MWL has finally launched a full website. As it has WordPress blog capabilities, we will be doing our future blogging from there. Please go to www.mtwomenslobby.org and choose the WHAT’S NEW page to see our posts.
Thank you for following us for the past two years. We hope you will continue to follow us at our new location.
Still undecided about LR-120? Read a great blog by Lynsey Bourke, of the Blue Mountain Clinic Family Practice in Missoula, about LR-120. The comments following the blog are also worth reading.
In an article in today’s Huffington Post, economist Heidi Hartmann, president of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, estimates that the stimulus effect of closing the gender pay would grow the U.S. economy by at least three to four percentage points. The $800 billion economic stimulus package that Congress passed in 2009 to bail banks out of the recession, by contrast, is estimated to have grown the GDP by less than 1.5 percent overall. Read the whole article …
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on Thursday, ruling the law as unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution. DOMA defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman and denies federal recognition of same-sex marriages even in states where they are legal. The court of appeals ruled that the government directly discriminates against gay Americans by denying federal benefits to lawfully married same-sex couples. Thursday’s decision was the second from a federal appeals court striking down DOMA. Several DOMA cases now wait before the Supreme Court, which could take up one of the cases this term.
The Institute for College Access and Success released a report Thursday showing that two-thirds of 2011 college graduates finished college with student loan debt and the average debt per student was $26,000, up 5 percent from the average debt level for the class of 2010. Even though 2011 college graduates encountered an unemployment rate of 8.8 percent, they still fared better in finding jobs than those without a college degree.
Today’s fact from Face the Facts USA discusses the “retirement gap” in benefits. Of course, this is no surprise to those of us who have been fighting for pay equity, but it’s still worth a read.
All young women should read this NPR story—especially those in college: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124272157
The Mansfield Center will present Women’s Leadership Conference: Making Connections on Shared Priorities from 1 to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12 on the University Center third floor. The conference brings together women from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and western Montana to share approaches to empowering women around the world.
Session topics include Empowering Women and Young Girls, Community Health Education, Violence Against Women and Identity and Social Justice.
“Violence against women and girls is a global issue that reaches across ethnic, racial and socioeconomic lines,” said Elizabeth Harrison, YWCA Missoula communications and development associate and a speaker at the conference. “The more we can build community and coalition across group and international lines the stronger our programs and the safer our communities will be.”
The conference is sponsored by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center, Women’s Foundation of Montana, YWCA Missoula, and AAUW-Missoula. For conference details and to register, visit http://www.umt.edu/mansfield or call 406-243-2988. The conference is free, but space is limited to 90 registrants.
This is our chance! If enough of us submit questions about core issues that matter deeply to women—who make up a majority of the electorate—there’s a real chance one or more will make it into the debate. The deadline for questions is TONIGHT at 11:59 PM ET, so get your question in right away. Whether it’s reproductive freedom, equal pay, domestic violence, or birth control, your question deserves to be answered. Getting these questions into the debate will come down to whether enough of us weigh in and in big enough numbers to make a real impression. Even if you don’t have a specific question in mind, you can vote on questions that others have submitted, and as the site has a search engine, you can search for questions on specific issues. Submit and/or vote on a presidential question today.
Last Monday, the White House announced the launch of Equal Futures, a partnership between the United States and 12 countries to help empower and advance women and girls. Each country has made its own commitments to achieve this goal. The United States has pledged to expand opportunities for women in business, leadership, and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields and to promote economic security for domestic violence survivors. Partners will share updates and progress at the World Bank Spring Meetings in April 2013.
Today the Bozeman Daily Chronicle published a letter to the editor from a local MWL member. I agree with her complaint that too many candidates refuse to respond to organizations requesting information about their positions on issues, especially women’s issues. Here’s the text of her letter:
I reviewed the Montana Women Vote Voter Guide 2012 to learn where candidates in local and statewide races stand on issues important to me. Ten candidates answered all questions and, in specific instances, gave additional written responses. Two wrote responses to at least one question. The others – Adams, Burnett, Field, Ponte, White, Daines, and Rehberg – did not respond to any questions (see the entire report at www.montanawomenvote.org).
Guessing that I am magically supposed to intuit where the non-responding candidates stand, I consulted a higher authority, my trusty 8 ball. Here are MWV’s questions (paraphrased to save space) and my Magic Orb’s answers:
Should government ensure that safety net programs are in place for those in need? MO: “Better not tell you now.”
Do you support health care and health insurance for all families? MO: “Very doubtful.”
Would you invest in family planning and contraceptives for women? MO: “Don’t count on it.”
Do you support a woman’s right to make her own reproductive choices? MO: “Reply hazy. Try again.”
Admittedly, there is a slim chance that my all-knowing 8 ball is wrong. But nobody should have to resort to magic to learn candidates’ positions on vital issues.
Corlann Gee Bush
Bozeman
This week the New York Times published an investigative report on voter suppression efforts around the country. Claiming that conservatives groups are focusing on voter registration in swing states, the article, Looking, Very Closely, for Voter Fraud, reveals a disturbing pattern too often aimed at the poor, racial minorities, and students. This article, while long, deserves a careful reading by everyone.
A new report prepared by the Democratic staff of the Energy and Commerce Committee finds that since the beginning of the 112th Congress in January 2011, the Republican-controlled House has cast 55 votes for “anti-women” policies. These votes include policies that decrease women’s access to health care, restrict or roll back women’s access to legal abortion, block access to reproductive and maternal care services, and undermine or weaken environmental laws that protect pregnant women from toxic chemicals. These votes make up almost 5 percent of the legislative votes since January 2011, which constitutes an average of one anti-women vote for every week that the 112th Congress has been in session.
This Wednesday, the U.S. Census Bureau released 2011 income data revealing that women continue to earn only 77 cents, on average, to every dollar men earn, virtually unchanged over the last decade. The numbers are worse for black and Hispanic women, who make an average of 64 cents and an average of 55 cents, respectively, for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.
Read a powerful response to Todd Akin’s rape remarks and later statements about having “misspoken” in today’s Huffington Post. Written by Eve Ensler, Tony award winning playwright, performer, and activist, it sums up the reactions of many women around the world.
A new study from the Economic Policy Institute found that women would make up more than half of the workers affected by a raise in the federal minimum wage. Additionally, 70 percent of those affected would be families that make less than $60,000 a year. Currently, the federal minimum wage stands at $7.25/hour.
Ten states have adopted voter identification laws that require voters to present a state-issued identification in order to receive a ballot in November. These voter ID laws may disproportionately prevent women from voting because women experience legal name changes more often due to marriage or divorce, which requires more frequent ID updates. Proponents of voter ID laws argue that citizens should already have qualifying IDs and requiring presentation of such IDs will help prevent voter fraud. However, there are very few, if any, recognized cases of voter fraud. Research indicates that voter ID laws are often intended to prevent eligible voters from voting rather than to combat infinitesimal voter fraud. Read how voter ID laws prevent women like 93-year old civil rights activist Viviette Applewhite from voting.
In a recent blog, banker, author, and businessman Sanjay Sanghoee argues that candidate’s positions on gay rights and women’s rights will be salient and crucial in the upcoming elections. Sanghoee predicts voters will analyze candidate’s positions on issues like gay marriage and the gender pay gap as both moral and economic considerations, since the legalization of gay marriage has generated a positive economic impact of $259 million in New York City in the last year alone, and the gender pay gap can cost families $383,000 on average. Read his entire editorial here.
A coalition of Latino organizations sent a letter to House offices urging passage of the Senate version of VAWA, which includes provisions protecting immigrant victims of violence. The letter urges House members to “move forward on a VAWA that protects all communities that are vulnerable to abuse. This includes immigrants, the LGBT community, American Indian women, and students on college campuses.” The House version of VAWA excluded provisions regarding the aforementioned populations, and the coalition letter reprimanded House members, stating that “the current impasse benefits no one”.
The Credit Suisse Research Institute has released a report that shows businesses with women on their boards outperformed comparably sized companies with all-male boards by 26 percent. The report found that gender-diverse boards performed better than their all-male counterparts specifically during times of economic volatility, while performing about the same during times of economic growth. Currently, 36 percent of U.S. companies have no women on their board of directors, and female CEOs make 69 cents for every dollar that a male CEO makes.
