Write To Your Campus or Community Newspaper

Print this out and send to your campus and community newspaper. Please send a copy of your letter to the newspaper to action@nwlc.org and womeninsciences@womensprerogative.org

Text for letter:

Throughout the country, women are underrepresented on university science, math and engineering faculties.  The National Women’s Law Center and Women’s Prerogative have recently launched a new advocacy website that contains materials related to the issue of underrepresentation.  Upon visiting the site, I was disturbed to see that recently published data show that our university’s sciences departments follow the national trend.

This is a critical issue for all of us.  The absence of women faculty means that qualified women may be being denied opportunities to get jobs and advance as professors.  Students are deprived of role models and mentors and are sent a message that female professors are not welcome in the sciences.  The university loses out on talented people at a time when we need to make substantial progress in the sciences.  Additionally, where underrepresentation is a result of discrimination, our federal funding could be at risk. 

As a university community, we have a responsibility to work to ensure equal opportunity in all aspects of education – including the employment of our faculty.  This is clearly a problem that our school administration has to address.  But we as students also need to make sure that we are an integral part of the dialogue.  We need to be active participants in efforts to eliminate unfair practices and promote more diversity on this campus. 

To find advocacy materials that can help us to actively address these issues, go to www.womensprerogative.org/womeninsciences.  We all have – and must use -- the power to make positive change.