(All-Women) Powder Puff Girls: The Women’s Air Derby, 1929

APPROXIMATE COMMITTEE SIZE: 25 delegates

In 1929, twenty of the world’s most skilled pilots raced from Santa Monica to Cleveland in the first official Women’s Air Derby. Dubbed the “Powder Puff Derby” by a condescending press, this was the first time women had been given a place in the immensely popular National Air Races. Drawing women from all over the United States and abroad—including icons like Amelia Earhart and “Pancho” Barnes—the Derby became a lightning rod for controversy and political agitation. At each stop, competitors were met with crowds of both supporters and critics, and served as ambassadors for the burgeoning aviation industry. Faced with rampant sexism, internal and external sabotage, and a tragic mid-race fatality, the twenty pioneering pilots had to navigate not only the competition, but a media landscape eager to question their competence and legitimacy. The event exposed deep rifts within the aviation community, drew the ire of government regulators, and sparked public debate over the role of women in high-risk professions. Delegates in this committee must address not just the regulation and direction of the rapidly evolving aviation industry, but also questions of gender equity, media ethics, and the politics of public spectacle during a transformative era in American history.

In this committee, delegates will take on the role of one of the women who competed in this historic event. Beginning prior to the start of the race, delegates will organize the rules and route of the Derby, before racing themselves. Alongside crisis updates, news headlines and a live race map will keep delegates up to date on current events and race standings. Delegates in Powder Puff Girls will be racing not just to win the Derby, but to win the hearts and minds of the people watching.

Note: NAIMUN’s “all-women” crisis committee is designed to amplify and empower the voices of women in a unique crisis setting. Delegates in this committee will exclusively represent women as they debate and simulate a topic specifically chosen to center the experiences of women. In the spirit of this committee, NAIMUN asks that all those participating in the all-women committee are female or gender non-conforming delegates.

ISSUES TO CONSIDER

Women in the Emerging Field of Aviation

The Rules of the Derby

Official Race Responses and Reactions to Sabotage

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Learn about the beginnings and proliferation of aviation, especially regarding women in aviation.

• Understand how to pursue a common goal amongst people you are in direct competition with.

• Develop strategy and game theory skills as it pertains to planning a competition.

About the Chair

Emily Vincent is a member of the Class of 2027 in the McDonough School of Business, majoring in International Business and Accounting. She is from New Hampshire, where she competed briefly in Model UN before coming to Georgetown. Emily has staffed Georgetown’s college conference for the past three years, and had a short stint on the collegiate circuit. She is also thrilled to be reunited with Theodora for this committee after they served on Secretariat for NAIMUN together last year. Outside of Model UN, Emily serves as Director of Training for Hoya Taxa, a club which provides free tax preparation services to low-income families in the DMV, and is a member of Georgetown’s Small Town and Rural Students Association. In her free time, she enjoys exploring DC’s many museums, going on walks, and watching mediocre romantic comedies. Emily is so excited to serve as the Chair for this wonderful committee!

About the Crisis manager

Theodora Lyne is a member of the Class of 2027 in the College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in Government and minoring in Italian. She is from New York City, and has been involved in Model UN since the 7th grade. She has staffed NCSC crisis backrooms for the past two years, staffed NAIMUN LXI in the backroom, and was a crisis manager at DistrictMUN V. She served on the Secretariat of NAIMUN LXII, with the spectacular Emily Vincent, as the Under-Secretary-General for Contemporary Crisis. Outside of Model UN, she tables for an advocacy club on campus, and is a member of the Philodemic Debate Society. In her free time, she likes procrastinating with her friends in the library, going for walks around DC, and binge-watching The West Wing. She is so excited to see what new heights this committee can reach!