October 19, 2020
Though progress has been made in some areas, today we’re still debating women’s rights and gender equality, trying to convince disparate communities and governments of all levels that women play a critical and necessary part of the world, and should be considered as such. I have included the link to an article published in Women’s eNews titled, “World Leaders Should Champion Gender Equality” by Nisha Varia, a women’s rights advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. […]
March 23, 2016
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (WOMENSENEWS)— The U.N. Commission on the Status of Women is wrapping up its 60th annual meeting in New York on March 24.It’s a huge event that attracts thousands of people from around the world, but it’s not alone in the universe of women’s commissions. In fact it’s part of a movement with a long history.Today the commission movement exists on two fronts: on an international stage, where the U.N. commission monitors the […]
December 9, 2015
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (WOMENSENEWS)–Does it make sense for women to vote for women? Usually, yes, if female voters are interested in such gains as legal support for equal pay and a better chance at work-life balance. The Center for American Women and Politics has documented the work of women in public office since 1971 and their research has shown female legislators carry bills that make a difference in the lives of women and families. Here […]
January 22, 2015
(WOMENSENEWS)– When I heard that U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer would not be seeking reelection in 2016 after 24 years in the Senate and 10 in the House of Representatives, it took me down memory lane to the early 1990s. That was a very different time in the world of women and politics and a simpler type of political campaigning. That was also the time of the 1992 Senate Judiciary hearings where Anita Hill held the […]
March 17, 2014
(WOMENSENEWS)– California boasts two female senators. We are the only state to advance women’s reproductive rights in the last few years. The state is rapidly moving forward on the Affordable Health Care Act and there has been paid family leave in California since 2002, though it is underused. But don’t be misled. Even here we have a political gender gap that is actually widening, not closing. The California state legislature has 120 members with 32 […]
April 11, 2013
The years 2012 and 2013 have been times of celebration and political victory for the feminist movement. Ms. magazine recently published its 40th anniversary edition. January 22, 2013 marked the 40th year since Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that established the fundamental right to abortion. The 2012 election resulted in some formidable firsts for women. Although the percentage of women in the U.S. Congress still remains low, at 18%, women broke several glass ceilings in […]