Controversial Group Marks Quarter-Century Of Fighting For NIH Women Scientists' Rights

Amid mixed reputation, the organization, known as SHER, focuses on ending discrimination and providing support. Twenty-five years ago, a group of women at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., began meeting every Wednesday at noon to work together to combat sex discrimination at NIH. Today, a group of women meets every Wednesday at noon to work together to combat sex discrimination at NIH. Little more than the faces have changed, according to members of the organization, known as

Written byBilly Goodman

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Amid mixed reputation, the organization, known as SHER, focuses on ending discrimination and providing support.

Twenty-five years ago, a group of women at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., began meeting every Wednesday at noon to work together to combat sex discrimination at NIH. Today, a group of women meets every Wednesday at noon to work together to combat sex discrimination at NIH. Little more than the faces have changed, according to members of the organization, known as SHER, or Self Help for Equal Rights, a support group for women-and occasionally men-who feel they have been discriminated against or harassed.

EQUALITY FOR ALL: SHER's goal is fairness for all NIH workers, but its focus is on women, says president Billie Mackey. Discrimination against women is still pervasive at NIH, members say, taking the form of anything from subtle chauvinism-such as being expected to make coffee for male colleagues-to ...

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