22 October 2008
New Soap Box Message on Needing Women
Posted by admin under: Outings .
I was reading about the really cool GEMS (Girls Enjoying Math and Science) article that Trane (the air conditioner people) put out on PRNewswire. The Girl Scouts from the Kentucky’s Wilderness Road Council are going to do experiments to see what kind of insulation will keep ice cream cold the longest. What a great way to learn science! I just hope they get to eat the ice cream afterwards (if it isn’t too melty. Mmmm, melty ice cream).
However, I hit a snag when I read something that’s been getting my goat lately.
GEMS, which is sponsored by the UK Center for Manufacturing in the College of Engineering, the Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road Council (GSKWRC), and the Society of Women Engineers, was developed in response to the need for more women in math, science and technology careers.
“While women make up 46 percent of the workforce, only 25 percent of technology jobs are held by females, with only 10 percent in top-level positions,” said organizer Vicki Cooper of the UK Center for Manufacturing. “During this event, the girls have their eyes opened to new potential careers, and faculty session leaders walk away knowing they have changed lives.”
“Because we know that the shortage of women in technology careers can be traced back to the developmental years of elementary school, we hope that these experiments will help inspire some of these girls to pursue an engineering career,” said Parker.
“need for more women” is the phrase that I can’t get out of my craw. Why is there a need for more women? Does being a woman give someone special powers of computation or experimentation? Then why haven’t I heard that? No, it’s just a percentages thing. I think the GEMS program is great because I like girls being able to be around their gender without the distractions of boys who act differently in a mixed group. The girls can concentrate better on the lesson being taught and can be taught in different ways from boys. Good. Nice.
However, I don’t think there is any special need for women in any given industry. This kind of sexist thinking can easily be turned around and used as justification for keeping women out of a particular industry. Let’s have many girl-centered activities so they can learn in the best way for them (more cooperatively if my time in GSUSA is any indication), but that doesn’t mean we have to go so far as to say some people aren’t giving girls opportunity. Let’s not give our girls a victim mentality so they’re always feeling like they’re being oppressed. Let’s give them the support all kids need and the opportunity to succeed for everyone. Let’s help make them strong, not tell them everyone thinks they’re weak.
Possibly Related Posts:- New GSUSA Study Finds Learning by Doing
- Wilmington Willpower
- Necessary Evil
- I Love the Sound of this Recruitment
- Financial Literacy Event for Girls
