Happy International Women’s Day from
NWPC!
Today, people across the world are celebrating International Women’s Day. Since its inception in 1911, this day has been used to celebrate women’s achievements world-wide, past and present. This year’s theme is "Equal rights, Equal opportunities: Progress for all." The UN used this day to highlight the importance of the third Millennium Development Goal (MDG) – gender equality and women’s empowerment. They stated that this goal “… is central to all the rest. When women are denied the opportunity to better themselves and their societies, we all lose.”
A bill was introduced last week by a number of NWPC-endorsed Senators in advance of International Women's Day to honor the achievements of women around the world. The bill was introduced by Senators Jeane Shaheen (D-NH), Barabar Boxer (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Benjamin Cardin (D-MD). All of the women who sponsored are NWPC-endorsed Senators, as well as many of the co-sponsors: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA); Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD); Sen. Patty Murray. In a joint statement, the Senators said that:
"While women have made hard fought and important strides toward equality in recent decades, they continue to face significant obstacles in all aspects of their lives. Until women around the world have improved access to economic, political and social opportunities, the great challenges we face today, from pervasive global poverty to violent extremism, will go unresolved."
To read more about International Women’s Day, go here.
NWPC
Celebrates Beginning of Women’s History Month
March 3, 2010
Women’s history month began with an eloquent proclamation from President Obama in which he elaborated on the progress of women have made and the work still to be done. March is, as the President stated, “an opportunity for us to recognize the contributions women have made to our Nation, and to honor those who blazed trails for women's empowerment and equality.” When commenting on those steps that still need to be taken to reach full equality, he pointed out that:
... we must correct persisting inequalities. Women comprise over 50 percent of our population but hold fewer than 17 percent of our congressional seats. More than half our college students are female, yet when they graduate, their male classmates still receive higher pay on average for the same work. Women also hold disproportionately fewer science and engineering jobs.
Originally just a week-long event created to coincide with International Women’s Day on March 8, Women’s History Month was established by Congress in 1987.
To read more about the formation of Women’s History Month, click here. To read the President’s full proclamation, go here. To keep learning about Women’s History, check this page and our facebook & twitter pages throughout March for Women’s History updates.
Donate today & help NWPC in its work to get more women elected to office!
In Memoriam -
The Honorable Myra McDaniel, 1932 – 2010
March 1,
2010
On February 25, 2010, former Secretary of State (TX) and friend of NWPC, Myra McDaniel passed away; services were held today in Austin, TX. NWPC leaders are deeply saddened by the loss of a friend and an advocate and role model for women.
Ms. McDaniel was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She attended the University of Pennsylvania for undergraduate school, worked several administrative jobs, and then went on to receive her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law at Austin. After receiving her law degree, Myra worked for the Texas Attorney General’s Office, as counsel for the Texas Railroad Commission, and as General Counsel to the Governor. In 1984, she became the first African-American woman to serve as Texas Secretary of State as well as the highest-ranking African-American appointee in the state’s history. Myra later rejoined a private law firm in Austin, and received numerous awards for her community service.
To read more about Myra McDaniel, including a list of her accomplishments, click here.
NWPC Congratulates Martha Johnson on Confirmation
Martha Johnson was recently confirmed by the
Senate as the new head of the General Services
Administration. A previous chief of staff for
the GSA, Ms. Johnson is believed by many to be
uniquely qualified to fill this position. Some
retired administration employees even expressed
interest in returning to their previous jobs
when they heard of the appointment. Insiders
hope that Johnson’s indispensable experience
will allow her to keep things running smoothly.
The GSA has been without a permanent
administrator for quite some time; Johnson is
the first permanent administrator in almost two
years.
The confirmation
was delayed by approximately nine months not
because anyone was concerned that Johnson
lacked the qualifications, but because one
Senator used his symbolic privilege to hold up
the appointment and pressure GSA administrators
to finance a building project. To read
more, click
here.
NWPC Celebrates Birth & Legacy of Susan B. Anthony
February 15, 2010
Today is the anniversary of Susan B. Anthony's birth in 1820. Known primarily for her role as a famed suffragette, she was also active in the abolitionist, educational reform, women's labor, and temperance movements. Her wide-ranging participation in such activities can arguably be attributed to her upbringing in a Quaker family with a long tradition of activism; she developed a sense of "justice and moral zeal" early on in life.
In 1852, after teaching for fifteen years and participating in the temperance movement, Anthony joined the women's rights movement. The change was not a surprise, given that she endured the frustrating experience of not being allowed to speak at temperance rallies despite her involvement in the movement, and that she was friends with Elizabeth Cady Stanton. In 1866, she joined with Stanton to found the American Equal Rights Association; two years later, they started their own newspaper. She continued to advocate for women's suffrage throughout her life. In 1900, she convinced the University of Rochester to admit women.
Long past her death on March 13, 1906, Susan's
legacy lived on. Women finally gained the
right to vote in 1920 with the nineteenth
amendment, also known as the Susan B. Anthony
Amendment. She became the first
non-allegorical woman to appear on U.S. money
when the Susan B. Anthony dollar was first
minted in 1979.
For more, click here.
Bi-Partisan Coalition Introduces
International Violence Against Women Act
February 5, 2010
On Thursday a group of congressional representatives introduced an international version of VAWA. If passed, it would aim to curb the amount of violence against women and girls that occurs world-wide. According to Ritu Sharma, President of Women Thrive Worldwide (one of the non-profits that worked for introduction of the bill), I-VAWA would curb violence "through all relevant U.S. foreign policy efforts, including its international assistance programs. It would support local efforts in up to 20 countries, supporting emergency assistance like shelters, public awareness and health campaigns; education, training and economic empowerment programs for women, as well as legal reforms. It also makes the issue a diplomatic priority for the first time, asking the U.S. to respond within three months to horrific acts of violence against women and girls committed during conflict and war, for example, the rape and abuse of millions over the last several years in the Congo."
The bi-partisan coalition introducing the bill included Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and John Kerry (D-MA) as well as Reps. Delahunt and Ted Poe (R-TX). Although an I-VAWA has been introduced in the past (by Vice President Biden in 2007), it has never been passed.
According to Amnesty International (one of the bill's key drafters), "one out of every three women worldwide will be physically or sexually abused during her lifetime with rates reaching 70 percent in some countries."
Additional news & information:
Click
here.