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Article: On the way to 51 percent. (Women Legislators of Maryland)
- Article from:
- State Legislatures
- Article date:
- July 1, 1996
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 National Conference of State Legislatures. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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To some, the issue was as simple as a women's bathroom. To others, the problem underscored a much larger issue - the male-dominated Maryland General Assembly didn't know what to make of the 11 women who served alongside them. Unlike their male counterparts, the women in the state legislature didn't have their own private bathroom in the early '70s. And, unlike their male counterparts, they swapped stories daily about overt sexism and paternalism.
Consider the story of state lawmaker Pauline Menes. Menes, now serving her 30th year in the Maryland legislature, asked the speaker to consider appointing more women to leadership positions and legislative committees.
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