Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Girl Develop It Boston
Technology has becoming increasingly key in our society. Yet so many people,
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| Sara Chipps & Vanessa Hurst, Co-founders |
Within Girl Develop It there are many different classes available to take including training in Javascript, web design, Word press, apps for phones and typography. There are many different chapters throughout the country inclusive of Austin, our very own BOSTON, Boulder, Buffalo, Burlington, Chicago, Columbus, Cincinnati, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Raleigh/Durham, San Francisco, Seattle, also internationally Toronto and Sydney!
In Boston the focus is on web design, software developers, internet professionals, women's fitness, women entrepreneurs, web development, programming, women empowering women, web designers and developers, and women programmers. The Boston chapter was opened on February 17th 2013 and so far have had 16 meetups or classes. There is going to be an event in October so check back in with MWPC for some more updates!
To learn more about Girl Develop It visit: http://www.girldevelopit.com/ and for local Boston information visit: http://www.meetup.com/Girl-Develop-It-Boston/
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
MWPC Celebrates and Honors the Distinguished Career of Susan Wornick
Susan Wornick has announced her retirement, but her accomplishments and undeniably remarkable influences on both her field and the countless people she touched will not be forgotten. Throughout her forty year career, Wornick has distinguished herself as a leading force in the newsroom, and a fabulous female role model for viewers. Although she didn’t study journalism or media during her undergraduate years, she quickly realized her passion and talent for the field when she started as a radio advertiser in New Hampshire. After she began covering news stories, she was hired as a correspondent at WBZ radio, and eventually joined her boss in Boston to work for WHDH-TV. Then, after discovering the world of television news, she was hired to a full time position for WCVB. Throughout her time as a newscaster, Wornick has covered such historic events as the 9/11 attacks, where she spent a week at TJX headquarters, and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, where she developed a bond with the family of Britney Gengel, a philanthropist who died during the tragic event. Her co-anchor Jim Boyd commented: “I admire her professionalism and her dedication, and I am most impressed by her compassion and caring for others.”
In addition to her impressive career, Wornick has participated in multiple charitable causes, further distinguishing herself as one of the most influential newscasters of her time. After covering the story of Britney Gengel and becoming closer with her family, she became an advisory board member for the non-profit organization Be Like Brit. Wornick also started the Kelley for Ellie fundraiser to support the Ellie Fund after her friend Kelley Tuthill was diagnosed with breast cancer. Furthermore, Wornick participated in such charities as Rosie’s Place, the MA Coalition for the Homeless, Catholic Charities, and Rodman Rides for Kids. Her commitment to philanthropy is truly inspiring. As her friend Kelley Tuthill commented, “Susan is truly one of a kind… Charitable organizations all over Boston have benefited from her skills.”
The MWPC is proud to honor Susan’s accomplishments as she moves forward into the next stage of her life. Time and again, she has proven herself through her passion for her work and her unflinching devotion to helping others. As she so nobly put it, “This business is all about the people and helping where we can. I hope to continue being a mentor and finding ways to give back.” We know that she will continue to do great things, and we wish her the best of luck as she makes her departure from newscasting.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
I Am a Citizen of this Country: Reflections on the ERA in 2013
The White House released a statement on Monday regarding a recent petition on their “We the People” online petition program. The petition asked for the administration to “Vigorously support women's rights by fully engaging in efforts to ratify the 1972 Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).” Much to the disappointment of advocates for the ERA, the statement was more of a nonresponse than anything else.
The petition, which currently has over 33,000 signatures, was created as an effort to force the Obama administration to commit to passing the ERA, especially focusing efforts in the states that have not yet ratified the amendment. Members of Congress have quietly reintroduced the ERA in many sessions including in March 2013. However, serious efforts to ratify the amendment have not been made by the administration, which has left supporters disappointed.
To add to their disappointment, the statement released by the White House on Monday barely acknowledged the ERA. Instead of tackling the issue head on, the White House made a statement basically summarizing President Obama’s achievements in bettering the lives of women. While it is wonderful to have a president who is committed to important issues such as fair pay and protecting women against domestic violence, it is disheartening that President Obama did not take the opportunity this petition presented him and declare his support for the current resolution to pass the ERA. The statement lists Obama’s many achievements in progress for women’s rights during his time in office and even says “we completely agree that [the ERA is] an important priority,” but never comes out and says what he will do to ensure the amendment is passed.
The ERA has long been a popular amendment, but today many lawmakers shy away from endorsing it and making its passage a priority. President Obama, while advocating for women’s rights in a number of areas, has seemingly joined this group.
At the MWPC offices today, we were discussing how upsetting it is to even be in a society where we as women have to be given our rights by an amendment. I’ve always felt the fictional character Ainsley Hayes on the TV show The West Wing described this situation best when she said the following about the ERA:
“It's humiliating! A new amendment that we vote on, declaring that I am equal under the law to a man. I am mortified to discover there's reason to believe I wasn't before. I am a citizen of this country. I am not a special subset in need of your protecting. I do not have to have my rights handed down to me by a bunch of old, white men.”
Ms. Hayes certainly has a point. As citizens under American law, why should we even need an amendment declaring that women are equal under the law? Shouldn't the Fourteenth Amendment (The Equal Protection Clause) cover us as American citizens? Despite the logic behind the character’s statement, in many cases--such as fair pay and workplace discrimination--women are not treated equally under the law as it stands now. So what IS it going to take for women be treated equally in all aspects of society?
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Sexual Assault in the Military
It’s no secret that sexual assault in the military is a growing problem in our country. With a Pentagon report from 2012 claiming that as many as 26,000 military members might have been victims of sexual assault last year, it is evident that something must be done.
Enter Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who previously was a member of the fight to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and is the current chairwoman of the Armed Services personnel subcommittee. Sen. Gillibrand has been leading the charge for changes to be made in the way that the military handles sexual assault. She disagrees with the recent Pentagon approved policy changes advocated by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin and has instead proposed that military commanders should no longer be the ones in charge of deciding whether a case should go to trial following a reported sexual assault. Gillibrand believes that experienced military lawyers should handle these cases and that leaving commanders in charge of proceedings is a mistake. Sen. Gillibrand recently said, "The chain of command is really an impediment for solving it because it's resulting in underreporting, no transparency, no accountability. The crux of the issue is objectivity. They (victims) don't believe the commanders can be objective, that commanders either know the victim or know the perpetrator or have a reason to support the perpetrator, who is more senior, more decorated, gone on more missions than the victim."
Gillibrand has gathered the support of 44 senators from both parties and will not rest on this important issue. Her proposal was recently endorsed by the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women, and she continues to gather more and more support each day. Here at the MWPC we are pleased to see a hard-working female senator advocating for sexual assault victims!
Also in the news this week is the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio which posted a flyer dealing with its response to sexual assault. Under the title “Preventing Sexual Assault is Everyone’s Responsibility! Avoid Becoming a Victim,” the posted listed tips on how to avoid getting sexually assaulted. Some of tips were “socialize with people who share your values” and “trust your gut feelings.” Not only are these “tips” foolish, they place the blame with the victim and perpetuate the shameful feelings that many victims feel following an assault. Posters like these reinforce the false idea that victims are to blame for an assault that someone else makes against them.
Jennifer Stephens, an armed forces veteran and battalion commander in the Ohio National Guard who works on the base, felt that the message conveyed in the flyer would make victims feel less open about reporting sexual assault. She wrote a letter of her own and pasted it on top of the original poster. In her letter, Stephens detailed ways that victims could seek help after a sexual assault and condemned the author of the poster for perpetuating the rape culture that exists in the military. After tweeting the photo of her letter, Stephens is becoming a hero for standing up for assault victims.
Monday, July 29, 2013
MWPC Response to NY Times' "Why Men Need Women"
Given our mission to increase the number of women working in politics, we at the MWPC inherently support arguments in favor of the importance of women in all realms of society. In particular, the function of women in the family exists as possibly the most evolved, and still debated, role, alongside their roles in the workplace. Still, the position of women in the household walks in step with their roles in the workplace as inevitably, more time spent in the office yields less time at home, and thus, the “where do we belong?” cycle continues to spin.
An opinion article in the New York Times, “Why Men Need Women” cites a recent study that shows an increase of monetary generosity from successful men whose family includes women. According to the study, chief executives in Danish companies paid on average $100 less in annual compensation per employee after having a child. Upon studying the data further, though, the economists found that this statistic fell through when the executives had a daughter. Alongside this find, there exist studies that show that American legislators tend to vote more liberally if they have daughters. Finally, a psychology study at the Free University in Amsterdam, which measured participants’ preferences by having them choose between two monetary circumstances (both of which gave one quantity to them, and another to a co-worker), found that participants with sisters were more forty percent more likely to choose the more generous option, one that gave them a smaller monetary amount in order to give the co-worker a larger amount.
The article cites the example of Bill Gates and how he was reluctant to share his Microsoft fortune with charitable foundations. It wasn't until he was about to marry his now, wife, Melinda and from continued pressure from his mother that he decided to become the great philanthropist that he is known as today. He attributes a lot of the success of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the efforts of his wife. Gates has said that his wife “never stopped pressuring me to do more for others.” Although Melinda Gates was actively pressing her husband to be more philanthropic, the article reflects on men feeling the need to be more generous simply because of the presence of more women in their lives.
Concluding, “It’s often said that behind every great man stands a great woman. In light of the profound influence that women can have on men’s generosity, it might be more accurate to say that in front of every great man walks a great woman. If we’re wise, we’ll follow her lead.“ The article leaves one unsure whether to respond with rejoice in further establishment of the importance of women or with hesitation regarding the stereotypical connotations of being assumedly “nurturing” or innately invoking sensitivity in others. As women, and we at the MWPC, continue to fight for rights and to be taken seriously in the workforce, the article easily provokes the notion of taking a step backward, toward arguing that a woman’s place remains only as the role of homemaker or mother, if only to ensure the generosity of men. Yet, one must remember that the goal for women is not simply the CEO or the White House, but rather the right to choose, to use the word “and” instead of “or.” The importance of women as a means of helping men to think differently, both in the workplace and in the household, represents not a reiteration of a woman’s need to steer her man in the right direction, but instead reflects their ability to help make the world a better place simply by being present.
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