Women have been underrepresented, and even excluded from academic life throughout history. As countries look to address ongoing inequality in academia, state-mandated gender quotas for academic boards and committees have emerged as a recommended practice in Europe. Although an increasing number of countries have adopted this policy model, little…

In Central Asia, the post-Soviet transformation period has been accompanied by significant economic and social costs, including the widening of the gender gaps in politics, economy and the social sphere. Tajikistan, which receives the largest amount of international aid and has the worst record of gender inequity in Central Asia, has quickly…

Reviews Thomas Sowell's book, Civil Rights: Rhetoric or Reality. Argues that Sowell, a critic of affirmative action, rejects the central premises of the civil rights vision and believes that free market forces, demographic trends, culture, and individual choice account for existing race and sex-based statistical disparity. (SA)

Examines reasons given for affirmative action quotas for minorities and asserts that such justifications as reparation and mitigation of poverty do not apply to women as a group. Thus argues that women should be treated fairly as individuals but that quotas make no sense. (GC)

Describes a Norwegian government program to improve the status of women throughout the educational system. A quota system has been established to increase female student participation in school and university training programs, where women have historically been underrepresented. The number of female elementary and secondary teachers and…

Describes the ways in which race and gender shaped the career transitions of women (N=238) whose careers were affected by opportunities generated by the Civil Rights Movement between 1973 and 1983. Results indicated that, although professional entry was enhanced, these women's subsequent careers were influenced negatively by both race and gender,…

This paper reviews the effects of affirmative action on administrative policy in higher education. The history of the Federal mandate against ethnic and sex discrimination is traced, and several court cases are reviewed. Examples of discriminatory admission and employment practices in higher education as reflected in pattern, class and individual…

The Supreme Court's ruling in the Bakke case, which found that strict numerical quotas were illegal in admissions programs, is analyzed in this article in terms of its applications to women's rights. It is pointed out that although the ruling, which was made on a statutory rather than a constitutional basis, conceded that race could be considered…

This report of a hearing before the House Subcommittee on Employment Opportunities addresses the issues of complying with Federal standards concerning equal representation of minorities and women in Federal jobs. In 1984, three agencies refused to submit affirmative action goals and timetables: The Department of Justice, the Federal Trade…

This report explores the issue of affirmative action within the context of a problem-remedy approach, where affirmative action is regarded as a response to the problem of race, ethnic, and sex discrimination. Part A investigates discriminatory attitudes and behavior as practiced consciously or unconsciously by individuals, organizations, or whole…

The effect of varying the percentages of female soldiers assigned to representative types of Test, Operation, and Evaluation units on the unit's capability to perform its mission under field conditions was assessed. Empirical data were provided to test the null hypothesis that increasing the proportion of women in selected units would not impair…

This article explored the issues surrounding the universities' commitments under Executive Orders 11246 and 11375 and the current controversy which revolves around the question of goals vs. quotas. Available statistics show that the position of women and minorities in academia has not improved significantly. (Author)

This paper argues against the affirmative action legislation contained in Assembly Bill (AB) 1725, putting forth the position that affirmative action policies in faculty hiring and student admissions represent de facto racial and gender discrimination. The paper criticizes the purely formal language of AB 1725, arguing that it blurs the…

A newsletter on issues pertaining to women's rights on campuses and in employment is presented. Developments and issues include the following: initiation of intercollegiate athletic championships for women in nine sports; a charge of unequal pay for women coaches; university cases of alleged sex discrimination in athletic programs; reference to…

An affirmative action requirement for government contractors imposed in 1974 by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) of the U.S. Department of Labor is reviewed from the point of view of a government contractor, especially an institution of higher education. The eight factor analysis requirement is designed to provide the…