Henpecked on the Hill - women's issues on Capitol Hill

Women's Quarterly, Summer, 2001 by Christine Stolba

NSF has other self-esteem-building science projects. Lest one think NSF missed even the most obscure potential grantees, they gave $874,800 to fund "Agents for Change: Robotics for Girls," a summer program to encourage the nation's young women to build robots.

At the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), where there is concern about the "alarmingly low" number of women pursuing science degrees, employees have created partnerships with groups such as the American Association of University Women (AAUW)--sponsor of the methodologically flawed study, "How Schools Shortchange Girls."

NASA sponsors a women's website whose theme--"There's space in my life"--flows across the home page in a flowery font. The site features a special "herstory" section about fearless female aviatrixes and aeronautical engineers, as well as diet and exercise pointers from astronauts. The touchy-feely tone shows that NASA's "research and technology is not just about distant galaxies, astronauts, and supersonic aircraft." Clearly, it's about how we feel.

On the "Young Women of NASA Advisory Council" page of the website, for example, members keep "Adventure Journals" and draw inspiration from a prominently displayed quotation by faux-spiritualism guru Marianne Williamson, whose oeuvre includes such titles as Enchanted Love: The Mystical Power of Intimate Relationships. "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate," the Williamson quotation reads. "Our deepest fear is that we are all powerful beyond measure." If NASA's intent is the Oprahfication of outer space, it is well on its way to success. Worries over the representation of women in math and science echo larger concerns over occupational segregation. Occupational segregation--the tendency for men and women to gravitate to certain fields--has long bothered feminists, who view it as further evidence of discrimination against women. Now federal bureaucrats are fretting over it.

For example, at the Department of Labor, the Women's Bureau is attempting to end the evils of occupational segregation by funding "nontraditional" job training programs for women and offering a monthly feature on "Nontraditional Occupations" on the agency's web site. A recent offering featured Colleen Muldoon, a bricklayer, who "liked the freedom and comradery" of her job but found that "the work itself was grueling." Unable to handle the pressures of the bricklaying patriarchy, Colleen "burned out and decided to get out" of the field. She moved on to a desk job at the International Masonry Institute, where, oddly given her own experience, she "heads up a task force to recruit and retain women bricklayers."

Although antidiscrimination laws already on the books ensure that jobs are open to all applicants regardless of sex, Congress continues unnecessary legislation such as the "Women in Apprenticeship and Non-Traditional Occupations Act of 1992," otherwise known as WANTO. WANTO grants give money to labor unions such as the Minnesota Teamsters, as well as to automobile dealers associations to recruit and retain women in the auto repair industry." Next time you rake your car to the garage for a tune-up, look around for those WANTO women!