Evening star., 1943-05-03
Need of Women
In Policy>Making
Jobs Is Cited
Miss Margaret Hickey
Says Effective Use of
WOmant0wer at Stake

Outmoded prejudices that pre-.
vent women from having a voice
in policy making on major man.
power problems must disappear be-
fore the most effective utilization
of women in the war effort can be
achieved, Miss Margaret A. Hickey
chairman of the Women's Advisory
Committee of the War Manpowe1
Commission, declared yesterday.
Miss Hickey spoke before South
Atlantic regional conference of the
American Federation of Soroptimist
Clubs, which met at the Willard
Hotel.
women are needed on local and
regional war manpower committees
to help shape policy on the train
ing, recruitment and placement OF
women" she said. This Is impof-
tant if the skills, abilities and tai
ents of American women are to be
utilized to the best advantage now
in the war effort and later in the
postwar readjustment."
The Women'S Advisory Commit
tee, its chairman pointed out, has
held that the use of womanpoWer
must be dealt with as an integral
part of a co-ordinated program
a plan to utilize all our labor re-
sources. To do that, she explained,
the committee has called on man
agement, labor and Government
itself to remove all barriers to the
employment of women for jobs on
which they are qualified or can
qualify.
The British, Miss Hickey said
have shed their prejudices in con-
nection with the employment OF
women much faster than We have
Andsin Russia, she continued, full
equality of opportunity has f1owered
into full equality of sacrifice"
The speaker expressed the belief
that most discriminatory practices
are not Intentionally built up.
But personal attitudes affect
personnel relationships, she pointed
out. Men prefer to work with men
especially at the higher leadership
levels-in private business, profess
sions and certainly in Government
According to 1941 figures, only 3.5
per cent of all administrative en-
ployes in the Federal service were
women, while 1876 per cent of all
employees were women.
some deputy administrator jok-
ingly remarked, Men want to be
able to swear occasionally and they
cannot do that when the women are
around Right now, if it would
help, most women are so eager to
maximize their usefulness in the war
effort that they would put up with
any necessary swearing.
IN view of the contribution that
women are making, management,
labor and Government should give
willing and affirmative encourage
ment rather @han grudging and in
different acuuiesence to the entrance
of women into the upper bracket
fields"
Miss Hickey continued, however,
that women themselves must be
more aggressive about their oppor-
tunities and duties I'VE must give
more thought to the working philos-
ophy that must 90 along with pro-
fessional and technical equipment,
she declared.
Too much consideration is given
to the superficial aspects of success.
Women must go out willing to fight
for the ideals they hold dear. They
must realize that their professional,
technical and cultural education is
not enough, but they must make a
valiant fight to see that their abili-
ties are used. Talented. gifted wom-
en- often lose out long before they
get to the front lines, simply be-
cause they do not have certain in
gradients of dogged determination
the strength of purpose to overcome
the obstacles"