WOOLSEY'S ‘GO GIRL!' LEGISLATION NARROWLY
BLOCKED BY COMMITTEE REPUBLICANS

Congresswoman Vows to Fight to Bridge Gender Digital Divide



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 12, 2000

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey's (D-Petaluma) legislative initiative to encourage and help girls pursue high-tech careers in technology was defeated by one vote on Wednesday by the Republicans in the House Education Committee, who voted along party lines to kill nearly every Democratic amendment offered to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

"The Republicans are turning our children's education into a political football," Woolsey said. "The majority would rather make a political statement than give girls the tools they need to build successful careers in math, science, engineering and technology."

After the Committee vote, Woolsey vowed to continue pushing her "Go Girl!" bill when ESEA comes to the House floor for a vote.

"This is not the end," Woolsey said. "Our girls' future is worth fighting for. I will offer my bill as an amendment to ESEA when the full House votes on it."

The Committee is expected to complete work on the bill Thursday and it could come before the full House in May.

Woolsey introduced "Go Girl!" -- officially entitled Getting Our Girls Ready for the 21st Century Act -- as a free-standing bill last year. She offered it as an amendment to ESEA this week to provide the bill a legislative vehicle to move it forward.

"Go Girl!" establishes a program that works with girls starting in the fourth grade to help them prepare for careers in math, science and technology. Through mentors, tutors and events, girls' interest in math, science and technology will be encouraged.

Woolsey also addressed the importance of women preparing for the jobs of the future -- high-tech positions that are being filled with recruits from overseas.

"Unless we plan to raise the H-1B visa ceiling every year, we had better get girls interested in the high-tech careers. After all, they make up more than 50 percent of our population."

In the early grades, girls will be exposed to female role models to increase awareness of careers in these fields. Older girls will visit colleges and meet with students and professors. Girls also will be exposed to Internet programs like Autodesk's "Design Your Future Program," started in Marin County by company president Carol Bartz.

If women are not prepared to work in high-tech industries, they will continue to be relegated to the five traditionally female occupations in which 90 percent of women currently work -- and as a result earn less than men.

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