In support of a feminist stimulus*

[ensho]

http://thegspot.typepad.com/blog/2009/01/in-support-of-a-feminist-stimulus.html


A number of feminists have expressed concern that President-Elect Obama's proposed stimulus package will be of limited help to women because it will disproportionately create jobs in male-dominated industries like construction, while largely ignoring more female-friendly professions such as education, health care, and child care. The well-known feminist economist, Barbara Bergmann, has written a letter to Obama calling for a stimulus package that would do more for women. The text of the letter is as follows:

To President-Elect Obama:

We applaud your intention to establish a sizeable and productive program that will help to stimulate the economy, and that will provide improved infrastructure for the country. However, we are concerned that, unless specific steps are taken, your program will provide jobs almost exclusively for men. Women are 46 percent of the labor force. Their unemployment rate is rising with that of men. Moreover, many millions of women are raising children without a husband or partner, and unemployment for them will mean great deprivation, and possible homelessness, for them and their children.

We suggest three lines of action that will insure that women get a fair share of the benefits from your program:

1. Revive and enforce the Labor Department regulations that require government contractors to institute affirmative action plans that provide a share of the jobs for women and minorities. Closely monitor the contractors for compliance.

2. In connection with the infrastructure projects, institute apprenticeships, and ensure that at least one third of the positions go to women.

3. Add projects in health, child care, education, social service that will both provide jobs to women, and also provide needed services to them.

A number of prominent economists and others have signed this letter. You can add you signature here.

-snip-

I like the letter, but I would add a few specifics to it, including:
-snip-
------------------------------


I'm for it

[Taverner]

1. Well I am all for that, BUT isn't it sexist to claim construction is a MALE job?

I have known Women Construction Workers. Granted, they aren't 50/50, but it isn't 99/1 either

[ensho]

2. what is it then, 98/1?

nt

[terisan]

3. It acknowledges the fact that construction is male-dominated. I think that

an acknowledgment of a fact would not be sexist.

[Taverner]

5. I should introduce you guys to the folks building the new office park down the street

I saw at least 5 women, in hard hats, doing construction stuff

[cap]

10. we can't use those few role models

as support for the needed major shift in society. They are road markers for progress in the field but they are not indicative of a major shift in the field.

[Donnachaidh]

13. so you have enlightened contractors in your area

Well that's just special!

That isn't the case in a lot of places, and you know that. But thanks for the lesson in how to pick nits, and marginalize the OP's message. :eyes:

[gollygee]

16. He said 5. He didn't say out of how many.

If it's 5 out of 50, that's about average.

[Taverner]

17. I do find it necesarry to point out

And to label teaching or nursing as a "women's occupation" totally MARGINALIZES all of the male nurses out there (and trust me, there are A LOT!)

Let me also add that I hate the idea of a "Feminist Stimulus" just as much as I would hate the idea of a Masculinist Stimulus, an Afro-, Euro-, Asian-Centric Stimulus.

How about a fucking AMERICAN STIMULUS PACKAGE that builds and staffs hospitals (we currently are lacking ER rooms) as well as fixing our bridges, roads, HIGHWAYS and plugs a ton into R&D for Alternative Energy.

[gollygee]

20. 5.4% of nurses are male

http://www.allnursingschools.com/faqs/men.php

So, that means there are almost twice as many female construction workers as male nurses.

The issue here is that many women support themselves on only their salaries. Not all women are married to men. So a stimulus package that has a ratio of helping men vs women at 90% to 10% isn't going to help the single women out there trying to buy groceries and pay rent and all that stuff.

[Taverner]

22. Why not just build the goddamn hospital

Your "Male" jobs can be staffed by the Construction crew and Doctors (because there is no such thing as a Female doctor, right?) and the "Female" jobs can be staffed by nurses and secretaries at the hospital.

Hospitals would be a great place to start, in all seriousness. We have a serious lack of ER rooms in this country, especially in urban areas.

[gollygee]

26. 25% of doctors are women

I can post the link google brought up if you want. :D

Anyway, THAT is a much better suggestion - it would be a plan that would over the long run provide more jobs for men AND more jobs for women. And you're right, there are places where we need more hospitals.

It isn't a good thing that there are "male jobs" and "female jobs", and it would be great to change society so that things were more equal in different professions, but we have to deal the reality people are dealing with at the moment as well as try to make those changes. Women need help getting through these rough economic times too. Just saying, "Hey, you could get a job in construction, too!" doesn't really help them.

[Taverner]

29. I just hate the idea that women somehow need a different stimulus package than men

Build the hospital. Build the schools. Build that triple-decker-highway through the East Bay so traffic moves. Everyone, man and woman, will benefit.

[gollygee]

33. That's true - the problem is that THIS stimulus package helped men much more than women

You're right though - a stimulus package, if this issue were thought of before hand, would not have to primarily benefit just men or women. This particular one is mainly construction related.

[terisan]

54. They need to be included in one. They are more likely to be in poverty and responsible for children.

You can't benefit much from the highway if you don't have a job.

[terisan]

53. I don't dispute that there are many but the super majority are men. I worked on a project

years ago that focused on trying to get women into higher paying construction jobs and out of clerical. It had some success... and the trades are much more open today but a big gap remains.

[aquart]

4. Where?

My city is perpetually under construction and I have never seen ONE.

[midnight]

11. Well I know male nurses, but nursing is still considered a

female profession. This letter focuses on the stimulus for jobs that a majority of women are in. Maybe all jobs in male dominated sectors can be opened up with a 50/50 ratio.

[gollygee]

15. 90.6% of construction workers are male

One thing it shows is how the income gap between male and female workers is narrower in construction than in several other fields. Men represented 90.6 percent of all construction workers last year, and the median income for full-time year-round male employees was $38,823, compared to $36,593 for full-time, year-round female construction workers.

http://www.builderonline.com/construction-trends/construction-industry-employed-11-million-people-in-2007.aspx

I think 90% would qualify it as "male-dominated".

[Book Lover]

35. So what part of this proposal do you support?

Reading through your replies here, it seems to me you are focusing in on this one piece of verbiage, which is, let's face it, not germane to the topic, which is that the proposed stimulus package is weighted toward the industries and professions where women are not well represented, and the package should therefore be altered to reach a higher degree of parity between the sexes. What say you about that?

[Stinky The Clown]

6. I like this idea.

[TheWraith]

7. This is pretty silly.

For starters, this is talking about massive overhauls of the method for pushing out this money, which would take too much time. Expecting the stimulus package to be anything other than a boost to the overall economy is a loser. You don't do cosmetic surgery on somebody who's hemhorraging from a gunshot wound.

[undeterred]

8. This isn't cosmetic surgery, its equality.

Women are paid less for doing the same job as it stands. So the stimulus package should create jobs for men and leave more women unemployed?

[ensho]

14. kick

nt

[mrreowwr_kittty]

23. Seriously, didn't that comment make it seem like women's jobs are superfluous?

I mean, it's not like we ever have to support ourselves or others is it? :sarcasm:

[anigbrowl]

55. I think it's more like publicity

I don't think there are enough details out about the stimulus package to go judging it in terms of whether it unfairly favors one gender. I pulled a summary from the UK Times:

"The scale of the plan, which Mr Obama hopes to sign into law shortly after he takes office on January 20, appears to be increasing by the day. He wants a nationwide road and bridge-building scheme; to make public buildings more energy-efficient by replacing old heating systems and installing efficient light bulbs; the renovation of schools and installation of computers in every classroom; to extend high-speed internet across the nation; and to give hospitals access to electronic medical records.

Mr Obama said that he would make “the single largest investment in our national infrastructure” since the 1950s highway programme. The plan is expected to include spending on electrical grids, public transport, dams and investment in alternative fuels."

I can see scope for many jobs there besides construction. I'll wait for the full details.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

9. Oy Vey.

How stupid.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

25. Gee, what a surprise

Our resident MRA and anti-choicer chimes in. :eyes:

[Greyhound]

28. Really. When looking down the list of replies, I saw his handle and

didn't even have to look at the text to know what it would be.

The all caps thing does make it easier to spot and ignore.

(What's an MRA?)

[Book Lover]

34. It means

Men's Rights Advocate

[mrreowwr_kittty]

39. "Men's Rights Activist"

Or Asshole, if you prefer.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

40. Yes, Of Course. How DARE Men Have Rights!

:dunce:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

41. Keep talkin'

Show those true colors, OMC!

[Greyhound]

59. Ah, thank you.

Making republikuns redundant for over three years.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

30. Anti-Choicer ROFLMAO

Got any more completely ridiculous, ignorant, false and completely made up accusations you want to throw out there? You're a hoot.. well, for someone who likes to saute babies in a red wine sauce and feed them to the neighborhood homeless people...

[Book Lover]

45. So then you support choice? n/t

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

46. Always Have, Always Will.

[Book Lover]

49. So I'm interested in a reply to my post #37

To reiterate, why do you think this is stupid?

[mrreowwr_kittty]

50. I've got a bookmarked thread that says otherwise

For a guy who is supposedly pro-choice, OMC sure likes to play devil's advocate for the forced-birthers.

[Pithlet]

56. As much as I disagree with her stance on some things, she's right here.

Your response to the OP is ridiculous, OMC.

[Skittles]

51. YOU KNOW IT CATBURGLER

can you say tiny penae? I knew you could.

[Book Lover]

37. My goodness, that's a strong reaction

Why is this stupid?

[mrreowwr_kittty]

42. Because women have girl cooties and OMC is afraid of catching them. nt

[ceile]

48. LOL!

:yourock:

[bahrbearian]

60. That is pretty funny

[uppityperson]

12. I'd like to see help for self employed people also, without employees

Having a difficult time staying in business, being self employed, and don't want to join those needing to become employees. Those of us who don't have employees so can't get more, but want to stay in business rather than joining those seeking employment.

Seems like a good letter also,the OP one.

[ogneopasno]

18. This is a good idea, but I don't like the framing. Education and health care ARE infrastructure --

there's no reason to gender them.

[hvn_nbr_2]

57. I like your framing: Education and health care ARE infrastructure

They may not produce infrastructure things such as bridges and roads, which are investments that pay off down the road for a long time, but an educated and healthy (and therefore able to work) populace is an investment that pays off even bigger for a long time.

[ogneopasno]

58. Exactly. That's exactly how I look at it. Investing in people like this is just as important as

investing in buildings and roads -- if not more important.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

19. Education and health care jobs are already doing notably better than a lot of other sectors.

Not sure about child care.
Here's a link that someone posted earlier today:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27844127

[mrreowwr_kittty]

21. Not for long. Most teachers and many health care workers are gov't employees.

A lot of states are going bankrupt as we speak. Arizona has put a freeze on hiring teachers. Not because we don't need them but because we can't afford to pay them.

[defendandprotect]

31. Sports coaches will be the last to go --- In our town . .

about two years ago they paid $1 million for artificial grass for a soccer field!!!

Currently, we have a great number of potholes on our major roads --- and threatened

cuts in Education and Police -- certainly in benefits if not in jobs.

Many are happy over this ... let me point out that our town hired lawyers to work

on busting the unions and salaries/benefits!

[defendandprotect]

27. hmmmm.....

From what I can see of local government, education and police are underfunded.

Many cuts being made ---

Benefits are cut or talked about.

Anyone else have info on this?

Child care, IMO, isn't very well paid --- we probably need a national child care

system -- 24 hours a day!

And think "education" has gotten complicated by Bush's ridiculous Leave No Child Behind

Act -- military in schools! We need a better overview on what's actually going on than

the MSNBC report.

Details --- !!!

[defendandprotect]

24. Revive and enforce the Labor Department regulations

[Greyhound]

32. What a radical concept.

I can only guess what that might be like since we have never enforced even the pathetically weak laws we do have in my working life.

[defendandprotect]

52. If you're a female who was paid 50% of what males earned . . .

not only are you at a loss for that income -- it also effects your

Social Security check --- !

[Froward69]

36. I am all in favor of stimulating Females

I like this Idea too.


K&R

on edit (7th rec)

[Marie26]

38. Interesting

I just hate the idea of a "construction-related" stimulus plan, anyway. That excuse is used to justify 99.9% of government pork now. Hey, even the Bridge to Nowhere created construction jobs!

[My Good Babushka]

43. I like the idea of boosting many industries at the same time

I'm not so sure it needs to be done in the name of feminism. What would really benefit poor women is a bigger increase in the minimum wage + universal healthcare + better childcare.

[Gwendolyn]

47. It doesn't need to be done in the name of feminism.

But the idea is the same, whether or not it's being proposed by women's advocates. It's too bad feminism is such a dirty word these days.

[Gwendolyn]

44. I like it, but would add...

that it's important to get more women employed not solely because many are without partners. Women account for half of a needed income in many couple families as well. Very few families these days can afford a sole bread winner. Men need women to be employed just as much as women do.