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- To document through a
pilot project how, "a few good women" (and some men) working
together on behalf of women generally created a watershed for progress
for women in government, and the rest of society, for future generations.
- To utilize oral history
as the means of capturing their commitment, tactics, and strategies
to achieve goals that were incremental at the time but built a platform
for continuing advancement.
- To evaluate the benefits
of a larger project that would expand the period studied and increase
the number and variety of the oral histories being gathered.
Background
A little remembered
piece of history of the late sixties to mid-seventies was the initiative
to recruit and advance women into higher-level government positions.
President Richard Nixon first embarked on this direction in a news conference
about two weeks after his inauguration. A reporter asked why there had
been only three women among the first 200 appointments. President Nixon
was unaware of this but promised to correct the imbalance.
Subsequent developments:
- Creation of the Task
Force on Women's Rights and Responsibilities, chaired by Virginia
Allan, former president of the National Federation of Business
and Professional Women's Clubs. Those recommendations all were ultimately
adopted. One recommendation urged the creation of a White House Office
of Women's Rights and Responsibilties. Another said the President
should appoint more women to positions of top responsibility and direct
Cabinet and agency heads to give women equal consideration in hiring
and promotions.
- Barbara Hackman
Franklin named as Staff Assistant to the President with the
responsibility for recruitment of women to high level positions in
the Federal Government.
- President asks Cabinet
secretaries and agency heads to submit Action Plans describing how
they intended to place, recruit, advance and train women in their
departments.
- Franklin
also is charged with monitoring departmental progress against these
plans.
- One year later, in April
1972, the number of women in GS-16 and above, paying $28,000 and up
(about $100,000 in today's dollars) had nearly tripled from 36 to
105, many in positions women had never held before. Simultaneously,
more than 1,000 women had been hired or promoted to middle management
positions. Women became forest rangers,FBI agents, and sky marshals
for the first time.
- Logjam of promotions
for women in military service broken. Former limit of one female colonel
per service put aside, and women promoted for the first time to general
to admiral.
- Barriers against women
in the Foreign Service lifted.
- Women head Federal Maritime
Commission, the Tariff Commission and Atomic Energy Commission for
first time.
- Women appointed to the
Federal judiciary increased.
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