FEMALES!

[Jack Jones]

As a member of the opposite sex, I don’t have any anecdotes to offer; but here are some statistics that seem to suggest a discriminatory mindset. The good news is that they show that the mindset is lessening. However, I would use them to argue that things are not always as they seem.

Women in Corporate America
· In November 2002, women represent 15.7% of the corporate officers in America’s 500 largest companies. These percentages are up from 12.5% in 2000 and 8.7% in 1995.
· The number of women corporate officers have jumped to 2,140 out of 13,673. That’s up from 1,622 out of 12,495 corporate officers in 2000.
· The number of women corporate officers have jumped to 2,140 out of 13,673. That’s up from 1,622 out of 12,495 corporate officers in 2000.
· Although women are moving up, men still dominate the earnings race. Almost 95% or 2,141 of the top earning corporate officers are men, compared to only 188 or 5.2% of women top earners in the Fortune 500.

Earnings (Compares to each $1.00 earned by white male managers)
· Asian/other women: 67 cents
· White women: 59 cents
· African American women: 57 cents
· Hispanic women: 48 cents

You could look at those figures and conclude that men are not only greedy capitalist, but are also chauvinist pigs. However, the two would have to be mutually exclusive, because in any business the “bottom line” is everything. That is, the boards of directors could cut management cost in half in one fell swoop by replacing the white males. But they have not done that. Why not?

The obvious answer is that there’s difference between equal potential, equal opportunity, and equal ability. The statistics show that women have the potential. Affirmative Action works to offset discrimination toward equal opportunity, perhaps in their favor. So, while women have come a long way, they are not there yet; and that’s just a plain business fact.

OMG, I’ve just made an argument on the virtue of continuing Affirmative Action.

Guys never get in my way of doing anything. I absoultely trulye love football. If there was a sport I can play for ever itd be football (surfing too!). Basically our hidden rule at school is that when girls play football they can only be a kicker. That makes me sooooo mad so next year im trying out for running back, cuz i love to run. Its not really a rule that they procastinate and stuff, its just that the coaches are guys and they probablly think that girls cant play. Everytime i tell my guy friends im tryin out for football next year, they think its a joke and laugh. Maybe its because im so small that i can get tackled and broke in half in an instant, but the point is that im willing to do anything to show guys and the guy coaches that girls can play football with guys. If the outcome of me playing football is being paralizes, so be it, at least i showed them what girls are made of lol.
-Also, about the girls being bad drivers, girls are much better drivers are think because if you think about it, guys have a higher insurance. teehee. hmmm so i guess girls are much worse driver HAha.
They say that girls will take over the world sumday...hehe better watch out guys hehe
-Court-

[KelliV]

The people on my FIRST team are awesome and have always treated me as an equal even though I am a female. I've been doing FIRST related stuff sience FLL in 6th grade and I am currently a Junior in High School. There were only two times that I was ever discriminated against.

In FLL I was told that I was not good enough to program because I was a female. It was a guy that said it and it made me feel so bad that I decided to show him and finished all the programming a good three days before he did. The teacher told him that his weren't as good as mine so not only did I do them faster but they used my programs insted of his!

At FIRST Nationals in '04 I had a guy from another team come up to me and ask me why I got to be on WildStang and how I passed my interview to get on the team becuase only men should be accepted. Not only was I amazed that he would actually say that, I was laughing to myself (not out loud, I am not that mean yet) while he was saying it becuase WildStang is all inclusive and there aren't interviews or try outs. When I informed him of this he just laughed at me and said "Oh, so that's why you made the team." I just let it go and didn't worry about it becuase people only make fun of others becuase they don't have enough self-esteem to think highly of themselves.

[Dorienne]

When I was the only girl on my robotics team two years ago, I was a freshman. That may alter the opinions and examples I set here.
I started out on the team in 2003, and it was a very hard adjustment. The guys did not trust me to stay, since many girls left after either a few weeks, or just one season. It was very hard for my team to acquire girls and keep them. They did not treat me as horrible as I seemed to think, considering they would tease me and not let me do the things I wanted to do for and on the team. For example, I had wanted to work on the robot itself. The problem was that I didn't have any technical background or experience. I understand now that there was no time to teach me or help me with it, but back then I had really wanted to do some hands on stuff like any other freshman would. Instead, I got into the business form of FIRST with our team's beloved Miss Jenny Beatty.
Things were rough and sometimes still are. But that's how life, and FIRST, are. You take the bad with the good and make it great.

[Jeff Rodriguez]

Originally Posted by Jack Jones

As a member of the opposite sex, I don?t have any anecdotes to offer; but here are some statistics that seem to suggest a discriminatory mindset. The good news is that they show that the mindset is lessening. However, I would use them to argue that things are not always as they seem.
...
OMG, I?ve just made an argument on the virtue of continuing Affirmative Action.

I'm not disagreeing with the statistics, I'm just wondering where you got them? Can you post a link?

[Jack Jones]

Originally Posted by Ogre

I'm not disagreeing with the statistics, I'm just wondering where you got them? Can you post a link?

Googled them here.

[jonathan lall]

Originally Posted by Jack Jones

The obvious answer is that there’s difference between equal potential, equal opportunity, and equal ability. The statistics show that women have the potential. Affirmative Action works to offset discrimination toward equal opportunity, perhaps in their favor. So, while women have come a long way, they are not there yet; and that’s just a plain business fact.

OMG, I’ve just made an argument on the virtue of continuing Affirmative Action.

Just an aside, now that young women are overtaking men at higher postsecondary institutions in numbers (a recent statistic from my university says that 56% of first-year students are female, though this will vary with say, the University of Waterloo), do you think affirmative action programs should stay on in university undergrad entrance?

[Denman]

Just a bit of background info first
Here in systemetric, there is only 2 years of students (we are based at a "6th form college, basically we have students who are 15/16/17/18 - 2 year groups of "u6" and "l6").
We are basically in 2 groups . Geeks and Non Geeks (traditional thing you understand) .
this year and last year the team captain has been a Female. Last year she was a student who had skipped a year for being so clever (a member of the "Geek"). . . and this year the team leader/president/(person who shouts loudest ) is a non geek and has organised the fundraising etc very well. Even though last year there was only 4 girls and there is the same this year (2 in each year ). we do try and encourage more females to join...
Anyway
Of the 2 girls in the U6, one is a geek and one is el presidente. The geeky one did many things last year including the electronics wiring. . . and is currently head of CaD team. I can't think of any incident that she has been treated unfairly, just a couple when the males have . . .