Did you watch the Women’s March in January and think it was all about Trump? Keep your ears on. There’s work to do everywhere, including here at home.
As enlightened and progressive and generally right-on as we think we are in Hawaii, equality for women is not yet a goal that has been achieved.
To be sure, things are better now than in generations past. Women are represented in every career field and have access to equal training and education. The male-female ratio at the University of Hawaii at Manoa is 43-to-57. There is still a gender wage gap, but that is narrowing.
But there are other measures that reveal how deep some biases go.
We still act surprised when girls participate in robotics. We get that “Rudy” lump in our throats when girls actually win a robotics tournament, because of course they had to be the underdogs since they’re female.
We single out women in nontraditional jobs like they’re an oddity. Oh look, a lady truck driver. Oh look, a lady construction worker. Oh look, a lady policeman. Shouldn’t we be past the novelty by now?
In the state Legislature a resolution was introduced this session to urge all state departments and agencies to consider women-owned businesses when awarding contracts. The resolution cites data from the state procurement office that indicates only 3 percent of state contracts are awarded to women-owned architectural and engineering firms in Hawaii.
And then there’s the bill in the Legislature that would make hairstylists and makeup artists go through training to spot signs of domestic violence so they can properly support their clients.
Uh …
As good-intentioned as this may be, there is also a whiff of sexism here. Sorry, but it’s true.
The thought behind the bill is that, what? Little lady gets knocked around by her man and goes to get prettied up so that she feels better. Then, the savvy stylist, who can wield a flatiron with one hand, a concealer sponge with the other and dish out heartfelt wisdom and quotable one-liners while deep conditioning split ends can help the victim find help that she is unable to figure out on her own. This sounds like a movie from the ’80s set in the ’50s. In 2017, women’s worlds are bigger than the beauty salon and the grocery store. Women can look up information on their phones or talk to the HR department at work. They can make appointments with counselors and doctors and attorneys on their own. And maybe they’d rather confide in their muay thai instructor or a friend from their canoe club than the person balayaging their hair.
It is important to note that SB 518, the cosmetologist/stylist/domestic violence training bill, was introduced by female lawmakers. Interesting, huh?
Speaking of, consider this: Of the 25 state senators, only seven are women. That’s 28 percent. The numbers are similarly askew in the state House: only 14 of 51 state representatives, or 27 percent, are women.
Keep your ears on. Knit one for your stylist, too.
Reach Lee Cataluna at 529-4315 or lcataluna@staradvertiser.com.
Correction: Fourteen of 51 state representatives, or 27 percent, are women. An earlier version of this column and in Wednesday’s print edition said there were a total of 57 state representatives.
