In fact, the educational deficit between men and women has largely disappeared. In 1960 women earned 2 percent of all law degrees; in 1995 they earned 42 percent. In 1960 women earned 6 percent of all medical degrees; in 1995 they earned 32 percent. Physics, however, remains as the last male redoubt: In 1995, 25 percent more men took this subject than women.
Despite these generally impressive facts, women have still not yet arrived! Gender inequity is still widespread and affects girls more profoundly than is commonly assumed. There are still many chasms to bridge. In this regard, the wage gap is perhaps the most urgent: women college graduates earned an average of $26,000 in 1993, while men averaged $32,700. This means that a woman can expect to earn 72 cents to every dollar a man earns. And, more than 60 percent of women working full-time earn less than $25,000 per year. Women are overly represented in low-paying jobs. In corporate America, women hold just 2 percent of the power positions, no matter how you define those positions -- by title, by paycheck, or by responsibility.
There are other concerns. Why are women only 16 percent of physics engineering majors in college? Why are more women not in the more highly paid career of surgeon rather than general practitioner or pediatrician?
No one is quite sure, but it seems likely that the basic causes for gender inequity concerns can be found in schools, advertising, fashion magazines, television, religion, sports, all of which, at times, by their content and programs, sap the confidence and sense of worth and entitlement which girls should have and cultivate in their early years.
Of course, part of the answer and solution lies in education and attitude. Girls begin to be sidetracked in academics as early as seventh grade, even though they start elementary school with better learning skills than boys. By the time they graduate from high school, boys outperform girls on 11 of 14 achievement tests. Statistics for 1996 show girls scoring an average 50 points below boys on the SATs, which often is an important determining factor in college admission and the award of scholarships.
And, we do know that girls limit their career options by not taking higher-level science and math classes. This limitation couldn't come at a worse time; by the year 2006, when today's fifth graders graduate from college, it is estimated that there will be a shortfall of 675,000 scientists and engineers in the country.
While most boys are influenced early on to plan for a lifetime of work and career development, many girls are not. But we can and must alter this trend. Consider supporting the 5th annual Take Our Daughters To Work day on April 24.
This event connects girls to caring adults and helps all of us celebrate a strong identity for our girls and provides a nurturing environment in which to discuss and explore career options with mentors in the field. Girls have the opportunity to learn how to sell a product, track a meteorite, create laws, conduct an orchestra, negotiate a raise, navigate a ship, weld, compute, collaborate, saute, you name it.
What can you do? Call your local public and private schools for more information about taking advantage of this opportunity to encourage girls to look to the 21st century with a combination of realism and optimism. Give them an opportunity to be visible, valuable and heard. More than 48 million people were involved in this grassroots education campaign last year. Increased numbers this year will continue an important and valuable march forward for young women.