Firefighters

Women have been fighting fires in the United States since the 19th century. They enter the field for the same reasons men do: in addition to high wages, job security, and good benefits, firefighting offers camaraderie, community service, physical activity, and freedom from a "desk job." Women firefighters often cite the firefighting careers of fathers, uncles, and brothers as inspiring them to follow the same path.

Yet today, women comprise just 2% of the career women firefighters and officers in the United States. Some would attribute this statistic to lack of interest or ability. But anyone who has met a woman firefighter knows that such reasoning is based on stereotypes alone. Indeed, women are succeeding in major metropolitan fire departments. In Miami-Dade County, Minneapolis, and San Francisco, women make up 15% or more of the force, and the latter two cities have a female fire chief. In contrast, out of approximately 11,500 firefighters in New York City, just 26 are women -- not even 1%.

The progress made in the communities that have committed to changing the status quo confirms that women's gross underrepresentation in firefighting stems not from inherent gender difference, but from structural obstacles. For instance, many fire departments use physical tests for candidates that never have been validated as accurate measures of the skills needed for firefighting. These tests screen out most or even all women candidates, a disparate impact that can reflect sex discrimination. Even when women manage to get hired, they are met with persistent messages that they are not welcome, such as uniforms and safety gear that do not fit them, inadequate or nonexistent restroom and shower facilities in firehouses, lack of privacy in sleeping quarters, and pervasive pornography. "Hazing" rituals may cross the line into being sexually harassing or outright dangerous. Departmental policies may insufficiently address pregnancy.

In sum, although it is possible for women to penetrate, and to succeed in, the aggressively "macho" profession of firefighting, it takes resources and support - particularly for the women themselves. Legal Momentum's Equality Works program uses multiple strategies -- from litigation to public education to media advocacy -- to increase women firefighters' opportunities across the country.

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