Math, Science, and Girls

     In 1947, a 17 year old young woman graduated from high school in Upstate, NY.   Having an A+ average, she was accepted into New York University.  The following fall, she traveled down to the city to begin her studies in biology.  Two months after receiving her degree, she accepted a job working in the cancer research labs at Sloan-Kettering.  In time, she was in charge of an entire lab.  Who is she?  She is my mother.

    I am perplexed by stories about young women not choosing careers studies in math and science.  So much is discussed and written in terms of the society preventing females from following this path.  While I don’t disagree that there may still be some obstacles out there, I do believe that the family has the biggest impact on the choices of our girls.   My mother’s family didn’t totally understand why she chose to study biology.  They thought nursing was a more viable option.  Yet, they did not prevent her from choosing her major.  The same followed for me and my siblings.  Whatever choices we made regarding school or career was ours to make.

     The fact that I had a parent who was allowed to make such a decision played a huge factor in knowing that I had the freedom to go into science.   My younger sister also made the same choice and became a successful engineer.   The achievement in math and science in my family was considered a good thing, and not something to disregard because we were girls.  I remember at the time some of my peers not having the same encouragement.  Their families felt that it was wiser for their daughters to work in a more traditional female job.  That is perfectly acceptable if it is the choice of the young woman, but if she has the talent and the interest to pursue areas pertaining to math and science, the opportunities are abundant.

     Society is not telling our girls they are not good at math and science.  That is a myth that has been handed down through the years.   Lest we forget the thousands of women who went to work during World War II working on projects that required a great deal of technical aptitude.  There have been many women who have made discoveries besides Madam Curie not present in our history books.  There are numerous female doctors, engineers, researchers, and professors who are presently working in a multitude of capacities.   There are a considerable number of female high school science teachers who present a role model to our children every day.  No one in “society” is telling our girls not to pursue their dreams.

     In 1947, a brilliant young woman walked her own path.  There were many others just like her who paved the road way before the issue of female equality was explored.  If they were able to do it during their lifetime, there is no reason why women today can’t as well.  It takes determination, hard work, encouragement, and a desire to live out a chance of fulfillment.  Let us stop telling stories about women not doing something because of society, and start telling about women who do because they can.

The Freedom Granted by July 4th

      The Fourth of July is here again.  People celebrate with barbecues, going to the shore, fireworks, parades, and family gatherings.   But what are we celebrating?  Do we take time to remember the meaning of the day?  It is the day when America declared its independence, but it also serves as a reminder of a value we all treasure.  Freedom.  It is a term which at times requires a refresher course regarding its meaning.   There are those who tend to forget that all Americans are granted a right to freedom.

Centuries ago, people braved the oceans to escape religious persecution.  They wanted the right to worship and follow traditions as they believed.  Why then does religion play such a part in our political elections and rulings?  If everyone has the right to worship as they see fit, how can any religion determine the social and moral standards of living of people living in this country.  As long as it abides by the law of the land, no group or individual should be told how to live their life.

The writers of our nation’s documents were wise to include the separation of church and state.   It did not stop anyone from having their own beliefs, but it ensured that those beliefs would not influence our laws.  Yet the campaigns of our candidates for public office have to tip toe around certain groups so as to not offend and lose their vote.  This is another game of politics which many can see right through.  Our leaders have to make clear their stance on issues and remember that they are representative of a nation, but any one group.

So on July 4th, remember the people from past generations who fought for freedom.  They are the colonists, the suffragettes, the civil rights leaders, and the thousands of Americans who served and gave their lives defending our freedom.  They are the people who continue to fight for equality.  Remember that we enjoy the rights and way of life that others around the world aspire to.   Every individual has the freedom to live a life that brings the greatest achievement of all.   Happiness.

Equal Pay for Equal Work is Overdue

This week, the senate rejected a bill that would have guaranteed equal pay for equal work.  Naturally it wasn’t a major headline in the news.  The reasoning by some is that employers will have a hard time making up the difference, or that there will be an onslaught of lawsuits filed against business owners.  It is outrageous that this issue even exists.  When was it decided that one worker, doing the exact same job, with the exact same skill, is paid more than another.  Oh wait.  That’s right.  The other worker is a woman.

Woman fought for the right to vote.  The feminist movement in the 70s, worked towards providing rights in the workplace, and society at large.  Title IX was passed to insure equity in providing sports for female athletes.  Yet here we are today, in 2012, still fighting for what is fair and equal.  Why is it that every group in this country has to fight for what is granted by the Constitution?  How many times does the same script have to be written and played out before the ending comes out satisfactorily?  The call for equal pay for women has been going on for decades.  There have been some acts passed to help ensure it, but the fact remains that women are still being paid less than men.

Most single parent homes are supported solely on the income of mothers.  They are working hard to support themselves and their children.  To think that they, or any woman, are getting paid 77 cents to the dollar because of their gender is ridiculous.  What happens when women go in for the interview?  Does a skirt mean you need less money to survive?  Is their education or training of lesser quality than that of men?  Women have come a long way since the 20s, the 50s, and the 70s.  This type of pay discrimination should have been settled a long time ago.

My last thought lies with all the young women who are studying and working towards a career.  Of women who are working to make a better life for themselves and families.  How do we tell them that the work they do is not on par with their male counterparts.  There are actually some who have stated that women are looking for a handout.   That they have to work for what is fair and even.   Women have been working hard for years.  In some cases even harder than men, because they knew they had to in order to prove themselves.   In reality, many have been doing more than the guy sitting next to them and getting less for it.  The male dominated senate needs to understand the terminology.   The keyword word isn’t “more”, it is “equal”.   Now is the time to pay up and do what is right.  It is long overdue.