In our One Girl: The Status of girls in Central Ohio report, we discovered that more than 52% of girls reported hearing at least one discouraging comment about their math, science and computer abilities. This is an all too disturbing fact which has even held true within my personal academic life. In today’s Women’s E News article entitled Parents and Teachers: Yes, Girls Can Do the Math by Caryl Rivers, we are not only reminded of the historical backwardness of gender discrimination that has fostered an educational environment that prefers the mathematical skills of boys over girls; we are also reminded of the important work that needs to continue to stop stifling girl’s mathematical abilities. It has been proven with countless women and girls that when given the right tools and the right amount of encouragement, girls can and will exceed beyond expectations. If we continue to allow teachers, parents, and peers to discourage girls from excelling in Math then we risk losing our future Nancy Reid’s and Florence Nightingale’s and that is an expense that we as social change advocates should NOT be willing to pay.

To read Caryl Rivers full article please click here.

I know.  I shouldn’t even admit it.  I just now became a 1,000 Women.  Now, I give in other ways, through our regular donation page and such, it is just that I have been distracted.  Anyway, I did it today.  It took me less than five minutes to become one of the fabulous group of women who contributes $10.00 a month for 12 months for social change for women and girls.  Why did I want to become 1 of 1,000 when I already donate?  It feels good.  I feel a part of our grantmaking and a special group of women who want to be reminded monthly about investing in women and girls.  I like that almost anyone can invest at this level - and I like that so many women and girls have.  So even if you already invest - or if this is your introduction to The Women’s Fund - or you just want to know that your donations are put to the best possible use - just click the 1,000 Women icon on your left to sign up now!    

In the article Girls worse at math? No way, new analysis shows (see article), Maggie Fox discusses girls’ math skills and the nature versus nurture debate between one camp that suggests that girls are inherently, or biologically, bad at math, and the camp that believes that societal gender inequality produces girls’ low math scores or the perception of girls as bad at math. As a women’s studies major, and former psychology major, I have read multiple articles and participated in many class discussions on gender differences and if these differences are rooted in nature or nurture. Through such academic experiences I have come to believe that gender is a social conception which is often stereotyped, and for women, is often limited to only certain identities and skills (not as much now as in the past when women’s identities were strongly pegged to motherhood, the dutiful housewife, and domestic master).  Socially, and culturally, we have defined for decades, centuries even, that men and boys are better at math then women and girls. However, new and exciting research is demonstrating that girls are just as good as boys at math, even at the genius level!

                Maggie Fox points to statistics from a study published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” and to data collected from students who participated in the International Math Olympics and the 2003 Program for International Student Assessment, which illustrate that girls have the inherent or biological wherewithal to perform at the same level of boys in mathematics. This even relates to findings released in our very own One Girl: The Status of Girls in Central Ohio, which illustrated that girl students are performing at similar levels as boy students on math proficiency tests. So, to the camp which believes that girls can not succeed and excel in mathematics: YOU’RE WRONG!

                But, despite such positive statistics, we do see some gender disparities in math achievement. For instance, in the United States there are significantly less female than male mathematics professors. What explains such disparities? Fox points to historical-cultural gender inequality. For decades girls have not been as encouraged as boys to excel at math and jobs which involve complex math skills are typically considered by the culture to be male jobs. I think that this must be rooted in the women’s historical roles; across cultures, women were often limited to the domestic sphere, where they were not encouraged to succeed in math and did not need math for their day to day work, especially because they were typically not in charge of managing the household finances.

                This only highlights the need to encourage girls to enjoy math and to be confident in their mathematical abilities. When I was in 8^th grade, I had a challenging, but great teacher who really encouraged boys and girls to excel at math. I ended up being the only student in the school to score a 100% on the 8^th grade Math CBE (Credit By Exam) test, and I greatly attribute that success to my teacher’s dedication to my own academic development as well as her egalitarian math teaching methods. At the Women’s Fund we have been talking a lot about the significance of mentoring in girls’ lives lately. Perhaps mentoring would be a great approach to nurture girls’ confidence in their math abilities and to teach them that they are not inherently inferior in the subject! As I go on to teach secondary chemistry in the D.C. area next fall, I will certainly remember Maggie Fox’s article and the power of mentoring and dedication to girls’ math skills as I try to empower girls as best as I can to be confident in using their math skills in my class.

 By Katie, Clonan-Roy, WFCO Intern

Click on the “See the Tributes” header above and see the amazing Tributes video from Keyholder 9.  We have had such a wonderful response to both the Keyholder Survey and the 1,000 Women Campaign.  Become one of 1,000 women today.  Just click the 1,000 icon to get started!

Such inspiration in many forms was experienced last night at Keyholder 9/tributes: Finding Your Voice event. 

As we reflect on last night’s program, I am beside myself with the talent that presented itself on stage.  Thirty brilliantly talented women  took the stage.  From Jazz Mary hosting the night, even without a teleprompter, to the robust sound from the Women’s Chorus embracing age.  We were emotionally moved by the heartfelt tributes and songs in honor of a voice coach from Kristen Eubanks and a newly penned song for a mother from Hope Vitellas.  And then of course, there was the moment in time, that the room became one in awe of the talent by Ariel Horowitz as demonstrated by a standing Ovation.  Oh, and how many of the lawyers in the room got a chuckle out of Debra James Tucker’s tribute, or mom’s who knew exactly what Sally Fingerette sang about? 

While all of this was happening from the stage, we would be remiss to not note the passion and energy felt from the 700 guests in the audience.  These women, and a few great men, are the reason the Fund is driven by its mission to leveraget the collective power and passion of all women working together to invest in positive social change.  

To be in a room filled with remarkable women, all from central Ohio, causes one to pause.  To pause and recognize that we are in a community of such resource and potential.  And it is for this reason, that we celebrated the announcement last night of The Women’s Fund increasing its grantmaking dollars this fall!  At a time when many other funders are decreasing their financial support, it was imperative to the Fund to closely examine our internal work and position ourselves to respond to the economic times that so disparagingly effect women and girls.  This kind of statement is only possible due to the generosity of people who invested anywhere from $2 to over $50,000 over the last two years.  And to you, we say thank you.

To those who came last night or were there in spirit, thank you.  

To the musicians who shared their talent, thank you. 

To American Electric Power, lead sponsor and other companies and Advocate supporters, thank you.

To those that were not able to join us, or if you would like to remind yourself of the experience, you can watch a rebroadcast on Time Warner On Demand Channel 1111. 

Can’t wait to see you all tomorrow night, Wednesday, May 27th.  Doors open at 5:30, program runs from 6-7 p.m.  If you haven’t gotten your ticket, no worries, you can pay at the door.  Also, if you ordered your tickets after Thursday, your tickets will be at Will Call. 

Don’t worry about a rainy night, most of the parking is underground in garages very close to Riffe Center.  We recommend parking at the Huntington Center and Riffe Center garages on Front, at City Center Parking Garages (a little walk outdoors) on 3rd and Rich, and at the State House Parking Garage on 3rd.  Parking will be $4-$6 dolllars for the evening.  The list of garages is also found on the letter included with you mailed tickets. 

As we review the program, we are getting more excited by the minute.  Can’t wait to see everyone tomorrow night!  If you have any questions about tomorrow night, don’t hesitate to call the office at   225-9926.

Seriously.  We can hardly contain our excitement.   Over the last couple of weeks, we have heard women talk about bringing their book club, movie club, and ”girl’s night” groups.  Mothers are bringing their daughters and mentors are bringing their mentees.  Keyholder is such a great chance to bring the women and girls who matter to you to a celebration of the strength and wisdom that women share. 

Personally, I can’t wait to see my friends who I don’t get to connect with often enough and I can’t wait to hear one of my favorite Kate Bush songs, This Women’s Work, sung by the inspiring Kristen Eubanks!  If you haven’t bought your ticket, there are still some available.   Don’t miss this chance to be a part of Keyholder 9.

We just learned that yesterday, in his 2010 budget, President Obama eleiminated all funding for failed federal abstinence-only-until-marriage sexual health programs. 

We also know that girls who receive abstinence only education are 50% more likely to have a teen pregnancy than if they receive medically accurate, comprehensive sex education.   If a girl goes to high school in Franklin County, she is 38% more likely to get pregnant and 32% more likely to have a abortion than her peers eleswhere in Ohio.   Fairfield County has no publically funded contraceptive services.  We now have hope that an increase in funding for the right kind of sexual health information can be provided to help girls make informed decisions about their sexual activity and sexual health.

                As an upcoming graduate of the Ohio State University and intern with the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, I found Regina Mahone’s response to Caroline Preston’s coverage of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network conference interesting and representative of many of my own experiences.  I have interned for over a year now with the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio with the grants department, and throughout that year I have been inspired by their strategies to promote social change for women and girls. Now, I know that I want to work within the non-profit sector in the future.

                Regina’s article discusses how the current dismal state of the economy is affecting the goals and projects of non-profits. It also  appears that the economy is: 1) decreasing job opportunities for recent graduates (an economic phenomenon I have personally felt in the past three months); and 2) presenting recent graduates with new and unusual opportunities to advance (another trend I have personally experienced in my job search process).

                Throughout this past winter and spring I have applied to very competitive internships with non-profits in Washington D.C. and New York City such as The Women’s Foreign Policy Group, The Institute For Women Policy Studies, and MADRE.  I was accepted to a few of the internships I applied to but the majority of the responses were that they had to cut down on the amount of staff members or that their budget for this year only had room for one intern. As a student who has a 3.9 GPA, multiple internship experiences, experience with thesis research and conducting international fieldwork, and who has excellent office and organizational skills, I was surprised with such negative results! My advisor attributed it to the bad economy: let’s face it; it is a BAD time to graduate.

                I believe that although non-profits are affected by the crippled economy, like Regina suggests, they are also able to present opportunities for advancement and their work is increasingly crucial in this suffering economy. It is important for recent graduates to recognize that this economic crisis has not only created a lack of job opportunities in the non-profit sector but also has created areas of need within our communities, making the work of non-profits increasingly important. Recent graduates should not only be motivated by the possibility to assume “new and unusual” opportunities to promote social change, but they should be motivated to impact the communities who are suffering the most from such poverty.

If I were to offer advice to young nonprofit professionals to keep them from leaving the non-profit sector, I would encourage them to consider the social impact they can make by assuming such new and unusual opportunities. For instance, since 2001 the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio has awarded 90 grants worth nearly $800,000 to programs that enhance the economic independence, life skills, and leadership potential of women and girls in central Ohio. Why would a recent graduate pass up an opportunity to directly impact the lives of women and girls, or other populations, through non-profit activism? I have decided to move forward next year in the non-profit sector with Teach For America, a national non-profit organization which strives to solve educational disparity by sending high achieving graduates into low income schools. My work as an intern with the Women’s Fund has allowed me to see how one can make a direct social impact with their career and I have been inspired to continue such work next year as well as for the rest of my life.

 Written by Kate Roy