Men and AAUW Scholarship Money and more!
At the April AAUW luncheon, the focus of which was our annual meeting and election, when scholarship money was discussed, one member expressed concern about scholarship money going to men. For my thoughts on this matter, go to the end of this policy update.
Utah housing legislation: How it may affect women
S.B. 284 Local Land and Water Modifications was passed during the 2026 Utah Legislature’s session. Requires cities with at least 5,000 people to permit detached accessory dwelling units — basically a backyard cottage — subject to policies the city puts in place. This could help women who have little money to have a roof over their heads.
H.B. 492 Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments was also passed in an effort to unlock state money to help cities pay for infrastructure – like water, sewer, and roads – for new housing projects.
Additionally, the Legislature set aside $10 million for the state’s first-time homebuyer program, which gives Utahns up to $20,000 for a down payment, closing costs or to buy down the interest rate. Unfortunately, this money only applies to “new construction” effectively eliminating the ability to purchase an already-existing home that might be cheaper.Although these bills raise hopes that more affordable housing will be available to women, it remains to be seen if that will be the reality. The median sales price for all housing types in Utah – including single-family, townhomes, and condos – was $508,000 in February, according to the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.
One bill that failed was one that attempted to get cities to allow building smaller homes than zoning regulations allow to be built.
Susan Madsen interview with Tom Williams – KUER
Tom Williams, host of Access Utah on Utah Public Radio, interviewed Dr. Susan Madsen regarding the state of Utah women in 2026. His conversation followed the Utah Legislature eliminating the bulk of the project’s ongoing funding on the last night of the recent session.
Dr. Madsen and Tom talked about the future of the project and some recent research, including “Utah Women and Skilled Trades,” “Are Utah Workplaces Improving for Women,” and “What Utahns Really Think About Childcare,” as well as Susan Madsen’s recent op-ed in the Deseret News titled “Beyond Politics: The Real Meaning of Advocacy.”
Utah’s June 23 primary – how to be involved!
If you are a registered Democrat:
Nothing extra is required. Your ballot will arrive automatically in the mail starting June 2.
Return it by mail, drop box or in person at a voting center by 8 p.m. on June 23.
Because the party switch deadline has passed, it’s not possible to request a Republican primary ballot this year.
If you are a registered Republican:
Your GOP ballot will arrive automatically starting June 2.
However, if you’d like to vote in the Democratic primary, you can do that.
The rule is simple: you can only vote in one primary. So, if you want the Democratic ballot, you give up the Republican one.
To make the switch, contact your county clerk by June 16 and tell them you’d like to request a Democratic primary ballot. You can do this by phone, email or, in many cases, through your county clerk’s website. The specific options vary slightly by county.
If you are unaffiliated or with a third party:
If you’re unaffiliated with a party, your primary voting options are wide-open.
Want to vote Democrat? Request a Democratic ballot from your county clerk by June 16, or show up to vote in person. Casting a Democratic ballot won’t change your registration — you won’t become a Democrat just for voting in their primary.
Want to vote Republican? You still have time to vote Republican. The deadline to affiliate with the Republican Party and receive a mail ballot is June 12. You can update your registration at vote.utah.gov or by contacting your county clerk. You may also be able to affiliate in person on Election Day at a vote center, but it’s wise to first confirm with your county clerk.
Since primary elections are partisan this year, unaffiliated voters won’t receive a primary ballot by mail unless they affiliate with a party or actively request to receive a ballot for a party with an open primary.
Key dates at a glance
June 2: Primary ballots begin mailing to registered voters.
June 9–19: Early voting at select locations.
June 12: Last day for unaffiliated voters to affiliate with the GOP for a mail ballot.
June 16: Deadline to request a Democratic mail ballot if you’re not a registered Democrat.
It’s always something! TRAD-WIFE: What is it and why we as AAUW members should be concerned
AAUW supports women making their own choices, but we also support and encourage women to get a university education to support themselves and be self-reliant, not reliant on someone else. “Tradwife” – short for “traditional wife” – “refers to a married woman who embraces traditional gender roles, particularly focusing on homemaking and supporting her husband by raising the kids, cooking, and keeping the house clean, while he serves as the primary breadwinner.” While the trend “appears” to support women making their own choices when it comes to adopting the tradwife lifestyle, it also creates the unpleasant reality of taking women back to being reliant on men. This NPR discussion helps explain what it is and why it’s a concern
My thoughts on giving scholarship money to men
As noted at the start of this update, the issue of AAUW scholarship money going to men was addressed at the April AAUW luncheon meeting. I started giving thought to the issue of AAUW giving scholarship money to men because for me it is a complicated issue. In 2024, legislation was passed that limits our ability to award scholarships only to women. HB261 Equal Opportunity Initiatives restricts DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) efforts and prohibits “discriminatory practices.”
As an AAUW member, I was upset that the legislation required we not limit our scholarships to women, but I was somewhat hopeful that we could still continue to get money to women thinking that perhaps not many men would apply anyway. At this time, scholarship money has been awarded to a man.
In an effort to try and find a positive angle on this matter, I started thinking about what positive benefits might actually result.
The man who has received scholarship money and men who might be chosen in the future will know that this money came from an organization focused on women. How might that help them give thought to wanting to help women in return? By providing scholarship money to men perhaps this will benefit women, too. If these men start families and end up supporting women AND women’s efforts to better themselves, have we not made good use of that scholarship money?
There has been quite a bit of news and study about a schism between men and women in this nation – politically and socially. This became news in 2024. Effects of this schism were revealed in the 2024 election with more men voting Republican and women voting Democrat. The overturning of Roe v. Wade is noted as one cause. Also, men feel that women are getting preferential treatment. A number of men are choosing to forego college, and this is having ramifications in the way they lean politically and socially. Governor Cox referred to this lack of men getting educated when he supported the 2024 anti-DEI bill. As reported in The Atlantic, “in the aftermath of #MeToo, some seem to believe that society has turned against men.” This divide is especially pronounced among younger generations, where attitudes towards feminism and masculinity show significant differences.
For us to support a man who chooses to pursue his education means we might be helping to bridge this gap – a gap, which in my opinion, is not healthy for this nation or for women. I’m certainly not saying that our scholarship money will solve this complex issue, but anything we can do to possibly help, seems a good thing to me.
Before finalizing the decision to share my thoughts on this important matter, I reached out to several AAUW members. Margaret Abramshe shared this with me and it seemed worth sharing with others.
Lisa, your letter reflects exactly the kind of nuanced thinking our chapter needs as we navigate this challenging terrain together. Your words prompted me to think about my own family history and how it speaks to this very question. My father was a professor, born in 1906 to parents who were themselves well-educated — a remarkable fact given that his parents were born in the 19th century. What made their outlook unusual for that era was that education was a priority for everyone in the family, not just the men. My aunt Virginia, my father’s older sister, attended Stanford on a scholarship, and the family actually relocated to California to make that possible.
I share this because it illustrates something I believe deeply: investing in education has far-reaching consequences, regardless of whether the recipient is male or female. When families and communities prioritize learning, it shapes future generations. And as you noted so well, educated voters — men and women alike — are more likely to support the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion that AAUW has always championed.
Your reframing of the scholarship question is generous and forward-looking. If a man who receives AAUW support goes on to respect and champion women’s advancement — in his family, his workplace, his community — then our mission has rippled outward in exactly the way we hope it will. The bridge you describe between men and women, particularly among younger generations, is real and troubling. Supporting men who choose education may be one small but meaningful way to help close that divide.
As your public policy chair, I hope that our members will continue to support our scholarship efforts because we really don’t know what fruits that money might bear.
Thank you for being involved and active in promoting opportunities for women and girls!
Lisa Rutherford
St. George AAUW Public Policy chair
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