Unfinished Tasks Author: Lee Katterman
Sidebar:
The Association for Women in Science (AWIS), the largest multidisciplinary organization of women scientists in the United States, turns 25 years old in 1996, and its members are making plans to celebrate the victories of the past and look ahead to future challenges.
Founded in 1971, AWIS has grown from 500 members in its first year to more than 6,000 members and 66 local chapters today. Women who have been involved in AWIS since the beginning agree that much has improved for women scientists in that time. Anti-discrimination and affirmative action laws combined with the efforts of groups like AWIS have made it possible for more women to enter careers in science and engineering.
Still, these activists also believe that the organization's basic feminist purpose -- to remove the barriers facing women in science -- remains nearly the same after 25 years. Only the ...
