Two important events in Washington, D.C., last week illustrate and magnify the continued need to push for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in this country. Following the reading of the Constitution in the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday morning, several representatives and leaders from women’s organizations led a press conference on the east […]
Month: January 2011
Sheriff Decries Consequences of Inflammatory “Vitriol” After Tucson Shooting
Arizona Democrat Gabrielle Giffords is fighting for her life in a Tucson hospital after having been shot in the head by a gunman while she conducted a “Congress on Your Corner” event in front of a market. Although she was listed in very critical condition after surgery, Dr. Peter Rhee, medical director of the trauma […]
Shed a Tear for Good Reporting
The MSNBC headline: “Stop the waterworks, ladies. Crying chicks aren’t sexy.” Now what on earth could that be about? Turns out it’s this study by Israeli neurobiologists : In a study published Thursday in the journal Science, the Weizmann Institute of Science researchers collected emotional tears from female volunteers by showing them sad movies. Then […]
Boehner Bias?
On Wednesday, Nancy Pelosi handed over the speaker’s gavel to John Boehner, who is charged with leading the “Tea Party Congress” in their efforts to repeal health care reform, disband the Select Committee on Global Warming, defund Planned Parenthood and do a bunch of other things that people who have never held elected office think […]
Men Are From Mars, Women From the University of Venus
Launched in February of this year, University of Venus is an international blog for, about and by Gen X women academics. Seeing themselves as agents of change within an academy that only partially welcomes them, these women band together virtually to share experiences, provide support and build community. I had the opportunity to talk with […]
What Barbie Taught Joan Rivers
I will never forget the day my Mom brought me–her 3-year-old, blond haired, blue eyed little girl–to Zellers (the Canadian equivalent of Target) to buy my first Barbie. My Mom was a dance instructor, so I chose work-out Barbie. She seemed most similar to my real-life role model–they both wore spandex and sweat bands. As […]
What Nancy Pelosi Has Done for Us Lately
Inspired by the website wtfhasobamadonesofar.com, we decided to create our own version for those who haven’t heard that Nancy Pelosi was the most effective House Speakers in U.S. history. For our full feature on Nancy Pelosi, check out the Ms. Winter 2011 issue. [nggallery id=1]
A Look Back at “The Feminine Mystique”
If you were to pick up The Feminine Mystique today, I suspect you’d wonder what all the fuss was about. Written in 1963, it was directed at college-educated, married white women who felt strangely unsatisfied with their lives for no good reason. They had achieved the American Dream–a husband, children, a comfortable home, enough money. […]
One Feminist Asks, ‘Is Polygamy Inherently Bad for Women?’
The British Columbia Supreme Court is currently undertaking a fascinating and controversial review of Canada’s polygamy law, which has outlawed the practice since the 1890’s. The law is under review for possible violation of religious rights guaranteed under the Canadian constitution. Polygamy–whereby an individual (man or woman) has more than one spouse–has long been a […]
Watch Out, John—Nancy’s Still on the Job
As Nancy Pelosi hands off the Speaker’s gavel to John Boehner today, she also hands him a tough act to follow. Despite insistent attempts to malign her during her four years as Speaker of the House, the California congresswoman turns out to have been arguably the most effective person in that post in U.S. history. […]