[poochee]

Starting with:

Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner.Co-founder and Executive Director of Moms Rising
Only One Woman on the "Super Committee"? Ouch!
Posted: 8/12/11 02:02 PM ET

Here's the math: Women are 50.7% of our population, only 17% of Congress, and an appallingly low 8% of the Super Committee. 



This lack of representation on the debt ceiling Super Committee which is charged with cutting $1.5 trillion from the federal budget is pathetic, particularly given that critical programs -- like Medicaid, Medicare, child care, education, food assistance, and Social Security -- which have the biggest impacts on women and families are at stake.

Because, as news outlets report, "When women aren't at the table, programs that disproportionately benefit and employ women -- like child care, education, food assistance, and Medicare -- are often the first to go."

It's also a problem that there's only one woman on the Super Committee because numerous studies have found that when women don't have equal representation at negotiating tables, the outcomes are worse for everyone. For example, NPR recently reported, "Psychologists have found that when groups are predominantly male, individuals tend to act in increasingly aggressive ways... They show off."

Further, the Harvard Business Review recently reported, "If a group includes more women, its collective intelligence rises."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristi..._b_925571.html

[poochee]

One-child policy a surprising boon for China girls
ALEXA OLESEN | August 14, 2011 11:20 AM EST | AP

Asked what her home city of Benxi in China's far northeastern tip is famous for, she flashes a cool smile and says: "Producing excellence. Like me."

A Communist Youth League member at one of China's top science universities, she boasts enviable skills in calligraphy, piano, flute and pingpong.

Such gifted young women are increasingly common in China's cities and make up the most educated generation of women in Chinese history. Never have so many been in college or graduate school, and never has their ratio to male students been more balanced.

To thank for this, experts say, is three decades of steady Chinese economic growth, heavy government spending on education and a third, surprising, factor: the one-child policy.

In 1978, women made up only 24.2 percent of the student population at Chinese colleges and universities. By 2009, nearly half of China's full-time undergraduates were women and 47 percent of graduate students were female, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Since 1979, China's family planning rules have barred nearly all urban families from having a second child in a bid to stem population growth. With no male heir competing for resources, parents have spent more on their daughters' education and well-being, a groundbreaking shift after centuries of discrimination.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-w...na-girl-power/

[sportzriter13]

First post: makes complete sense. People rarely have the ability to think about impacts they won't personally feel. There is an oft-cited quote (I believe it was used by planned parenthood) that states "77% of men are against abortion, 100% will never be pregnant". Which, when you think about it is completely true. I'm not saying guys won't ever get it or shouldn't have a say in the argument. However, it's like when I talk about my disability to people who don't have Asperger's. You can imagine in, feel some empathy (please, no sympathy), and understanding. However, unless you're in that situation, you cannot fully know how it feels.

Second post: yes, but consider the number of female fetuses that have been aborted due to a one-child policy in a society that still favors males. While it is good to see educational equality happen, it's kind of a Pyrrhic victory.

[poochee]

Originally Posted by sportzriter13

First post: makes complete sense. People rarely have the ability to think about impacts they won't personally feel. There is an oft-cited quote (I believe it was used by planned parenthood) that states "77% of men are against abortion, 100% will never be pregnant". Which, when you think about it is completely true. I'm not saying guys won't ever get it or shouldn't have a say in the argument. However, it's like when I talk about my disability to people who don't have Asperger's. You can imagine in, feel some empathy (please, no sympathy), and understanding. However, unless you're in that situation, you cannot fully know how it feels.

Second post: yes, but consider the number of female fetuses that have been aborted due to a one-child policy in a society that still favors males. While it is good to see educational equality happen, it's kind of a Pyrrhic victory.

[poochee]

Laura Stampler
laura.stampler@huffingtonpost.com
Nice Women Finish Last At Work, Study Says
First Posted: 8/16/11 12:38 PM ET Updated: 8/16/11 12:38 PM ET

Results indicated that disagreeable people -- men in particular -- earn substantially more in the workforce than their agreeable colleagues.

But the study affirmed another long-held belief as well: in case you were in doubt, gender double standards still exist in the workplace.

"If you’re a disagreeable man, you’re considered a tough negotiator," explained Judge. "But, the perception is that if a woman is agreeable, she gets taken advantage of, and if she is disagreeable, she’s considered a control freak or 'the B-word.'"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_928207.html

[poochee]

Sen. Harry Reid.Senate Majority Leader

Affordable Care Act Helps Women
Posted: 8/16/11 06:38 PM ET React Amazing

This is particularly great news for women. More women have struggled with chronic illnesses than men.

In its report, HHS announced new guidelines that will ensure women of all ages receive preventive health services at no additional cost. HHS's announcement follows a report by the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine that included fundamental preventive services are a basic health need of all women.

Starting in 2012, new health insurance plans will not only put money back in the pockets of women, but they will cover a wider net of preventive care services, such as Human Papilloma Virus DNA testing, HIV screening and counseling, FDA-approved contraception, breastfeeding support and domestic violence screening and counseling.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sen-ha..._b_928805.html

[poochee]

Laura Stampler
laura.stampler@huffingtonpost.com
Office Sponsors Needed, But Lacking For Women In The Workplace: Study
First Posted: 8/17/11 10:47 AM ET Updated: 8/17/11 01:24 PM ET

We've heard it before: long hours, a strong work ethic and stellar performance no longer guarantee your rise on the corporate ladder -- if they ever did.

According to new research from Catalyst, a leading non-profit organization that specializes in expanding opportunities for women in the workplace, even though hard work and impressive results are important, high performers, especially those who are women, need highly-positioned sponsors -- allies who are willing to fight for their advancement -- in order to make it out of middle management and into the elusive "C-Suite."

The study also found that women are less likely than men to have an effective sponsor.

Through interviews with a total of 93 sponsors -- male and female leaders -- and the high achievers who are those leaders' protégés from six top global organizations, "Sponsoring Women to Success" chronicles the advantages of this special workplace relationship.

Heather Foust-Cummings, one of the study's authors and a senior director at Catalyst, told The Huffington Post that sponsorship is something that, "quite frankly, men have taken for granted and women haven't been as aware of. We wanted to bring sponsorship out from underneath the curtain."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_929179.html

[eggplant43]

“Women are the fastest growing segment of the Veteran population.” You may have heard or seen this statistic many times, but it’s a powerful one. It conveys both the important achievement of more and more women choosing to join our armed forces, as well as the challenges we face in addressing their specific health care needs. In VA research, this has meant not only expanding our knowledge of health conditions and diseases but making sure VA itself is prepared for the “surge” of female Veterans expected into its health care system.

http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/?p=4300

[poochee]

Birute Regine.IronButterflies.com

The Two Question Interview
A Hint for the Career Woman seeking a high level position.
Posted: 8/17/11 12:39 PM ET React Amazing

After several interviews, she finally landed a phone interview with the top honcho of the Wall Street firm. "He said, 'I have two questions for you.''" My friend said to me, "Can you guess what they were?" When she told me, my jaw dropped open.

"He said, 'First question. Do you have a boyfriend?'" The roommate said no.

"The second question. 'Do you want to have children?'" Again she said no. They hired her.

There is something to be said for learning to play the game, as this young woman was eager to do. However, when do women together and of all generations, change the game of the two question interview?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/birute..._b_929247.html

[poochee]

ForbesWoman| 8/16/2011 @ 11:27AM

10 Ways That Being More Positive Improves Your Career (and Your Life)
By Kathy Caprino, M.A.

As a trained marriage and family therapist and career coach, I’ve researched for over eight years what makes some people highly successful interpersonally and in business, and others doomed to fail.

I’ve observed this: Being more positive in your behaviors and language makes room for far greater success, satisfaction and reward in your life (this goes for your marriage and family life too).

In Marriage as In Life and Work

READ MORE: http://www.forbes.com/sites/85broads...and-your-life/

[poochee]

Laura Bassett
lbassett@huffingtonpost.com
Planned Parenthood vs. The States: The Legal Battles Rage
Posted: 8/24/11 12:31 PM ET

Eighteen states have passed one or more measures to limit the services the family planning provider can offer. Four are already facing Planned Parenthood in what promise to be lengthy and expensive legal battles to defend their right to enact those laws.

Legislators in five states -- Indiana, North Carolina, Kansas, Wisconsin and Texas -- defunded Planned Parenthood in 2011 because some of its clinics provide privately funded abortions. Planned Parenthood attorneys challenged three of those laws in court this summer, and judges in all three states -- Indiana, North Carolina and Kansas -- temporarily blocked their enforcement, unanimously ruling that state governments may not punish a particular health provider for offering a legal, constitutionally protected medical service.

According to recent polls, a majority of Americans would vote in favor of continuing to fund Planned Parenthood. Only 40 percent of respondents surveyed in a July 2011 Gallup poll said they would support a law prohibiting health clinics that provide abortions from receiving any federal funds.

Evans said he believes the legal battles look much worse for the states than for the family planning provider, which offers affordable cancer screenings, tests for sexually transmitted infections and birth control to low-income men and

women.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_935134.html

[poochee]

After Strauss-Kahn, Fear of Rape Victim Silence
An article worth reading.
By CARA BUCKLEY
Published: August 24, 2011

She seemed to be the perfect witness. She came forward right away, disclosing detail after damning detail of a sexual attack that, backed by forensic evidence, seemed airtight. She stuck to her story. But then her case fell apart after prosecutors questioned her credibility. The charges against the man she accused, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, were dropped.

Advocates for domestic violence victims said women who are raped would almost certainly be more fearful of stepping forward, knowing that everything in their past may be exposed; indeed, reporting of rapes usually drops in the aftermath of high-profile sexual assault cases. This reluctance, experts said, will be heightened for new immigrants, who are already fearful of authority, often fleeing a sexually violent past.

“This is going to twist and turn things around,” said Susan Xenarios, head of the Crime Victims Treatment Center at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center.

Other advocates said the dismissal relayed a chilling message that rich and powerful men were more likely to get away with sexual assaults. Still others said the facts of the Strauss-Kahn case were unique unto themselves.

Wonder how many folks know about Mr. Kahn's character? A trial would have disclosed that.

More rapes go unreported than not: according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, 6 in 10 sexual assaults are not reported, and just 6 percent of rapists serve jail time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/25/ny...k-up.html?_r=1

[poochee]

Caroline Howard, Forbes Staff
8/24/2011 @ 11:31AM

The World's 100 Most Powerful Women: This Year It's All About Reach

Europe is in debt crisis, the Middle East is shaking and there’s market panic at home. It is against this backdrop that we present the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.

The women on this list were chosen not just for being on top but for being smack in the middle of Richter-registering events–and more. Their power derives from money and might, yes, but also (thanks to old, new and social media) reach and influence.

This year’s No. 1 in the ranking, German Chancellor Angela Merkel–recognized as the “undisputed” leader of the EU–is key to curing what ails the euro zone. As the Arab spring turns into the autocrats’ summer, No. 2-ranked U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton provides encouragement to dissidents, while Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg (No. 5) and Twitter’s Katie Jacobs Stanton (No. 56) empower the rebels storming the barricades with an uninterrupted newsfeed–or a way to report in 140 characters or less.

Michele Bachmann (No. 22) is rocking the 2012 presidential race while Sarah Palin (No. 34) is still playing coy. We have lots of business leaders too: women from Silicon Valley and Wall Street and Main Street; entrepreneurs of import, like HTC’s Cher Wang (No. 20), media marquise Arianna Huffington (No.31) and Zhang Xin (No. 48), billionaire cofounder of real-estate empire SOHO China.

In Pictures: World’s Most Powerful Women

READ THE REST HERE: .. http://www.forbes.com/sites/caroline...l-about-reach/

[buffoon]

Originally Posted by poochee

Caroline Howard, Forbes Staff
8/24/2011 @ 11:31AM

The World's 100 Most Powerful Women: This Year It's All About Reach

Europe is in debt crisis, the Middle East is shaking and there’s market panic at home. It is against this backdrop that we present the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.

The women on this list were chosen not just for being on top but for being smack in the middle of Richter-registering events–and more. Their power derives from money and might, yes, but also (thanks to old, new and social media) reach and influence.

This year’s No. 1 in the ranking, German Chancellor Angela Merkel–recognized as the “undisputed” leader of the EU–is key to curing what ails the euro zone.

OK, that made me laugh.

"Angie", devoid of inspiration or vision, has brought non leadership to new heights. She is very much disputed and most severely in her own country and there, even more, by her own party. She is primarily concerned with staying in power by trashing all would be contenders the minute one of them only blinks. At that she's good.

Beyond that she hasn't a clue on how to address the current financial and economic doldrums, is totally out of touch with the German public on virtually every other issue and regarded by the majority of other European leaders with anything ranging from pity to disgust. What is hated is her clout but she's done nothing to acquire it and merely borrows it from those instances of industry and commerce truly responsible for Germany's current success, despite of her. Who incidentally do what they darn well think fit, leaving her stammering and stuttering to occupy the TV cameras and a totally disillusioned audience.

Her prime characteristic of style is hesitancy and reaction rather than pro-activeness, with developments always about 20 miles ahead of what she finally decides to do and in most cases doesn't.

She'll be gone in 2013.

All this has nothing to do with her being a woman, her incompetence is simply a gender neutral personality failing.

[poochee]

Marlo Thomas.Award-winning actress, author and activist

DSK: Case Not Dismissed
Posted: 8/23/11 11:37 PM ET

Let every hotel guest who thinks about dropping his pants along with his decency know that these women are no longer going to cower in fear for their jobs. Those days are over. In this new day, this ever growing army of women will be sharing notes and collecting evidence so that we may witness a critical mass of reported offenses. There is no turning back now -- back to a time when their dignity was held as valuable as the trash they carried out of those shameful rooms.

And working women in all occupations!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marlo-..._b_934835.html