Gohagan and Company, please visit
www.gohagantravel.com or contact 800/922-3088.
Don’t forget to mention that you are a member
of AAUW!
AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
31
Marketplace
TULANE UNIVERSITY
PHYSICIAN/EDUCATORS
The Department of Pediatrics, Tulane School of
Medicine in New Orleans, LA is seeking qualified
physician/educators at all academic levels.
Requirements: MD; sub-specialties BE/BC.
New Orleans is classified as a medically
underserved area. Tulane is an AA/EO employer.
To apply: submit a letter, CV and contact
information of three references to: Samir El-Dahr,
MD, Professor and Chairman, 1430 Tulane
Avenue, SL 37, New Orleans, LA 70112
WINTERGREEN RESORT, Wintergreen,
Virginia, Magnificent Properties in the Blue Ridge
Mountains, Nelson County, Skiing, Golf, Tennis,
Equestrian Trails, Spa, Aquatics, Fitness Center
and Other Resort Amenities, Primary/
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Million-WRPP/Roy Wheeler Realty, To preview
these fine properties please contact: Thomasina
Shealey, Realtor, WRPP Resort Specialist,
T 703.328.8680
"CHOICE" THE PHOTOGRAPH
Share in the humor of Jill Mulry’s acclaimed
photograph "Choice". This lighthearted image
making its way around the country is signed by
the artist, matted and ready to frame. Also in
boxed note cards. (Samples available)
www.JKatchCreations.com/galleries Click on
Potpourri. 727.398.7788
32
IN TIME FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF
A LANDMARK GLOBAL EFFORT FOR
SCIENCE AND PEACE is former Educational
Foundation grantee Dian Belanger’s Deep Freeze:
The United States, the International Geophysical Year,
and the Origins of Antarctica’s Age of Science
(University Press of Colorado, 2006). Order signed
book(s) via [email protected]. $29.95 plus
$4.60 shipping. (Marylanders add 5% sales tax.) Or
check bookstores, amazon.com. Thank you,
AAUW, for inviting visibility for this important,
fascinating story.
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AAUW Outlook Spring/Summer 2008
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