The Women’s Museum in Dallas held an event for the Veteran Feminists of America called “The Gender Agenda: Beyond Borders.” The event provided a chance to reflect upon women’s past, women’s present and women’s future. One hundred years ago we could not even vote; today, we are half the workforce; in the future, there’s still much to achieve.
Month: March 2010
Remember Rachel Corrie, But Don’t Forget the Nameless
While remembering Corrie, we are reminded of the tricky situation that global activists from the U.S. face. The presence of U.S. citizens in situations of conflict often elicits needed attention, but also runs the risk of turning the spotlight away from those most victimized.
Philippine Condom Giveaway Hailed
Today, the Philippine Commission on the Status of Women hailed the Department of Health’s recent condom distribution program, responding to intense disapproval of the program from Malacañang Palace and the powerful Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.
Unmarried? It’ll Cost You
Although they make up just under half of U.S. women, unmarried women represent 60 percent of women without health insurance, 63 percent of unemployed women, and 75 percent of women in poverty. They are less employed, make less money, and perhaps most significantly, face additional discrimination and financial burdens because of the pervasive assumption that every family has a male “breadwinner.”
Low-income Victims of Domestic Violence in the U.S. Need More Help
A new study released last week reaffirms concerns about the the lack of options for low-income Americans facing domestic violence. Not Enough: What TANF Offers Family Violence Victims, a joint report by Legal Momentum and the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV), shows the difficulty that victims of domestic violence face in accessing government assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
This Is What Young Feminist Leaders Look Like
The conferees at the National Young Feminist Leadership Conference filled classrooms for workshops on international family planning, access to affordable birth control, exposing fake clinics, LGBTQ isues, sexual assault and the impacts of climate change. Each workshop was lively with discussion, as people shared their successes, challenges and plans for their next action.
We Heart: The Newsweek Three
Three young women editors at Newsweek—Jessica Bennett, Jesse Ellison and Sarah Ball—have written a brave and candid piece calling out sexism at the magazine and in the publishing industry as a whole. They ask how much has changed since 1970, when a pioneering group of women Newsweek editors filed a landmark gender-discrimination suit for, among other things, being routinely called “dollies” by their male bosses.
Abortion Fight Continues as House Passes Health Care Reform; Feminists Speak Out
“We believe opponents of women’s rights and proponents of the Hyde Amendment, which denies poor women access to abortion, have had a free ride for too long. No more free rides. Win or lose, they will be challenged.”
Bart Stupak is Hijacking Health Care Reform (Again!)
News broke late Friday night that Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) was brokering a deal with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to ban all abortion coverage in the health-care reform bill.
Is Oprah Queer?
While flipping through the latest issue of O: The Oprah Magazine, I had what I’ve come to think of as an “O double-take.” That happens when the magazine comes up with an article that complicates stereotypical women’s magazine offerings—such as “Why Women Are Leaving Men for Other Women” or “Comedian Carol Leifer’s Midlife Surprise” (she fell in love with a woman, too). Am I really seeing this, and am I seeing it here?