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Transcription:
For a few minutes this P.M. I would like to stress the importance of the roll [sic] of women – the so called “Weaker Sex” – in the world to-day. To begin with I have some interesting statistics compiled in America to prove that we women are not the Weaker Sex (some man in a moment of insecurity must have started the rumor at the time of our emancipation)
First of all it is pure myth that women are biologically inferior to men. There is no scientific basis for the belief in fact it has been found that quite the opposite is true. Here are a few recent findings
during the 1st year of life 3 boys die to 2 girls[2] by the age of 21 – 2 boys die to 1 girl “ “ “ “ 35 1400 men “ “ 1000 women “ “ “ “ 55 1800 “ “ “ 1000 “[3] 2) The life expectancy for women is better all over the world (except perhaps in parts of India)[4] 3) Interestingly enough womens [sic] brains are larger in proportion to their weight & size. Using 100 as an index – mens body size 90 – brain 100 womens “ “ 83 “ 100[5] [inserted in the right margin: same brain body size 10% less] [inserted in left margin: Illinois] 4) According to Dr. George Stoddard girls mature intellectually more rapidly than men[6] 5) Women on the whole are far healthier than men. They recover more often from serious illnesses 6) Tests have shown that women handle emotional & psychological strains better than men. In the U.S there are more men than women in the mental hospitals. Reports from the Anzio Beach head [7] [inserted above line: Italy during the last war] prove that women withstood the constant bombing and shelling better than men & during the London blitz[8] 70% more men “cracked” or broke down under the strain & you may have had [inserted with a carrot: illegible illegible] 7) They have found [inserted above line: too] that women recover more rapidly from emotional break downs than men – they can recall the details of disturbing experiences more readily & can recount them more easily thus getting emotional release[9] (8) [inserted above line: In the U.S.] the suicide rates are higher among men – 10 -3[10] 9) More men have hereditary disorders[11] – for example women never have hemophilia[12] and men have a 30% higher death rate than women from epilepsy although the incidence is the same[13] Also color blindness is more prevalent [inserted above line: among men] 8% of white males are colorblind and only ½ – 1% white females[14] Also more men have speech impediments than women 5 men to 1 women [sic] stutter.[15] With these few facts in mind let us look at the womans [sic] roll [sic] in life[16] – Men [inserted above line: after all] are the products of women and women are largely responsible for the molding and the development of children The task of bringing up children is a vitally important responsibility and should not be considered a burden or a handicap – The future of mankind depends on the intelligence and the education of the mothers who have this great responsibility – or I should say opportunity because it is a challenging and a thrilling opportunity. The future of mankind depends upon how it is done Through this task of raising the next generation women acquire more understanding. They have to be more human more patient and [inserted above line: more] self sacrificing. They learn to be cooperative and loving. They develop a better understanding of what it means to be human. Because women are so close to creation and involved so deeply in the nurturing of human beings they are more deeply involved in living. It is women who really love the human race. Men are more hostile and aggressive and our world is in the present state of chaos because of that hostility & aggressiveness.[17] It is up to the women with the help of education and training to raise non-aggressive loving children in order to bring about a better world. We cannot change the world but we can change the people in it. The great task of the women is to teach [inserted above line: & to influence] men to be human and to really love their fellow men. [inserted below line: In conclusion let me add that] this task is not restricted to the home and to the raising of children but can and should be continued out into the community & whenever possible into the [inserted above line: world] Women can have the same vitally human impact on the churches – the schools – the government and on the many different organizations with which they come in contact. The whole field of adult education is open to them. There must be continued learning [inserted above line: throughout life – for all of us] so that we can meet and help solve the complex problems of an ever changing world.
[line drawn dividing page]
“To furnish the elevation of female character, by bringing within the reach of the misjudged and neglected sex, all the instructive privileges which hitherto have unreasonably distinguished the leading sex from theirs”[18]
[Transcribed by Ruby Boyd.] |
[1] “The Challenge to Education Today,” December 1962. Subgroup II. Eleanor B. Stevenson papers, Series 4. Honors and Miscellaneous Personal Papers, Box 1. William and Eleanor Stevenson Papers, RG 30/219. O.C.A.
[2] According the Vital Statistics of the United States from 1962, this statistic is about accurate, with 28.7 out of every 100 males under 1 year dying to only 21.8 females (CDC. “Products – Vital Statistics of the US – 1939-1964.” Accessed 30 June 2016. Source).
[3] As far as can be ascertained, Stevenson’s statistics on mortality rates among adults were reasonably accurate (CDC. “Products – Vital Statistics of the US – 1939-1964.” Accessed 30 June 2016. Source).
[4] This is substantially accurate, in 1970 virtually everywhere in the world the average life expectancy for women was higher than for men, often by a margin of several years. It is unclear why Stevenson was under the impression that parts of India would have higher life expectancies for men: in 1970, the overall life expectancy for men in India was 66 years, while for women it was 69 (“Population Reference Bureau.” Accessed 1 July 2016. Source).
[5] On average men have larger brains than women, but no data on the proportion of brains to weight and size by gender could be found.
[6] Dr. George Stoddard (c.1897-1981) was a Commissioner of Education in New York State, the head of several universities, and a specialist in the areas of education and developmental psychology. While his specific thoughts on the intellectual maturation of women could not be found, his book, On the Education of Women, argues for the importance of educating women on the grounds that they are both capable of learning and are incredibly influential in the development of their children (“George Stoddard Dies At 84; Educator Led 4 Universities.” The New York Times, 29 December 1981, sec. Obituaries. Source.; George Dinsmore Stoddard, On the Education of Women. (New York: Macmillan, 1950)).
[7] On January 22nd, 1944, Allied forces landed 36,000 troops on in a surprise attack on the beach of Anzio, a town 37 miles from Rome. Due to organizational challenges, this siege turned into a 4-month-long campaign, resulting in casualties totaling 25,000 for the Allies and 30,000 for the Axis. Stevenson was one of the Red Cross workers serving at Anzio, and she herself was sometimes under enemy fire (Stevenson, I Knew Your Soldier.; “Anzio | Italy | Britannica.com.” Accessed 7 July 2016. Source).
[8] The Blitz is the name given to the German bombing of civilians in 1940 and 1941, particularly in the City of London. Though the British people were prepared for this sort of attack, there were many casualties and a great deal of destruction as a result of the bombings (“World War II – The Battle of Britain | 1939-1945 | Britannica.com.” Accessed 7 July 2016. Source).
[9] No details on this are available, however it is true that verbalizing traumatic experiences is a recognized means of aiding in psychological recovery (Irving L Janis Air War and Emotional Stress;psychological Studies of Bombing and Civilian Defense. The Rand Corporation. 1st ed. (New York, 1951), 86. Source).
[10] The CDC reported that in 1960, out of every 100,000 deaths from suicide, 5.6 were female and 20 were male, making Stevenson’s statistic fairly accurate (“Suicide Death Rate U.S. by Gender 1950-2014 | Statistic.” Statista. Accessed 30 June 2016. Source).
[11] While it is difficult to perfectly assess this statement, given that most data is for individual illness, rather than for hereditary diseases as a whole, it is likely accurate due to the way that some genetic diseases are inherited. If a genetic disorder is linked to a mutation on either the Y or X chromosomes, males are more likely to experience the disease, and display more severe symptoms than females. (“List of Y-Linked Genetic Diseases – USMLE Forums.” Accessed 1 July 2016. Source.; Reference, Genetics Home. “What Are the Different Ways in Which a Genetic Condition Can Be Inherited?” Genetics Home Reference. Accessed 1 July 2016. Source).
[12] This is untrue. Both common forms of hemophilia have an X linked recessive patterns of inheritance (see footnote 13) which means that while the disease is very rare in women it can occur. When women do have hemophilia it is generally less severe (Reference, Genetics Home. “Hemophilia.” Genetics Home Reference. Accessed 1 July 2016. Source.; “Hemophilia – Tennessee Hemophilia & Bleeding Disorders Foundation.” Accessed 1 July 2016. Source).
[13] It is at least somewhat true that men have a higher death rate from epilepsy than women, even though the incidence rate is about the same. A study documenting deaths in people with epilepsy over time showed that in 1992, out of every 100,000 men with epilepsy 27 died, while out of 100,000 women only 19 died. While the exact numbers vary greatly over time, men had a consistently higher rate of death (Leone Ridsdale, Judith Charlton, Mark Ashworth, Mark P Richardson, and Martin C Gulliford. “Epilepsy Mortality and Risk Factors for Death in Epilepsy: A Population-Based Study.” The British Journal of General Practice 61, no. 586 (May 2011): 271–78).
[14] This statistic is correct for red-green color blindness, which is by far the most common form of color blindness (“Facts About Color Blindness | National Eye Institute.” Accessed 1 July 2016. Source).
[15] This statistic is fairly accurate for instances of stuttering among adults in the U.S. today (various sources showed either 4 men to 1 women stuttering as adults, to Stevenson’s statistic of 5 to 1). However, as children, stuttering occurs equally in boys and girls (“On the Gender Factor in Stuttering.” Stuttering Foundation: A Nonprofit Organization Helping Those Who Stutter. 1 Accessed July 2016. Source.;“Women Who Stutter Have Different Brain Connections than Men Who Stutter; Findings May Help Explain Why More Men than Women Stutter.” ScienceDaily. Accessed 1 July 2016. Source).
[16] In the printed sections of this speech appearing in the PAUW Newsette, this paragraph began a little differently: “‘In conclusion,’ said Mrs. Stevenson, ‘let us look carefully for a moment at woman’s place in our society and of the possibility of her help to bring peace to the world, first through her relationship with her family, then her community, her country, and the world.’” (“The Challenge to Education Today,” December 1962. Subgroup II. Eleanor B. Stevenson papers, Series 4. Honors and Miscellaneous Personal Papers, Box 1. William and Eleanor Stevenson Papers, RG 30/219. O.C.A.).
[17] From here, the version of the speech in the Newsette also varies somewhat from this draft. It reads: “It is up to women, with the help of education and training, to raise non-belligerent, loving children in order to bring about a better world where peace is possible. We cannot change the world but we can change the people in it. The great opportunity of the educated woman is to teach and to love men, to be really human and to really love their fellowmen. And this task is not restricted to the home and to the raising of children, but we can and must be continued out into the community and whenever possible into the world. Women can have the same vitally human impact on the churches, the schools, the government and on the many organizations with which they come in contact. The whole field of adult education is open to them and there must be continued learning throughout life for all of us that we can meet and help solve the complex problems of an ever changing world and create mutual understanding between peoples which will make future wars impossible.”(“The Challenge to Education Today,” December 1962. Subgroup II. Eleanor B. Stevenson papers, Series 4. Honors and Miscellaneous Personal Papers, Box 1. William and Eleanor Stevenson Papers, RG 30/219. O.C.A.).
[18] This is a variation of a quote from Oberlin College’s first Circular of the Institute, where it discusses the inclusion of women in the college (Robert S. Fletcher and Ernest H. Wilkins, “The Beginning of College Education for Women and of Coeducation on the College Level,” Bulletin of Oberlin College, 20 March 1937. Source).
