KSG Launches New Women's Issues Initiative

The Kennedy School of Government (KSG) is organizing a formal effort to focus on women's issues, according to Professor of Public Policy Jane J. Mansbridge.

Mansbridge said there will be a "three-pronged initiative," consisting of a research program led by Baroness Shirley Williams stemming from this year's Women's Leadership Initiative conference; a Women and Public Policy program in which Mansbridge will work with current U.S. ambassador to Austria Swanee Hunt and KSG professors to highlight gender perspectives on public policy; and a Council on World Women Leaders headed by Laura Liswood.

"I am particularly pleased to have the Kennedy School begin to contribute with Radcliffe to advancing society by advancing women," said Radcliffe President Linda S. Wilson in a fax this week. "The new developments at the Kennedy School open new opportunities for interesting and valuable contributions in the Harvard-Radcliffe community."

Seeking "to make a Kennedy School a place where women thrive," Hunt said in a phone interview last week that "it is very clear why they asked me to come: to help form a center on women."

Hunt said she will organize a "non-marginalized" fundraising project for the initiative.

The Women and Public Policy program will seek out existing resources regarding women and Public policy in an attempt to not replicate previous work in the field, Mansbridge said.

Mansbridge, while excited about the project, also emphasized the preliminary nature of the planning. "It is important to coordinate rather than compete, to not reinvent the wheel. We're taking exploratory steps," she said.

Executive Dean of KSG Sheila Burke said the effort is "still under consideration," and will be explored further in the upcoming year.

Mansbridge said the program will work with past and future leadership initiatives but would probably not used the word "leadership" because of the possible connotations of elite leadership.

"It's important for us to focus on the grassroots as much or more than elite leadership," she said.

Many students at the KSG said they have hoped for a forum to address issues of gender, race and sexual orientation. A center on women would "help foster that type of environment," said Jenny Korn, a member of the Kennedy School student Government.

Co-chair of the Women's Leadership Project at the College Lauren A. Hammer '98, who is also a member of the Institute of Politics, said she believes "any effort to further study of women in any given field at this time is an important undertaking."

"Having academic institutions back a philosophy of integration and equality is essential to this movement," she said

Many students at the KSG said they have hoped for a forum to address issues of gender, race and sexual orientation. A center on women would "help foster that type of environment," said Jenny Korn, a member of the Kennedy School student Government.

Co-chair of the Women's Leadership Project at the College Lauren A. Hammer '98, who is also a member of the Institute of Politics, said she believes "any effort to further study of women in any given field at this time is an important undertaking."

"Having academic institutions back a philosophy of integration and equality is essential to this movement," she said