Few Reviews by Women: Ever since its inception, the AHA’s Committee on Women Historians (CWH) has urged The American Historical Review to reflect the AHA’s commitment to gender equality through increasing the number of women writing articles and reviews for the AHR. The statistics on the percentage of reviews and articles by women over the past four years, therefore, make for interesting reading.
Participation by Women in the AHR| Year | Percent of Reviews | Percent of Articles |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 8 | 14 |
| 1982 | 10 | 18 |
| 1983 | 9 | 6 |
| 1984 | 12 | 33 |
The leap in articles by women for 1984 is striking—until one notes that five of the six articles by women appeared in a single issue, devoted specifically to women’s history. Without that issue women would have written one in thirteen articles, or close to the one in seventeen of the year earlier. The percentage of reviews seems to be a more accurate barometer of progress, or lack of same, since reviews are solicited by the journal, while articles are more a product of individual initiative by scholars. At a time when nearly one-third of new PhDs in history are women, there seems little reason to continue having an average of 10 percent of all reviews by women. These statistics are significantly lower than those for the Journal of American History (20 percent of reviews by women for last year) and are inconsistent with the AHA Council’s support for greater equity for women in the profession. After discussion with the new AHR editor, the CWH hopes to see significant change in these statistics over the next three years and will report back to the membership in Roses and Thorns.
National Women’s History Week: From Amelia Earhart to Sally Ride, Harriet Beecher Stowe to Maya Angelou, Mary Harris “Mother” Jones to Dolores Huerta, and Susan B. Anthony to Geraldine Ferraro. In a very real sense, the history of these women in their fields is our history, and that of the world today. And they’re just a few of those we encourage you to honor during National Women’s History Week, March 2-8, 1986.
“Women: Builders of Communities and Dreams” will be the theme for the observance of National Women’s History Week 1986, to be proclaimed in the spring by a Joint Congressional Resolution for the fifth consecutive year.
Women of all cultures have been active participants in the development of every aspect of our nation’s communities and institutions. When we identify and honor the countless women who’ve helped and are now helping to build America, we fill in the gaps which have misled us about the many significant roles women play in our society. National Women’s History Week provides an opportunity to balance the historical record, to create a public awareness of women’s contributions in every sphere of our shared history and contemporary life.
The National Women’s History Project offers a plethora of excellent multi cultural materials to be used in promoting and celebrating National Women’s History Week: books, posters, records, buttons and other materials. Their 52-page Resource Catalog is available for $1; technical advice and other services are offered through their Women’s His tory Network. Write to them at PO Box 3716, Santa Rosa, CA 95402, or call (707) 526-5974.
