Members of the Task Force

Financial Contributions to the Survey and Task Force Operations

Contents

Foreword

Contents

Preface

Contents

Executive Summary

• Only 19% of the total respondents had had any previous involvement in the ICA; 43% had been involved in cartographic associations at the national level.
  
  
• Nearly all respondents expressed strong interest in the ICA: even women who have already participated want to know more about it; 20% made a specific written comment that they knew nothing whatsoever about the organization.
  
  
• Lack of knowledge about what the ICA is, how it operates and what it has to offer was identified as a major barrier to women's involvement in the organization. All categories of respondents want more information.
  
  
• Most respondents self-identified as being in middle-to-higher job ranks, the largest group comprising public servants at all levels of government, with smaller numbers in the university and private sectors.
  
  
• Some barriers cited resulted from participants' perceptions about the ICA's style of operation: many of the respondents indicated their perception that women's contributions are underrated; female-associated management and work styles are not valued, and appointments are made through long standing, exclusive male networks.
  
  
• The primary professional barriers cited by respondents were that travel funds are not available at their level and they are not encouraged by their employers to be involved in the ICA.
  
  
• Also cited significantly as factors restricting participation, were not being in a decision-making position and having few publications, both being higher among women who had never participated in the ICA.
  
  
• Among personal reasons for not participating, lack of time was frequently cited. It is still difficult for many women to balance family responsibilities and their professional life.
  
  
• Between 18 and 25% of respondents indicated that travel to international events is difficult for family reasons, this figure rising to 31% in the 6-15 years experience group who have the highest level of dependents or children at home (46%). Travel is difficult for societal reasons for 16% of those with 16 or more years experience.
  
  
• The primary incentives to participation cited by respondents were more information about the ICA; the possibility of receiving travel grants that would match those of the employer; greater participation of women in the ICA Executive Committee, Commissions and structure generally; and the holding of regular women-in-cartography sessions at conferences.
  
  

• Respondents agree that a broader range of participation by women and other under-represented groups generally should be encouraged by the ICA.
  
  
• Lack of knowledge about what the ICA is, how it operates and what it has to offer is a real barrier to women's involvement in the organization. All categories of respondents want more information.
  
  
• Respondents agree that more participation by women and other under-represented groups in the ICA Executive Committee, Commissions and Working Groups, and at conferences should be encouraged.
  
  
• Much material has been amassed and expertise gained by the Task Force in the course of carrying out this survey which requires further study or application.
  
  

Contents

Chapter 1

The International Cartographic Association (ICA) is the international professional association for cartographers and professionals in related fields. The ICA Task Force on Women in Cartography (hereafter referred to as "the Task Force" was appointed by Dr. D.R.F. Taylor, president of the ICA, in 1989. Dr. Taylor, in his inaugural address at the Morelia, Mexico congress in 1987, had voiced concerns about "the disproportionately low participation of women" in the ICA, and his hopes that progress might be made in this area during his term of office.

Chaired by Dr. Eva Siekierska of Canada and co-chaired by Ms. Edel Lundemo of Norway, the ICA Task Force on Women in Cartography is comprised of members from 10 countries: Australia, Canada, Finland, Hungary, Mexico, The People's Republic of China, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Its Secretariat is located in Ottawa, Canada.

The Task Force first met in Budapest in 1989. During this meeting the following terms of reference were adopted (for the full text, see Appendix 1).

• Identify barriers to the more active participation of women in the activities of the ICA, and suggest policies to remove these;
  
  
• Suggest policies that will encourage more active participation of women in ICA activities; and
  
  
• Act as a resource for increased participation of women at all levels of ICA activity.

It was decided to implement this mandate through a research study involving an international survey to be undertaken in 1990-91 by the Secretariat under the direction of Task Force members.

The Research Objectives of the Task Force

• To ascertain the background and level of participation of women cartographers presently involved and never involved in the ICA.
  
  
• To measure women's participation and perceived barriers to their participation, whether personal, academic, professional or associated with the ICA, if any.
  
  
• To make recommendations to the ICA president, based on the responses obtained, designed to remove perceived barriers.
  
  
• To make recommendations to the ICA president, based on the responses obtained, designed to increase the participation of women at all levels of ICA activity.

Questionnaires were designed and tested in Ottawa. Six Task Force members met again in March 1991 at the invitation of Norway to discuss the project's progress and decide on a format for the Report and Recommendations which are to be presented to the ICA President at the 14th International Congress to be held in Bournemouth, U.K. in September/October 1991. The survey was carried out between March and June, 1991.

The Task Force would have preferred to have undertaken a survey in which the attitudes and experiences of both men and women vis-à-vis the ICA could have been compared, but this proved impossible because of financial and time restraints. However, we believe the survey results can still be valuable to the ICA and similar organizations for their identification of factors preventing and encouraging the participation of women in their activities.

Although these time constraints also limited the size of the sample the Task Force could work with, to our knowledge this study is the largest international survey of women cartographers ever undertaken.

Obtaining funding for the study was also a real challenge, and took up a great deal of the time of the Task Force Secretariat. Although the ICA itself was unable to supply more than a small one-time grant, we were fortunate in obtaining contributions from a host of government, association and industry sources. The Task Force is particularly indebted to Surveys, Mapping and Remote Sensing Sector of the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources Canada for its support, both material and moral, throughout the entire study.

Since the low participation rate of women in the ICA is a problem shared by a host of national and international associations, the present study will not be of benefit to the ICA alone. Part of its value lies in the ideas it can provide to other organizations that truly wish to have a more balanced level of participation by their male and female members.

Policy Implications

An important part of this Report is the Recommendations made to the ICA president. The Task Force believes that with the implementation of these Recommendations the ICA stands to gain and retain more female participants in the coming years. Within the ICA, a gradual increase in the number of women cartographers appointed to Commissions, Working Groups, and as conference chairs and presenters can be expected, as well as a gradual, concomitant acceptance of these changes on the part of male participants.

It is also believed that the perception of the ICA by women cartographers and by other professional associations could also change for the better. The ICA would become known as a more balanced, representative and diverse organization, better able to serve the needs of the larger community, and allowing more participants to contribute a wider range of views. It would be seen as encouraging women's involvement, welcoming growth and development in new areas, and willing to examine its own traditions and assumptions.

Communication of Research Results

This report is expected to be of interest to several categories:

• The President, Executive Committee and Commissions of the ICA.
  
  
• Other international and national cartographic and related associations.
  
  
• Those employed in cartography or related fields.
  
  
• Those who teach or study cartography or related professions.
  
  
• Those concerned with the recruitment, participation and advancement of women in non-traditional occupations.

This study will be made available, on the initiative of Task Force members and of individual ICA Country Representatives, to the extent that funding permits, to the following:

• All survey participants.
  
  
• All ICA member National Commissions.
  
  
• Cartographic and related professional organizations.
  
  
• Cartographic and related industries.
  
  
• Departments of cartography, geography and survey engineering in universities and colleges where cartography and related disciplines are taught.
  
  
• Cartographic and related newsletters and journals.
  
  
• Appropriate government departments.
  
  
• Government and non-government status of women and employment equity offices and organizations.

This Report

Chapters of this report are devoted to a brief overview of women's involvement in the ICA, the survey methodology, analysis, and findings, and the Task Force's conclusions and recommendations. Copies of the survey questionnaires and other materials can be found in the Appendices.

Contents

Chapter 2

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Chapter 2: Gender Equality as a Societal Goal

The United Nations Decade on Women, 1975-85, with its theme "equality, development, peace" highlighted by international conferences in Merida, Copenhagen and Nairobi, did much to focus the world's attention on the reality of women's lives worldwide. With large-scale involvement of governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and interested individuals, these conferences led to an encouraging international exchange of information and documentation on women and a challenging intercultural dialogue. They also lent further legitimacy or impetus to the burgeoning women's movements and resurgences of such movements occurring in so many countries.

The United Nations Forward Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, hammered out at the final conference, have been now ratified by most of the U.N. member states, and are among the most widely distributed and examined U.N. documents ever produced. They focused further attention on how individual governments, their agencies and all manner of NGOs could contribute to enhanced status, living and working conditions for women.

This raising of the profile of women's issues through a combination of government strategy, activism, and increased information, available partly through the rapid development of women's studies as both a discipline and an interdisciplinary study, has resulted in progress for women in almost every sphere of life. Unfortunately, developments have not been systematic, and have not benefitted all women in all countries. In their innovative book, Women in the World: An Atlas, Joni Sargent and Ann Olsen (London: Pan Books, 1986) remind us that despite progress, there is some distance to go in achieving equality for women:

The official invisibility of women perpetuates the myth that what women do is less important, less noteworthy, less significant. Women are made invisible by policies and priorities that discount the importance of collecting information about them. Although the United Nations Decade for Women... resulted in a considerable increase in the information mainstream...

We do not presume a global community of women. What we do see, however, is that everywhere women are worse off than men; women have less power, less autonomy, more work, less money, and more responsibility. (p. 7)

While some of the progress made by women in this century is easy to document, almost every progressive statement can be balanced by a less positive one. For example, despite the dramatic increases in the enrollment of women in higher education, the proportion of women teaching in higher education in most countries is far lower than men's. Generally speaking, compared to men's, women's levels of literacy are low, and their participation in government institutions and the media are also low. While the entry of women, including married women, into the paid work force is one of the biggest worldwide economic shifts this century, women continue to earn well below the average male wage. Women also have their own job ghettos, their unemployment rates worldwide are rising faster than men's, and, although this is slowly changing, women remain concentrated in the lower echelons of the work place.

Though equality in the work place is now established as a principle and policy matter in many countries, women's bureaus and organizations around the world remind us that we have not run short of opportunities to progress. Concepts like "equal pay for equal work", "equal pay for work of equal value" and "affirmative action" (or "positive discrimination") are progressive ideas getting attention in some countries, but they signal what is essentially an attempt to overcome long standing discriminatory attitudes, and often, laws.

The following statement from an international NGO provides a good summary of the Task Force's thinking on these issues:

The denial of equality of the sexes perpetuates an injustice against one half of the world's population and promotes in men harmful attitudes and habits that are carried from the family to the work place, to political life, and ultimately to international relations...

Only as women are welcomed into full partnership in all fields of human endeavor will the moral and psychological climate be created in which international peace can emerge.

The Task Force believes that the task of achieving gender equality on a societal level is one that demands such a partnership of men and women. We believe that both sexes as well as human institutions, the ICA among them, stand to benefit from more balanced and diverse participation by women and men, as well as other groups that may be mis-represented. We also believe that the ideas, insights and voices of women have much to contribute to existing and future dialogue and endeavors. We look forward to hearing many reports about women's contributions to the ICA.

Contents

Chapter 3

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Chapter 3: Involvement and Status of Women in the ICA

The participation of women in the ICA has been a slow and gradual process, as both ICA written sources and some of the survey's respondents testify. In Professor Ormerling Sr.'s book, ICA 1959-1985, 25 years of the International Cartographic Association, for example, very few female names occur. There were no women professionals at the First General Assembly of the ICA, no women are mentioned in connection with the founding of the Association, nor has there yet been a woman represented on the Executive Committee of ICA.

Dr. Helen Wallis of the United Kingdom was one of the first women to become actively involved with the ICA; she chaired an extra-mural session on the History of Cartography at the Ottawa Conference in 1972. The success of this session led to the formation of a Working Group (1972) and ultimately, a Standing Commission on the History of Cartography (1976), chaired for fifteen years by Dr. Wallis, who has been instrumental in a number of ICA projects, and in editing and authoring various ICA publications. The Standing Commission on the History of Cartography is the interest group with the highest participation by women. Dr. Wallis was succeeded as Chair by Monique Pelletier (France), and other Commission members and/or contributors have included: Eila Campbell (UK), Olga Kudronovska (Czechoslovakia), Leena Miekkavaara (Finland), Dorothy F. Prescott (Australia), and Ingrid Kretschmer (Austria).

An examination of ICA Newsletters over the years evidences that other women professionals in the field of cartography have been active in the ICA. These include Dr. Barbara Petchenik, (USA) the first female Principal Delegate and Head of Delegation to an ICA Congress, at Perth in 1984, followed by Dr. Judy Olson (USA) whose involvement with the Working Group on Map Use dates at least as early as 1985 when she presented a report on the impact of technological change on map users and map use. Dr. Olson assumed the Chairmanship of the Standing Commission on Map and Spatial Data Use in 1987. She was also the only female Principal Delegate and head of a delegation at the Morelia Conference in 1987. Currently the Commissions on National Atlases, on Thematic Mapping from Satellite Imagery, and on Population Geography each have female members; Dr. Eva Siekierska (Canada) holds the position of Deputy-Chair of the National Atlas Commission. Another acknowledged contribution was that of Helga Ravenstein, member of the Publications Committee since 1983, and responsible for the German language translation of the Automated Cartography chapter of Basic Cartography, Vol. 2.

In addition to general assembly meetings and international conferences, the ICA also sponsors local special interest seminars. Participation by women has generally been rather meagre, at least in so far as is reported in ICA Newsletters, although there are a few mentions of papers presented by female delegates (e.g. Prague, 1986; technology of map production). Participation by women has been noticeably higher in symposia of which the ICA is a co-sponsor together with other national and international organizations.

Irene Zaroutskaja (USSR) was an active contributor to the ICA-Unesco seminar on Education in Cartography held in Paris in the early l960's. Madame Kishimoto (Switzerland) was also active at this time. At a 1973 international symposium on maps and graphics for the visually handicapped, four working groups were established, of which three were chaired by women: Judith Dixon, Library of Congress, Karen Luxton, Baruch College, and Billie Louise Bentzen, Boston College, all from the United States. An ICA-sponsored session at the American Congress on Surveys and Mapping convention in 1984 was opened by Barbara Petchenik, and closed by Judy Olson, both of the United States. Dr. Petchenik subsequently gave a keynote address at a jointly-sponsored conference on School Atlases (Calgary, Canada) at which Louise Marcotte and Lillian Wonders from Canada also made presentations. She had also instigated a new Working Group in 1964 on the economic character of mapping, and which now focuses on marketing.

In 1989, the International Task Force on Women in Cartography was formed with an entirely female membership.

In recent correspondence, a long-time ICA participant made these additional comments:

In considering the role of women in the ICA, please do not forget the substantial assistance over the years rendered by the partners of various ICA executive officers, some of them in double roles of cartographers and wives. They provided a helping hand in the organization of conferences and seminars, in preparing ICA papers, addresses and publications, and hosting social functions...I am referring to Barbara Gutsell, Viola Imhof, Mrs. Miksowsky, Regina Ormeling, Pamela Pierce, etc. Without their continuous assistance it is doubtful whether the ICA would have survived.

[Having taken] part directly or indirectly in the organization of 12 conferences, I know that a fair number of professional women, most of them anonymously, contributed to the success of ICA happenings. The most explicit illustration was found in a city where I discovered that behind the scenes a certain young lady pulled the strings. She was in control of the lecture program and of the social functions without getting any credit from her male colleagues, who walked off with the success of the conference.

Contents

Chapter 4

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Chapter 4: Methodology

To obtain a profile of women cartographers worldwide, the Task Force decided to undertake a mailed survey. Respondents' perceptions of the ICA and of possible barriers and incentives to their participation were probed by means of a Questionnaire and Interview by Mail, providing both statistical data and commentaries.

Collection

A one-time voluntary participation survey was undertaken, consisting of two elements:

A structured detailed questionnaire referred to as "the Questionnaire", comprised of closed-ended questions and opportunities for further comments, was mailed to two categories of individuals:

• Women cartographers who are present or past participants in ICA activities.
  
  
• Women cartographers who have never been involved in the ICA.

Approximately 1,300 Questionnaires were sent to women in 41 of the 62 member countries of the ICA, and about 500 were received, though only 412 could be used in the tabulations, a high rate of return for this type of survey. Questionnaires were prepared in English and translated into French, the two official languages of the ICA.

A less structured questionnaire referred to as the Interview by Mail, comprised primarily of open-ended questions, was used to approach a small number of cartographers who have been active in ICA activities, and who hold/have held key positions in the organization, including Commission chairs and members. About 25 were distributed by mail and 10 were returned.

The Questionnaire (see Appendix 3) gathered the following data:

• personal, educational and professional data on women in cartography and related fields;
  
  
• participants' reasons for involvement/non-involvement in the ICA; and
  
  
• participants' identification of barriers and incentives to involvement in the ICA.

The Interview by Mail (see Appendix 4) sought information on the ICA's record on status of women issues within the organization and the experiences or opinions of prominent or long-time participants.

The Sample

A number of mailing lists for the Questionnaires were developed based on names of survey recipients supplied by ICA Country Representatives or their appointees. Between 20 and 50 names were requested from each country, though responses varied between 0 and 295, depending on the number of women in the field in each country and on the interest and contacts of the Country Representatives. Additional names from countries that had not responded were supplied by the International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Science (ITC) of the Netherlands at our request. The Task Force Secretariat also received requests from individuals to take part in the survey, particularly from Canada and the United States, after it was publicized in a number of professional newsletters and journals. A total of 412 completed Questionnaires were received in time to be used in the tabulations.

Four countries provided by far the largest number of Questionnaires: the United States, Canada, Norway and Sweden, providing between 43 and 109 each [of Appendix 2]. The USSR provided 22 responses; France, The Netherlands, Sudan, New Zealand, and the People's Republic of China provided 10-19; Thailand, and Mexico, provided 6-9; between 1 and 5 were provided by Austria, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, New Guinea, The Philippines, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, and Turkey. Replies were not received from Brazil, Iceland, Indonesia, Nigeria, Spain, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, while India and the Yemen Arab Republic reported that there were no women cartographers in those countries (see Appendix 2). While the final sample is quite uneven, so also is the participation of women from various countries in the field of cartography and in the ICA.

Names for the Interviews by Mail were provided in part by ICA Commission Chairs, and by searches of ICA historical and current documents, headquarters mailing lists, etc. A total of 25 of the surveys were sent out, and 10 were received. Because of time constraints, a much smaller number of Interviews by Mail were distributed than originally planned.

The sample used in analysis is not a probability sample representative of all women cartographers. Therefore, the results obtained apply only to the respondents of the survey. However, the results indicate some trends present in the general population of women cartographers.

Special Challenges

Designing a questionnaire for use in such a large number of countries by many individuals for whom English or French was not a first language posed a formidable challenge. The Task Force made considerable effort to use plain language and to avoid colloquialisms. The pre-test included an examination of the Questionnaire by members of ethnic minorities and international students resident in Canada.

A further challenge was posed by the fact that the ICA is an organization based on the membership of national cartographic associations rather than of individuals. Thus, we did not have access to mailing lists for each country from which we could simply draw the names of female members. These had rather to be compiled from the suggestions received from the ICA Country Representatives we approached, and most of these communications had to be carried out by mail. A number of Country Representatives were approached twice, and some never responded.

The Data Base

The raw data (Questionnaires and Interviews by Mail), as well as two data bases (one comprised of the respondents' names, addresses and occupational data, the other comprising the tabulated responses to the Questionnaires) have been designated the property of the International Cartographic Association. It is proposed that they be held in Ottawa by the Task Force Secretariat until the end of 1991. After consultation with the ICA president at that time, they will be offered to the ICA International Secretariat or to Statistics Canada, or destroyed. At the present time it is not expected that the survey will be updated.

Assurance of Anonymity

Survey participants were assured in a covering letter accompanying the Questionnaires of personal anonymity and of the anonymity of any individual responses used in the Report and Recommendations.

Networking Directory

Participants were also asked if their names and work-related data could be included in an informal networking directory which, it is hoped, will be a spin-off of the data base. This directory will be distributed through professional networks.

Contents

Chapter 5

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Chapter 5: Analysis of the Questionnaire
Profiles of the Respondents

Introduction

"I strongly believe that it is up to an individual to become involved. I do not feel the issue of involvement in the ICA concerns the sexes."

"The activities are dominated by men and that is a barrier."

These statements indicate just how varied the responses were to the questionnaire. The 412 questionnaires used for the following analysis represent many different perspectives on women in cartography and the ICA.

The respondents are from many different demographic and cultural groups. In this chapter all respondents, as well as the various break-downs of the sample population, will be profiled. The profiles lead into interpretation of the survey results. Many interesting insights into women's view of the cartographic field and the ICA were gained through the surveys. Generally, respondents feel that not enough information about the ICA is being disseminated, women do not feel that they are in the decision making positions that would enable them to go to conferences, and travel funds are not easy to come by. Many young women find travel difficult for family reasons, although women without dependents find few personal reasons to stop them from attending. These observations ultimately lead to the formulation of recommendations for changes in the ICA that could lead to greater participation by both women and men.

The Profiles

The women responding to the Questionnaire have diverse backgrounds; they have varying levels of education, and different types of work experience, job classifications, and years of experience. They all do, however, have some involvement with cartography and almost all expressed strong interest in the ICA. In attempting to introduce this group of respondents, their years of experience, levels of education, areas of primary work, and perceived job rank will be reviewed. Place of employment and involvement in ICA and other local, national and international organizations will also be explored. This gives us an idea of who women cartographers are and provides the background for looking at their responses to the rest of the Questionnaire.

Several break-downs of the total survey response will be used to assist in the analysis. The categories are as follows:

The major breakdown involves:

• ICA participants
• non-ICA participants

A breakdown by years of experience allows for the identification of trends:

• 0-5 years experience
• 6-15 years experience
• 16 and over years experience

Additionally singled out for analysis were:

• All respondents with dependents.

These groupings will allow us to make recommendations that will enable the ICA to reach cartographers in a variety of circumstances.

Education Levels

Most of the respondents have high levels of education (see Table 5.1). Close to 90% have finished their post-secondary education. This group has already commenced or has the potential to advance through a career in cartography or a related field and, therefore may have some interest in ICA activities as many indicated.

Table 5.1 Highest Level of Education Attained

	% Total pop.	% ICA	% non-ICA	% 0-5 yrs.	% 6-15 yrs.	% 16 yrs. & over
Secondary school	6.6	2.6	7.6	4.5	5.4	11.1
College	16.8	7.7	18.5	12.0	23.4	14.1
First degree (university)	33.3	30.8	34.0	41.1	30.1	31.3
Master's degree	27.7	33.3	26.7	33.8	29.5	20.2
Doctorate	11.6	23.1	9.1	6.0	9.6	19.2
Apprenticeship	1.5	0.0	1.8	0.8	1.2	3.0
Not indicated	2.4	2.6	2.1	1.5	0.6	1.0

Primary Work/Activity

Another reason for these women's potential interest in ICA activities is their primary work/activity (see Table 5.2). As expected, the largest group are women cartographers with many working in the research and development area. In the 0-5 years of experience group, the second largest field is GIS. Although, there are no statistics on numbers of women cartographers around the world, this survey points out that they clearly exist and our close to 40% return rate indicates that these women are interested in their careers and international contacts.

Table 5.2 Primary Work/Activities

	% Total pop.	% ICA	% non-ICA	% 0-5 yrs.	% 6-15 yrs.	% 16 yrs. & over
Cartography	53.8	61.5	51.7	40.6	56.6	69.7
Remote Sensing/Photogrammetry	3.2	0.0	4.0	2.2	4.8	2.0
Surveying	10.5	5.1	11.9	15.0	11.4	3.0
Geographic Information Systems	16.8	14.1	17.6	25.6	16.3	8.1
Geodesy	1.2	1.3	1.2	1.5	1.2	1.0
Geomatics	1.9	3.8	1.5	1.5	1.2	3.0
Other	10.0	12.8	9.4	12.8	7.2	11.1
No information given	2.8	1.3	2.7	0.8	1.2	2.0

Years of Work/Job Rank

The number of years these women have worked is relatively evenly distributed amongst the categories provided; all groups are represented (see Table 5.3). These groups were further agglomerated to look at people entering the field, those established in a career and senior professionals. The Questionnaire reached all of these groups, indicating that women have been participating in cartographic and related areas for a long time. There are, however, a large number at the entry level which leads to the assumption that more women are beginning to enter this historically male dominated field.

Table 5.3 Number of Years in Cartography or Related Field

Years Experience	Total	ICA	Non-ICA
0-5 years	32.7	20.5	35.6
6-10 years	20.4	12.8	22.2
11-15 years	19.7	20.5	19.5
16-20 years	6.9	10.3	6.1
Over 20 years	17.4	30.8	14.3
No answer	2.9	5.1	2.4

Women's perceived job ranking provides an interesting comparison with years of work (see Tables 5.3 and 5.4). Most women feel that they are in the middle to higher levels, and even those who have not been in the labour force for a long period still feel that they belong in the middle levels. This leads to the conclusion that many of these women are in professional, career positions.

Table 5.4 Perceived Job Rank

Rank	% Total pop	% ICA	% non-ICA	% 0-5 yrs.	% 6-15 yrs.	% 16 yrs. & over
Entry	16.0	9.0	17.6	36.8	7.8	0.0
Middle	49.9	43.6	51.4	43.6	57.2	49.5
Higher	23.6	34.6	21.0	10.5	26.5	39.4
Highest	5.4	10.3	4.3	1.5	6.6	10.1
No answer	5.1	2.6	5.8	7.5	1.8	1.0

The ICA participants represent a group with a high level of experience, but only a perceived middle to higher level job rank. This may indicate that senior women are not getting the top jobs. The group with 16 and over years of experience further verifies this observation.

Type of Work

The respondent group is made up mainly of government employees, with smaller numbers in the university environment and in the private sector. This proves to be the case across all group break downs as well.

ICA Involvement

A total of 78 respondents (19%) indicated that they are, or had been involved in ICA activities. Many respondents (43%) had been involved in national level activities. As stated earlier, this emphasizes that many of these women have interest in belonging to an organization that can provide them with professional contacts. Many, however, are not progressing from the national level to the international level.


Summary

In summary, the total group of respondents:

• are well educated;
• mainly work directly in cartography/GIS, but come from a variety of experience categories;
• work primarily in the public sector and to a lesser degree in the educational field and private sector; and
• have little involvement with the ICA and more involvement at the national level.

The other sub-groups chosen for this analysis can also be typified. Those who have participated in the ICA to date (the ICA participants):

• are cartographers;
• are aggregated in middle to higher level positions;
• are well represented in the 0-5 to 11-15 years experience group; and
• have quite a range of years of experience, 19% have over 20 years and would like to know more about ICA.

The non-ICA participants are:

• mainly cartographers, but also in surveying and GIS;
• well represented in the 0-5 years experience but represented in all other groups as well;
• in middle level jobs for the most part, and to a lesser degree represented at entry and higher level jobs;
• 55% are involved in associations at the national level; and
• 89% would like to know more about the ICA.

The 0-5 years experience group are:

• mainly cartographers (41%), in GIS (26%), and surveying (15%);
• primarily in research and development and to a lesser degree in management and teaching roles;
• at entry and middle levels; and
• not involved with ICA activities (less than 1%), while 58% are national association members.

The 6-15 years experience group are:

• cartographers (57%) with representation in the GIS field (16%) and surveying (11%);
• in management and research and development; and
• not very involved with ICA activities (13%), with 57% active at the national level.

The 16 and over years experience group are:

• cartographers (69%) with no other group strongly represented;
• in management, teaching and research and development; and
• more involved in ICA activities (22%), with 67% involved at the national level.

Conclusion

A number of patterns begin to emerge through the profiles of the various groups.

• In primary work activities, the less experienced the group (0-5 years), the larger the proportion of respondents working in surveying and GIS. This indicates that the technology is changing and the greater career possibilities for young women in the surveying and GIS fields. This may, however, represent the overall trend in cartography.
  
  
• The more experienced group (over 16 years) has a greater percentage of respondents who work in management, but it does seem significant that more of the less experienced groups are working in research and development.
  
  
• And finally, the more years of experience, the more likely a respondent is to have been involved in ICA activities.

The groups based on experience levels and ICA and non-ICA involvement outlined above will now be used to interpret the responses to the questionnaires. These women indicate that they do face barriers to their existing or potential participation in the ICA, but they also propose solutions and are generally enthusiastic about current or potential participation.

Contents

Chapter 6

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Chapter 6: Barriers to Women's Participation in the ICA
as Perceived by Survey Participants

"What do I do to join?"

What comes across loud and clear through this section is that women in cartography and related fields do not know about the ICA. Over 20% said in an open comment, "I do not know anything about the ICA," or that they knew little or nothing about ICA activities.

Many more did not answer this question at all. This, combined with the fact that only 19% of the respondents had ever participated in the ICA leads to the conclusion that the ICA is not well enough known. Even when women have participated in the ICA they still wish to know more about the organization. As stated earlier, 76% of the ICA participants want more information. Lack of knowledge is a major barrier to women's (and we suspect men's) involvement in the ICA.

Following from lack of knowledge is the observation that the respondents did not know what the ICA had to offer them. Since there were problems associated with the interpretation of this question, no clear statistic is available, but an examination of specific statements by the respondents supports the general statement that women do not know what the ICA has to offer them in terms of networking opportunities, professional contacts, increased knowledge, conferences, a newsletter, or professional credibility.

In attempting to understand women's knowledge of ICA activities, responses from both ICA and non-ICA participants were used. The non-ICA participants mainly responded that they did not know about the workings of committees, appointments and whether or not women's contributions were valued (63 - 74 % don't know). The individuals who did respond yes or no indicated that they supported most of the statements listed in Table 6.1. ICA participants also mainly responded yes to all of the statements. Both groups most strongly supported the statement that women's contributions were underrated and both were split on whether or not there were barriers to women in the ICA.

Table 6.1 ICA and Non-ICA Participants' Perception of ICA Activities and Styles of Operation

Statement	% ICA Participants		% Non-ICA Participants
	yes	no	yes	no
Appointments are made through long standing, exclusive male networks	46.2	16.7	22.5	5.2
There is little rotation of representatives on committees and few openings	38.4	14.1	17.6	1.8
Women's contributions are underrated	51.2	21.8	29.8	6.4
"Female associated" management and work styles are not valued	42.3	21.8	24.9	11.2
Decisions are made for political reasons	34.6	16.7	17.0	9.7
There are few or no barriers to women in the ICA	24.4	24.4	10.9	10.9

Obviously, some change is needed to dispel these perceived barriers. In particular, the idea that organizations run traditionally by men discriminate against or under-value women, needs attention if a larger portion of the female cartographers are to be attracted to the ICA. A number of suggestions made by the respondents are discussed in Chapter 7.

"Because there are mostly men it is more difficult to get in."

"I have the feeling that there are the same barriers in the ICA as in other traditional organizations."

"We would like to think there are no barriers."

Professional Factors

Professional factors affecting women's participation in the ICA have the strongest impact of all the areas explored by the Questionnaire. Women, as men probably do as well, find that finances are a major barrier to participating in ICA activities. Other professional questions are also looked at as they relate to attendance, since publications and presentation experience are also connected to a person's perceived ability to attend an ICA event.

That most women are not encouraged by their employers to participate in the ICA is reflected across all groups as seen in Table 6.2. This relates to the earlier stated fact that very few people have information on the ICA. Employers have to be educated on the function and importance of the ICA before they will begin encouraging their employees to attend.

"My husband's job demands many evening meetings and I am at home with three small children."

"I have difficulties being away for a long time or even a short time because my husband has his own company..."

"I am married into a society where women are the home keepers, at least for after work hours. It is not easy to leave my child to go."

Contents

Chapter 7

• implement incentives for women at national level first
• have a clearer, less political statement of purpose
• non-sexist accompanying person program (for male or female spouses at conferences)
• invitations to national associations for ICA conferences
• prizes for final presentations
• active recruitment
• small groups meeting in different countries to reduce costs
• exchange program for cartographers in different countries
• meet on one date in more countries
• network for sharing rooms, etc.
• more information on the ICA to schools
• invite outstanding women cartographers to conferences
• reduce cost of conferences

Contents

Chapter 8

• It is hard to be a woman in a man's world. Meeting others would be of interest. I do occasionally work from home, do others? How do they cope?
  
  
• Many women are not fully accepted unless they excel in a field and receive widespread acceptance.
  
  
• The activity in the international milieu is considered to be prestigious and often only male members compete among themselves forgetting about women.
  
  
• It seems there is a worldwide tendency of more than a few barriers to women regarding their participation in international organizations, since most of these are functioning under long-standing exclusive male networks.
  
  
• As long as women have two jobs: job at work and job at home, it will be difficult to be involved in any extra task such as committees.
  
  
• Women should be able to overcome barriers.
  
  
• Women should also work hard so as not to be left behind.
  
  
• I feel that women have to work harder to prove themselves, then get told they are not able to go on committees, as home responsibilities get in the way.
  
  
• Most male-dominated enterprises include barriers to women, whether international or not. I have had relatively little trouble in cartographic work - except in engineering contexts - which I can attribute particularly to gender.

• I don't know about the ICA in particular: the discipline itself - geography - remains male-dominated.
  
  
• Management men seem to think that ICA work and conferences are just to see other management men and to show up. They do not see it as anything useful and good for people in real production and are very unwilling to let these people work and join.
  
  
• I don't think the ICA is any different from the real world.
  
  
• I guess the ICA is like the national organization - a bit too far from reality, the talking boys where the sessions are not the most important but the informal parts like lunch.
  
  
• I believe that men more easily choose men to participate and chiefs are mostly men. Committee appointments are very neutral. One reason is political, and one reason is, it is the easiest way to make solutions cheapest, without too much trouble or difficulty.
  
  
• There seems some evidence that presentation papers are selected (and others rejected) for political reasons.
  
  
• ICA is so dispersed and contact so infrequent, that existing informal (male) networks obviously are used more effectively.
  
  
• There is always a man who is the boss, and mostly the boss participates in this kind of appointment!
  
  
• I don't know enough about the ICA. I have always thought that it is a sort of head organization for "the deciders."
  
  
• Women should be given a chance in the ICA for professional growth and recognition.
  
  
• My impression is that there is an "in" group that happens to be mainly men but that politics are based more on cliquishness. This is especially true within the U.S.
  
  
• Women need more concern [within the ICA]. We have double the work and no more time to spend on collecting information.

• I think that the idea of "quotas" is extremely unattractive.
  
  
• We must be elected by merit and qualifications.
  
  
• Women shouldn't be singled out, but treated equally with male members. Over compensating for past mistakes by pushing to the forefront causes resentment from men. Treat men and women as people and not separate groups to promote equality not domination.
  
  
• I believe that more and more women are being accepted on their merit, experience and professionalism.
  
  
• Don't want special attention because of my sex, age or race - that's segregation.

• I am under the impression that ICA has not been well popularized in terms of purpose, goals and annual objectives.
  
  
• When I participated in ICA conferences, women were placed in positions of menial value - hostessing type committees, registration, not one paper I heard was given by a woman. The organizations they work for don't encourage them on the job and it follows.
  
  
• I assume that once in the power structure one is tested by professional ability, not gender. Upon reflection, maybe that's not a valid assumption.
  
  
• Because of the old boys' club I suppose the ICA doesn't provide most up-to-date activities and therefore, I'm not interested in participation. I have the impression that big organizations like the ICA and FIG are far too big to do anything real, and in large conferences you don't meet anybody because there are too many people.
  
  
• There was hardly a call for papers for the upcoming ICA meetings and there is minimal mention of it in US journals. Contrast this promotion to that of GIS/LIS where something seems to arrive every week.
  
  
• I don't know [about the ICA] because I don't know any woman who has been in the ICA. This might suggest to me that there are barriers.
  
  
• I'm far away from ICA, not because of the spatial distance but because it is difficult to get information.
  
  
• I have never got an invitation and never been offered any.
  
  
• I was in Mantreux and Sofia. I enjoyed it but the language and the level was a problem. But in fact I believe a lot of the men following the congress feel the same but maybe they don't tell it.
  
  
• My involvement in ICA was sponsored by another woman and has been welcomed but I do not have power desired by a man.
  
  
• Comparatively young age can be the barrier for participation because in my opinion the average age of members is over 50 in our country.
  
  
• The entrenched "old boys" structure is not conducive to women and perhaps younger men also.
  
  
• After four years of university and a position in this field (planning/drafting) and now returning to school I cannot believe that I have never heard of ICA.
  
  
• Only the "highest" male cartographers in the Netherlands are going to the ICA meetings. I would but I'm not in the position to do so.
  
  
• It would have to become less of a personal club.
  
  
• I strongly believe that it is up to an individual to become involved.
  
  
• From the questions in this survey, I feel there no doubt are barriers to women in the ICA. It will be hard to change until more join the ICA. Even if more join, it will take time until more participate fully in programs and meetings.
  
  
• I am a college teacher, the above questions and the whole ICA are very much university oriented. Our contribution in the field is not recognized.
  
  
• The ICA doesn't offer anything that I am aware of to junior academics.
  
  
• There are no barriers to old women and men but no welcome for young.
  
  
• Direct involvement in ICA affairs is limited to those on the national committee. Individuals do not become members and are only aware of activities second hand through reporting of national committee members.
  
  
• I would be concerned about a "feminist" type faction growing. I feel this is generally detrimental to our position. I find men and women work together quite well.
  

Professional barriers to ICA participation


• Unlikely to receive much travel support from my employer; could only afford to travel at my own expense to nearby conferences.
  
  
• Most women have not the funding or connections to attend the ICA. There is a need to network - sharing rooms, etc.
  
  
• I haven't the possibility to use foreign exchange to pay the costs of accommodation and registration at the conferences.
  
  
• It depends on your own status in your own country and your access to financial sources more than anything in ICA.
  
  
• The organization I am currently with does not promote advancement. They want you to do your job and keep your place.
  
  
• My boss doesn't "hold" with the ICA and its existence was not known to me for the first three years of my employment.
  
  
• I have no experience, perhaps that is because the barriers are completely effective.
  
  
• One of our problems is that women are under-represented in cartographic management and many of us were discouraged from obtaining professional qualifications during the mid-1960s and later.
  
  
• More than enough work to do first at national level.
  
  
• I believe that the main barrier to women or men in the ICA is financial support.
  
  
• Females are looked down on in our company. It is rare to have a professional female cartographer, and thus hard to accept. Guess who cleans the sink?
  
  
• [My work] is not military but is absolutely dominated by men. Lack of travel funds.

• My children are fairly small. I don't want to leave them for too long. Two school-age children and many demands already on my time.
  
  
• My first 15 years of employment [when] I had small children and was a single parent, participation was impossible.
  
  
• My spouse is frequently away and this adds to the childcare dilemma.
  
  
• It is always difficult to leave a child behind or include him on a trip away from home.
  
  
• My husband is elderly and needs care.
  
  
• I don't know whether I could afford to go to a distant meeting. I certainly wouldn't want to do so alone - not knowing others attending it.
  
  
• Four children eight years and under plus a husband with a demanding career.
  
  
• When my children are just a few years old I want to give them high priority.
  
  
• [The ICA must] request in our jobs the participation of women in the conferences and availability of funds for travelling. Women can normally use less of their personal money for travel because they use more of their money for fully or partially supporting dependents.
  
  
• I do not have anybody to take care of children all the time during my absence.
  
  
• Unable to afford/find adequate care for children.

• One could be asked to participate in a more active way. To get a task, something to work with during (before or after) a conference. It shouldn't be necessary to lead a session or be chairman to be active. Small tasks to get started.
  
  
• Publicize the ICA at national conferences, articles in cartographic publications about the ICA, including an address or phone number for readers to obtain more information.
  
  
• Active recruitment by the women of ICA at universities and technical institutions, high school career nights.
  
  
• Official invitations to [employer's name] means that it is easier to get money for participation.
  
  
• There is a need to educate men on catering to men and to look at the reasons why women cannot or do attend.
  
  
• Special women in cartography conferences would be a good idea!
  
  
• I feel that it would be more interesting to have regular "post graduate students in cartography" conferences and other contacts like international and interdisciplinary courses and excursions.
  
  
• Reduce the price of conference participation and materials for active participant women; publish the most interesting women's works.
  
  
• Perhaps simply clearer, more academic and less political statements of purpose from the ICA.
  
  
• More information and travel funds accessible to all women really interested in participation. I feel that at present they are accumulating in the highest level bureaucrats' cabinets (offices).
  
  
• International contacts and professional ties can only be beneficial.
  
  
• Though increased representation and participation of and by women is important to me, I am also concerned with greater cooperation and shared information between all cartographers.
  
  
• It is wished that the Task Force on Women in Cartography would call together outstanding women cartographers to an international professional conference every four years.

Contents

Chapter 9

• Involvement must really come at the national level, and from that one works to achieve things through ICA. As with any organization, ICA will be whatever individuals working through national organizations make it.
  
  
• What we must be concerned about is the participation of representatives from [member] countries. ICA can encourage members to send more balanced delegations.
  
  
• It is more important to attract the younger cartographers than to target an increased female attendance.
  
  
• The reality of it is that very few cartographers can play an active part - apart from offering papers and attending conferences - in the ICA, since the basis of the organization is national. This is true of the IGU, for example, and the United Nations itself.
  
  
• On the other hand, I suppose if more women attended and the numbers of men and women were more equal their position in the ICA might improve, but being a pessimist I cannot see this happing before 2025 AD at the earliest!!
  
  
• It is up to the member countries to promote ICA activity in their professional organizations.
  
  
• I am not certain that women have less of a chance than the average man in serving as a Vice President or President (depending on the country) or on a Commission (depending on his or her "pull" with the Chairman of the Commission).
  
  
• ...the ICA General Assembly should as soon as possible, decide on quotas for women's participation on the Executive Board, on commissions etc. The nomination of Barbara Petchenik as a candidate for the Executive Committee 1991-95 is an excellent start. From Bournemouth onwards no board, no commission or working group should be imaginable without female participation.
  
  
• ...set aside a certain part from the annual income of the Associations (and from each of the budgets of the cartographic societies in the ICA member states) to form a special fund to which female professionals could appeal for financial assistance to match conference travel expenses provided by their employers. In Holland we have positive experiences with a comparable fund started in 1982, out of which young cartographers of both sexes are being subsidized for the same purpose. Our experience may serve as an example for the foundation of identical funds to other ICA member countries and to the ICA treasury as well.
  
  
• ...provide more information on the ICA to cartographers in general and to female professionals in particular. This could be achieved in the form of an ICA Information Paper such as the Association published in 1980 prior to the Conference in Tokyo. This Paper could be published separately as a brochure or as a special issue of the ICA Newsletter. In 1980 we had no Newsletter, but upon the Executive Committee's request, the Information Paper was inserted in several national cartographic journals (see The American Cartographer 1980, No. 1, pp 5-18, which considerably expanded its readership).
  
  
• ...increase the circulation of the ICA Newsletter. For years in various English speaking countries, the semi-annual Newsletter is regularly copied in their national cartographic journals to improve the communication between ICA and individual professionals, male and female. The Executive Committee could reconsider the Newsletter's distribution system. It could decide to start mailing free copies to all map production and cartographic/geomatic education centres and to map libraries where the Newsletter can be freely read by all interested individuals. In this way, professionals could take note in good time of all planned ICA activities, conferences, Commission meetings, etc. and prepare the required action.
  
  
• Changes as such are not required in ICA, but it has to be made more responsive to the needs of the members. National Committees for each Commission and more funds are required.
  
  
• Yes, a better response could be given. Support policies should be designed for low-income members. Soft credits could be offered to finance attendance to conferences and housing facilities should be provided.
  
  
• Changes should be made in order to transfer technology to developing countries; seminars, conferences, etc.
  
  
• Changes might be useful. But few people in our country are overloaded.
  
  
• Conference fee should be reduced for participants under 30 years of age.
  
  
• I think the efforts to attract more young people in recent years have been crucial and, within the U.S., they have been reasonably successful. More participation at meetings might be facilitated by working through National Committees. (National Committee training sessions at meetings??). Financial assistance to people from developing countries is also becoming a necessity. The conference fees are just way out of line for these people. I suspect that even U.S. and Canadian potential participants are prevented by the fees. Low cost housing would also help. Getting input from the "grass roots" on what sessions to include might also be helpful (I know that is difficult at best, but could be quite interesting).

• Yes I do, and I regret this. But I do not hold the "old boys' network" to blame. It used to function as a means of getting things organized informally and quickly, and with spectacular results for ICA. It never functioned as a tool to keep power in male hands. Indeed the term "old boys' network" included those like [two women cartographers] and did not refer to their gender but to their position and their ability to get things moving.
  
  
• He's probably right. I'm sure the reason is that leadership positions in professional cartography are mainly filled by males, and therefore they have support and greater visibility at local and national levels that encourage them to take initiatives at the ICA level.
  
  
• It reflects cartography around the world. In areas where women are active they participate in ICA.
  
  
• Overall the ICA is very short on women.
  
  
• I participated in the 14th ICA Conference in Budapest. There was a small percentage of women participants....It is typical that a government agency sends only 2-4 individuals to international conferences and women typically are not high enough in the organization to be considered. This is slowly changing.
  
  
• Yes, the association is democratic and egalitarian. A similar number of women and men should participate.
  
  
• There does seem to be a dearth of women, although there seems to be participation by them in sessions, Commissions, and Working Groups. Visibility of a few should not obscure our vision, however.... Again, high costs are involved. I suspect women occupy lower positions and have less opportunity for travel funds in some countries. And if they do not come to meetings, the likelihood of feeling comfortable participating in Commissions and Working Groups is lessened considerably. Again, National Committees might be a useful ally in getting increased participation.

• Cartography in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and even Australia and New Zealand is still very much a man's world! Women are in a minority - a very serious minority in respect of senior appointments....As far as [country] is concerned, only two women figure in the ICA during the 1960s-87....Owing to the ICA's policy of having as many countries represented on its Commissions as practicable, women are rarely going to figure. There have been very few women serving on Commissions.
  
  
• Yes, because of their family situations. In countries with extended families (more generations living together), it actually could be easier to participate in international organizations.
  
  
• Barriers are in member countries not in ICA from what I have seen.
  
  
• I do not believe there are different barriers or challenges for women for participation in the ICA. However, the same types of barriers that women face as they move up the career ladder impact [in different ways on men].
  
  
• Not many women are working on a higher level in cartography. They have no time.
  
  
• Women have to decide to participate in conferences. How effective they will be in playing an active role in Commissions etc. lies outside themselves. Bearing in mind its large number of countries, the majority of men and women have no change of serving as a vice president or as a member of a Commission. Nominations for vice presidents and Commissions are made through countries. I know of several men who would have made excellent vice presidents but their countries have not nominated them. A great deal of international lobbying is necessary. My belief is that women, like men, should go to ICA meetings because they like meeting other cartographers. Possibly the most valuable thing is meeting people.
  
  
• Yes, women do face different challenges, I suspect. Social expectations ("you're going all by yourself?": translation, you shouldn't go off on international travel on your own), family obligations (women still often bear primary responsibility for home and family), and level of professional positions are all likely factors. Surely things have changed considerably in the past 20 years in the U.S., but I'm sure it will be a while before women attend from Saudi Arabia for example.

• Professional Factors: Yes, There are professional factors as well. In general, cartography in most of the countries has been institutionalized. Men have been occupying the higher positions in such institutions, hence they get more chance to participate in the ICA activities.
  
  
• Personal Factors: There may be personal factors also. Cartography has become too specialized and requires continuous involvement which may not be possible for women.
  
  
• Factors associated with the ICA: National committees for each commission should be encouraged. It should be a non-bureaucratic set up.
  
  
• Encouraging Involvement: Though ICA encourages involvement of women, such encouragement does not filter down to all levels.

• While ICA does provide professional companionship and (to some degree) personal/professional recognition opportunities, one's involvement should be based on a willingness to work and serve the profession to which we are all committed and in which we are able to earn our livings. One must be alert to opportunities to serve and to participate, and one must make some effort to find out about such opportunities by reading, by talking to other cartographers, and so on. No one is ever going to be begged to serve, especially if that person is essentially invisible to the community of professional mappers. Like everything else in life, one starts at the bottom, works hard, achieves some things, gets recognized as a worker/achiever, gets new, more expanded opportunities, is able to do more, then becomes more widely recognized and valued, and so on....The further one goes, the more opportunities one sees and the more one is asked to contribute. None of this is easy, it all comes with effort, drive and even sacrifice. It depends on one's priorities, whether or not one wants to pursue professional achievement at ICA levels. I don't think ICA itself can do much about affecting personal goals and values, beyond certain basic levels, such as avoiding even a hint of discrimination in any of its policies.

• In [country] there is a very low participation of women in the work force. Amongst the 100 cartography students that graduated until now, only 20% were female. Of those, three dropped out of the profession [for family reasons], two of them after being head of a cartography section for some years. Because of the low participation, there is also pressure on women to leave the profession because of positive discrimination/affirmative action - women are promoted out of cartographic into managerial tasks.
  
  
• ...we have only one or two female cartographers that answer the requirements for participating in ICA Commissions: ability to organize one's own time; ability to procure travelling funds (at least $4,000.00 for a four-year period); and be an expert in one's field.

Contents

Chapter 10

• In order to create a more balanced and broader base for participation for the entire organization, amend the ICA Statutes to include the addition of the following clause:

"The promotion of equality of opportunity in all organizational units and at all levels of responsibility within the ICA and its member national organizations."

[Note: This proposed amendment has been submitted to the Canadian National Committee for the ICA and was passed unanimously at a recent meeting of the Canadian Cartographic Association and submitted to the ICA Executive Committee.]

• Prepare and distribute general information brochures, posters or a videotape on the organization, through the appropriate national organizations. The Task Force would be pleased to prepare an insert on women in cartography for the new brochure, "ICA Information and Activities".
  
  
• Request wider distribution of the Newsletter within member countries.

• Consider actively encouraging Commission Chairs, Country Representatives and national organizations to involve more women in their activities.
  
  
• Consider whether quotas for Board seats or Commission or Working Groups would be appropriate for the ICA, perhaps on a temporary basis.
  
  
• Permit, not as a general rule, but selectively, in order to encourage the participation of women, minorities, and younger participants, representation by more than one person per country on Commissions and Working Groups.

• Establish a fund to provide matching travel funds to selected participants at ICA conferences, particularly to younger, first-time, and developing country participants, ensuring that 50% of such funds be made available to women for any one occasion. One possible method is proposed in "Synopsis of the Interview by Mail",p 35, second paragraph.
  
  
• Request conference organizers to provide an inexpensive accommodation option, and encourage informal home-sharing and hotel-sharing for those who request it.
  
  
• When possible, and in particular, when requested, address (or request national organizations to address) invitations to would-be participants in ICA conferences or though their employers.

• Ask conference organizers to investigate the possibility of offering childcare arrangements during conferences, for whatever age range is feasible, and announce a contact name for further information in conference brochures.

• Establish an ICA Working Group on Gender in Cartography, whose mandate might include the following:
  
  
  • The holding of a "Women in Cartography" session at each international congress and technical conference.
    
    
  • The preparation of a regular "Women in Cartography" column in the ICA Newsletter.
    
    
  • Ensuring that "Women in Cartography" sessions are announced in all calls for papers, in publicity, and conference programs.
    
    
  • Investigating means of distributing the Report and Recommendations.
    
    
  • Publish and distribute a Directory of Women Cartographers.
    
    
  • Collaborating with other international and national organizations to create national and international task forces or networks on women in cartography where feasible.
    
    Assisting such national task forces or networks to carry out research studies on women's participation in cartography where feasible.

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