[EDEQUITY Discussion]Non-Traditional Training and Employment

From: Christina Perez (christina_perez@terc.edu)
Date: Tue Aug 08 2000 - 10:56:57 EDT


"The term, "NTO" is defined as any higher wage paying occupations
in which one gender comprise 25 percent or less of total population
employed."

I have a hard time with the idea that the goal of creating equal
opportunity for boys and girls (or men and women) in employment has
such a strong focus on salary. The opening remarks to this discussion
thread also emphasized this point,and it leads me to question what
exactly we're holding as our value system.
In my mind, gender equity should be working towards breaking down the
barriers
that have traditionally maintained a segregated workforce. It is not about
ushering girls into all those high-wage technology jobs that are out
there because they are high-wage jobs. It is about changing stereotypes,
etc.
that discourage so many girls from being interested in technology in the
first place. It is about creating opportunity for the sake of
opportunity, for the social justice that comes with
individuals being empowered enough to make authentic choices.

Also missing from this discussion are the discrepancies between women of
different racial groups. The definition above does not seem to
concern itself with the very real and deeply embedded issue of how highly
segregated the workforce is among women.

Christina Perez
christina_perez@terc.edu



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