[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 55 (Thursday, April 25, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4259-S4260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TAKE OUR DAUGHTERS TO WORK DAY

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today on Take Our Daughters 
to Work Day, to encourage young women and girls across America to set 
their sights high, and to reach for their dreams.
  When I was a young girl, most women worked in the home. Girls were 
not frequently asked, ``What do you want to be when you grow up?'' Our 
options appeared limited, and we had far fewer women role models 
telling us, ``If you work hard, you can be whatever you put your mind 
to.'' Some women broke the gender barrier, and served as role models 
for a whole generation of young women and girls. One such woman was 
Margaret Chase Smith, whose service in this body inspired many girls 
and young women in Maine and across the Nation to seek a career in 
politics.
  Since my childhood, the composition of the work force has changed 
dramatically, and job opportunities have significantly increased for 
young women and girls. Today, women comprise 46 percent of the paid 
labor force, and by the year 2000, two out of three new entrants into 
the labor force will be women.
  Despite these gains, studies show that during adolescence girls often 
receive less attention in school and suffer from lower expectations 
than do boys. They also set their future sights lower than their male 
counterparts. This is reflected in a 1994 New York Times/CBS poll, 
which found that over one-third of girls surveyed believed that there 
are more advantages to being a man than a women. For many girls, low 
self-esteem can lead them to lose confidence in their abilities, which 
may prevent them from achieving their fullest potential later in life. 
For others, this low self-esteem can lead to teen pregnancy, drug use 
and other problems which threaten women's professional and economic 
opportunity, not to mention their health and social welfare.
  In this day and age, we cannot accept reduced opportunities for girls 
and women from either an equity standpoint or an economic one. Today, 
women are equally responsible for the financial well-being of their 
families. Many American families find two incomes a necessity if they 
wish to thrive, and others require two incomes simply to stay above 
poverty. So it is not just their own futures that are at stake, but the 
future of their children and their children's children.
  We need to do far more to challenge our daughters' notions of women's 
work. While most school-age girls plan to work, they do not plan for 
careers that could sustain themselves and

[[Page S4260]]

their families. Women and girls continue to be enrolled in education 
and training programs that prepare them for low-wage jobs in 
traditionally female occupations. Women remain significantly 
underrepresented in careers requiring math and science skills--women 
comprise only 11 percent of today's technical workforce, and only 17 
percent of all doctors are women. Nearly 75 percent of tomorrow's jobs 
will require the use of computers, but girls comprise less than one-
third of students enrolled in computer courses. And a study by the 
Glass Ceiling Commission found that women occupy only 5 percent of 
senior-level management of the top Fortune 1000 industrial and 500 
service companies. As leaders and as parents, we must do our best to 
ensure that American girls are prepared to step into those high wage 
jobs and management positions that command higher salaries in the 
workforce.
  I am extremely pleased to participate on the steering committee for 
Take Our Daughters to Work Day, organized by the Maine's Women's 
Development Institute, in my home State. Girls in Maine and across the 
Nation need to see first-hand that they have a range of life options. 
They need that extra support to boost their confidence and believe in 
themselves and their potential. They need to be encouraged to reach out 
and use their creative spirit. It is our responsibility to set high 
standards and provide them with the experiences and role models that 
will inspire them to be the leaders of the future.
  Today, millions of parents across the Nation are taking their 
daughters to work. These parents perform a great service by exposing 
their daughters to new and exciting experiences. They are not only 
expanding their horizons and helping them to explore career 
opportunities, but teaching them important lessons about goal setting 
as well. Take Our Daughters to Work Day is of great importance to girls 
across the Nation, and to the women of tomorrow.

                          ____________________