[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 96 (Wednesday, June 26, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1180-E1181]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 26, 1996

  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, in an effort to support women in our 
changing economy, I am introducing the Commission on the advancement of 
Women in the Science and Engineering Workforce Act.
  Although the percentage of women earning science and engineering 
degrees has risen in recent years, women Ph.D.'s are still grossly 
underrepresented in many technical fields. One reason for this is that 
less than 24 percent of those people receiving doctorates in the 
physical sciences, earth sciences, and mathematics and computer 
sciences are women. In engineering, the lion's share of advanced 
degrees going to women are in environmental health and biomedical 
engineering. This is, however, merely one-quarter of all doctorate 
degrees conferred. In petroleum engineering, women receive only 2 
percent of the awarded doctorates.
  Another reason for the scarcity of women in technical fields is the 
continued barriers they

[[Page E1181]]

face in recruitment, retention, and advancement. For example, though 
women account for 34 percent of medical school graduates, only 17 
percent of practicing physicians are women. Less than 14 percent of the 
top positions at NIH are held by women, and at many of our Nation's 
most prestigious universities, the number of tenured women in the 
sciences can be counted on one hand.
  Why are fewer women entering and staying in science and engineering 
careers? According to the National Research Council Report, the trend 
is directly linked to the hostile workplace environment. Few policies, 
however, have been implemented to combat the problems women face in 
these traditionally male-dominated occupations.
  My bill would study the barriers that women face in these fields. It 
would identify the recruitment, retention, and advancement policies and 
practices of employers toward women scientists and engineers. The 
commission would then issue recommendations to Government, academia, 
and private industry.
  The Advancement of Women in the Sciences and Engineering Act will be 
a useful and needed step in countering the roadblocks for women in 
science and engineering. It will help to bring our Nation closer to 
creating a highly effective work force, thereby promoting economic 
prosperity and higher standards of living.

                          ____________________