Friday, September 26, 2014
What We've Been Reading - 9/26
In the Boston Globe this week, Shirley Leung called on
gubernatorial candidates to “stop trying so hard” to court the woman vote.
Leung insisted that candidates Baker and Coakley start
focusing on the economy, education, and the environment to attract women
voters. “We’re so much more than just pro-choice or antiabortion,” she writes.
Leung applauded Coakley’s focuses on early education, earned
sick time, and buffer zones, adding that just because she’s the only female in
the race, “Coakley is not taking women for granted.”
Baker has made a few blunders in his attempt for the female
vote. This past summer, he said the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision
“doesn’t matter” to Massachusetts women, a statement he later retracted. The
other day, he called a television reporter “sweetheart” during an interview. At
one of his Women for Charlie events last week, he avoided campaign issues and
brought his 17-year-old daughter in to emcee the event.
Emma Watson Deals with Negative Consequences After "HeforShe" Launch at the UN
Emma Watson Deals with Negative Consequences After "HeforShe" Launch at the UN
The
Huffington Post’s Emma Gray writes about both the wonderful and horrific events
that followed Emma Watson’s powerful speech on Feminism earlier this week.
Watson, best known from the Harry Potter film series, spoke about fighting for
more women’s rights and a more equal society. She encouraged both women and men
to stand together in this fight. This has spurred the solidarity movement
‘HeforShe.’ Many female and male celebrities took to Twitter to show their
support of both Watson, and the movement. These include Tom Hiddleston and
Forest Whitaker among numerous others.
The positivity did not last long, because the very
next day an internet group, following the success and the effects of Watson’s
speech, threatened to release intimate pictures of her. Though the threat made
to Watson was hollow and was made to drive popularity of the group’s website,
it still caused a lot of pain and upheaval. It is actions like this that
ironically further validates Watson’s call for action. Gray argues the fact “that
a woman’s body can still be used as a weapon against her is exactly how we know
that the gender equality that Watson is using the UN platform to advocate for
has yet to be achieved.”
Gray also enumerates other cases in which other
women have been sexually harassed by strangers and are targeted because they
are interested in improving the female experience. One case relates to Linda
West who in June 2013 debated the part of rape jokes. In return she received
multiple rape threats. Another case is that of Caroline Criado-Perez who campaigned for
a woman to be put on the UK’s £10 bill. She was also
in turn bombarded with rape as well as death threats. Gray states that situations
like these or really just other case of inequality ultimately come down to
power. It’s about keeping current institutions intact and threatening those who
dare to change them. This should however not discourage us but be additional
fuel to work towards gender equality.
30 Most
Dynamic Women Candidates Seeking Office in 2014
MSNBC
introduced ’30 in 30,’ a new series of the 30 most dynamic women candidates
running for office in 2014. Here is a short presentation of these powerful
women:
Maura
Healey (D) is running for office for the first time. She was previously a civil
rights attorney and a prosecutor. Healey: “I’m a foot shorter than my opponent,
but I’m the only professional basketball player in the race.”
Martha Coakley (D) is the first
woman to serve as Attorney General in Massachusetts. Coakley: “We know that a
strong grassroots campaign is not just the best way to win, it’s the only way
to win.”
Both Maura Healey and Martha
Coakley are MWPC PAC-endorsed candidates; the MWPC is very proud of them!
Alison
Lundergan Grimes (D), if elected, would become Kentucky’s first woman Senator.
Interesting facts are that former President Clinton has campaigned for her and
that she is the youngest woman currently serving as secretary of state. Grimes:
“I’ll gladly stack this ‘empty dress’ up against Mitch McConnell’s empty head
any day.”
Emily
Cain (D) is the youngest woman legislator in history to hold the House minority
leader position in Maine. Cain: “I am the only person in this race with a
proven track record of working across the aisle and overcoming gridlock.”
Monica
Wehby (R), if elected, would become the first female Senator from Oregon in 47
years. She was also the first woman to enroll and graduate from the UCLA
neurosurgeon program. Wehby: “The race I want to run is the one that would be
ran regardless of what gender I am.”
Kay
Hagan (D) comes out on top with the women vote, according to the PPP poll, 44%
to 27%. Hagan: “…to the women reading right now, consider this your recruitment
[to run for public office].”
Ann Callis
(D) is the first female chief judge in Illinois’ third Judicial district.
Callis:”I want to be a voice for the thousands of women in our community who
work hard, play by the rules, and still are struggling to get ahead.”
Shelley
Moore Capito (R), if elected, would become the first Republican senator form
West Virginia in more than 50 years and the first female U.S. senator from the
state. Capito: “This is going to be a tough race and West Virginians deserve a
Senator who is going to fight.”
Jeanne Shaheen
(D) is New Hampshire’s first female governor – and first female U.S. senator
from the state – she is the first woman in U.S. history to be elected as both
governor and senator. Shaheen: “My woman colleagues in the Senate inspire me
every day.”
Rebecca
Kleefisch (R) became the first the LG to face and survive a recall attempt.
Kleefisch: “…my time in politics has proven my parents right over and over:
girls are just as good as boys…and at some things…better.”
Wendy
Davis (D) stood for nearly 12 hours on the Senate floor to filibuster an
anti-abortion bill that shut down multiple abortion clinics across Texas.
Davis: “I’m proud to be an elected official who has fought for issues that have
a unique impact on women.”
Amanda
Renteria (D) is the Senate’s first-ever Latina chief of staff. RenteriaL “In
this country, in today’s society, there is no reason we are still fighting
battles of equality.”
Connie
Pillich (D), an Air Force veteran, wishes to protect the state’s pensions and
safeguard Ohio’s tax dollars. Pillich: “In the Air Force, there was never a
Democratic or Republican way to get things done – just the right way."
Aimee Belgrad (D) won her party’s
nomination with 84% of the vote to challenge Republican Tom MacArthur. Belgrad:
“Alice Paul stepped up, spoke out and took risks for what she believed in –
that woman deserved the right to vote. She is a true inspiration.”
Nina Turner (D), if elected, would
be the first African-American candidate elected to a statewide office. Turner:
“All you need to be successful in live: your wishbone to dream big, your
jawbone to speak the truth, and your backbone to persevere through it all.”
Lucy Flores (D) has said, if
elected, she would help every Nevadan not just the privileged few. Flores: “I
don’t have the typical background of most politicians…no matter your past, it
is possible to change your future.”
Mary Burke (D) became the first
woman nominated by a major party for governor of Wisconsin. Burke: “Wisconsin
has everything it takes to have one of the strongest economies, but under Scott
Walker, we’re not even close.”
Cheri Bustos (D) is the first women
elected in the District. Bustos: “Advice to young women looking to pursue
politics is to do what you say you’re going to do. Follow through. Exceed expectations.”
Kate Marshall (D) is the current
Nevada treasurer and was endorsed by EMILY’s List. Marshall: “I’ve been the
only women in almost every room I have worked in…you have to develop thick
skin.”
Kyrsten Sinema (D) has supported
same-sex marriage and women’s rights in Arizona. Sinema: “Don’t listen to the
people who tell you can’t follow your dreams…ignore the haters and go to what
you love.”
Gwen Graham (D) is daughter of
former Florida Governor and former U.S. Senator Bob Graham. Graham: “If there’s
one thing Congress needs more than anything else right now, it’s some common
ground.”
Natalie
Tennant (D) is the first Democratic woman secretary of state in West Virginia
history. Tennant: “A lot has been said about two women running, but it isn’t
about being the first woman, it’s about being the best woman.”
Mia Love
(R), if elected, would become first black Republican in Congress and the first
person of color to represent Utah. Love: “I’m perfectly comfortable with who I
am and what I believe in, and I never allow anyone to put me in a box.”
Maggie
Toulouse Oliver (D) was the youngest female elected official in the state of
New Mexico. Oliver: “It takes a lot of courage to break that glass ceiling…and
there are a lot of naysayers to defy along the way.”
Gina
Raimondo (D) is current general treasurer of Rhode Island. She has faced
criticism and a lawsuit for making changes to the pension system, including
increasing the retirement age. Raimondo: “My mom always said, if you want
something done, ask a busy woman.”
Bonnie
Watson Coleman (D) is the first African-American house majority leader of the
NJ general assembly and first African-American woman to win the democratic
nomination. Coleman: “There has not been a woman elected to Congress in New
Jersey since 1982.”
Alma
Adams (D) points out that North Carolina hasn’t elected a new Democratic woman
to the House in over 20 years. Adams: “I will bring to the role voices of the
people I’ve fought for. Also, my famous hat collection.”
Staci
Appel (D) is running for a U.S. House seat in Iowa, one of only two states that
have not yet elected a woman to Congress. Appel: “This is a big opportunity to
break up a political boys club and finally break Iowa’s glass ceiling.”
Young
Kim (R) is marking the first time voters will be choosing between two women in
the district: her and Sharon Quirk-Silva. Kim: “For the first time ever, voters
will have the choice to choose between two women to represent them in the state
assembly in this area.”
Mary
Landrieu (D) is the first female U.S. Senator from Louisiana and first women to
head the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Landrieu: “People may not
agree with me, but they know where I stand and that I’ll fight…my opponents
will have a hard time making this case.”
MSNBC’s
’30 in 30’ Women to Watch in 2014 can be found here: http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/msnbcs-30-30-women-watch-2014
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Today is National Voter Registration Day
Happy National Voter Registration Day (NVRD)! In 2008, 6 million Americans never cast a vote because they missed a registration deadline or did not know how to register in the first place. NVRD is working to change that in 2014.
Today, volunteers, celebrities, and organizations nationwide are working to raise awareness of voter registration opportunities. The League of Women Voters is sending out volunteers from 400 chapters to hold thousands of voter registration events across the country. If you haven’t registered yet, the deadline in Massachusetts to register for the upcoming General Election is October 15th. For those already registered, do your part on NVRD and encourage a friend to register as well! Studies show that personally asking someone to register and vote is the single most effective method.
For all the information you’ll need to vote, visit www.VOTE411.org. To register in MA, visit http://www.sec.state.ma.us/
This is a high stakes election year for women in Massachusetts – make sure your voice is heard!
Friday, September 19, 2014
What We've Been Reading- 9/19
MSNBC: Women in Politics: College Edition:
This is part of a new series “Women of 2014” from MSNBC that shines the spotlight on women in politics this year. This section of the series is particularly exciting because it focuses on what young women leaders are doing to improve their college communities. Read more here http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/women-politics-college-edition and think about nominating an exceptional woman you know!
Boston.com: Massachusetts Primary Signals Women Gaining Clout:
This quick read detailed the victories for women in the Sept 9 primary in MA and the exciting progress those victories signal. Stephanie Schriock, President of Emily’s List is quoted saying ‘‘Momentum for women’s leadership has really been growing in Massachusetts in a state that had historically been tough for women candidates.” It’s exciting to see Massachusetts making strides towards equity in representation! Read more here: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/09/13/massachusetts-primary-signals-women-gaining-clout/XGy1UsQ1TcVHINtxxk64iO/story.html
The Guardian: Scottish independence debate: women hold the key far from Westminster:
The piece, written before the results of the recent referendum in Scotland, commented on the key role women were set to play in determining the outcome. With both parties on both sides talking about their plans to address issues like affordable childcare this article says “Women are at the forefront of this campaign in a way that is currently inconceivable in British politics.” It will be interesting to look at analysis of exactly how women voted in the recent referendum, but one thing is for sure this is yet another example of the central role women can and should play in politics. Read more here: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/may/02/scottish-independence-debate-women-key-far-westminster
Paycheck Fairness Act Struck Down Again
Irin Carmon of MSNBC wrote an article this Monday on yet another vote against the Paycheck Fairness Act. This week, Senate Republicans voted down the bill for a fourth time in two years. Claiming that the legislation will encourage frivolous lawsuits, opposers have called these votes a waste of time. Politico has also reported that Senate Republicans allowed debate of the bill in order to “eat up Senate floor time” that could have been devoted to votes on the minimum wage or a response to the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby contraception decision.
“Senate Republicans had the opportunity to vote for equal pay legislation and affect real change for hardworking women, but they chose to…cling to their extreme agenda at the expense of millions of women and families,” said Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY’s List.
Maternity Leave Discrimination
Emily Wax-Thibodeaux of the Washington Post revealed the shocking story of a Virginia couple who were denied a loan. Though their mortgage application had been approved and the closing for their new home had been scheduled, FirstBank reversed its decision upon learning that the wife was on maternity leave. In fact, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has opened 15 maternity leave discrimination investigations just this year.
Why is this happening? The banks claim that maternity leaves result in the loss of income and the chance that the women may not return to work. “America is just waking up to the fact that moms are in the labor force and we are in the labor force to stay,” said Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director of MomsRising. In fact, three-quarters of American mothers are in the workforce, and four in ten mothers are now the sole or primary breadwinners for their families.
Further, banks are requiring families to write “motivational letters” stating why they wanted a house and their family planning schedule. Linda Falcão, a civil rights attorney from Pennsylvania, was asked to write such a letter. “I felt genuinely humiliated and demeaned to have to discuss, with a total stranger, whether my husband and I were going to have more children or not,” said Falcão. “I didn’t then, and don’t now, think it’s any of their business.”
Women in Rwanda: Empowered And Motivated To Lead But Feeble To Forget|
In 1994, when President Bill Clinton signed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that responded to the inequality encountered by women victims in state justice system, between 250,000 and 500,000 women were raped during the genocide in Rwanda. As Rene Degni-Segui stated in his 1996 UN Special Rapporteur report, “rape was the rule and its absence the exception.” The Hutu majority, with its goal to destroy moderate Hutu and Tutsi, especially targeted women because they wanted to eradicate them and their potential descendants: Tutsi women were not supposed to have reproductive capabilities because future generations of the Tutsi population wanted to be prevented. In order to make their suffering even worse and their death slow, HIV-infected men were recruited to rape women in Rwanda.
Today, 20 years later, Rwanda has the highest percentage of women appointed to government in the world: 64% of women control and make decisions for Rwanda compared to 18% of women appointed to government in the United States that take an infamous 86th place (after Saudi Arabia, China and Pakistan among the others). The post-genocide population was made up of about 70% of women who were left with low financial capabilities and more importantly with no reason to continue their lives. However, mutual strength and support empowered them and made them realize that it was their turn now to take care of their country.
Women knew more about family life, health, education and other need of the community than men. Before the genocide men were making the decisions but just because women did not have means to do so: their obligations were based at home, not in the government. Starting from the local level, women established various councils such as a local women’s council rebuilding their faith in better tomorrow.
Unfortunately, these moments of suffering and pain cannot be simply faded into oblivion. According to the Sowetan’s article form today, “the country struggles with a legacy of traumatized women, unwanted children and high HIV rates.” Women’s groups put in a lot of effort to raise awareness and helped children who experienced trauma and mental health problems when they were told about their origins. However, it is hard to ease inner pain.
The transition of gender equality in Rwanda made a sincere precedent that all countries, developing and developed, democratic and autocratic, should follow. It is needless to say that it should not have happened as a consequence of a genocidal mass slaughter. However, it is pertinent to stand up when you fall down and continue walking with your head up. Many women and their children still suffer in Rwanda and it is most likely that their agony will be everlasting. They need support from the global society, which also has to make sure that the Rwandan genocide does not happen again.
The article may be found here: http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2014/09/19/twenty-years-on-rwandan-women-and-youth-bear-scars-of-genocide-rape
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Bridging the Gap with GAPP (Girls About Political Participation)
Today the MWPC was proud to take part in an exciting event
promoting women in public service. GAPP
(Girls About Political Participation): Connecting Women Politicians with the
Next Generation was sponsored by the
Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators (MCWL), the Massachusetts Women’s
Political Caucus (MWPC), and Boston Girls Leading Organized Women (GLOW).
The event brought together 11
girls interested in public service and 13 women politicians at the
Massachusetts Statehouse to discuss public service and share their personal
stories. The politicians attending were:
- Rep. Ruth Balser
- Rep. Carolyn Dykema
- Rep. Alice Peisch
- Rep. Marjorie Decker
- Rep. Rhonda Nyman
- Rep. Cory Atkins
- Diane Modica, Former Boston City Councilor
- Dana Reberio, New Bedford City Councilor Ward four
- Mardee Xifaras, Former Democratic National Committee Woman
- Ann Bookman, Director Institute for Women in Politics University of Massachusetts Boston
- Thalia Tsongas Schlesinger, Delegate to National Political Conventions, strategist, and fundraiser
Each girl was paired
with a politician whom they interviewed about their personal stories of getting
involved in public service, strategies for getting women involved, and goals
for the future.
The MWPC was excited to be
involved in this exciting new project that aims to empower young women, inspire
them to become involved in politics, and eventually run for public office!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
