A woman must be a lot better than her male competitor to get the same job, and she is paid about half as much as a man for the same work. Despite official efforts to suppress sexual harassment or abuse in public and private life, these still exist. Many women are so lacking in self-esteem that they do not even try to protect themselves or seek legal help. Although more and better higher education is essential, that alone is not enough. In the United States, the increasingly powerful radical conservative religious movements, and various anti-government patriotic men s paramilitary organizations, threaten established civil rights of all citizens.
Women are particularly vulnerable.
In other countries where ethnic and religious groups clash, women s rights also are at risk. We women should organize. Without power, especially economic power, we cannot protect ourselves or improve our status. Bryn Mawr and Japan Portions of Women Taking Initiative were presented by The Young Women Professionals Network, formed by a group of recent Bryn Mawr College graduates to address issues of working in a foreign culture for both women and men. The conference began with analyses of the connection between Bryn Mawr and Tsuda College, founded in 1900 by Ume Tsuda, a special student at Bryn Mawr from 1889-1892.