Who-Stole-Feminism.-How-Women-Have-Betrayed-Women

THE SELF-ESTEEM STUDY 139first, let's see how the AAUW promoted it. For it was a model of howgender feminist activists tend to use "research" to political advantage.When it completed the study in 1991, the AAUW held a blitz of pressconferences. It distributed thousands of "Call to Action" brochures to itsmembership, to journalists, and to politicians. It also produced a highlyprofessional documentary dramatizing the results of the study. The documentarywas shown around the country at community conferences organizedby local AAUW chapters. In the documentary, Anne Bryant,executive director of the AAUW, explains why we cannot afford to ignorethe poll findings: "It is tragic to think about all the potential talent welose. . . . It's frightening not only for our girls, but for our country. Whenwe shortchange girls, we shortchange America." 7Dr. David Sadker, aneducation theorist from American University who was interviewed in thedocumentary, offered a grim estimation of what America was losing byallowing this situation to persist: "If the cure for cancer is in the mind ofa girl, there is a chance we will never get it."The AAUWs findings were no surprise to psychologist Carol Gilliganof the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Dr. Gilligan,who was featured in the AAUW self-esteem video, speaks of how her ownresearch had helped her to see that girls experience a "loss of voice" thatsometimes leads to serious psychological problems such as "depression,eating disorders and various kinds of dislocation." At eight or nine yearsold, she'd found, girls are forthright and self-confident. But as they enteradolescence they begin to fade, to retreat. They begin to notice thatwomen are undervalued and that the cultural message is "keep quiet."Gilligan and her associates have become convinced that something dreadfulhappens to girls at age thirteen or fourteen. As Gilligan reported to theNew York Times, "By 15 or 16 that resistance has gone underground. Theystart saying, T don't know, I don't know, I don't know.' They start notknowing what they had known." 8In her foreword to the "Call to Action" brochure, AAUW presidentSharon Schuster makes a direct appeal to the reader on behalf of all the"shortchanged girls": "When you read this report, we ask you, most ofall, to think of some special girl in your life—a daughter or granddaughter,a sister or student, a niece or a neighbor. Ask yourself, 'What can Ido to make sure that our schools aren't shortchanging her future?' " 9In January 1991 the AAUW organized an "Educational Equity Roundtable"for leaders in government, education, and business to begin toaddress the problem of girls' precipitous loss of confidence. Participantsincluded Governor Roy Romer of Colorado and Martha Frick, presidentof the National School Boards Association. Journalists were also invited.