When I tell people that I am interested in majoring in politics or sociology in college, I am often met with a reproachful stare.
This phenomenon is part of a larger trend in our society. Intelligent, high-achieving young women are pressured by our society into entering math and science fields. Just as the feminists wanted women to have options beyond staying at home with children, today, smart young women should not be a conveyer belt destined for only math and science.We are attempting to overcompensate for the previous lack of women in these fields. At Liberty High School, girls can attend the Expanding Your Horizons conference or join Physettes. Both of these encourage women’s interest in math and science, with the goal of more women entering these fields. There are no special programs at Liberty to encourage students, let alone women, to enter politics.
The problem is that women are traditionally severely underrepresented in politics and business. The Council of State Governments reports that since the founding of the United States, only 28 women have served as governors. Twenty-nine states have never elected a woman as governor. The current U.S. Senate is home to only 17 women. Similarly, of CNN’s 2009 Fortune 500 Companies, only 15 are led by women. Fifteen out of 500 equals an abysmal 3 percent.
Read complete article here: http://www.issaquahpress.com/2009/11/17/math-science-aren%E2%80%99t-the-only-options-for-smart-young-women/