Women successful in male-dominated fields

The Utah Statesman
Girl Power
by: KASEY VAN DYKE
Published: Monday, September 13, 2010
Updated: Monday, September 13, 2010 11:09

A young boy was severely injured and rushed to the hospital by his father. After the initial examination, the doctor returned to the room and said, “I can not operate on this child. I am his parent.” Who was the child’s doctor?
Ann Austin, the director of the Center for Women and Gender Studies and professor of child development, said this story would have “stumped” most people a couple of decades ago. Though times and policies have changed, stereotypes still appear to define some fields. Women still fill 92 percent of nursing positions, 83 percent of receptionist positions and 81 percent of elementary and junior high teachers, according to the website for the U.S. Department of Labor. The website also stated that women earn 20 percent less than men on average.
For the past 20 or 30 years, regulations have been created to help equalize the workplace. One such policy is affirmative action. The policy was incorporated into an executive order in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy and has been revised several times. The American Association for Affirmative Action (AAAA) states on their website that affirmative action refers to “positive steps aimed at increasing the inclusion of historically excluded groups in employment, education and business.”

Full Story: http://www.usustatesman.com/women-successful-in-male-dominated-fields-1.2326982