If you read the papers and watch the news, you know that most of the experts quoted are men. How does someone get her or his name in the papers as an expert? Why is the same economics expert quoted time and time again, when his just-as-eminent colleague never gets her name in the paper?
Part of the process is self-perpetuating: An expert is quoted by a reporter, other reporters read the story and note the source, and next time there's a political issue the same source gets called because, after all, he's an expert. Voila, he's the "go to" guy.
Knowing that being a media darling isn't the measure of a good political scientist, but still wanting to read more of her female colleagues' names in the paper, Sally Kenney, University of Minnesota political science professor, tried to change that. Kenney, who directs the Center for Women and Public Policy at the University's Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, compiled and published, at the beginning of 2006, the Women in Political Science Directory. In its introduction, she noted, " ... nationwide, women make up nearly 24 percent of political scientists and 33 percent of new Ph.D.s and assistant professors, and at least 66 women work as political scientists at academic institutions in Minnesota." Kenney's directory, mailed to 700 media professionals, lists every one of them.
Although the directory is an incredible accomplishment, and one with the potential to change the way women in political science are viewed by the media, it's just one of the ways Kenney has worked to bring women political scientists to the forefront. Though she is a highly respected political scientist, she has a wicked grin and the soul of an activist. She is not content to simply mail out her directory and be done with it; she is approaching the issue of women running things on a variety of levels. One of her intriguing recent projects has been arranging for a number of her female students to join the governing boards of local nonprofit women's organizations. She personally developed the project, going to the organizations and persuading them to accept a student as a board member. In some cases, getting the nonprofits to agree was like pulling teeth. Not all did. But of those she persuaded, all wanted another student-or more than one -the next year. Were the young women that good? Yes-with Kenney's help. She didn't just place them on boards; she developed a credit class in which the young women attended each others' organizational events, discussed the challenges they faced, and, with her input, helped each other to succeed; they also worked to help the organizations be more youth-friendly. "It's really socializing the students ... they learn what's reasonable and unreasonable to expect [in nonprofit leadership roles]." Along with learning important skills (and contributing lots of energy to worthy organizations), the students gain access to powerful women they likely wouldn't otherwise meet.
Kenney is passionate about networking with her colleagues in a way that goes beyond compiling the directory. Noting that a few years ago activist Rebecca Walker came to town four times to speak at four different Twin Cities colleges, and none of the institutions did a very good job of publicizing her appearances, she put together an ad hoc group of the women in charge of programming for the colleges. It now meets twice a year and has an active listserv where members can network and share ideas.
Speaking of networking, Kenney brought together two of her passions, networking and politics, when she founded the Women and Politics book group more than two years ago. The group, housed, of course, at the Center for Women and Public Policy, brings together women writers, scholars and those interested in politics to discuss political books written by women (not heavy texts but commercial books; a recent favorite was Madeleine Albright's "Madam Secretary."
The purpose of the group, Kenney said, is to "elevate the knowledge of people who have an avocational interest in politics. ... I think the benefit of having so many women writers and scholars is that women who are interested in politics but don't know anything about political science can learn from women writers and scholars."
