In NCMA History: 30 Years Ago - Women in Acquisition

In this month’s column, we’re looking back 30 years at women in NCMA making strides in the male-dominated contract management profession, as seen in our November 1978 issue.

NCMA’s membership surveys in recent years indicate the percentage of female members to be around 60 percent—well over half of the association. Compare this to 30 years ago, when that certainly wasn’t the case. In 1978, the percentage of female members was estimated at roughly seven percent. Since this is the Professional Development issue, we’re looking back at the November 1978 issue of Contract Management to see what professional development advice was being offered to women in contract management. The cover feature highlighted six female NCMA chapter presidents, who discuss their chapter’s goals and challenges, as well as their experiences in a male-dominated workforce. In an article titled, “Advancement for Women in Acquisition,” author Jean Pruitt wrote: In this month’s column, we’re looking back 30 years at women in NCMA making strides in the male-dominated contract management profession, as seen in our November 1978 issue.

“Procurement (acquisition) is not a field that has been widely populated by women. With one fourth of the procurement work force eligible for retirement within ten years, the field is opening up for competent, trained women.”