Guest writer

In praise of women

Females rising, but bias remains

Let’s get an update on how our governor is doing as we consider his new appointments of women to the boards and commissions in our state. If you will recall, in December of 2012 the governor made 27 male and four female appointments. In the months since that tally the ratio has changed, but only slightly. It still falls well below 50 percent.

Yes, there is work to be done, but let’s don’t scattershot. Of the 300+ boards and commissions in our state that the governor appoints, there are at least three that are the most prominent: The Game and Fish Commission, the Highway Commission, and the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees. Of those boards, there are 23 male members and one female. That is a disgrace, and the governor should address that situation with future appointments.

One of the regularly occurring items in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette I really enjoy reading is the “100 Years Ago” section of “Other Days.” I am always amazed at the prevailing attitudes then in contrast to what we espouse today. Of course, the women’s suffrage movement was just getting under way, and many of the clips cover that early movement. When we look back at the opposition these women encountered, we register shock and disbelief. However, we would be remiss if we think the struggle for women to have equal rights was won 100 years ago.

Obviously, there is still an attitude deeply embedded in our society. It seems very simple: Women are inherently inferior to men and thus don’t deserve equal pay or representation on boards or committees. If not, why else would such blatant discrimination exist today?

And, I am sad to say, this attitude is not just held by men. Recently, in a discussion about women serving on various boards, a woman asserted, “Just name me five women who are qualified to serve on __ board.” Well, I was appalled and yes, I could have given her 500 women qualified to serve on that particular board. Until attitudes change, attaining equal rights for over half of our population will be an uphill battle.

Let’s get real honest here, folks: The members of appointed boards in Arkansas are not all MENSA members. I have served on numerous local and statewide boards, and from my experience, I can tell you there are thousands of Arkansas women who could serve as well or better than the men serving.

Let’s just take the Board of Commissioners over the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality as an example. I served six years on that commission, one year as chairman, and I can tell you without a doubt in my mind that there are thousands of Arkansas women who could do the job of commissioner as well or better than the male-dominated board serving today. Do you think, if the current board was made up of all women, that it would have approved the hog farm adjacent to the Buffalo River watershed? I sure don’t think so.

But the discrimination of women goes much deeper than lack of representation on boards. It has been a sordid part of history since mankind began to keep records, and this discrimination has a direct effect on the quality of life women enjoy.

A few weeks back I was in New York City for a few days, and during that time I did what a lot of visitors do: I went to Radio City Music Hall, Trump Tower, and to the Food Hall at the Plaza Hotel. What could three completely different venues have in common with gender discrimination? Well, I just happened to use the public restrooms in all three places, and I walked straight in without standing in line.

However, the women’s wait looked to be at least a 20 to 30 minutes. Multiply that by a 1,000 or 10,000 over a lifetime, and maybe you will understand what I mean. I know there are exceptions, but the vast majority of public facilities are weighted heavily toward men. Why? Well, it’s obvious when you look at the governing commissions and boards. The absence of women on those entities almost guarantees the public facilities will be heavily weighted toward male needs.

That is why women should have equal representation on every public commission or board. Decisions made by these major boards adversely affect women and reduce their quality of life. However, major boards and commissions are only part of the problem. The problem extends all the way down to every school and bank board in the state, whether the boards are public or private. It boils down to letting the male majority of these boards discriminate against over 50 percent of the citizens in our state by constructing unequal facilities and having rules which favor men.

So how do we put an end to the discrimination of women? First, we quit giving lip service to the notion that women have equal rights. We know that is just male posturing.

Secondly, we should sound off-protest-when the rights of women are ignored, whether it be in your church, city government, or any one of a hundred places where discrimination is still practiced. Don’t keep silent. And don’t put up with the lame excuse, “We’re always looking for qualified women.”

In my lifetime, I have watched as segregation disappeared from our country. I just hope I live long enough to see women receive the equal treatment they deserve.

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Richard Mason is president of Gibraltar Energy Co., and a former president of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. He lives in El Dorado.

Editorial, Pages 17 on 01/01/2014

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