IN EDUCATION, Brown vs. Board of Education put forth the idea that separate is not equal, yet we still have classrooms where the boys wrestle to control group work, dominate classroom discussion, and girls feel like they can't keep up. However, gains are being made. Girls are slowly but steadily taking over in many areas. They are completing more high school courses than their male counterparts in chemistry, algebra, biology, and geometry. They do lag behind in physics, but have pulled even in trigonometry.

IN THE JOB FIELD, while it is true that women are entering into areas previously dominated by men, they have often found themselves rising at a far slower rate than their male counterparts, or achieving at the same rate until they hit a certain point where they can't rise any higher.

SOCIETY says that boys and girls should play together, but gives them different toys, examples, and expectations. In many ways, the way children are socialized can have a drastic effect later in their schooling. For example, generally boys have more access to building sets and other similar activities. Such experience may set them at an advantage in studies such as physics, while girls struggle to understand a concept that they are more unfamiliar with.

Are there any proven, tried-and-true solutions? Unfortunately, no. There is not one single thing that will solve the problem of gender inequity. However, in all areas, if we put our foot down as soon as discrimination rears its ugly head, it may stop there instead of escalating to a level that will require much more serious action. If a teacher notices that a girl sitting in the back of class spends all her time staring out of the window instead of engaging in the classroom discussion, simply moving her to the front and making sure to ask her questions repeatedly can have a world of difference. If a coworker hears others making lewd jokes about women, firmly telling them to stop may prevent a more confrontational and painful encounter down the line. Women can help themselves by contributing to group meetings and discussions as much as or more frequently than men, and by making sure that they are not overlooked. Parents can encourage all of their children to achieve in science, and not expect their boys to do better. Sometimes, the easiest thing we can do is reinforce the skin and backbone.

What's out there?
Many groups, organizations, reading material, and conferences have been established to inform the interested. We personally suggest the following list: