 Women of Color Hurt by Proposition 209—By Monique W. Morris, Director, Discrimination Research Center Published: October, 2006 Ten years have passed since California voters narrowly passed Proposition 209 and eliminated race- and gender-conscious equal opportunity programs in public education, employment, and contracting. There is substantial evidence indicating that without equal opportunity programs, the growth and development of employment and business opportunities for women and people of color have suffered. The Discrimination Research Center recently released Free to Compete? Measuring the Impact of Proposition 209 on Minority Business Enterprises, which examined whether businesses owned by people of color have been provided with the equal opportunity to compete for awards from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The study revealed many concrete examples of Proposition 209's negative impact on the opportunities for people of color in California's transportation construction industry. For women of color, who in 1996 were only 15 percent of certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), or firms owned by contractors of color, trends regarding the impact of Proposition 209 were particularly troubling: ï After Proposition 209, the survival rate of women-owned MBEs was only 29 percent, which was below the average for all MBEs; ï After Proposition 209, women-owned MBEs consistently showed patterns of shrinking business more than their male counterparts. Women-owned MBEs were more likely to have experienced a decline in the number of employees, the total number of contracts, and the percentage of contracts and revenues obtained from Caltrans; and ï After Proposition 209, women-owned MBEs found the Caltrans race- and gender-conscious equal opportunity program less helpful over time relative to their male counterparts. Women comprise over half of the workforce in California but continue to face challenges in equal opportunity to employment and public contracts in industries that have historically been dominated by men. Research has confirmed that women of color often suffer from the double jeopardy of racial and gender discrimination. These factors make race- and gender-conscious equal opportunity programs even more important. California voters share core values that celebrate equal opportunity and fairness; however, the evidence suggests that Proposition 209 has not supported these values. Given these facts on Proposition 209, it is time we revisit the most appropriate strategies for us to realize our collective values of fair competition, equal access, and diversity. Monique W. Morris is the director of the Discrimination Research Center (DRC). DRC is currently examining the impact of Proposition 209 on all Women Business Enterprises in California's transportation construction industry. Copies of "Free to Compete?" and other DRC reports are available online http://www.drcenter.org. | ||
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