At our upcoming triennial conference, we will address a resolution to set up another office in Ottawa. If accepted, this will facilitate lobbying for federal appointments for women.

Education is our top priority. We give fellowships, and six grants of $600 each, to mature women, to help them to upgrade their education if they wish to return to the labour force. Locally, our clubs give scholarships to young and mature women.

Our 120 clubs are very involved in the local communities, organizing career counseling, conferences, lectures, etc. Our executive is elected for a three-year period. During this triennial period, our theme has been "Our Technological Society."

If we are to affect events, we must be knowledgeable. To this end, we have already held a number of conferences dealing with various aspects of microtechnology. "Communication Through Microelectronics" is the theme of our triennial conference. We hope to inform our members and identify problems for which solutions must be found. It is our intention to raise the issues addressed at this conference at our own meeting, and to make a full report to our Quebec members.

INVITATION

Dr. Ratna Ray, Labour
Canada Task Force on
Microelectronics and Employment

The Sunday morning plenary session ended with a "pep talk" by Dr. Ratna Ray, Director, Women's Bureau, Department of Labour. Dr. Ray is responsible for the current Labour Canada Task Force on Microelectronics and Employment.

In a brief, but highly stimulating talk, Dr. Ray invited participants to pursue their training actively, with the intent to seek promotions to top managerial positions. She insisted on the necessity for women to participate fully in the implementation process of the new technologies. Finally, Dr. Ray strongly encouraged participants to submit their views to the Labour Canada Task Force on Microelectronics and Employment.

Sunday Afternoon Plenary

Conclusion: What are the next steps

During the second half of the morning, participants divided into six groups: five around the main themes, and a sixth on the topic of networking. In these groups, they discussed action plans, with special emphasis on individual and small-group commitment. This approach was suggested by the conference organizers as the best means of ensuring follow-up. Most conferences end with the lengthy adoption of resolutions that are quickly noted and promptly forgotten. The intention here was to concentrate on participant involvement and encourage specific commitments. During the Sunday afternoon plenary, six workshop representatives reported on the decisions of their groups.

1. Education

“ As individuals, parents, teachers, members of large organizations, we intend to, and we encourage all participants to:

• Monitor the number of boys and girls who are enrolled in mathematics and science at the high-school level, and the number of male and female teachers in these subject areas. We will pressure school boards to ensure that these numbers are equalized.

• Inform teachers, through educational exchanges, professional development and other means, on the need to provide extra encouragement to young women, if they are to perform effectively in the field of microtechnology.

• Ensure that the producers of software have, and follow guidelines for sex-fair presentation of their products, similar to the guidelines for school textbooks established in some provinces.

• Enhance career counseling for high-school girls, to improve career readiness and the realization of their responsibilities. We must inform them on the realities of the world of work, which they will soon be entering.

• Pressure school boards to do research on topics such as the sex-fair issues; and specifically, to pressure the Canadian Association of School Trustees, who have not yet published their long-awaited study on sexism in education.

• Bring young women from community colleges and universities, who are studying mathematics, science, or microtechnology, into the high schools to work with female students and serve as role models.

• Help teachers who are math-anxious themselves, particularly female teachers, to overcome this problem so that they will be better advisors and instructors.

• Promote the participation of women on school boards and curriculum committees.