Date: Wed, 01 Dec 1999 11:54:08 -0500 (EST)
Subject: CSWA Newsletter of 12/1/99
To: AASMAIL: ;
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
weekly issues of 12/01/99, ed. by Priscilla Benson
*** send email and addresses to aaswomen
wellesley.edu ***
This week's issues:
1. Children's Toys Continued
2. A Medical Warning on Tampons
3. Weizmann Women & Science Award
4. NSF POWRE Program
5. Job Ads
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1. Children's Toys Continued
From: Sherri Godlin godlinveebs.bu.edu
I agree whole-heartedly with the other comment
s regarding
the Mattel computer ad and other Mattel products. I got the
same coupon in the mail and was equally disgusted by first
the concept that you needed "boys" and "girls" computers,
and second by the difference between the software included
with the computer. If I remember correctly, both computers
came with encyclopedia and general reference software. But
the girl-specific software was for Barbie fashion designer,
sticker designing, outfit selection, a virtual mall, etc.
all ca
sed in a bright pink computer with big flowers on it.
The blue and orange Hot Wheels boy's computer software
included car and airplane designing, Hot Wheels software
(where I assume the boys could design their own track and
see how cars performed on it), logic puzzles, math puzzles,
etc. I wish I could be more specific, but I could not find
any information on the children computers at the Mattel
website.
I see other evidence of the disparity between girls and boys
toys every time I go in
to a toy store. Even scarier is to
watch Saturday morning cartoon time commercials. If the
CSWA decides to address this issue, and I hope we do, I will
be happy to help any way I can.
Sherri Stephan
----------------------------
From: "VILAS, FAITH, PHD (JSC-SN)"
Take a poll on that idea - I think it has a lot of merit.
Esp. just before Christmas. We could issue a list of
preferred toys. We could circulate it on our own also..
FV
-----------------------------
From: Grace Wolf-Chase gracehorta.uchicago.edu
I think Lauretta's idea of putting the CSWA behind a list of
recommended (and not recommended) toys sounds like a good
idea to me -- I'd be all for this, with one caution.
Consider that many of the problems with sex-stereotyped toys
is not so much the actual toy, but how it's advertised. In
this regard, the toy companies have been stuck in the 1950s
for far too long, as far as I'm concerned! For example,
dolls are perfectly acceptable toys. It's when we start
insinuating that it is acceptable for girls to play with
dolls and not for boys to play with dolls that we promote
sexism. (For eg., the father that says "You won't catch MY
son playing with dolls". Horror of horrors -- that boy might
actually wind up being a good father!) Another aspect of
this is that we must be careful we don't condemn toys just
because we ourselves wouldn't find a particular toy
interesting. Although for myself, I generally find most of
the "interesting" toys in the "boys section", it wouldn't be
right to condemn toy ovens just because I personally hate to
cook! Again, it's a question of whether you promote an easy-
bake-oven as a "girl toy", or a toy where children in
general can explore cooking!
I think we want to attack the ADVERTISING and challenge
people's views about this, rather than attacking specific
kinds of toys. No doubt about it, though, this will be
tough, because it's "Joe and Jane Public" that generally
motivate the toy companies in the first place. As a mother
of three young children, I get plenty of opportunities to
toy shop. Those of you who don't do this very often might be
surprised to know how MANY people -- both men AND women --
help to propagate the mentality which classifies toys as
"girl toys" or "boy toys". EVERY SINGLE TIME I've gone
shopping for toys, I hear comments such as the woman who
tells her daughter "No -- don't look for a gift for Suzie in
that aisle -- those are the boys' toys." (Or the man who
says "You won't catch MY son playing with dolls.") It is
most definitely NOT just men who promote this particular
brand of nonsense.
Making the (good) assumption that the public drives what the
toy companies provide, we'd better hope we're not seen as a
3 sigma minority that the companies can safely ignore (the
problem is that's pretty much what we are, isn't it?)! I
don't mean to be negative about this -- just to point out
that I think the "greater guilt", so to speak, lies with the
public's mindset, rather than the toy companies who appeal
to that mindset to sell toys...
Grace Wolf-Chase
gracehorta.uchicago.edu
----------------------------
From: Lynda Williams lwilliamsonwellesley.edu
To Whom it May Concern:
I just got your 'give the gift of discovery' catalogue and I
am outraged by your sexist ads in which you depict boys
playing with telescopes and girls making pottery and
painting their nails! As an astronomer and educator I am
outraged! I am going to encourage all astronomers to boycott
Discovery Channel stores until you make more girl inclusive
ads!
SHAME ON YOU!
Lynda Williams
Physics and Astronomy
SF State University
----------------------------
From: Priscilla J. Benson
I think Grace and Lynda have pointed out an important point
-- that it is not necessarily the toy which is "bad"; it is
the advertising! Note that we don't want to boycott the
telescope described in Lynda's letter - just the ad which
depicts it played with only by boys! Companies make toys
which their market research departments think will sell.
For each of us female scientists who resent the sexism of
the ads, there are hundreds of other consumers who happily
purchase these products, most often because their children
request them. Our problem is that there is still a large
segment of the population who believe that all girls should
play with dolls and all boys should play with trucks; the
toy companies cater to this belief. The toys themselves are
not necessarily bad things. If I had a little girl who
wasn't interested in computers and was "into Barbie dolls",
I might purchase the Barbie computer as a way to expand her
horizons, showing her that there are some things she might
be interested in doing with a computer, and hope that other
uses would follow. Perhaps a "pretty pink package" might
help her to realize that computers aren't just for boys even
if the boys in her class at school have told her that "girls
aren't good with computers."
Priscilla
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2. A Medical Warning on Tampons
From: Ann Sprague spragueLPL.Arizona.EDU
Please consider distributing this message to the aaswomen
email list.
Thanks,
Ann Sprague
If you use pads, but especially if you use tampons read
this and pass on to your friends (for the men receiving this
email, please forward it to your friends, significant
others, sisters, mothers, daughters, etc.) thanks!
Have you heard that tampon makers include asbestos in
tampons? Why would they do this? Because asbestos makes you
bleed more . . . if you bleed more, you're going to need to
use more. Why isn't this against the law since asbestos is
so dangerous? Because the powers that be, in all their
wisdom (not!), did not consider tampons as being ingested,
and therefore wasn't illegal or considered dangerous.
This month's Essence magazine has a small article about
this and they mention two manufacturers of a cotton tampon
alternative. The companies are Organic Essentials at(800)
765-6491 and Terra Femme (800)755-0212.
A woman getting her Ph.D. at University of Colorado at
Boulder sent the following: "I am writing this because women
are not being informed about the dangers of something most
of us use - tampons. I am taking a class this month and I
have been learning a lot about biology and women, including
much about feminine hygiene.
Recently we have learned that tampons are actually
dangerous for other reasons than TSS (toxic shock syndrome).
I'll tell you this, after learning about this in our class,
most of the females wound up feeling angry and upset with
the tampon industry, and I for one, am going to do something
about it. To start, I want to inform everyone I can, and
email is the fastest way that I know how.
Here is the scoop: Tampons contain two things that are
POTENTIALLY harmful: Rayon (for absorbency), and dioxin (a
chemical used in bleaching the products). The tampon
industry is convinced that we, as women, need bleached white
products - in order to view the product as pure and clean.
The problem here is that the dioxin produced in this
bleaching process can lead to very harmful problems for a
woman. Dioxin is potentially carcinogenic (cancer-
associated) and is toxic to the immune and reproductive
systems. It has also been linked to Endometriosis and lower
sperm counts for men- for both, it breaks down the immune
system.
Last September the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
reported that there really is no set "acceptable" level of
exposure to dioxin given that it is cumulative and slow to
disintegrate. The real danger comes from repeated contact
(Karen Houppert "Pulling the Plug on the Tampon Industry").
I'd say using about 4-5 tampons a day, five days a month,
for 38 menstruating years is "repeated contact", wouldn't'
you? Rayon contributes to the danger of tampons and dioxin
because it is a highly absorbent substance. Therefore, when
fibers from the tampons are left behind in the vagina (as
usually occurs), it creates a breeding ground for the
dioxin. It also stays in a lot longer than it would with
just cotton tampons. This is also the reason why TSS
occurs.
WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES? Using feminine hygiene products
that aren't bleached and that are all cotton. Other feminine
hygiene products (pads/napkins) contain dioxin as well, but
they are not nearly as dangerous since they are not in
direct contact with the vagina. The pads/napkins need to
stop being bleached, but obviously tampons are the most
dangerous.
So, what can you do if you can't give up using tampons? Use
tampons, that are made from 100% cotton, and that are
UNBLEACHED. Unfortunately, there are very, very few
companies that make these safe tampons. They are usually
only found in health food stores. Countries all over the
world (Sweden, Germany, British Columbia, etc.) have
demanded a switch to this safer tampon, while the US has
decided to keep us in the dark about it. In 1989, activists
in England mounted a campaign against chlorine bleaching.
Six weeks and 50,000 letters later, the makers of sanitary
products switched to oxygen bleaching (one of the green
methods available). (MS magazine,May/June1995).
WHAT TO DO NOW: Tell people. Everyone. Inform them. We
are being manipulated by this industry and the government,
let's do something about it! Please write to the companies:
Tampax (Tambrands),Playtex, O.B., Kotex. Call the 800
numbers listed on the boxes. Let them know that we demand a
safe product -ALL COTTON UNBLEACHED TAMPONS.
Thank you.
Donna C. Boisseau & Stephanie C. Baker;
Assistants to Dr. B.S. Katzenellenbogen,
Professor University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign;
Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology;
(217) 333-9769
Yours sincerely,
V. Faire-Cooper,
The HSI Foundation.
Kathy Kellett
Project Director
K2 Communications
Phone: 408.445.1277
Fax: 408.445.1352
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3. Weizmann Women & Science Award
From the wiphys listserv
NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR WEIZMANN WOMEN & SCIENCE AWARD
The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science
is pleased to announce that nominations for the Weizmann
Women & Science Award are now being accepted. Established
in 1994, the award is given to honor an outstanding woman
scientist who has made significant contributions to the
scientific community, and to create more visible role
models. NOMINATIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED BY JANUARY 28, 2000.
The objective of the award is to advance the cause of women
in science and to provide a role model to motivate ane
encourage the next generation of young women scientists.
The recipient may come from any scientific discipline,
(i.e., biology, chemistry, physics, engineering,
environmental science, etc. ) And can be engaged in either
basic or applied science, in either research, education, or
policy making in the United States. A stipulation of
receiving the biennial award is that the recipient be
available to participate in the awards ceremony on Tuesday,
June 6, 2000 at a reception at the Academy of Science. She
may also be requested to speak or be a special guest at a
future Women & Science event.
The recipient will be given a $25,000 research grant to the
project of her choice and will be sponsored for a trip to
visit the Weizmann Institute of science in Rehovot, Israel.
For further information and to receive an application form,
please contact:
American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science
Attn: Liz Jaffe
Weizmann Women and Science Award
130 E. 59th St
New York, NY 10022
(212) 779-2500 phone
email: lizacwis.org
------------------------------------------------------------
4. NSF POWRE Program
From: "Wright, James P." jwrightnsf.gov
Here are a few tips if anyone plans to apply to the NSF POWRE
program.
1) The deadline is December 9, 1999 and the FULL POWRE
proposal has to be submitted by FastLane, including scanning
in the institutional certification page. Start early! The
program announcement, with the instructions, is NSF 99-164.
2) The second line of the cover sheet, which identifies the
program, should say "Astronomy - Special Programs in
Astronomy".
3) FastLane questions should be directed to Kim Elliott at
(703) 306-1804 or at "kelliottnsf.gov".
Jim Wright
----
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5. Job Notices
From: rfrenchahab.wellesley.edu
The Wellesley College Astronomy Department seeks a 3/5 time
leave replacement at the Assistant Professor level for the
2000/2001 academic year, beginning September 2000. Wellesley
College, located near Boston, is a highly selective women's
college of 2200 students with a history of excellence in
astronomy. We are part of the Keck Northeast Astronomy
Consortium (KNAC) of eight undergraduate astronomy
departments. We are looking for applicants with a Ph.D. in
astronomy or astrophysics and evidence of enthusiasm for and
experience in undergraduate teaching in astronomy. The
successful candidate will teach one introductory course in
the fall and spring semesters, and a more advanced course
during the spring semester.
Please visit http://www.astro.wellesley.edu for more
information about Wellesley College, our department, and
this leave replacement position, which includes full
benefits. Candidates should submit a letter of application
describing relevant work and teaching experience, a vita,
and the names, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers of
three people who have agreed to serve as references.
Interested candidates who will be attending the AAS meeting
in January are encouraged to sign up for an interview at the
meeting with Priscilla Benson (pbensonwellesley.edu), a
senior member of our department. Applications are due by
January 28, 2000. Wellesley College encourages applications
from women, minorities, veterans and candidates with
disabilities. AAE/EOE.
-----------------------
From: Kim Coplin Coplincc.denison.edu
TENURE-TRACK FACULTY POSITION
DENISON UNIVERSITY
The Denison University Department of Physics and Astronomy
invites applications for a tenure track assistant professor
in observational astronomy starting September 2000. Ph.D.
required. We are seeking candidates vitally interested in
teaching physics and astronomy at both the beginning and
advanced levels including laboratory based courses; the
successful applicant will also carry out active research
with the involvement of undergraduates. Preference will be
given to candidates in the areas of astronomy and
astrophysics who have solid experience in observational
techniques and who have public outreach experience. Start-
up funds for research will be available. On campus
interviews will include presentation of research, classroom
teaching and a proposed public outreach program in
astronomy. Denison University is a liberal arts college of
2000 students, located in Granville, Ohio, 30 minutes from
Columbus, Ohio. The department consists of a six member
faculty, full time secretary and technical assistant.
Facilities include excellent equipment for both teaching and
research, a link to the Ohio Supercomputer, observatory,
planetarium, and well-equipped machine shop. Additional
information may be obtained from our web site at
http://www.denison.edu/physics/. Applicants should submit
vita, graduate school transcript, a description of teaching
interests and experience, a proposed research plan including
the means for involving undergraduates, and three (3)
letters of references to: Dr. Kimberly Coplin, Chair of the
Search Committee, Department of Physics and Astronomy,
Denison University, Granville, OH 43023. Applications
received by the extended deadline of December 20th will
receive full consideration. The position will remain open
until filled. Please submit applications by post only.
Denison is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer
and strongly encourages applications from women and minority
candidates.
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End of CSWA Newsletter of 12/1/99