Public Forum on Women's Rights and Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on This Repor

DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 175 909 UD 019 782

TITLE Public Forum on Women's Rights and Responsibilities. INSTITUTION Commission on Civil Rights, Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 6 Oct 78 NOTE 28p.: Proceedings of a forum sponsoredby the Nevada Advisory Committee to the United StatesCommission on Civil Rights (Las/Vegas, Nevada,October 6,1978)

EORS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Civil Rights: Cultural Factors:Economic Factors: Equal Education: Equal Opportunities(Jobs): Equal Protection: *Females: *Feminism: Political Power: *Sex Discrimination: Social Factors:*Social Integration: Working Women I ENTIFIERS *Nevada

ABSTRACT This repor: contains a number or paperswhich focus on the currentlegal status cf women. TI-cl papers,prcri4nted at a public forum by variout individuals,dis%.;uss the opportlinities for women in the economic,social, *Cultural, and political life ofthe United States in general, and ofNevada in particular. A majoz issue addressed is the progress that hasbeen made toward attaining equality between men and women andthe barriers that still prevent full equality. A list of informationalresources is included. /BB)

*********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EtRS are thebest that can be made from the original docuoent. *********************************************************************** Public Forum on Women's Rights and Responsibilities CDProceedings of a public forum sponsored by the 1.0 Nevada Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commis- sion on Civil Rights, Las Vegas, Nevada, October 6, 1978.

U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCAT:ON & WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION 'HIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO- DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED PROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN. A TING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS sTA TED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE SENT OF t ICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF Mu( A TION POSITION OP POLICY This publication is the proceedings of the Public 00 Forum on Women's Rights and Responsibilities sponsored by the Nevada Advisory Committee t the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and, as such, statements made do notnecessarilyreflectthe <3 position or policies of the Commission. Q.4 2 THE UNITED STA', %.S COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS The United States Commission on Civil Rights, cre:1+.eJ by the Civil Rights Act of 1957, is an independent, bipartisan agency of the executive branch of the Federal 'Government. By the terms of the act, as amended, the Commission is charged with the following duties pertaining to discrimination or denials of the equal protection of the laws based on race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin, or in the administration of justice: investigation of individual discriminatory denials of the right to vote; study of legal developments with respect to discrimination or denials of the equal protection of the law; appraisal of the laws and policies of the United States with respect to discrimination or denials of equal protection of the law; maintenance of a national clearinghouse for information respecting discrimination or denials of equal protection of the law; and investigation of patterns or practices of fraud or discrimination in the conduct of Federal elections. The Commission is also required to submit reports to the President and the Congress at such times a7; the Commission, the Congress, or the President shall deem desirable.

THE STATE ADVISORY COMMITTEES An Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights has been estahlished in each Of the 50 States and the District of Columbia pursuant to section 105(c) of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 as amended. The Advisory Committees are made up of responsible persons who serve without compensation. Their functions under thei; mandate from the Commission are to: advise the Commission Of all relevant information concerning their respective States on matters within the jurisdiction of the Cornmission; advise tvie Comrraission on matters of mutual concern in the preparation of reports of the Commission tothe President and the Congress; receive reports, suggestions, and recommendations from individuals, public and private organizations, and public officials upon matters pertinent to inquiries conducted hy the State Advisory Committee; initiate and forward advice and rt!commendations to the Commission upon matters in which the Commission shall request the assistance of the State Advisory Committee; and attend, as observers, any ()pen bearing or conference which the Commission may hold within the State. LETTER'OF' TRANSMITTAL The Nevada Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights June 1979

MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION Arthur S. Flemming,Chairman Stephen Horn, Vice Chairman Frankie Freeman Manuel Ruiz, Jr. Murray Saltzman

Louis Nuriez,Staff Director

Dear People:

The Nevada Advisory Committee, pursuant to itsresponsibility to advise the Commission on State civil rights issues, submits these proceedings onwomen's rights arid responsibilities. The members of the Nevada Advisory Committeefound in 1978 that objective knowledge of the legal status of women in Neyada was negligible.Much discussion about equal rights and equal opportunities wasclouded with emotion and recriminations. The Advisory Committee &Tided that providing adispassionate forum to discuss the rights and responsibilitiesof women would contribute toward ensuring a well-informed public in the State. A public forum was convened on October 6, 1978,in Las Vegas. Speakers reviewed the progress toward attaining equality between womenand men and the barriers that still prevent full equality. We urge your review of the proceedings.

Respectfully,

Woodrow Wilson, Chairperson MEMBERSHIP NEVADA ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Woodrow Wilson, Chair Donny L. Johnson Las Vegas Minden

Marlene Coffey Erma L. O'Neal Reno Las Vegas

Susan L. Deluca Fernando Romero Las Vegas Las Vegas

William Deutsch Eddie B. Scott Las Vegas Reno

. Jean Ford Steven T. Walther Las Vegas keno Preface

Tlir Declaration of Independence proclaims that all men are maw' equal. Unfortunately, the word "men" has been taken too literally, resulting in tre principle that women are created unequal. With this practice the rule, rather than the exception, the issue of the lcal rights of women in American society has been dewted throughout the history of our country.*

In 1972 the jurisdiction of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights was extendei to include discrimination on the basis of sex. In August 1978 the Commission released a report,Social Indicators of Equality-for Minorities and Women, that includes highlights cm women's continued secondary place in our society. The Nevada Advisory Committee to the Commission decided that sharing information on iswes such as those raised in Social Indicators would Contribute toward ensuring a well- informed public in Nevada. To disseminate information on the current legal status of women, the Nevada Advisory Committee chose a public forum. At this meeting, knowledgeable persons discussed the opportunities for women in the economic; social, cultural, and pOlitical life of this Nation and of this State.Speaker; reviewed the progress toward attaining equality between men and women and the barriers that still prevent full equality. The public forum convened October 6, 1978, in the Las Vegas City Hall, Las Vegas, Nevi It began wf ill 4 welcome from a representative of the Governor of Nevada.

U.S.: Commission on Civil Rights, A Guide to Federal Laws and Regulations Prohibiting Sex Discrimination (July 1976) (revised), p. I.

iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

.))

' The Nevada Advisory Committee wishes to thank the staff ofthe Commission's Western Regional Office, Los Angeles, California, for its help in thepreparation of these proceedings. The proceedings were prepared by Gloria A.Lopez and Sally E. James. Editing assistance was provided by Thomas V. Pi llawith support from Grace Diaz. Legal review assistance was provided byLaurie Campbell. All worked under the guidance of Philip Montez, Western RegionalDirector. Management, was c The staff of the Publications Support Center, Office of responsible for final preparation of the report for publication. Contents

1. Welcome James F. Wittenberg, Office of the Governor 1 2. Keynote Address StewartB.Oneglia, Director, Task Force on Sex Discrimination,U.S. Department ofJustice 3 3. Panel Discussion Cecilia Preciado de Burciaga, Assistant Provost for FacultyAffairs, Stanford University 7 Anne Follis, National Pi esident, Housewives for ERA 8 Mary Gojack, Nevada State Senate 9 Mildred Jeffrey, Chair, National Women's Political Caucus 11 Walter Nowak, Co-Director, Center for United Campus Ministry 12 Jan L. Tyler, Chair, Coordinating Committee, Utah Women'sConference 13 4. Informational Resources Federal Government Agencies 17 Selected National Organizations 18

vii 1.Welcome

James F. Watenberg, State Pemnnel The Governor has encuraged their progress-and Director. has not found it a threat to his masculinity. To the contrary, he has carefully watched the professional Representing Governor Michael growth of many women, and, when he felt they O'Callaghan of Nevada were ready, when theiradministrative talents devel- oped and their instincts were on target, he moved From the beginning of Governor O'Callaghan's these women into top administrative posts in State administration8yearsago,he hasvigorously government. They in turn have delivered,in his encouraged the employment of .women, ethnic opinion. They have met every expectation and, minorities, and the handicapped in State govern- believe me, they are tough and fair, characteristics ment. A number of affirmative action steps have that are essential to successful management and been taken to achieve the best possible results in this administration. area. Minimum qualifications have beendesigned to Under the O'Callaghan administration, women for allow for more reasonable entry in and to provide thefirsttime in the history of Nevada State opportunities for career employees to progress to government are heading State agencies. A woman higher level, policymaking positions. Several years heads The Department of General Services, another ago, volunteer experience became an acceptable heads the Department )f Commerce, and another qualificationforpositionsinState government. serves as director of the StateCETA agency. A Training opportunities have increased considerably. woman for the first time is a full-timemember of the Of the training offerings that our agency made PublicService Commission,theState'sutility available to State employees last year, almost 60 regulatory agency. One-half of the professional staff percent of th, e participants were women. of the Office of the Governor are women. No other More women are working today because itis Governor in the Nation can make that,aaim. necessary for them to work from an economic The number of unclassified jobs for which the standpoint. Women have ,to work these days, and Governor has the sole appointing atithority is only they work for the same reasons that men do, either 50. That's just aboiv, one-half of 1 percent of. the to fully support or help support their families and entire State service. The remainder of the positions themselves.It's, time that everyone realizes that are filled on the basisof competitive examinations women want the same rewards from employment through the State's_personnel system. that men do. Women want the best paycheck they The Governor, however, has set policy and led by can earn; they want emotionalsatisfaction from their example. Since 1973 the percentage of State supervi- job; and they want to grow professionally in their sory and administrative levelpositions held by work. Therefore, women have every right and women has almost doubled. In 1973,22 percent of should be e it as interested as men in seeking these higher level positions were held by women. jobs of hiTier responsibility and increased pay. Today, that percentage is 39 percent

9 Also,womenIcomprise45 percent cf the total through theii experience in the decisionmaking on work force today; cbmpared to 42 percent in 1974. the wards and commissions, grow both profession- So there has certainly been an increase just from the ally and in their personal lives. standpoint ot the number of women coming into the There has been an equal emphasis in the area of State work force. In 1977, 58 percentpractically ethnic minorities, where the work force has in- 60 percentof allthe promotions in the .State creased from 5.5 percent in 1971 to over 13 percent service went to women. These facts show that more as .. of September1978. The handicapped now women State employees are now seeking jobs of comprise more than 4 percent bf the State's work high responsibility, more so than they did 5 or 10 force, as compared to less than 2 percent when the years ago. Women are now working in numerous Governor took office in 1971. Every ethnic minority occupational areas that 10 years ago were unheard group in State government has doubled its represen- of, and that's good. Some ol those areas include tation in the State work force, and some ha ve forestry, parole attd probation,ngineering, drafting increased sixfold.det an example of this fact, 60 right of way, highway maintena ce, and corrections, minorities were employed in State government in just to mention a few. Competi ion is good for the system; it is good foi- men, it is g od for women, and 1971, compared to 3611 in 1978. it is good for the quality of goveriment. Ladies and gentlemen, that seems to me to be real Valuable and useful/experience can also come progress through initiative, capability through per- from serving on Stat 'advisory boards and commis- formance, not gender or ethnic origin. Women and sions. The Govertr has more than doubled the minoritieshavetakengiantstepsduringthe number of womett serving on these boards and O'Callaghan administration. It has been a pleasure to commissions. He has seen many of these women, welcome you on behalf of the Governor.

2 II Keynote Address

Stewart B. Oneglia attorney, who was obviously an indefatigable talker, M& Oneglia is Director of the Task Force on Sex might diSsuade the jury withhis 3hours. of Discrimination, Civil Rights Division,U.S. Depart- argument, the judge drew his previously prepared ment of Justice. Under a Presidental directive, the task written opinion from his pocket and read it. He force' reviews Federal aatutes, regulations, progrqms, found that the 14th amendment did not apply to the policies, and procedures to identify sex discrimination issue at hand. He directed the jury to bring in a and to suggest remedial proposal& In private practice, guilty verdict and then sent them all home. M& Oneglia specialized in domestic relation& She The same reasoning MILO a case that denied served as an associate judge, Orphans' Court, Prince women the right to practice law. In that case, the George's County, Maryland. She is a member of the V.S. Supreme Court said: Maryland Commission for Women and the Goternor's Commission to Implement Equal Rights Amend- ment, In 1978 Ms. Oneglia received the "Womanof the This case assumed that it is one of the privileges and immunities of women as citizens-to engage 'Year for Law and Jastice" award from the Prince in any and every profession, occupation or George's County International Woman of the Year employment in civil life. It cannot be assumed Task Force. that this has ever been established as one of the fundamental privileges and immunities of sex. Today the U.S. Constitution does not prohibit On the contrary, the civil law, as well as nature distinctions to be made on the basis of sex' in the herself, has always recognized a wide difference made on in the respective spheres and destinies of man same manner in which it forbids them to be ants! woman. The harmony, not to say identity the basis of race. This difference is the key to the of interests and views which belong or 'should answer to the question, is ERA needed? belong to the family institution is repugnant to For example, the Constitution did not protect a the idea of a woman adopting a distinct and woman's right to vote until a special constitutional indenendent career from that of hei husband. amendment was passed. In an early test case, the U.S. Supreme Court said that the Constitution only,So firMly tixed was this sentiment in. the founders of guaranteed the protection of those rightsthat the common law that it became a maxim of that already existed, and, if you are a woman, voting was system. of jurisprudence that a woman had no legal , not one of them. eiistence separate from that of her husband. In other What happened to the woman who tried? Susan words, no woman could work outside cf the home B. Anthony was. charged and brought before a regardless of her personal wishes or her personal criminal court for a jury trial on the crime of self- prrblems. enfranchisement; Ithis crime carried a "potential' 3- You might ask, Wilat abo it the poor unfortunates, year jailsentence. Whenitappeared that her'those unmarried won:en wio did not, have another identity with which to merge? The Supreme Court an irrational distinction and that women werebeing dealt with that problem. It said: denied equal protection of the law. This analysis, however, is almost never used. hat indeed many women are. unmarried and The Court has repeatedly declined to look strictly not affected by any of the duties, complications at laws or. actions that discriminate on the basis of and incapacities arising out of the marriage sex, as opposed to those that discriminate on the state, but these are merely exceptions to the generalrule. The paramount mission and basis of race. In fact, in a very recent case, one of the destiny of women are to fulfill the noble and Justices stressed that it would be inappropriate for divine offices of wife and mother. This is the the Court to do so until the Equal Rights Amend- law of the Creator. And rules of civil society ment was passed. Yet, we hear opponents of the must be adapted to the general constitution of Equal Rights Amendment say that we've already things and cannot be based upon exceptional got the 14th and 5th amendments, What more do we cases. need? The Supreme Court tells us we need more. In other words, widows, you are without aid, nor We need the ERA. are you to aid yourselves. Long after slavery was abolished, women, especially married women, were denied by law practical- e. Most of these cases occurred long after black men were granted the right.to vote and to practicein the !),all the freedoms that black men were granted professions. In fact, in 1948, a mere 6 years before after the Civil War. Yet.Lhere was not one disability thehistoricschooldesegregationopinion,the attached to slaves that was not attached to every Supreme Court said that the State of Michigan could married woman, whether a housemaid or a million- deny women the right to tend bar unless the bar was aire's wife. owned), by their husbands or fathers. The women The similarity between the legal position of Who challenged that law earned their living as women and slaves was pointed out by the U.S. bartenders, but the Court said: Supreme Court in 1971: The fact that women may now have achieved Our statute books gradually became laden with the virtues that men have long claimed as their the gross stereotype distinctions between the prerogatives and now indulge in vices that men sexes and, indeed, throughout most of the have long practiced, does not preclude the State nineteenth century, the position of. women in from drawing a sharp line between the sexes. our society was, in many respects, comparable to that of blacks und,..r the pre-Civil War slave Yet 30 years before [in 19181 the Supreme Court had code. Neither slaves nor women could hold said that the right to work without discrimination on office, serve on juries, bring suit in their own .!ame, z.nd married women tratlitionally were the grounds of race or nationality is "the very -lenied the legal capacity to hold or convey ,...-"essence of the personal freedom and opportunity property or serve as legaluardians of their that is the purpose of the 14th amendment." In other own children. words,the Supreme Court saidthatitisnot permissible to discriminate on the basis of race, but The inability ,to own property is one of those very perfectly all right on the basis of sex. .badges and incidents of slavery that we passed the It wasn't until1971 that the Supreme Court 13th amendment to eradicate. Slaves, as property utilized the 14th amendment to strike down law that themselves, could own no property; by viltie of the discriminated on the basis of sex. That year the State legal fiction that the husband and Wife wei.e one and of Idaho claimed that in choosing the administrator the one was the husband, the le,gal right to possession of an estate, where a man and a woman are equally and control of all real property owned- by the wife qualifiedthat is, of an equal relationship to the was vested in the husband. deceasedone must always appoint a man. The During this time, the wife had no claim dn the State's reasoning was that men were generally going property, and this principle to this ay has not been to be better qualified because, after all, they have completely eradicated from American law. The , business heads and women do not. Therefore [the Tennessee Supreme Courthasruledthatthe reasoning continued], we might as well save the disabilities of covertureand coverture is another trouble of having a hearing and always appoir.t a word for marriageare still in effect in that State' man. The U.S. Supreme Court found that this was with respect to property held by the married couple.

4 1 2 (I'm always interested that I take thismaterial from a cres: and m,e2 are reporting onthe remedies necessary book which iscalledlite Disabilities of Infancy. to correct the disparities that exist. We are finding in a number ofgovernmental CovertureUnd Id wcy. benefits and In the ciise of personal property, and b!, personal systems and institutions which provide impose burdens thiat usually the benefits areprovid- property we mean everything eke, money,furniture, the clothes, jewelry, and so forth, a married womanhas ed to the men And the burdens are imposed on of these were written, absolutely no rights, not even the rights thatshe women. This is because sonic the down. Some of these disparities are written as retains in the estate of her husband. All of written or personal property belonging to the wife, or after- statutes, others as regulations. Some are unwritten policies, and many exist simply becauseof ward acquired by her, always passed absolutely to the roles women occupy. Why? Who arethese the husband. He could dispose of it by will, butshe women? Many are poor. Many are old. Manyhave could not. Mr. Justice Douglas pointed out that one custody of children. They hold the worst jobs.They of the disabilities of slaves was their inability tohire getfewer promotions. When theyretire,they out their services, and since a marriedwomrn's receive the least amount of money. . acquired by her wages were personal property We found, for example, in the Farmers Home general during the marriage, this also fell into the Adminl ,tration, a Department of Agriculture pro- rule and belonged to her husband absolutely. gram that lends money for ruralhousing and farms, the Another badge or incident.of slavery noted by an entire scheme of writtenregulations that provid- Court was the inability of slaves to make contvacts. ed benefits to the borrower, alwayS a man, an' they Presumably, since slaves didn't own property, burden to the woman, the wife. The lender s had nothing to contract about. The sameproblem allowed to consider the industry of the family applies to married women. In one small way,which, deciding whether to grant the loan. Thewife was or course, was not a small way, the position of a then held personally liable on the loan, but her name slave was even better than that of a wife, since at was not necessarily on the title.In most cases, no least the master could terminate the slav;i-master requirement existed that the wife be notified of relationship; divorce, on the other hand, was not foreclosure in case the payments we're not made on permitted. - the loan.' Finally, the father alone was guardian ofthe We found that in the income tax code women paid children, and on his death, guardianship passed to a mighty penaltyfor getting married. We had the person he named in his will, not necessarily to thought that at least if' there were a marriagepenalty the mother. In the event of a dispute netweenthe (a higher tax paid by two workintpeople when they parents and a separation, the father wasentitled to married, than had they remained single), thatthis uustody of the children, and the mother wasdenied was a tax imposed upon higherincome couples. We even visitationrights. This rule was sofirmly weren't feeling terribly sorry about two docters implemented thatit was applied regardless of the who got married and consequently had to pay mother's innocence or tke father's misconduct.In higher taxes. We found, however, that 68 percentor one English case, a courtreluctantly ruled that the this tax is being paid by couples earning -lessthan children must remain with the father even thoughhe $25,(X)0 a year. Of couples earning less than$10,(XX) had dese-ted themAither and had taken the children a year, 83 percentof them pay mightily for the A to live with his mists. privilege of being married. Now, of course, laws have been passedgranting We found that in the social security system if' you certain of these rights ,to women in various`.,.ates, had a one-earner family ---a working husband and a but the United States Constitution does not grant dependent wife and childrenif' he earned $8(X) per them and will not unless the Equal Rights Amend- iiionth while he was xi, orking. upon retirement, he ment is passed. and his wife, with the wife's benefits, would have a Eorce onSex total benefit of $786. 11' that same couple were a two- 1 am Director of theTask Disemmination. We are charged under a Presidential earner couple, earning the same amount of money meniorandum to examine the entire Federal (;overmi . but $NR) was earned by the husband and $200 was would ment for sex discrinimationWe are looking at luws, earned h the v Ile, their benefit at retirement regulations. Issuances,%% tit ten and unwrittenpoll. be cut to $669 per tmmth.

5 In the U.S. civil service system, we looked at the home so that his family would qualify for welfare. If retirementsystem and foundthatpoorlypaid the mother is the breadwinner, however, and she womenand by that I mean the overwhelming loses her job,no benefits are paid to her.That's majority of women, since 75 percent of them are in written in the statute. It's very clear. It's discrimina- the bottom four grades and only 2 percent of' theni tory on its face. are in the top three gradessubsidized the retire- We found that the Civil Aeronautics Board has ment benefits of the retired grade I5s. The retire- permitted a rule to go into effect permitting airlines ment system of civil service is set up to benefit only to deny passage to pregnant women as handicapped long term, ighlypaidemployees;itusesthe peNons. Not all pregnant women, mind you, but at earnings and the contributions of lower paid, shorter the discretion of the pilot, boarding can be denied. term employees to pay for the retirement of others. We analyz.ed this and thought maybe they are afraid We found that in the Internal Revenue tax forms there will he a medical emergency, which makes the wife is held liable for the taxes on income that some sense. Then we thought about all the other she didn't earn if she signs a joint return. She's liable people who have risks fbr medical emergencies, for the truth of the statements made on that joint such as heart conditions, and we noted that certain return, even though the chances are she didn't have other categories of peopleobese people and frail much to do with filling it out. On the other hand, if peoplewere not considered handicapped for the there is a deficiency, and the ta,: isn't paid, she is not required by law to be notified. She's not going to same purpose. So we don't know what the reason is. know until the marshal arrives at the door. The only thing we do know is that when a special We found that it is important to provide employ- fareis provided for the benefit of handicapped ment and training programs for persons on welfare. persons, pregnant women are not among those who We find that the law contains a prohibition against get the special fare. sex discrimination right in its bod,. It says you shall We have found an entire scheme of discrinnnatory not discrim'mate on the basis of sex. Yet, the law also laws, and I've given you just some examples, from says that priority shall he given to unemployed the absurd to those that really cause great hardship fathers in prov '',1g employment training. to pcople. They will not he eliminated until the We found .,there is a welfare program which Equal Rights Amendment to Constitutionis provides its for unemployed fathers, its pur- passed. pose bei4, not force the husband/father from the Thank you. 3.Panel Discussion

Cecilia Preciado de Burciaga men, with the exception of oneother waman, who Ms, Burciaga is assistant provost for faculty affairs at is, in fact, the secretary. The feeling that I get is one Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. She,is a of immediate inhibition. I question whether it comes member of the Committee on MinorityGraduate because I am a woman, therefore suspect. Everyone, ducation, Educational Testing Service; the Commit- itseems, assumes thatI am there because of zee on Opportunities in Science.American Association affirmative action, not because of my own qualifica- pr the Advancement of Science; and the National tions. Or does it come because I am a minprity and Advisory Committee on Women to the President of the another "burden" to live down? Yet, the [Interna- United States. tional Women's Year] conference..in Houston did prove that diversity translatesinto strength. My perspective on the rights of women comes Every woman in this room still faces limitations work, on whether she from two windows: one,thatof a on where and when she can essentially her property on the minority womanI am Chicana, Mexican Ameri- can get a mortgage or control :-,he can start a canand two, that of the world of higher education. same basis as a man, on. whether I work at Stanford University, a prestigious institu- business, on how she can terminate a business. More tion The slogan, "You've come a long way, baby," fundamentally, each woman inthis country still' is certainly not true on either front. lacks the very simple legal status of being considered although we are I focus on the minority women issue because Ifeel as a persor. In the most basic sense, strongly that itis primarily the reason why I am 53 percent of the population, we have not yet realized the promise of the American dream; we involvedinthewomen's movement. Minority women still face double-barreledjeopardy, discrimi- have b:en in legal bondage for 200 years. nation on the basis of sex and race in every aspectof I fir d it very sobering that theonly constitutional our personal and professionallives.I am here rightI have isthe rightto vote. You look at because of my deep conviction thatthe groups thousands of words that have been printed on this which will gain the most from the passageof the issue, and that's what it really boils down to, one Equal Rights Amendment are minority women and constitutional right. We gained that after an amend- housewives. ment. So again, it will take another amendment to There is a stereotype that abounds in this country grant me and you the fundamental equal protection that says that minorities are in fact now a privileged uhder the law. Those of you who know the issues class, that they arc more the benefactors of this know that thiS issue is not a new one. The ERA was system than anyone else. Minority womenface that first introduced in 1923, and since that date, we've false sterctoype doubly. been waiting for each person, man or woman.to) A very personal example is my walking into a receive equal benefits and share equal responsibility university presidential staff meeting and seeing only based on our personhood.

7 I am here because I don't want to.have to answer makers on a pedestal as many people mistakenly to my 4-year-old and my 2-year-old. boy and girl, as believe that it does. I think the whole thing is best to why they still don't have equal rights 3 years .rom summed up by the footnote found frequently in law now. journals that reads, "The above is not applicable to As a minority woman, I know that itis easier to children, idiots and married women.- legislate laws than to enforce them. Look at the Current iws and covrt rulings based onthis desegregation decision of1 954 anditsresults in principle are endless, and they never cease to amaze 1978. The effects are still not well-entrenched in the me. For example, in Arkansas, homesteadrights system. I am here to remind all of us that legislation belong solelytothe husband. This means that is one thing, enforcement is entirely another one. husbands can choose, abandon, and sell homesteads Thank you very much. at will without the wife's consent, since the State presumes that all personal property, includingthe Anne Allis household furnishings, belongs to him. To protect ms. Font'sis a certified lay spcaker in the United her personal property (something that she may have Methodist Church,. she teaches adult Sunday school brought into the marriage when she got married) classes. As national president Of llOaselinveS jOr from her husband's selling it or from seizure by his she says that the organization -represents the vast, silent creditor, a married woman in Arkansas must file a majority Qf American homemakers. contrary to the record of her separate property with the county myths about ERA." Slw has been .1i,atured in many recorder.It' she does not do that, then she has to television programs and magazine articles. including prove in court that she bought the property withher Redhook Magazine, May 1978, as one 01 10 Minos separate money. She may be working at home women who are "making it happen." Inaddition to entertaining his business associates, and canning and being u homemaker, she is a wile, a mother. and a darning and sewing and doing all the little things professional. that homemakers do to strech a dollar, hut it's not her money. Her money is only the money that she I'm a homemaker. I'm the national president of worked outside of the home to earn. 11 she didn't get Housewives for ERA. We have buttons that say. it that way. then it's his. "Im a Housewik for ERA." My husband saysI In West Virginia the courts hive decided that should get one for myself that says. "I used to be a when a wife earns fnoney working in her husband's housewife before ERA." Sometimes Ithink he's business, those earnings ,don't belong to the wife. right. But I am a homemaker. I'm still the home- They belong to the husband. In Maine, it' a couple maker at our house, although I'm gone a little more jointly runs and owns a business, even it' the wife is than I used to be. I believe that homemaking and the putting the most effort into keeping the business nurturing and the care thatitentails is the most intact and the husband is not taking care of his share important job in this country. I am totally convinced of the responsibility. all of the profit that they get of this, and the more I look into this, the more I from that business legally does not belong to the believe it. We must uplift the homemaker. wife: it belongs to the husband, and she has no claim According to Congresswoman Martha Griffiths, to it. If he chooses to take the money and run, he can "from childhood on. every American woman is do it.If he chooses to take it and gamble itall or taught to believe that the highest calling in life is to spend it irresponsibly, or put it in a bank and keep he a wife and mother. She has the right to expect his family in poverty conditions, he can do that. She that American law will protect her in this right.- I'm has no claim to it. going, toshow you howlittleprotectionthe A Georgia husband can completely disinherit his homemaker actually has. wife. However. a woman may, it' she wants to, go to

The U.S. Constitution and most State laws were court and petitiiin the c(airt for 1 year's support to based on English common law. Two hundred years be paid out of his estate. One year's support seems a ago common law said that when a man and woman meager reward for years and years of devotion to were married they become one and that one wasthe your home and your family: Children in Alabama husband. Common law literally regarded the wife as rate above their mintier in inheriting when there is the property of her husband. That law lives on no will and the husband dies. However, it'the wife today.It certainly does mit put American home- dies,thehusband. of course,ranks above the

8 I 6' families together can children in inheriting. In Vermontthe courts may that some people claim keeps actually create reasons for splittingthem apart. prevent a woman frombreaking her husband's will: of the very however, the courts have no right to preventsuch These are justa few examples precarious and low legal statmof homemakers in action if the surviving spouseis male. this country, and if that's apedestal. I think most of In 1915 the Oklahoma SupremeCourt ruled that and wife are invalid us will take equality anyday. Homemakers are more "contracts between a husband family makers. Home: because a wife has no legalexistence." Now think than breadmakers. They are ruling in makers who devote their lives,their energies, and for a minute. Can you imagine a court the protection of the effect today saying that black people orJewish their skills to their families need have no legal exis- law. Present law does not guaranteethe home- people or Mexican Americans decision. Laws need to tence? Everybody in this room andin the State of makers any say in any family of marriage. In Nevada and inthe United States, with a few recognize the econthnic partnership would demand other words, the homemaker is notproperty, she's exceptions, would be outraged. We recognize the constitutional underpinning to protectthese people contributing equally. Laws need to the nonmonetary from this kind of a principle. Yet formarried women economic partnuship of marriage, always there to rear contribution of the homemaker as anequal contribu- in most States this principle is and laws should give its ugly head when womendon't have specific tion to that of the wage earner, statute protection, and even statuteprotection can the spouses equal legal rights. Some people reallyfeel thatthis is going to be taken away. destroy or threaten the family.Since I'm a very In1944 the Florida Supreme Courtruled that "incompetency seizes strong believer in the family,I think that this fear is when a woman finds her mate, To quote Walter her." I was married 10 years ago.I didn't know that utterly groundless and unfounded. that I was suddenly Lippman, "We do almost nosingle,sensible, the minute that I said, "I do," life a success and still seized with incompetence, butaccording to the deliberate thing to make family happens to the family survives. It hassurvived all manner of Florida Supreme Court, that's what application of intelli- women when they findtheir mate. stupidity. It will survive the The Ohio Supreme Court ruledthat, "the wife is gence." Thank you very much. at best a superior servantto her husband, only chattel, with no personality, no propertyand no Mary Gojack legally recognized feelings orrights." That must be Ms. Gojack was born and raised on anlowa farm from the dark ages, right? Wroog!That was a 1970 and came to Nevada in1954. She has a HA. in ruling. political .science,history, and secondary education. Even a wife's rightto be supported byher Currently, she is completing anM.A.in political husband is entrenched in a commonlaw principle science.Ms.Gojack was electedtothe NeVada that regards the husband as thehead of the family Assembly in 1972 and to theNevada Senate in 1974. and the wife as his property,and thisis for all She is a member of Sierra ArtsFoundation, American practical purposes completelyunenforceable in an Association of University Women,Women's Political ongoing marriage. A woman canbe the most Caucus, National Organization fbrWomen, and many devoted wife and mother inthe world, she can other civic and community organizations.She cochaired entertain and keep house beautifullyand buy $30 the last two Democratic State conventions.Ms. Gojack worth of groceries and make itlast a yearI buy is consumer affbirs officerfor the Nevada National $30 worth of groceries, you can putit in the glove Rank and assistant to the presidentof the Nevada compartment, but this is asuperwife, okay? This National Bank. doesn't make any difference. Herhusband can spend squander it on other his money gambling, or he can legislature for the just plain irresponsible. or he As a member of the Nevada women. or he can be he perhaps the hank and keep his family at poverty previous 6 years, I thought it would can put it in the do a recap of what has conditions. The wife has nolegal means [in many most helpful if I could him that he does not happened in that particular bodyand get out my States] to obtain anything from predictions tr the choose to give her unless shebreaks up her family crystal ball and maybe make and sues for divork:c. Theso-called right to support future. 9 In listening to some of the earlier comments here arguments you'll hear go back to the ancient beliefs this evening, it just triggered so many things that I as far as witchcraft is concerned. I think that we are would like to respond to. Ms. Burciaga said, in the very much in the same place that those poor, usually closing part of her remarks, thatit'seasier to elderly, widowed women were in Europe in the legislate laws than to enforce them. That made me a Middle Ages and in England, who went around with little nervous. Because if it's easier to legislate laws theirtin cups begging, and the door wo-1.1 be than to enforce them, we really do have a serious slammed in their faces because the village was problem in this State of Nevada. Any and all laws a poverty village and most didn't have anything to that have been introduced in the previous sessions give them. Later, if some kind of misfortune would that would do much of anything in terms of real fall on that family, they would remember that a redress for women and other minority groups have a widow, that elderly woman, had come to their door, rather startling rate of failure. and so shimmediately became charged with being One of the areas where I've done a lot of research a witch and very often was burned at the stake. Her lately that really does, and yet it does not, pertain to burning diffused the need to deal with the larger the Nevada Legislature and legislative history is the social and economic issues.Ithink that's what's whole issue of women and witchcraft and why happening now. Many things are happening, and women are witches and why witches are women. people remember that some women came around All of the things that have been discussed so far this and they asked for some help, some assistance, and evening continue to reinforce my belief that the that therefore whatever kind of bad thing has fallen whole notion of women and witchcraft is very much on society is the fault of that person. Society needs a alive and well in the 20th century United States scapegoat. Women have historically been those today. If you'll look at the history of witchcraft, it scapegoats. was generally based on some sort of social disrup- We have one example from the laSt session of the tion that had to do with economics. The economics Nevada Legislature in the rhetoric regarding Ole today are the inflation that forces so many women to Equal Rights Amendment. Why could we not pass seek some job to supplement the family income. the Equal Rights Amendment? Women had to be That displacement strikes fear in the hearts of a put on a pedestal. Women had to be Rrotected, number of people, if there's ally kind of competition particularly the homemaker. We heard so many of for the available jobs. This is the root of what we are the senators, since that was the body that I was in facing today. the last time, orate on why we needed to protect the The articles that Ihave read in a number of fair flower of womanhood, the sanctity of the home, newspaperS and magazines lately refer to some protect the pedestal usually reserved for the woman composite woman who is working, but doesn't need who is exclusively a homemaker. Based on that, to be working; and so, no matter what the motive for many of the men and women who voted against the the second breadwinner in the family, it somehow Equal Rights Amendment were able to rationalize becomes some kind of an evil motive if it's a woma4 .theirnovote. involved. Two or 3 weeks later, the Displaced Homemaker The last several weeks, there has been a series of Actdisplaced homemaker, .that's what alot of articles regarding women in the work force inthe those witches always werecame up for a vote. It Wall Street Journal.One of the columns was devoted came up for a vote three diffei ':nttimes in the entirely to the upper income levels of families and Nevada Senate Finance Committee, onlyto be the questionable necessityfora woman whose defeated every time. The argument this time against husband was a professional and she a professional,' of the Displaced Homemaker Act was, "Oh, we didn't both of them being in the work force. The same need it, and who were these women anyway, and questions arose as far as lower economic groups and what was a displaced homemaker?" Generally, the their needs are concerned. Thatis,in the latter thrust of the Displaced Homemaker Actisfor situation, a grudging stamp of approval was given to women in their middle years, usually from 40 to 62, the woman who was working to supplerni family the women who fall through the cracks where there income. is no public assistatic.,t cOme to their aid, that If you'll just look around, especially watLii the somehow they've brotight it on themselves. Wheth- next session of the Nevada Legislature, som(' of the er their husband has been disabled on the job, l() deceased, or there has been a divorce or separa- I am from the National Women's PoliticalCaucus, tion--it doesn't matter whose fault it is; somehow it and itis our belief and our philosophy, since we always comes back that it's the woman's fault, and were organized back inJuly 1971, that if we want to therefore the legislature simply could not justify the achieve social change in this country, we must get elected to puHic meager amount of funding that wehad asked for to women activized, politicized, and fund a pilot program for the displaced homemakers office. So that is what it seems to me the Nevada for 2 years. Keep in mind this was the same State Legislature needs, and a lot of other State legisla- legislature that could atthe same time provide tures too. figures on the $180,000 in startup funds to research the wonder I certainly was impressed with the of drug Gerivotal. promotions of women and the appointments policy positions by There are other areas of need and other pieces of women to top supervisory and social legislation that failed in the past session of the the Governor. I shall carry that message back to a legislature, and my prediction is that many of them few States where Governors' records are not as of are going to fail again. It's notdue to the lack of good. The caucus, in addition to the election appointment of good will on the.part of afew people or the efforts of women, is also very interested in the some of the people who arehere in this room women. Supreme tonight who will be either lobbying that legislature As I listened to these quotes from the or who will be membersof that legislature. The Court of the United States and State supreme courts, statistics problem is, you and I are in the minority. We are in I was reminded vividly of one of the worst in the minority, whatever our sex, our race, our ethnic that we have in the United States of America, that the Federal judiciary, of over 500 appointed posi- background, and we are certainly in the minority in tions, 12 are women. This includes the Supreme terms of having the vote in the NevadaLegislature Court of the United States, on which no woman has for these issues. ever served, and also thedistrict courts and the I wish .1 could be more 'positive. Perhaps we will judiciary.I get a few'crumbs thrown our way, but Ithink that in appeal courts throughout the Federal believe that when there is a vacancy on the Supreme Nevada we're quite a few years from actually of getting the kind of redress that we would like to see Court of thc United States, and there will be one united in our Nevada Legislature. I would like to conclude these days, that women'and feminists will be before, and that this simply underscores the need for a constitu- in this country as we have neyer been Jimmy Carter, "We want a tional amendment, an amendment to the Constitu- we will say to President having men make the tion of the United States, so that we have some woman because we are tired of rights and benefits when we can't find them within decisions that affect our d ily lives." policymaking body. Then we One good note is tha1 the Congress haspassed our own State chief which will at least htive some protection from the United what is known as the dmnibus Judge Bill, district States Constitution, some place to turn forhelp. will add 152 new judges to the Federal courts and the appeal courts. The caucushas been Thank you. negotiating, with the President on this for a long time now. He has- promised that manyof those appoint- Mildred Jeffrey ments to new judgeships will go to womenand Ms. Jeffley is chair of the National Women's Political minorities. That means that in your State you should Caucus; she was One of the fOunding members of the be looking for qualified candidates now and get their caucus in 1971. Ms.Jeffrey has an M.A. in social names to your United States SenatoN. economics and research from Bryn Mawr. She wasthe I draw Our attention to a publication ofthe first director of Ow ,Women's Department of the United United States Commission on CiVilRights. The Auto Workers, P945-49. The many awards shehas Commission produces some of the finest reports of received include Ten Outstanding Wotnen of Detroit any agency in our government.The one that I have and the Civil Liberties Human Rights Council. She is in my hand is called Social Indicatory of Equalityfor vice chair qf the Board of Governors, WayneState Minorities and Women. It is a very recent report. A Univervity. and a tnember of the National Advisory principle theme of anti-ERA opponents is that we Committee on Women to tlw Provident of theUnited really don't need the ERA because things are getting is being made. Stows, so much better and so much progress

I I There is, they say, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, We come to you from another Suite. We come to Title IX of the Educational Opportunities Act, and ask your help on behalf of 105 million women, on so on, and things are getting much better. This behalf of the 35 States that have fetified the ERA report is one of the most distressing analyses that and in which 75 percent of the people live. We are I've read in a long time. What does it show? What coming to say to you, "On behalf of justice, ratify, doesittellus?Ittells us thatin education., in be the 36th or 37th or 38th State. Help women all relationship to the [white) male majority of this over the country because, without your help, all the country, women are slipping behind. rest of are not going to have the benefit of equality Remember, women are entering arld staying in the of rights in the C,nstitution." Public opinion all over labor market. Fifty percent of the women of this the country, not only in the Nation as a whole but in country are employed, according to a recent report every region of the country, supports ratification of .the U.S. Department of Labor, which says we the Equal Rights Amendment. I'm quite sure on don't know why women are entering the labor November 7 the voters will make that clear in your market. State, too. I'lltell you why they are entering the labor In conclusion, in November 1977, the magnificent market, and why they're going to stay init.It's National Conference of Women tookplacein inflation, the cost of housing, food, h..!alth care, and Houston, and priortothat,there wereState other necessities of life. Women are in the labor meetings in 50 States and in the 6 territories in which market to stay. Women work because we need to women of very diverse backgrounds and views work. assembled together.In Houston, we adopted a The Commission report further shows that women, whatever age, whatever race, whatever ethnic National Plan for Action. There was the most representative gathering that has e'V'm,taken place in background,whatevereducationalattainment, whatever economic status, including single head of our country. househoW, suffer greater unemployment than men in Following that, on July 9,1978, there was the this country. And womer have fewer financial march in Washington: 100,000 women and men, resources. We get less unemployment compensation children, grandparents, marching on that hot, humid because we earn less; we have less in the bank and day for equal rights. Then there was that magnifi- less of other resources. cent lobby effort. the great coalition in and across We think thatlots of job opportunities have the country and in Washington for ERA extension. opened up, that we have access to the nontraditional As I stand here, I know I am looking into the eyes of jobs. Wrong again, the report says. Women are many of you who made theextensioneffort clustered even more in the traditional jobs than we successful. This coalition was the most beautiful, the were 20 years agowhether it's as a secretary or most extensive coalitionchurch, labor, civil rights, clerk 'or as a hospital attendant or retail clerk or civic and professional groups, and lots morethis cosmetology,occupations where thesalaryor year in Washington and across the country on any hourly rates are set on the basis of the sex of the measure. And we won. I think we have together the person who occupies the job, not the education, skill potential of a great political force in our country that required, or experience. So we aren't getting all gives me great hope and great belief that in your those new jobs that we keep being told we are. State and in two other States, before very long, we Some, sure. will have our dream realized, and we will have What about women's earnings? This report shows ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. that women earn, in the United States of America in 1978, 50 percent of what the male majority in our country earns. Walter Nowak I'm not saying at this pOint that the Equal Rights A resident of Las Vegas for 14 years, Father Nowak is Amendment will correct all of these inequities, but it codirector of the Center for United Campus Ministry is a 'first big step. It is the beginning of dealing with and a visiting assistant professor in physical scienci. at theinequities and injustices and unfairness that the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. He has taught women of all races and creeds, ethnic, cultural, and science at secondary and university levels. He is active religious backounds suffer in our country. Ir illy in youth work.

12 o Leo XIII. In this In terms of my own capability ofrelating.to the action encyclical, published by Paul has a short para- major questions here,I am a persorr-who has to particular encyclical, Pope struggle through a lot of changes, information,and graph on the role of women. experiences. I have had to come from anenviron- Similarly, in many countries, acharter which ment where I was not awareof these situations as I would put an end to a,tualdiscrimination and grew up, even though mymother worked for 35 would establish relatimshipsof equality and years in a factor.y and did notspeak English. At the rightness and of respect for theirdignity is the time that I was born, neither did my father.Slowly I subject of study and at times oflively, demand. began to realize that I can relate tominorities in a It would seem to refer to theUnited States. number of ways as a result of the kindof background that I came from. It has been alearning We do not have in mind that false equality experience for me over the last 20 to 30 years asI which would deny the distinctionslaid down by encountered discrimination that I wasn'tconscious the Creator himself andwhich would be in ofdiscrimination due to color, discrimination due contradiction with women's properrole, which is of such capital importance at'the heart of the to sex. family, as well as within society.Developments I was lucky, I guess, in myeXistence.I never in legislation should on the contrarybe directed really felt seriously discriminated against.But as I've to protecting her propervocation. come to learn aboutit, I've come to see the problem more from a moral basis, a senseof moral responsi- This last part is very interesting. bility. I'd like to read one or two statementsthat And at the same time, recognizingher indepen- have helped me to understand what my ownmoral dence as a person and her equalrights to responsibility is in regard to the questionsthat we participate in cultural, economic, socialand have considered tonight. political life. I would like to read a short statementfrom the constitution of the Church of the ModernWorld. These statements remind me thatin my own That is a document put out by the SecondVatican background I had been taught- thatrights, or moral another Council. claims which one person can make on person, are based onthe dignity of the person. The With respect to the fundamental rightsof the dignity of the person flows from the factthat we are person, every typeof discrimination, whether all equally created by God and that we aremade in social or cultural, whether based on sex, race, the image of God, and as aconsequence,-we all have color, social condition, language orcondition is rights. These rights include the right towork, to a to be overcome and eradicated ascontrary to just wage, to property, to participation, tojudicial God's intent. protection, to education, freedom ofspeech, assem- This type of statement I find very strong. bly, association, the right to worship,and the right In another segment of the documents putout by to immigrate and emigrate.These are listed in other the Second Vatican Council, theconstitution of the encyclicals. .church, there's a quotation that is based onscripture. If it is the nature and dignityof the person that It is another statement that I feelbears a lot of underlies these rights, then we cannotdeny that reflective thought. 1There is therefore inthe church women are persons just asmuch as men are persons. should share no inequality on thebasis of race, nationality, social They have the same rights that all of us condition or sex, because, there'sneither jew nor together. It is from this aspect that Imake my own gentile, there's neither slave nor freeman,there's comments tonight. I thank youfor allowing me to be neither male nbr female, for we all oneof Jesus present and to have an equalopportunity to speak to Christ. you tonight. That ibased on a quotation from Paul,who in other circumstances is looked upon as someonewho Jan L. Tyler currently studying fOr a Ph.D.in had a restrictive view of the role of women. Ms. Tyleris by Pope Paul educational administration at the Universityof Utah. In 1971 an encyclical was written the Utah State VI, who just died about 2 months ago,which was in She has held two positions with She was assistant response to the 80thanniversary of another social Department of Social Services.

13 professor of child development and family relations and the master's level was psychology and counseling, I director of the Family Consultation Center, Brigham entered into a group, which was a requirement as Young University. She has been Idled in Community part of our academic experience. The particular Leaders and Noteworthy Americans and Outstanding group that I entered into was a group of all women. Young Women of America. She serves on the Utah I didn't understand the implications of our discus- 'Governor's Commission on the Status of Women, sions at the time, butwewere married, we were Advisory Comniittee for Family and Consumer Stud- single, we were divorced, we were old, we were ies. She chaired the coordinating committee of the Utah young, we were outspoken, we were hesitantI Women's Conference. refer particularly to myself; I used to be a tremen- dously shy individual. That was one event, and it I sit before you a woman of 13 years old. I say that caused things to happen to me on a very personal because it has been 13 years Since my awakening as a level. woman with its fullest implications. Sometimes it The second event that happened to me is that I takes a crucial personal decision to cause us to begin was made the presidentof the Relief Se 'iety to look within and ask questions we never before organization, whicb is the highest position aoman asked. It was 13 years ago after an engagement that I can achieve onal local level within my religion, had to ask the question as to whether or not I would which is Mormon. So being placed in that position, I go ahead and enter into a marriage. suddenly found myself, in many 9Ases, a spiritual There were three things that I turned ov -r in my counselor. As I listened to womeOnd their personal mind in the process of making that decision. Number problems, I .can remember saying to myself, at that one, I knew that if I made that choice I would be time, "In the very near future, the questions I hear marrying outside of my faith, which would be a women asking and the questions I am asking are crucial decision. Number two,Iknew. :also iby going to be a greater problem for the LDS church lo making that decision thatI would enter into a deal with than even the black problem has been for marriage that would be a childless marriage, and them, to date." That was the statement I made to that too was crucial. For some of you who may be myself12 years ago. "zero population" advocates, I will shock you and The third thing that happened to me is that I was say I always believed that psyThologically, physical- 'placed on the university president's Commission on ly, and emotionallyIwas equipped to have 12 the Status of Women. When I said yes to that, I did

children and that's what . Iwanted.Ihave not not know what I was saying yes to. But it was our Married.Ido not have12children, with the task to examine exactly what was happening to exception of those 12 who are willed to me by three women inthatparticularinstitutionof higher different families. education.. Believe me, the first time we sat down The third decision was that I would be totally and began to analyze the statistics of that institution, submissive to the profession of the individual that I I could not believe it.I was absolutely astounded. was to marry. In other words, this individual was a With those three areas of myself going out and professional musician on the concert circuit and I running to doors and looking through windows that would work with him as a partner, if you will, in had never been opened to me before, suddenly the providing the emotion to something he was already seeds of awareness began to seep through every technically capable of handling, but didn't have that single level of my coasciousnessphysically, men- other aspect; so, we were to be a gNat team and hit tally, emotionally, and spirituaily. tl,e world of fame and fortune. However, I did not I think what is happening today is that the hearts make the decisionto enter intothat marriage of the daughters are being turned to our foremoth- becituse of those three pivotal aspects. As I suggest- ers, because many of us have been actively involved ed to you, I had to look within and begin to ask and engaged in researching what's happened. What myself some very seriols questions about being a were the early women of this Nation saying? We've woman, particularly in today's society. been digging inarchives and musty boxes and I went to Arizona State University, and ,j1hree blowing off the cobwebs and finding some very things happened simultaneously that acted as a enlightening things.For example,inthe State catalyst to begin this process of awakening that I Constitution of Utah in 1896, Article IV, Section 1, refer to. First of all, because my course of study at was included an equal rights clause that was almost

2 2 is recorded by the very same wording as the nationalproposed indeed be stoned. We are aware, as the analogy is amendment; and in examining the laws in thatState, history, what his choice was. I think we have over 100 statutesand laws thatare similar today. Women have a sense and a consciousnessof a task unconstitutional. is,to wreaka' Also in the research that I have doneregarding thatisto be performed;that the early women of the State of Utah,there is a tremendous change upon,zhis society forthe better; Josephs may make their phrase that we found frequently in the diariesthey and now the modern-day the stone or said that they were "moved upon by theinspiration choice, whether in fact they will pick up of their times." They wece respon ing to thepulse shoulder the responsibilities. Justice are both/ -of their times, and, remember, Utah.'s a Statethat I find it an irony that Liberty and had women who were the firstt.O exercise the depicted as women. The irony inthis country, Of franchisethe right to vote. So our early historyis course, is that bothliberty and justice have teen Liberty and very inconsistent with what ishappeninktpday. least experienced legally by womet,. When people ask me how I, as a member of the Justice aresisters,and we must translate the dominant religion in that State, can take theposition implication. have consistently taken on the issuesof I agree with what has been saidin terms of the thatI but I women, I simply respond thatthere is a bit of me importance of the Equal Rights Amendment; in our societyI am that was present in Mother Eve. suppose as a single woman possessed by a In spite of the authoritative thunderingvoice that conscious of the fact, if you are not forbade her to stretch forth her hand and pickof the man, there is theassumption that you are public Truit of the Tree of Knowledge, she didindeed do property, Which is offensive to me. that, though many would have usbelieve she I think that there are many challengesthat face us consequently has cursed all of the human race, as men and as womenin this society. One I suggest particularly women (and we're often told thatwe're to you as we moveforward in progress is that we skins. For example, one of living out that curse). Contrary to thatbelief, she did must get out of our own bless humankind. So, many of us stretchforth our the things thatI heard over and over and over it hand for the concept of equality becauseof that again--and understand this, but nonetheless Eve. causes me concernbecause I never hear the other which we also possess similar to Mother understand the In the last month and a half in particular,I have side of itis that people have to in this noticed in the State of Utah a tremendousaboutface plight or the condition of the married woman other side of the among individuals who, upto this point, have Nation. Yet, I have never heard the under- remained very quiet about this issue, withprobable coin, which is that it's just as important to great deal of fear stand the conditions and theplight of the single cause, because there has been a widowed or about speaking out. But, nonetheless, therehas been womanbe they never-ma:ried or empathize with my an overwhelmingchange, and we are finding that divorced. As hard as I attempt to have contacts from all over the Nationand married friends'and my sisters andsisters-in-law and including Canada and my grandmothers,I find, even with my own family, tside of the country, single exico. Individuals who hav T. similar concerns are it's difficult for them to deal with me as a of our skins and begin to suddenly gaining the courage to speak out. woman. So we must get out In Christendom, there is recordedthat when there understand. discrimination, does is work for a woman to perform, atask for her to If I have never experienced has experienced. perform, she is the one who is approached,such as that mean that no other woman I have was the case ofMary.Itwas she who was discrimination? If I hav,, been married and approached first, and then Joseph waslater in- always had the best that is possible inlife, does that formed about her particular task andher condition. mean that all womenhave that same condition? If I where As was the custom of the times, anyunmarried happen to land one is& those choice positions could be stoned to death if I'm making more tilati $25,000 a yearand have a lot women in her condition that every woman in the man selected not to marryher. So it was a of advantages, doe that mean decision that Joseph had to make,whether or not he this Nation is doing so? that women are would support her so that hecould facilitate her An effect that I see happening is the men's eyes, carrying out her task, or whether or notshe would beginning to see the world through

15 bec*use being a man in our society is not always all being burned down, being built again a second and a it's:cracked up to be. Those of us who have broken third time and a fourth time. I feel that, even when through some of the barriers and have worked as the Equal Rights Amendment is attached to the administrators find out how difficult the world of Constitution, we are going to enter into a period work has been made for the man. I do not wonder at where we are going to have to he willing to lay the medical and sociological and psychological more on the line than we have. results of that world, which must be changed for I also feel that in this movement (the women's both men and women. rights movement) we must begin to follow the Another thing that we must begin to do is that example of our sisters in Europe who received the we've got to stop cannibalizing each other. Whether Nobel Peace Prize and begin to weave the fabric of we are on the far right or the far left,- to continue peace into a Nation which has engaged in war as verbally and publicly to be destructive toward each long as I have been alive.I was born during ihe other is not a firm foundation upon which to build a future nation of peace. Second World War. A third thing is, what are we willing to place on I'd like to close with two thoughts. One is from the line for those things that we believe? I feel that, C.S. Lewis, found in his essay on the "Weight of even though the battle today has been difficult in our Glory." He said, "It is a serious thing to live in a struggle for rights, we are still battling a war in society of possible gods and goddesses.. . ." The luxury compared to the hardships that the early implications are profound! The other quote was people of this Nation who fought this same battle made by a man inthe early days of Greeée. have gone through. I don't see too many women and Inequities and injustices "will never be done away men laying every dollar they have on the line when with until those who are noi affected become just as something is destroyed, such as early schoolhouses indignant as those who are." Thank you.

16 4.Informational Resources

Federal Government Agencies Secretary's Advisory Committee on the Rights Commission on Civil Rights and Responsibilities of Women Women's Rights Program Unit U.S.Department of Health, Education, and Wel- U.S.Commission on Civil Rights fare 1121 Vermont Ave. Room 410 330 Independence Ave., S.W., Room 3062 North Washington, D.C. 20425 Washington, D.C. 20201 (202)254-8127 (202)245-6606 The Program for' Women's Concerns

Department of Commerce Office of the Director . Task Force On Women Business Owners National Institute on Drug Abuse Main Commerce Bldg., Room 6863 U.S.Department of Health, Education, and Wel- U.S.Department of Commerce fare Washington, D.C. 20230 5600Tishers Lane (2021377-5770 Rockville, Md. 20852 (301)433-3693

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Women's Action Program National Advisory Council on Women's Education- U.S.Department of Health, Education, and Wel- al Programs fare U.S.Department of Health, Education, and Wel- 330 Independence Ave., S.W., Room 3059 North, fare Washington, D.C. 20201 1832 M St., N.W., Suite 821 (2))2)245-6606 Washington, D.C. 20036 (202)653-5846 Women's Program Office Office of Education National Center for the Prevention and Control U.S.Department of Health, Education, and Wel- of Rape fare National Institute of Mental Health 400 Maryland Ave., S.W., Room 3121 U.S.Department of Health, Education, ,and Wel- Washington, D.C. 20202 fare (202)245-2181 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, Md. 20857 Women's Research Program (301)443-1910 National Institute of Education

17 U.S.Department of Health, Education, and Wel- Office of Women and Development fare Agency for International Development 1200 19th St., N.W., Room 815 U.S.Department ofState /Washington, D.C. 20208 2201 C St., N.W., Room 3243 / (202)254-5406 Washington, D.C. 20520 (202)632-3992 Department of Housing and Urban Development Women's Program Division Office of Personnel Management (formerly U.S. U.S.Department of Housing and Urban Develop- Civil SeTvice CcAmmission) ment Federal Women's Program 451 7th St., S.W., Room 3234, tr.S.Office of Personnel Managetnent Washington, D.C. 20410 1900 E Sty, N.W., Room 7540 (202)755-6525 Washington, D.C. 20415 (202)632-6870 Department of Justice Task Force on Sex Discrimination U.S. Congress Congressional Clearinghouse on Women's.Rights Civil Rights Division U.S.House of Representatives U.S.Department of Justice 722 House Annex, Building No. 1 Safeway Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20515 521 12th St., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20530 (202)225-2947 (202)724-6758 White House Interdepartmental Task Force on Women Department of Labor c/o Sarah Weddington CoordinatingCommittee t for 'nterdepartinental Office of Public Liaison Women White House c/o Women's Buzau Washington, D.C. 20500 U.S.Department of Labor (202)456-6585 200 Constitution Ave., N.W., Room S3002 Washington, D.C. 20210 Selected National Organizations 202)523-6611 American Association of University Women 2401 Virginia Ave., N.W. National Advisory Committee for Women Washington, D.C. 20037 . U.S.Department of Labor (202)785-7750 200 Constitution Ave., N.W., Room C5321 Washington, D.C. 20210 American Civil Liberties Union (202)523-6707 Legislative Office '600 Pennsylvania P.ve., S.E. Women's Bureau Washington, D.C. 20003 U.S.Department of Labor (202)544-1681 200 ConstitutiOn Ave., N.W., Room S3002 Washington, D.C. 20210 Center for Women Policy Studies (202)323-6611 2000 P St., N.W., Suite 508 Washington, D.C. 20036 17 Department of State (202)872-1770 International Women's Programs U.S.Department of State Chicana Rights Project 2201 C St., N.W.,.Room 1427 Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Washington, D.C. 20520 Fund (202)632-6906 c/o Pat M. Vasquez

18 2 oi 501 Petroleum Commerce Bldg. National Association of Cuban American Women 201 North St. Mary's St. 3900 Connecticut Ave., N.W. San Antonio, Tex. 78205 Washington, D.C. 20008 (512)224-5476 National Association of Spanish Speaking-Spanish Coalition of Labor Union Women Surnamed Nurses 15 Union Square c/o Ilduara Murillo-Rhode New York, N.Y. 10003 School of Nursing, SC-72 University of Washington (212)255-7800 Seattle, Wash. 98195 (206)543-9455 ERAmerica 1525 M St., N.W., Suite 605 Washington, D.C. 20036 National Black Feminist Organization (202)833-4354 2802 Hillcrest Parkway Hillcrest Heights, Md. 20031 Federally Employed Women, Inc. (202)899-1,327 487 National Press Bldg., N.W. Violence Wighington, D.C. 20045 National Coalition Agalnst Domestic (202)638-4404 c/o Bonnie Tinker, Chairperson P.O.Box 40132 Housewives for ERA Portland, Oreg. 97240 281-8275 or 281-2442 1108 South Blvd. (503) Evanston, III. 60202 National Coalition forWomen and Girls in League of Women Voters Education 1730 M St., N.W. c/o Office of Women in Higher Education Washington, D.C. 20036 American Council on Education (202)296-1770 1 Dupont Circle, Suite 800 Washington, D.C. 20036 Mexican American Women's National Auociation (202)833-4692 L'Enfant Plaza Station, S.W. P.O.Box 2306 National Committee Concerned with Asian Wives Washington, D.C. 20024 of U.S. Servicemen (703)521-0097 Bok-Lim Kim, Chairperson 1207 West Oregon National Alliance of Black Women Feminists Urbana, Ill. 61801 202 South State St., Suite 1024 (217)333-2261 Chicago, Ill. 60604 (312)939-0107 National Committee on Household Employment 7705 Georgia Ave., N.W., Suite 208 National Association forGirls and Women In Washington, D.C. 20012 Sports (202)291-2422 1201 16th St. N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 National Conference of Puerto Rican Women (202)833-5540 Cleveland Park Station P.O.Box 4804 National Association of Commissions for Women Washington, D.C. 20008 926 .1 St., Room 1014 Sacramento, Calif. 95814 National Council of JewishWomen (916)444-9196 1346 Connecticut Ave., N.W.

19 Washington, D.C. 20036 Organization of Pan Asia Women (202)296-2588 719 Fern Place, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20012 National Council of Negro Women 1346 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 832 Rural American Women, Inc. Washington, D.C. 20036 1522 K St., N.W., Suite 700 (202)223-.2363 Washington, D.C. 20005 (202)785-4700 National NOW (National Organization for Women) Action Center Women's Equity Action League 425 13th St., N.W., Room 1001 805 15th St., N.W., Suite 822 Washington, D.C. 20006 Pennsylvania Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20004 (202)638-4560 (202)347-2279 Women's Law Project 112 South 16th St., Suite 1012 National Women's Education Fund Philadelphia, Pa. 19102 1532 16th St., N.W. (215)564-6280 Washington, D.C. 20036 (202)462-8606 Women's Legal Defense Fund, Inc. 1010 Vermont Ave., N.W. Room 210 National Women's Health Network Washington, D.C. 20005 2025 I St., N.W. (202)638-1123 Washington, D.C..)0036 (202)223-6886 Women's Lobby, Inc. 201 Massachusetts Ave., N.W. National Women's Political Caucus Washington, D.C. 20002 '1411 K St., N.W., Suite 1110 (202)547-0044 Washington, D.C. 20005 (202)347-4456 Women's Rights Project Center for Law and Social Policy North American Indian Women's Associafion 1751 N St., N.W. c/o Mary Jane Fate, National President Washington, D.C. 20036 SR 3 Box 30586 (202)872-0670 Fairbanks, Alaska. 99701

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