Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 23, 1993 TAG: 9303230296
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MELANIE S. HATTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
IRELAND URGES WOMEN TO TAKE POWER
"In the same way we started this century with getting the vote," the president of the National Organization for Women said. "I want to end it [with women] taking real political power."Patricia Ireland arrived in Blacksburg Monday evening and urged women to be activists during Clinton's presidential tenure.
Ireland was a featured speaker during the 12th annual Women's Week, organized by the Women's Program Office at Virginia Tech and sponsored by several organizations. Speaking to an audience of about 400 mostly white women in the Haymarket Theater at Virginia Tech, Ireland said the country needs diversity.
She applauded the increase of different ethnic groups in Congress and the Senate. The increase of women in the U.S. Senate that included the first black woman. The increase from 5 percent to 10 percent of women in Congress, "and most are pro-choice, and that's cause to celebrate."
But Ireland said she would not be happy until she saw that 10 percent become 50 percent. "I'm a generous woman, I only want half," she said.
Ireland criticized the government's double standard for male and female Cabinet nominees during the confirmation process. She referred to the controversy surrounding Attorney General-designee Zoe Baird, who admitted that she had failed to pay Social Security taxes for a part-time domestic employee. As a result, she was forced to withdraw from consideration as attorney general, while Commerce Secretary Ron Brown admitted to a similar act but was not similarly penalized.
Baird was portrayed as a "rich bitch and a bad mother," with questions about the lack of time she spends with her children. "If she had been a [man named] Joey Baird, those questions would never have been asked," she said.
That's the result of pushing to get women into positions of power, she said. Ireland cited the current ethics investigation of Oregon Sen. Bob Packwood as an example of how women can make a difference. Women pressured the Senate not to re-seat him when 23 women came forward complaining of being sexually harassed by Packwood.
But sexual harassment remains to be addressed, she said, especially in the military.
Ireland said women become the butt of jokes when men are threatened by the opposite sex. Men talk about women as body parts and label them lesbians if they ignore a man's advances, she said. Three times more women are discharged for violating the gay and lesbian ban, and Ireland suspects it's because men have decided these women are lesbians.
"I've been hearing all this angst about gay men in showers," Ireland said. "What it comes down to is straight men are afraid they're going to be sexually harassed like women have been for years."