)Women’s appointments to decision making bodies examined
By Lynda Delaney and Nelda Howell
County government and municipal entities in Onslow County reported 212 appointments in 2001 to 44 statutorily created decision-making boards, commissions, councils or committees. Almost twice as many men were appointed: 140, or 66 percent, compared to 72, or 34 percent women. The previous year, 227 appointments were reported with 129 men, or 57 percent, and 98 women, or 43 percent.
The reason frequently given for not appointing more women by authorities is the absence of qualified women applicants. Women often cite their lack of involvement on regulatory boards is associated with the fact that most appointing authority positions are held by men. More women need to be appointed to boards based on a review of gender proportionate appointments. Women need to be recognized for the diversity of skills they gain in their education, work, family responsibilities and community involvement.
In 2001, the City Council of Jacksonville, North Carolina, reportedly made 33 appointments to nine boards, councils, committees or commissions, with 18, or 55 percent, being men and 15, or 45 percent, being women. The previous year, they disclosed 75 appointments made to 12 boards. Forty-three, or 57 percent, were men and 32, or 43 percent women. Women make up 39 percent of Jacksonville’s population.
Closer evaluation of various board appointments reveals no women were appointed in 2001 to the Planning Board or the Water and Sewer Advisory Board. Yet, six women and no men were appointed to the Beautification and Appearance Commission. Women were also absent when appointments were made in 2000 on the Board of Adjustments, Recycling Advisory Board and the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee.
State legislation on gender-proportionate appointments to statutorily created decision making bodies should reflect the proportion that each gender represents in the population of the state as a whole or in the case of a local board in the population of the area represented according to the latest census unless the law requires otherwise.
General Statute 143-157.1 requires that certain appointing authorities report to the Department of the Secretary of State annually by December 1 the number and gender of appointments made during the preceding year. These reports are compiled by the Secretary of State’s Office and transmitted to the Governor and General Assembly. The reporting period is from July 1 through June 30.
Women’s organizations statewide are being enlisted to encourage local counties and municipalities in reporting appointments too statutorily created decision-making or regulatory boards, commissions, councils, or committees to the state.
Locally, research was conducted by the American Association of University Women Jacksonville Regional Branch and the Onslow County Council for Women on appointments for 2000 and 2001 by the entities of Onslow County, Jacksonville, Holly Ridge, North Topsail Beach, Richlands, Surf City and Swansboro.
The Town Council of the Town of Holly Ridge made nine appointments on four committees in 2001: two men, or 22 percent, and seven women, or 78 percent with a population of 54 percent women. Five women and no men were appointed to the Parks and Recreation Committee and two women joined the Planning Board with no men appointed. Women failed to earn appointments on two committees with men appointed to both the Eastern Carolina Council General Membership Board and the Onslow Water and Sewer Authority. Only elected officials of the governing bodies of member political subdivisions may be appointed to ONWASA.
The Town Council of North Topsail Beach in 2001 selected 12 individuals for two committees: seven men, or 58 percent, and five women, or 42 percent with 48 percent of the population women. Four women and three men were appointed to the Planning Board and one woman and four men to the Board of Adjustments.
In 2001, the Board of Aldermen of the Town of Richlands chose eight individuals for two boards: seven men, or 87 percent, and one woman, or 13 percent. They record the highest percentage of women in the county with 56 percent. One woman was appointed to the New Town Hall Committee compared to four men. Four men and no women were chosen for the Planning Board. No appointments were reported in 2000.
The Surf City Town Council reported 17 appointments to 5 committees in 2001 consisting of nine men, or 53 percent, and 8 women, or 47 percent, with a population of 50 percent women. No women and three men were appointed to the Economic Development Committee. Five men and two women were selected for the Water/Sewer Advisory Committee. One man and one woman were chosen for the Recreation Advisory Committee. Beach Re-nourishment’s only appointment was a woman while the four appointments were all women to the Beautification and Appearance Committee.
The Swansboro Town Council had no appointments in 2001. The previous year they had seven appointees to two committees with four men, or 67 percent, and two women, or 33 percent, with a population of 55 percent women. They appointed to the Board of Adjustment three men and a woman, while the Historical District Commission appointees include a man and a woman.
According to the 2000 census, women make up 45 percent of Onslow County’s population of 150,355 compared with North Carolina’s population of 51 percent women and 8,049,313 citizens.
In 2001, Onslow County reported 23 boards and commissions with a total of 133 appointments: 97 men, or 73 percent, and 36 women, or 27 percent. In the previous year, 116 appointments were made to 22 boards with 67 men, or 58 percent, and 49 women, or 42 percent. This shows a 15 percent decrease in the number of women appointed.
There were no women appointed to six boards in Onslow County for 2001, among these were the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Board of Equalization and Review and the Board of Health. The Onslow County Hospital Authority had 13 appointees, 11 men and two women. The Local Emergency Planning Committee appointees numbered 33 men and one woman. Eleven men and one woman were appointed to the Fire Commission.
During the previous year no women were appointed to eight boards among them were Eastern Carolina Work Force Development Board, Equalization and Review, Fire Commission and Parks and Recreation Services. Only women were appointed to the Library Board of Trustees with five and the Jury Commission with three. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board had two men and one woman appointed in 2000.
The reports identify the number of appointments of each gender made and the percentage of the total membership of the board, commission, council or committee. The statute further requires each appointing authority to designate a person responsible for retaining all applications for appointment, who shall ensure that information describing each applicant’s gender and qualifications is available for public inspection during reasonable hours. Nothing in the statute requires disclosure of an applicant’s identity or any other information made confidential by law. Some county government and municipal entities are to be commended for seeking to increase the gender-proportionate representation of women on boards. But, the question remains, "Why are there so few women being appointed?"
What can be done to enhance chances of appointment?
Jacksonville resident Lynda Delaney is a member of the Onslow County Council for Women and a military spouse on leave from the State Department. Nelda Howell of Hubert is a member of the council and the American Association of University Women Jacksonville Regional Branch. They are both members of the Public Policy Committees. Howell is parliamentarian for the American Association of University Women of North Carolina and active on local boards. For more information contact Nelda Howell or Lynda Delaney at (910) 326-6734 or FAX (910) 326-1647.
3/4/02
Last updated:
23-Mar-2002
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