Friday, February 21, 2014
What We've Been Reading...
Happy Friday, everyone!
Yesterday, the LA Times posted a report entitled "Women, you'll likely die before there's gender parity among leaders." The report speculates that women will not reach parity with men in leadership roles in business, politics, and more for 71 years. The report sums it up: “Progress is slow.” The report also touches on women in media, and their bleak presence in movies, sports media, and tech. This report is a testament to the importance of educating and motivating women, in the hopes that it will not take 71 years to achieve the parity that should exist today.
A Robin Thicke concert on March 4th at Agganis Arena on Boston University’s campus is causing a controversy. The Humanists of Boston University are calling on school officials to cancel the concert due to the “misogyny” Thicke exhibits in his hit single “Blurred Lines.” The Humanists told Fox News: “Having Thicke perform is a political statement that is out of touch with the realities of sexual violence and Boston University’s own history.” The Humanists created a petition to cancel the concert and it has received 1,600 signatures so far. If the concert goes on as scheduled, The Humanists have planned a peaceful protest to bring awareness to the realities of rape culture and its effect on young women.
Last week, Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.) said in an interview that the U.S. is not ready for a female president. Discussing a possible Clinton campaign in 2016, Bachmann controversially claimed that Clinton’s potential for success will be hindered by the fact that “she is a woman, and isn’t black.” “There was a cachet about having an African-American president because of guilt,” said Bachmann, “People don’t hold guilt for a woman.” Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) responded to Bachmann’s statement in an interview with CNN’s Piers Morgan, betting that if an election was held tomorrow, Clinton would win. The increasing number of women in elected positions points clearly to a growing desire among voters for female representation in Washington.
Alison Lundergan Grimes is looking to unseat incumbent Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky. If successful, this 35 year old former ballet dance and kickboxer, would become the state’s first female senator. She is already making huge strides, with an endorsement from former President Bill Clinton officially endorsing her next Tuesday. Although critics currently claim Grimes is inexperienced and will, “crumble against a veteran who joined the Senate when she was in the first grade.” However, the polls tell another story, with democratic support in Kentucky at an all time high. Read the New York Times’ full piece on Grimes here.
