AAUW Statement Regarding Do No Harm v. AAUW

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Regarding the settlement of the recent lawsuit by Do No Harm about AAUW’s Focus Group Professions Fellowship, see the following statement from Gloria L. Blackwell, AAUW’s CEO:

AAUW is proud of the work we do to empower and fund women’s education. For more than 135 years, AAUW has worked to eliminate barriers to women’s educational access and economic opportunity.

Through its Focus Group Professions Fellowship, AAUW sought to eliminate the historic and systemic barriers underrepresented groups face to access the same professional careers as their white counterparts, barriers that also keep healthcare disparities higher for communities of color.

America’s physicians are nearly 64% white, while only 2.8% are Black women and 2.4% are Latina women. Research shows bias and the lack of physicians of color may have a direct correlation to disparate health outcomes plaguing communities of color. For example, the CDC reports Black women face the highest levels of maternal mortality in the U.S., being three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women.

While AAUW remains committed to achieving equity for women and girls, we acknowledge that recent Supreme Court decisions have changed how we must fight for equity. Rather than using the considerable resources this lawsuit would have consumed, AAUW has agreed to remove race as a criterion for its Focus Group Professions Fellowship.

We will not pretend the playing field is even for all. At a time when equity initiatives face unparalleled attacks, AAUW remains committed to our mission of empowering women — including women of color — through research, education, and advocacy.

###

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances gender equity for women and girls through research, education and advocacy. Our nonpartisan, nonprofit organization has more than 170,000 members and supporters across the United States, as well as 1,000 local branches and more than 800 college and university members. Learn more and join us at www.aauw.org.