Women's Status Within Harvard Topic of Forum

Speakers at a "Forum on the Status of Women at Harvard" will discuss academic discrimination against women at 8 p.m. tonight in the Harkness Common.

Members of the National Organization for Women (NOW) and Harvard Law Women, an association of female law students, have organized the forum.

The speakers will "start from the premise that Harvard does in fact discriminate against women," Mrs. Roberta Benjamin '62, a member of NOW and one of the organizers of the forum, said. Mrs. Benjamin said that the discussion will then center on ways of "restructuring the University so that it can become a more equitable and responsive place for men and women."

The forum speeches and subsequent dis-cussion will be open to men as well as women. Mrs. Benjamin said that NOW feels that "men are as hindered by strictly defined roles on the basis of sex as women are."

This meeting will deal only with ?? aspects of discrimination against women. Mrs. Benjamin said that inequalities ?? and job categories will probably be the subject of a forum later this spring on Harvard as an employer.

The forum will begin with four short speeches. Ellen ?? a student in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and ?? Edwards '72 will talk about the major areas of discrimination against women at Harvard.

A representative of Harvard Law Women ?? discuss tactics that organization has used to improve the position of women, both as law students and as practicing lawyers.

Dr. Muriel Sugarman, a graduate of Harvard Medical School, will suggest revisions in the medical curriculum which would I make it less difficult for women to become doctors, Dr. Sugarman, now a psychiatrist in private practice, will also talk about the psychological effects discrimination has on women.

Members of NOW hope that the forum will increase Harvard student awareness of discrimination against women, Mrs. Benjamin said. Some Cliffies and female graduate students are already working with NOW or with other women's groups she said.