women

CBS Sunday Morning had the story of Henrietta Lacks, as told by Rebecca Skloot.  Once thing not mentioned during the interview, is Ms. Skloot or the publisher going to compensate the family from some of the profits?

CBS has not put the show video online and who knows, maybe they won't.  http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/sunday/main3445.shtml

The book and research into this poor, unrecognized woman is truly amazing.  As she was dying of cervical cancer in 1951, doctors took some of her cancerous cells to study.  No permission ever given, which was the norm back in those days.  Besides, she was just a grand daughter of slaves who would end up in an unmarked grave.

I follow the The Women's Museum on Twitter and suggest others keep up with these good people of Texas.

The museum is located in Dallas http://www.thewomensmuseum.org

VISION
The vision that guided the creation of The Women's Museum: An Institute for the Future is based on the belief that a fully democratic civil society must represent and involve both men and women, and that the voices, vision and contributions of women must be part of the fabric of history and shape of the future.

I suggest at least going to read the wall of words http://www.thewomensmuseum.org/womens_museum/exhibits/EXB_ve_exhibit2.asp

Then there is a spot on my list to visit the next time I get to DC.  The National Museum of Women in the Arts.

http://www.nmwa.org/

There has to be at least one skunk at the picnic so while all the joyous shouts go out about how far women have come and how things are getting better, I raise my virtual tail and spray some reality.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

This is a follow-up to BJ's earlier post.  The video was on CBS News this evening.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women%27s_Day

Thank you to all the women in my life.

"Started as a Socialist political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries, primarily Eastern Europe, Russia, and the former Soviet block. In many regions, the day lost its political flavour, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day. In other regions, however, the original political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner."

The International Red Cross has  focus on women today http://www.icrc.org/eng

Celebrate International Women’s Day at the Department of State

In honor of the Secretary’s 2010 International Women of Courage

You are cordially invited to attend an Open Forum with the honorees

Hosted by:

Ambassador-at-Large Melanne Verveer
Office of Global Women’s Issues

March 8, 2010

Session I: 10:00-11:30AM

Featuring honorees from: Afghanistan, the Dominican Republic, Iran, Republic of Korea, and Zimbabwe

Session II: 2:00-3:30 PM

Featuring honorees from: Afghanistan, Cyprus, Kenya, Sri Lanka, and Syria

Location: Loy Henderson Room
Department of State
23rd Street Entrance

I saw the note a few weeks back asking for posts for Women's History Month and had been wracking my brain. (an update- I had not read BJin AMerica's comment until just now and so had not realized this info was already out there- my apologies.)There are just SOOO many! How do you narrow it down to just one? So, here is what I posted on my home blog- hope it is enjoyed!

I popped around looking for info on Women's History Month and found that this-

About This Year's Theme

Writing Women Back into History

The overarching theme is “Writing Women Back into History.” In celebration of their 30th anniversary, the National Women’s History Project will be highlighting themes and honorees from previous years. Each of these past themes recognizes a different aspect of women’s achievements, from ecology to art, and from sports to politics.

Writing women back into history- well about time somebody noticed we got written out! (Personally I always thought Eve got screwed- even then the man could not take responsibility for his own actions! And so he lied!) The home page has some good links as well.

Donate Here

I got the following email this evening and wanted to pass it on in it's entirety.

Dear Friend,

Imagine you’re a victim of domestic violence in Haiti…  Before the earthquake on 12 January, you and your children were safe in one of Haiti’s women’s shelters. You were working to rebuild your life. And now, the shelter and so much else has been ripped away.

UNIFEM is working to raise 2 million dollars to rebuild women’s shelters and expand emergency services for women and their families.

"Send the men home" -  said Rep. Shea-Porter.  It's about time someone said this.

"We go to the ladies room and the Republican women and the Democratic women and we just roll our eyes," she said. "And the Republican women said when we were fighting over the healthcare bill, if we sent the men home..." at which point she was interrupted by loud applause.  guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/

You can see and hear thisbrave and intelligent woman by clicking on - HERE:

Just wish more of them would speak out like this instead of blindly following behind the idiot, male dominated congress.

HooRah!  Rep. Shea-Porter!

Partizane was started by me for many reasons which you can read about on the about page but the list of purposes reads as follows:

ERA - A Woman as President - Women's Rights - A Democratic Democractic Party

I have not changed those core beliefs.  I removed them from the graphics up above because I was bored, no other reason.

One of my very first posts on another blog, years ago, explained the first reason I supported Hillary Clinton.  She is a woman.  I strongly believe the world would be a safer, stronger place if more women were in positions of leadership.  And yes, I mean women of any and all parties.  I am supporting Kelly Ayotte in my own state even though I totally disagree with many of her boilerplate GOP lines.

I support Pelosi who if she had a weiner would be considered one of the strongest speakers in years.

I support Martha Coakley because she not only is a woman, she is smart, hard working and someone the GOP fears in the future.  Sounds familiar.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's speech on the 15th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development has been rescheduled for 2:30 pm Friday, January 8, 2010.

You will be able to view the speech at this link >> http://www.icpd2015.org/

Many know that I get royally pissed when people say we should abandon Afghanistan.  The ones who don't give a rats ass about the women and girls who have had a taste of freedom because of us.  My country used to stand for good.  We used to place morality ahead of economic success, people ahead of disgusting regimes.

But no longer it seems.  Mr. Obama and his lackeys would rather be known as pragmatists.  Something I used to call myself but threw out when the real pragmatist had the election stolen by the con man. 

James P. Rubin writes about this in Newsweek and he hit the nail on the head.  Why I ask do we, in response to the lows of the Bush years, why do we have to go 100% the opposite way and pull back into our little cocoon on America?  Rubin says it better.

The Principle of the Thing

How America's commitment to democratic values is waning in the age of Obama.
 

Bored?  Got the holiday blues?  Why not make some phone calls from home and help Martha Coakley to a primary win on Tuesday the 8th.

I love doing this on my own time and you will too.  We on this blog say we support women so I challenge all of you to put a few minutes into helping this good woman get one step closer to the U.S. Senate.

http://marthacoakley.com/contact

I've been quite absent getting ready for Thanksgiving and the week after.

Pap smears?  Not a subject I'm knowledgeable on, but from past experience I know how important they are.

Afghanistan is the most dangerous place in the world to be born, especially if you're a girl.

I just read The Kite Runner which is a total eye opener about what life was like there before, before the Russians and before the Taliban and before, well before the world ended for that country.

I've added the BBC photo of an Afghan girl to illustrate what is at stake if we leave.  As much as I hate war and guns, as much as I detest those in charge of Afghanistan, I cannot support us leaving this country.  In fact I am strongly in favor of a totally different approach.

Let's plant roots and stay much like we did in Japan, Korea, Germany.  Let's stay and give them the time. possibly generations, to change attitudes and join the modern world.  nh

ABC News

Eight Years Later: 'Most Dangerous Place To Be Born'

ABC’s Nick Schifrin files this sad item from Kabul:

 

In a press conference in Geneva today, the South Asia regional director for UNICEF said this: "Afghanistan today is without a doubt the most dangerous place to be born.”

 

Dan Toole was speaking about UNICEF’s annual report The State of the World’s Children, which is available here(pdf).

 

Toole said Afghanistan has the highest infant mortality rate in the world: 257 deaths for every 1,000 live births. He also said a lack of security prevents polio and measles vaccine campaigns and decreases the number of children attending schools, especially girls. 317 schools have been destroyed by the Taliban in the past year, he said, killing 124 people.

 

Here’s another link(pdf) – to drive the point home. This is the actual list of mortality rates around the world.

Women in developing countries will be the most vulnerable to climate change, a report from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has warned.

The agency said there was a disproportionate burden on those women and called for greater equality.

As usual, the BBC is my source for this report.  Seems what one would expect though since women bear the burden of virtually every other negative turn in life.  A very good article over at the BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8365808.stm

Poor women 'bear climate burden'

"[There] are fundamental questions about how climate change will affect women, men, boys and girls differently around the world, and indeed within nations, and how individual behaviour can undermine or contribute to the global effort to cool our warming world," UNFPA executive director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said.

'Cycle of deprivation'

She called for any treaty that might come from the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen next month to take into account individuals' power to "reverse the warming of the Earth's atmosphere".

 <snip>

For Immediate Release: November 16, 2009                                                                                 
 
Contact: Alex Zaroulis (617) 549-0358, Mathew Helman (617) 821-8004
 
Boston, MA – MassEquality today announced its endorsement of Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley in the historic race to fill the seat previously held by the late Senator Edward Kennedy.
 
In announcing their endorsement, MassEquality cited Coakley’s long-time record of proven leadership on behalf of the LGBT community in Massachusetts, a record that demonstrates her willingness to go beyond the call of duty to fight for equality.
“If the disheartening repeal of marriage equality in Maine earlier this month taught us anything, it’s that now more than ever our community needs more than just allies,” MassEquality Executive Director Scott Gortikov said. “We need strong leaders who will follow in the footsteps of Senator Kennedy and not rest until we have achieved full equality.”
 
Gortikov went on to praise Coakley’s willingness to take a proactive, leadership role on issues of importance to the LGBT community in Massachusetts and around the country.

There's lots more inside that Newsweek than meets the eye.  The publisher's welcome has lots on why Palin really is a threat to the Obama Presidency.  But I'm intrigued by Diedre Depke's article, not just on Stupak, titled,  Why Obama is losing women.

By Deidre Depke | NEWSWEEK

Hours after the House passed the Affordable Health Care for America Act, debate veered violently away from the economics and merits of the bill and toward the familiar American quagmire of abortion politics. "Outrageous," declared a Feminist Majority press release. Rachel Maddow predicted a revolt among women. "Discriminatory," said California's Barbara Boxer.

 

At issue, of course, is Stupak, the 11th-hour amendment to the health-care legislation coauthored by the previously unremarkable Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan. It would prohibit federal subsidies from being used to buy health policies that cover elective abortion. Abortion-rights supporters say the provision would lead most insurers to abandon abortion coverage in all policies.

Cross posted from Alegrescorner with the blessing of our friend Pacific John

When right wing news critics get ammunition of this quality, there's something very, very wrong.

Are Newsweek editors actually this unaware of their biases? Yes they are!

Someone once cautioned the world to let China sleep because there would be hell to pay when it woke up.  Are these signs of women awakening or just unset stomach rumblings from too much flu?

Uppity lays it out with all the campaign signs trimmings.

To NARAL, NOW, Ms Magazine, Emily’s List, all Clairol Girls who ignored The Signs, How ya doin’?
Posted on November 12, 2009 by Uppity Woman

 

There’s a little gift waiting for all of you for endorsing Barack Obama.

 

Congratulations, the misogyny is about to complete itself. Start hauling all the water all over again. My generation did it once for you and you let it all be whittled down.

 

It started with things like calling a reporter “Honey”. Playing “99 Problems But a Bitch Ain’t One Of Them” at a rally. Did you attend and bounce around to the moooooosic? There was the vibrating cell phone in his pants, and him telling the woman next to him he wasn’t being “fresh”. You’re likeable enough, Hillary. Hillary has “Periodic” moments of “depression”.  She threw the “Kichen sink” at him. There were the Mental Children groping cardboard cutouts. You all saw, but it was just too much FUN to swoon over the sexy man!

Afghanistan’s Bravest Woman Speaks Out:    

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/us/08rossi.html

By MARGALIT FOX

Published: November 7, 2009

Alice S. Rossi, a noted sociologist and feminist scholar who was a founder of the National Organization for Women, died on Tuesday in Northampton, Mass. She was 87 and lived in Amherst, Mass.

 

The cause was pneumonia, her son, Peter E. Rossi, said.

 

At her death, Professor Rossi was the Harriet Martineau professor of sociology emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, where she had taught from 1974 until her retirement in 1991.

 

In her scholarship, Professor Rossi explored the status of women in work, family and sexual life. An early public advocate of abortion rights, she was often quoted by the national news media on an array of women’s issues. Her writings are widely credited with helping build the platform on which the women’s movement of the 1960s and afterward was erected.

 Not sure how this was missed but probably due to the shootings at Ft. Hood.  Thanks to Twandx for bringing it to our attention.

A new UNIFEM action in support of UNiTE http://www.saynotoviolence.org/

Say NO – UNiTE to End Violence against Women is a global call for action.

 

Say NO records what individuals, organizations and governments worldwide are doing to end violence against women. The initial goal is to reach 100,000 actions by March and 1 million actions by November 2010. Whether you volunteer at a shelter, donate, reach out to students or advocate for better policies – every action counts. Let us count you in.

Are Women Human? by Catharine MacKinnon in Herizons

 
In acknowledgement of the fact that women are actually included in the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, but our mostly male media and our President forgot to notice, Catharine MacKinnon's ovarian Are Women Human? seems painfully appropriate.

guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/

An excerpt:

It takes a lot of imagination -- and a determinedly blinkered focus on exceptions at the privileged margins -- to envision a real woman in the Universal Declaration's majestic guarantees of what 'everyone is entitled to'. After fifty years, just what part of 'everyone' doesn't mean us?

The ringing language in Article 1 encourages us to 'act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.' Must we be men before its spirit includes us? Lest this be seen as too literal, if we were all enjoined to 'act towards one another in a spirit of sisterhood,' would men know it meant them, too? . . . And now that 'everyone' has had a right 'to take part in the government of his country' for the past fifty years, why are most governments still run by men? Are women silent in the halls of state because we do not have a human voice?

When will women be human? When?

This is really a hopeful story.  Me, the Israel supporter is so impressed to once again be shown how respectful of women the Palestinians are.  This was a soccer match between palestinian women and Jordanian women that featured mostly Muslims but even a Christian or two.  Sanctioned.  Encouraged by the government and the countries soccer authority.

Damn I love when we hear good from that part of the world.

New York Times
By ISABEL KERSHNER

In front of a roaring crowd of at least 10,000 — about three-quarters women and a quarter equally enthusiastic men — the Palestinian players imparted a collective sense of achievement that had eluded their male compatriots for a long time.

With the peace process stalled and the Palestinian polity divided, the atmosphere is generally dour. Yet the game turned into an exuberant carnival of social liberation and national pride. The line between the dual quests for equality and statehood became increasingly blurred as the women chased the ball.

I don't know and don't care because that's not the issue raised by Nell Scovell in her Vanity Fair article I'm sure everyone has read about.

.....There’s a subset of sexual harassment called sexual favoritism that, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, can lead to a “hostile work environment,” often “creating an atmosphere that is demeaning to women.”

And that pretty much sums up my experience at Late Night with David Letterman.

Scovell is brave and risking future black balling for going against the powers of comedy.  I toast her for bringing this sexist problem to the forefront of the news.

Go read the article rather than all those quoting her.  It is a story needing to be told and re-told. http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2009/10/david-letterman-200910

update:  I forgot to mention that I first heard the story with my evening scan of Mediaite.  Rachel Sklar had a great take on this.

http://www.mediaite.com/online/nell-scovell-is-my-new-hero/