Sotomayor’s success sheds light on continued inequality

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday to approve Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Sotomayor is expected to be confirmed next week as the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice and the third female justice in the court’s history. As the spotlight shines on Sotomayor such great strides bring to light continued inequality. With race. With gender.

Why, for example, is Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg currently the sole female voice among eight men? Why does this New York Times article dwell on Sotomayor’s past relationships, and lack of a husband and children? It seems less likely that a male candidate would be covered in the same way. Sure, the media delved into Justice Clarence Thomas’ personal life, but allegations of sexual harassment provided the impetus of the probe. Sotomayor’s single status does not warrant much attention.

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While the big news is Sotomayor’s ascent to the Supreme Court, the average woman still earns 80 cents for every dollar that an average man makes and female college graduates face particular challenges – from the pay gap to juggling work with family. Since women’s roles have changed significantly, their experiences are often vastly different from their mothers’.

My goal is to cover gender issues, work-life balance and the places where they intersect.

Take Shumi Kahn. The 23-year-old talked with me about some of the issues that I plan to explore. Kahn’s parents were born in Bangladesh. Kahn was born in Worcester, Mass. and lived about 140 miles away in Westford. But in 1993, when she was just 8, her dad, an engineer, moved the family to California to take advantage of the opportunities in the Silicon Valley. Kahn has lived in Cupertino since then and said that her life has been very different from her mother’s. Kahn’s mother moved to the U.S. after she got married and didn’t speak English well when she arrived. The gap is wide.

“She grew up in Bangladesh with a lot of culture and I grew up in America where there is a lot of different cultures and diversity,” Kahn said.

Kahn is working as research coordinator at Stanford University and earning her Master’s Degree in Public Administration online at Golden Gate University. As Kahn completes her education and gains work experiences, she navigates a series of choices that shape the life she envisions for herself. Kahn, like many young college grads, is setting the tone for her life and this includes handling work-related issues, setting her priorities and striking the right work-life balance.

“I want to work very hard at my job, but when I go home, leave work for good,” Kahn said. “Someday I would like to get married and have a family. When I do, family will be more important and I will definitely make career sacrifices. However, I would like to continue working once I have a family. I won’t have a family until I am happy with my career.”

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted today to approve Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Sotomayor is expected to be confirmed next week as the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice and the third female justice in the court’s history. As the spotlight shines on Sotomayor such great strides bring to light continued inequality. With race. With gender. Why, for example, is Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg currently the sole female voice among eight men? Why does this New York Times article dwell on Sotomayor’s past relationships, and lack of a husband and children? It seems less likely that a male candidate would be covered in the same way. Sure you could argue that Justice Clarence Thomas’ delved into his personal life, but allegations of sexual harassment provided the impetus of the probe. Sotomayor’s single status does not warrant much attention.

While the big news is Sotomayor’s ascent to the Supreme Court, the average woman still earns 80 cents for every dollar that an average man makes and female college graduates face particular challenges –from the pay gap to juggling work with family. Since women’s roles have changed significantly, their experiences are often vastly different from their mothers.’

My goal is to cover gender issues, work-life balance and the places where they intersect.

Take Shumi Kahn the 23-year-old talked with me about some of the issues that I plan to explore. Kahn’s parents were born in Bangladesh. Kahn was born in Worcester, Mass. and lived about 140 miles away in Westford. But in 1993, when she was just 8, her dad, an engineer, moved the family to California to take advantage of the opportunities in the Silicon Valley. Kahn has lived in Cupertino since then and said that her life has been very different from her mother’s. Kahn’s mother moved to the U.S. after she got married and didn’t speak English well when she arrived. The gap is wide.

“She grew up in Bangladesh with a lot of culture and I grew up in America where there is a lot of different cultures and diversity,” Kahn said.

Kahn is working as research coordinator at Stanford University and earning her Master’s Degree in Public Administration online at Golden Gate University. As Kahn completes her education and gains work experiences she navigates a series of choices that shape the life she envisions for herself. Kahn, like many young college grads, is setting the tone for her life and this includes handling work-related issues, setting her priorities and striking the right work-life balance.