Monthly Archives: January 2010

Pay Attention to Mass Senate Race

January 13, 2010

Ladies, it’s time to pay attention to the special election in Massachusetts to fill Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat, no matter where you live. When voters go to the polls next week, January 19, women everywhere stand to either gain or lose a lot.

Democratic nominee and Attorney General Martha Coakley is running against Republican nominee and State Senator Scott Brown. There is a third candidate in the race, Independent Joe Kennedy (no relation to the late Senator), but he is not considered a contender.

Until recently no one really thought Brown was a contender either. How could the Commonwealth let “The Kennedy Seat” go to a Republican? Plus, Massachusetts has not elected a Republican senator since 1972.* As a result, the race has been rather dull and garnered very little attention outside the Commonwealth.

And then the Senate passed its version of the healthcare bill and suddenly, things got interesting. Conservative interest groups, fueled by a desire to elect Brown as the 41^st vote against the bill, started pouring money and volunteers into the race. The American Future Fund, a group whose members are believed to be behind the Swift Boat ad and the Willie Horton ad that hurt John Kerry and Michael Dukakis’ presidential campaigns, launched a $400,000 attack ad against Coakley. Twitter users started flooding the social media site with pro-Brown tweets, many that reference the Tea Party. Brown even raised $1 million dollars in just 24 hours. And now, polls show the race is very close.

Brown’s million dollars came from across the country because right-wing conservatives want to help support and protect their interests. Women, concerned with protecting their rights, should get involved now too.

Here’s what at stake:

Healthcare: The healthcare bill, while certainly imperfect, removes gender-biased practices and stops insurance companies from denying coverage based on preexisting conditions like rape and domestic violence. In Massachusetts, Brown filed legislation designed to ease regulations on insurance companies. Under his bill, companies may not be required to cover certain medical services including mammograms and cancer screenings.

Reproductive Rights: Coakley has a long history of supporting a woman’s right to choose and control her own body. She has the support of NARAL and Emily’s List. Pro-choice advocates are disappointed that Coakley supports the Senate healthcare bill which includes restriction on abortion. But her opponent’s record on reproductive rights is more disconcerting. He is backed by Massachusetts Citizens for Life. He co-sponsored the Women’s Right to Know Act, which would require a woman to wait 24 hours before having an abortion and view an ultrasound of their fetus. While Brown does say he supports Roe v. Wade, his campaign website reads, “I believe government has the responsibility to regulate in this area…”

Support for rape victims: Brown sponsored legislation that would allow healthcare workers to turn away rape victims from emergency rooms if they objected to providing those victims with emergency contraception.

Equal representation: Women represent 51 percent of the population but only 17 percent of the legislation. Until a group reaches critical mass, at least 30 percent representation in leadership, they are viewed and evaluated as “special interest” rather than representative. Every competent, qualified women we elect, brings us one step closer to critical mass. And, as we’ve written before,

“Women legislators bring much needed attention to so-called women’s issues such as childcare, elder care, fair workplace policies and healthcare. They serve as role models for young girls and increase women’s overall participation in government and civic issues. And women politicians work hard. According to a study from the University of Chicago and Stanford University, women in Congress, on average, introduce more bills and secure more money for their districts than their male counterparts do.”

No candidate is ever perfect ladies. But if we are going to work together to support our interests, we must remove the phrase, “I want to vote for a woman, but…” from our vocabulary and take action.

Here is what you can do:

Donate: Link here to make a donation.

Volunteer: Make calls to voters and help get the message out.

Vote: If you live in Massachusetts, get out and vote on Tuesday, January 19.

Support other qualified women candidates.

*Massachusetts has never sent a woman to the Senate.

Nation Focuses on Mass Senate Race

January 11, 2010

By Hello Ladies

In the last week, the once sleepy Massachusetts Senate Race has heated up. Republican Scott Brown’s campaign has been bolstered by tighter than expected polls and support from out-of-state conservative groups. The election is viewed as a barometer for what’s to come later this year and just how much support President Obama does or does not have for healthcare reform and other policies.

For an overview of what’s happening on the ground, read this update on Care2.com. Tomorrow, we will discuss what’s at stake for women in this race.

More Attention Needed on PreNatal Health

January 8, 2010

By Hello Ladies

Yesterday Zach Krajacic wrote in The Christian Science Monitor, “Imagine how many lives could be saved by passing a law that requires abortion providers to show mothers considering an abortion an ultrasound video of the procedure before they are allowed to perform the abortion.” His reasoning, “Upon seeing what happens during an abortion, many women might choose to have their baby rather than go through with the abortion.”

His thinking is so flawed says the woman who walked out of childbirth class when they showed the videos. I was happy to learn some breathing techniques but there was no way I was going to watch a birth on film. If I had been forced to see what happens during childbirth, I might have chosen to keep the kids in there. By the way, I would skip a life-saving organ transplant too if you made me watch a video of the operation first. How would a video preview affect Krajacic’s feelings about his annual regular prostrate exam or colonoscopy?

Krajacic infers that because so many pro-choice people also claim to be anti-abortion, then of course they would get on board with this brilliant way to reduce the number of abortions that take place. He writes, “If pro-choice advocates are sincere with their words, wouldn’t they be happy to see fewer women choosing to have abortions as a result of technology’s ability to help ensure a fully-informed conscience?”

According to RH Reality Check, “Eleven states are considering bills that would make ultrasounds mandatory for women seeking abortions. I would have been happy to have ultrasound technology available to me when I was pregnant after a miscarriage and terrified I would lose another baby. But my insurance company wouldn’t pay for it.

Too bad men like Krajacic couldn’t spend more time worrying about how technology could positively affect issues like prenatal health, or high infant mortality rates, or the racial gap in premature births. But life isn’t really the issue here, is it?

The Op-Ed Project

January 7, 2010

By Hello Ladies

MediaBistro is reporting Dana Milbank will become the Washington Post’s newest Sunday Op-Ed columnist. Milbank, you may know, is infamous for his “Mouthpiece Theatre” sketch about the Obama beer summit following an incident with Harvard professor Henry Gates and Cambridge, Mass. police last summer. The Washington Post pulled the video after it drew criticism from Women Action & Media, and others, for suggesting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would drink “Mad Bitch” beer. They also killed the theatre video series.

In a Post story about the episode, Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli said it was “a serious lapse. . . . . It’s really beneath us and not something we should engage in.”

I find it disappointing, but not surprising, that Milbank has been granted a space on the highly coveted Sunday op-ed page. The opinion pages are dominated by men. From The Op-Ed Project website:

“The op-ed pages of our nation’s newspapers are overwhelmingly dominated—80% or more—by men. Because the op-ed pages feed all other media, the under-representation of women here perpetuates and exaggerates the under-representation of women in larger ways. For example, men are:

• 84% of guests on influential Sunday morning political talk shows on TV

• 85% of nonfiction books on The New York Times best-selling

• 85-90% of radio producers

In short, public debate all but excludes half the population.”

The Op-Ed Project is a fantastic program dedicated to expanding the number of women contributors to the opinion pages. The women-only “Write to Change the World” seminars are accessible, affordable and effective. Check them out. You may not think you’re an “expert” in anything. But you’ll be surprised what you discover in these seminars.

Another great organization “dedicated to increasing the supply of commentary by women and their participation in the media” is the National Women’s Editorial Forum.

Ladies, we need to raise our voices. So-called public opinion isn’t so public. It’s mostly male opinion.

If the Shoe Fits

January 6, 2010

By Hello Ladies

In a January 2 interview on NPR, the fabulous Simon Doonan, creative director of Barneys New York, talked about woman’s fashion during the last decade. His take: the last ten years was a masochistic period for fashion. His examples, “shoes became ridiculously high and very painful to wear” and women thinking “legs never long enough, boobs never big enough, faces never Botox enough.”

What do you think? Are you wearing higher heels? Or are you still trying to rock the Croc?*

When you look at these shoes do you think fashion forward or iron maiden?

What about these boots? Dominatrix or dominated?

Ironic isn’t it, or maybe just plain hypocritical, that Barney’s sells all of these shoes. They also sell 17 so called beauty treatments that contain hyaluronic acid. From Wikipedia:

Hyaluronan (also called hyaluronic acid or hyaluronate) is an anionic, non-sulfated glycosaminoglycan distributed widely throughout connective, epithelial, and neural tissues. … One of the chief components of the extracellular matrix, hyaluronan contributes significantly to cell proliferation and migration, and may also be involved in the progression of some malignant tumors. T… Hyaluronic acid is also a component of the group A streptococcal extracellular capsule,[3] and is believed to play a role in virulence.[4][5]

Does that sound like skin care to you or skin hate?

Now I’m not trying to trash Barneys. I love Barneys. And God knows, I am a fool to take on Doonan. After all, after one blogger criticized his work, Doonan responded in the New York Observer saying, “… I see now that there are two kinds of people in the world: In the first group, we have those who “do,” and in the second group, we have those who sit at their computers on their ever-widening asses blogging, platforming and commenting on the not-always-perfect efforts of the first group.”

But I am just so tired of fashion insiders lamenting the state of the industry. If they don’t like the anorexic models, the unattainable standards and the ridiculous products, they are in a better position to change things than their customers are. Yes we can vote with our (designer) wallets but if the stores don’t gives us a reasonable selection. What are we supposed to wear?

*Oh and btw, ladies, you can never rock the Croc. Never

Steakhouse Settles Sex Discrimination Suit

January 5, 2010

By Hello Ladies

restaurant

Why couldn’t it have been the Ninety Nine? Every summer while on vacation, my husband and I go out to dinner with another couple. Every year I offer a long list of suggestions – waterfront restaurants where the food is marginal and overpriced but the setting is beautiful. And every year, we eat at the Ninety Nine, a chain restaurant with the ambience of a carboard box. “It’s a great value,” the men tell me.

So when I heard that a major steakhouse chain paid out $19 million to settle a sex discrimination class lawsuit, I hoped it was the Ninety Nine. Perhaps I could change our annual outing on moral grounds. But alas, it was Outback Steakhouse, a place I never frequent anywhere.

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Outback denied women equal opportunities for advancement. Women could not get promoted to the higher-level profit-sharing management positions in the restaurants. Also, the EEOC claimed women were denied access to the jobs that would put them in line for management positions.

This is not the first sex discrimination suit for Outback. In 2001, a jury awarded $2.2 million to a female employee who was paid less than a male coworker performing the same job. Across the board, the number of sex discrimination claims or “receipts” filed with the EEOC rose from 24,826 in 2007 to 28,372 in 2008. (Of the 2008 claims, 56.9 percent were determined to have no reasonable cause.)

A December 30 article in the Economist claims, “We Did It! The rich world’s quiet revolution: women are gradually taking over the workplace.” In numbers yes, but not in influence and earning power. We know that the number of female directors and executives in the top public companies remained flat or declined in recent years. We know the wage gap has widened. When women are denied access to higher paying jobs, like the women at Outback allegedly were, it is harder for them to earn top salaries. We know that pregnancy discrimination still exists –the EEOC received 6,285 charges of pregnancy-based discrimination in 2008.

Many think overt cases of sexism are on the decline. It’s hard to measure. But micro inequities and hidden barriers in the workplace are still affecting women’s advancement. And these more subtle forms of discrimination can be harder to address. While we can’t control the behaviors of others, we can do everything in our own power to reach true equality at work. So as you plan your career strategy for 2010 remember to:

Ask for what you want. Some managers will assume because you are a woman and/or a mother, you may not be interested in key assignments. Make sure your boss knows your career goals.

Watch the double standard. Sad but true, it still exists. Act too strong, risk being labeled a bitch. Not tough enough, you’re a wimp. Know it exists and balance the risk/reward when taking action at work.

Hone your negotiation skills. Poor negotiating skills are often cited as one of the reasons women earn less than men. Build your skills so you can be a strong advocate for yourself.

Stay positive. Discrimination, both subtle and overt, can affect your confidence and esteem. Try to remain focused on your long term goals and not take the discrimination personally.

Take notes. If you are a victim of discrimination, document what is happening. If you file a claim, you will need details and dates.

Beatty Bio: Double Standard Watch

January 4, 2010

By Hello Ladies

beatty2 Happy 2010. We hope you had a fun holiday season. We did. So much fun in fact we are finding it hard to focus on the serious stuff today. So instead, we bring you news of what will surely be the next bestselling book. Next week Simon & Schuster is releasing a biography on actor Warren Beatty. Titled, “Star: How Warren Beatty Seduced America,” and written by Peter Biskind the book discusses Beatty’s influence and control in Hollywood, his political involvement, and his legendary love life.

It is, of course, his love life, that is capturing headlines today. Apparently, the book claims that Beatty, star of “Splendor in the Grass” and “Dick Tracy” slept with 12,775 women. Although, according to a story in the New York Post, biographer Biskind says this number, “does not include daytime quickies, drive-bys, casual gropings, stolen kisses and so on.” The Post reports that the biography is authorized. Beatty’s attorney, Hollywood heavyweight Bert Fields, says it is not. And Simon & Schuster describes the book in this way, “In this compulsively readable and constantly surprising book, Peter Biskind, the author of the film classics Easy Riders, Raging Bulls and Down and Dirty Pictures, writes the most intimate, revealing, and balanced biography ever of Hollywood legend Warren Beatty.”

Quite frankly, we could care less about Beatty. “Reds” was too long, “Dick Tracy” was silly and we skipped “Bulworth” and “Bugsy.” But we’ll be following this story to see if the typical Hollywood double standard plays out. Men who sleep around (at the rate of one woman per day) are “lotharios.” Women, well, we know the drill.

So far we’ve seen write-ups in People magazine: “Warren Beatty’s legendary gold crown for womanizing is about to get some added polish,” and O, The Oprah Magazine, which lists “Star” on its “10 Books to Watch For in January 2010″ with this brief description: “Sexy, sexist—and seductive. We mean Beatty and the book.”

And finally, what is it exactly about “daytime quickies, drive-bys, casual gropings, and stolen kisses” that they don’t count as sexual relations? It reminds us of something we’ve heard before.

Happy New Year

January 1, 2010

By Hello Ladies

2010 Happy New Year! We will be back on Monday with new content for the new year. In the meantime, read these New Year’s resolutions for Everywoman at Care2.com.