The author of the foreword speaks about how this issue touches on the subjects of women\u27s rights and how their struggle to break through the glass ceiling has given them more empowerment than ever. The article also speaks about the works within the issue and how each one talks about the struggle, the progress, and success of women in today\u27s working and educational world

Penney, Sherry H.

English

University of Massachusetts Boston: ScholarWorks at UMass

New England Journal of Public PolicyVolume 22Issue 1 Special Issue: Women Article 33-21-2007ForewordSherry H. PenneyUniversity of Massachusetts Boston, sherry.penney@umb.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.umb.edu/nejppPart of the Higher Education Administration Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons,and the Political Science CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks at UMass Boston. It has been accepted for inclusion in New England Journal ofPublic Policy by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at UMass Boston. For more information, please contact library.uasc@umb.edu.Recommended CitationPenney, Sherry H. (2007) "Foreword," New England Journal of Public Policy: Vol. 22: Iss. 1, Article 3.Available at: http://scholarworks.umb.edu/nejpp/vol22/iss1/3Foreword Sherry H. Penney I n July 1848, five women met to plan the first women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York. The women at the convention, most of them housewives and mothers, declared that "all men and women were equal." Unhappy with their lot, they discussed their grievances and passed a series of resolutions. They called for equal rights for women in access to the professions and to institutions of higher education. They called for equal wages, the right to control their own property, and the right to hold office and to vote. Where are we today? Have the grievances outlined at Seneca Falls been resolved? Do women now have equal rights and status? This special issue of the New England Journal of Public Policy features articles by many women leaders in New England who address these con­cerns. Their articles deal with issues confronting women today, from equal access in the professional arena to healthcare and pension policy. Women have come a long way since Seneca Falls. Many of the issues that were raised a century and a half ago have been modified through positive legisla­tive action, but we still have a way to go before true equality is the norm. And work/family issues continue to be a source of tension and potential discord rather than fulfillment for too many women today. In this journal you will find an overview by Margaret A. McKenna of women in leadership positions and the continuing "glass ceiling" they face. She cites progress but also raises concerns, especially in the political arena. That note sounds again in the article by Paige Ransford, Carol Hardy­Fanta, and Anne Marie Cammisa who write about "Women in New England Politics." The a uthors worry that the representation of women in govern­mental positions has fallen below expected levels based on women's repre­sentation in the population. Toni C. Wolfman provides an excellent review of the status of women in the corporate world in "The Face of Corporate Leadership: Finally Poised Sherry H. Penney, former Chancellor of the University ofMassachusetts Boston, now holds a professorship in the College ofManagement there. 3 I . New England journal of Public Policy for Major Change?" Wolfman points out that there are still few women CEOs of major corporations and too few women on boards of directors. But she also offers us hope that we will see positi ve change as the business world recovers and looks to better utilize the talent of women in the future. It also is encouraging to note that PepsiCo recently appointed a women, Indra Nooki, as its CEO. Phyllis Swersky, Aileen Gorman, and Jessica Reardon also paint a posi­tive picture as they discuss the rise in the number of women entrepreneurs in "We've Got the Power." The authors discuss the challenges that these women face, but they also offer strategies for even greater success in the future. Susan R. Crandall and Surabbi Jain offer a perspective on low-income women and argue that in order to achieve gender equality in the workplace, we need to pay more attention to workforce development, and we need to find jobs that lead to economic self-suHiciency and prepare women for those jobs. The foclls of Ellen A. Bruce's "Rethinking Retirement Policy in Massa­chusetts," is older women and the pension system that puts them at a clear disadvantage. Caregiver roles are not given adequate recognition in our current systems and in our policy decisions. "Why Not a Dollar?" by Evelyn Murphy highlights the wage disparity that continues to exist for women. Like Bruce, Murphy worries about the long-term consequences of lower pay as women move to retirement age. Murphy offers positive steps that women can take to reverse the inequalities in the system. One such positive example is that of the MIT women faculty who voiced their de­mands for equality in wages, and in other areas. Nancy Hopkins tells that story and the positive outcome that resulted when the women worked with then MIT President Charles Vest. Christine Annett-Kibei, however, in "Future Promise for Women in Science" reviews the many problems that still make it difficult for women to make it to the top and be successful in the hard sciences in academia. In addition to work/life balance issues, she relates how the nature of the work done in the science laboratory presents its own challenges. Looking for­ward, she believes the ongoing collaborative nature of science will eventu­ally be beneficial to women. After her article was submitted, her observa­tions and conclusions were affirmed in a report on women and science prepared for the National Academy of Science wherein committee members identified the problem as "outmoded institutional practices" and called for widespread reform. 4 Cardio Brigham ( issue: He taining a became a1 bring abo With m the overal Gilpin FaL feeling of ate level a tial progre wish to be of trustees. tha t calls f leadership Associatior Faculty Ge not the nor campus lev problem of many insrit Beth Bry Have It All selves and I policies in c Pieper and, rope," once in a society Issues. What has Evans and ( Identity in movement a term femini~ Our conc who urges u will allow u women who Forword to this Issue Cardiologist Paula Johnson and a team from the Connors Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston write about an important medical issue: How women in poverty are disadvantaged due to the cost of main­taining a "heart healthy" diet. Their article shows how one community became aware of the seriousness of the issue and what steps are needed to bring about improvement. With my co-authors Jennifer Brown and Laura McPhie Oliveira, I discuss the overall picture in postsecondary education. With the selection of Drew Gilpin Faust as the first woman president of Harvard, there is a renewed feeling of hope. And women, who now outnumber men at the undergradu­ate level and in many graduate and professional areas, have made substan­tial progress here. But the picture is not quite so positive for women who wish to be tenured faculty, presidents of institutions, or to serve on boards of trustees. It is gratifying to read the recent report from Johns Hopkins that calls for 50 percent representation of women in senior faculty and leadership positions by 2020. Yet shortly before press time the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) issued a new report, AAUP Faculty Gender Equity Indicators, 2006, and concluded that equity is still not the norm. Much more needs to be done, particularly at the individual campus level where policies are set and data can be analyzed. And the problem of work/life balance and the lack of family friendly policies at many institutions remains. Beth Brykman takes up the conflict in her article, "Life Balance: Can We Have It All?" based on interviews with many women who speak for them­selves and relate tbe challenges they face and the lack of family friendly policies in our culture. Roxanne A. Donovan and her colleagues Andrew L. Pieper and Allison N. Ponce, in their article "Walking the Maternal Tight­rope," once again highlight the issues of economic empowerment for women in a society that bas mixed feelings about motherhood and workJlife balance Issues. What has happened to feminism is the topic addressed by Meredith A. Evans and Chris Bobel in "I Am a Contradiction: Feminism and Feminist Identity in the Third Wave." They explore whether there is a new feminist movement and how it might differ from earlier movements, and ask if the term feminism has outlived its usefulness. Our concluding author is Federal Reserve President Cathy E. Minehan, who urges us all to be our best, do what we love, strive for a balance that will allow us full, rich personal and work lives, and give a hand to the women who come after us. 5 . New England Journal of Public Policy So our sisters at Seneca Falls would be pleased to see that so much has been accomplished, but they would also note that we still have work to do. Some organizations practice family friendly policies and help both genders deal with workllife balance but more need to do so. Or one might say that numbers are not enough. The increase in numbers of women in so many areas is certainly good news, but changes in societal attitudes and constant monitoring of our progress are also needed. Other changes are needed including greater access to important profes­sional networks, if we are to achieve true equality in areas where legislation for equal wages and equal access to jobs is in place but where the practice lags behind. And, yes, we do need more women in elected office and in the leadership ranks in our businesses and nniversities. As we go to press, one might make an observation about the recent Big Ten football game between Ohio State and the University of Michigan, ranked one and two in the nation. The game was close and exciting, and received an enormous amount of press. What we note, however, is that both institutions have their first female presidents. Such a thought would have been heretical when I was a student at the University of Michigan, but it truly is something to celebrate! It is also encouraging to note that the United States now has its first female Speaker of the House of Representatives and that both the Senate and House gained additi o nal female members in the 2006 elections. The numbers are up, but there IS more to do. In 1911, James Oppenheim wrote a poem called "Bread and Roses." This title was intended to suggest that all should enjoy a certain quality of life. The words in this verse continue to have relevance today. As we come marching, marching, we battle too for men­For they are women's children, and we mother them again. As we come marching, marching, we bring the Greater Days ­The rising of the women means the rising of the race. True equality for women in all areas, while clearly good for families, is also a plus for the economy and the work place, and for all in our society, including the men! 6 Won •In POWI Margaret The COfl11i significalll business, I colleges tc leadership ecol1omia order to 11 economy. 1 alld skills Reflecti. ment offic boards, th, lUomen an new generl glass ceilin place. . T~eco 111 po quences of aspirations progress fo "vexed" re has a "vex( Leadersh have doub~ and in theil these qualit odds with r more slowl Margaret A. 

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