Anna Beth Gorman: SB 3 reduces opportunities for women

One of the best parts of my job as the CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas is that I get to be around a lot of amazing women and girls. Women who are leaders in the fields of public service, philanthropy and business.

Women who are building their own businesses and succeeding against all odds. Women and girls who love science and engineering and are pursuing opportunities that match their passions. Women and girls of “merit.”

The concept of “merit” has taken center stage lately, both nationally and in the Arkansas state legislature. Last week, Senate Bill 3 passed the Arkansas Senate by a vote of 24-7-2. The bill, proposed by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, aims to “prohibit discrimination and preferential treatment” on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity or national origin by any public entity. Instead, Sullivan said that only “merit” should be considered. But we at WFA believe that merit and background go hand-in-hand, and that it is neither discriminatory or showing preferential treatment, but a necessary strategy to ensure that all Arkansans have opportunities to reach their full potential.

We believe that every woman and girl in Arkansas deserves the chance to be seen as a woman or girl of “merit.” But we also know that, historically, women and girls have been excluded from many opportunities and experiences that count as “merit.” In my early 40s, I’m a member of the first generation of women in our country who can establish credit in their own name. That is a history we cannot afford to repeat.

Does business success count as “merit?” Arkansas ranks 48th in deals and capital for women entrepreneurs and 39th in women’s entrepreneurial success overall. Is this because women are bad at business or still playing catch-up from years of codified discrimination in the ability to establish and build credit?

Does a high-paying job in a competitive field count as “merit?” If only 15% of engineering degrees, 28% of computer and information services degrees, 20% of construction services degrees and 29% of agriculture degrees are held by women in Arkansas, is that because women lack the skills necessary to succeed in these fields or because there continues to be barriers to entry; making women feel unwelcome or that they don’t belong in these fields.

Does years of experience in the workforce count as “merit?” Most Arkansas moms are working moms, many of whom cite balancing workforce participation and motherhood as one of their greatest challenges. Should women have to choose between working and being a parent?

Despite these barriers and challenges, Arkansas women and girls can succeed when given access and opportunity. A “Girls Who Code” club or a “Girls in STEM” program in middle school can inspire and empower girls to pursue those high-paying, meaningful jobs like engineering and computer science that they haven’t been introduced to before. A formal designation of “Woman-owned Business” can open doors for a new entrepreneur who lacks the capital and connections to get off the ground. A women’s mentorship program in a school district or city government can motivate and encourage working women who are struggling to balance it all. And all of these opportunities would be considered “preferential treatment” by SB3 and, therefore, outlawed.

It is precisely these types of opportunities that give women and girls the chance to be seen as “women of merit.” That’s why the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas formally opposes SB3. Our work is centered around expanding opportunity, not limiting it. And until we can be sure that every little girl in Arkansas will grow up and be seen as a “woman of merit” by those around her, we need to continue to pursue and protect the programs that give women and girls that opportunity.

This bill and the course it leads our state on is a far cry from the nickname, “The Land of Opportunity.” If passed, opportunities for our most vulnerable Arkansans to prove their “merit” evaporate.

Join us in our opposition to Senate Bill 3 by respectfully and urgently contacting your legislators and asking them to vote NO on Senate Bill 3. The bill will likely be heard in the House State Agencies committee on Wednesday, Feb. 5. If it passes the committee, it will likely be heard by the full House on Thursday, Feb. 6. You can find the members of the House State Agencies committee here. You can find your legislator here.

Editor’s note: Anna Beth Gorman is the CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas. The opinions expressed are those of the author.