Politics

All about women and politics

Heroine of the Week: Australian PM Julia Gillard

October 10, 2012
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Heroine of the Week: Australian PM Julia Gillard

This week’s Heroine of the Week is Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard who called out her colleague for sexism and misogyny. Her blistering speech is a must-watch. The best part of Gillard’s comments is that she delivered them in person. We applaud her for tackling the issue in a face-to-face setting instead of a media interview or a prepared statement. Some background on Gillard’s speech: The Leader of the Opposition coalition Tony Abbott, called for a vote to remove the Speaker of the House Peter Slipper, for sexist texts messages Slipper sent. Gillard condemned Slipper’s behavior but blocked the vote because she said Abbot’s motion was hypocritial. “I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man,” said Gillard who cited several examples of Abbott’s past statements she classified as sexist. One was a comment Abbot made while discussing some legislation, “what the housewives of Australia need to understand as they do the ironing…” Slipper has since resigned. Gillard has vowed to continue calling out sexism. And one of her opponents has accused Gillard of ”using gender as a shield against any criticism of her performance, her honesty, her competence. ” For more background on identifying unfair treatment of female [...]

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Take Action Tuesday: Register to Vote

October 9, 2012
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Take Action Tuesday: Register to Vote

There is still time to register to vote in the election on November 6. Let your voice be heard. Let Washington know women are watching and listening and that we vote. And if you’re already registered, check with your friends and neighbors and share the below link. Go to Register to Vote for state by state information on voting requirements and deadlines. Related articles You and four friends: NOW is the time to help make sure everyone’s registered! It’s National Voter Registration Day – Are You Ready? Four Reasons YOU Should Register to Vote

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Another Sex Discrimination Suit for Walmart

October 3, 2012
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Another Sex Discrimination Suit for Walmart

Three women sued Walmart yesterday for gender discrimination. The suit, Phipps v. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., claims Walmart paid women less than men in comparable jobs and blocked promotions for women. It has been filed on behalf of female employees in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee and seeks back pay and punitive damages. According to a press release from the plaintiffs’ lawyers, one of the women who filed the suit was mistakenly handed a male coworker’s paycheck and learned he was earning thousands of dollars more per year even though he had less experience than her. She says she was also told by a store manager that men needed to earn more because they raised families. The press release points out Phipps v. Wal-Mart is the third regional discrimination case filed against Wal-Mart since Walmart v. Dukes, the Supreme Court case last June that “reversed a lower court ruling on a national class action against the retailer and issued new guidelines for class actions and Title VII Civil Rights Act employment discrimination cases.” The Supreme Court case was sparked by Betty Dukes, a 60 year old store greeter, and claimed women at Walmart were paid less than men, had fewer opportunities for [...]

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For Working Mom, the Wage Gap is Personal

September 16, 2012
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For Working Mom, the Wage Gap is Personal

  Data from the U.S. Census released this week revealed the sobering fact the gender wage gap is not closing; the 2011 data is not statistically different from the 2010 data. Last year, the median earnings of women who worked full time, year-round was 77 percent of that for men working full time, year-round. That gap translates into approximately $10,000 less per year in median earnings. For women of color, the gap is even larger. On top of the gender-based gap, women’s wages are threatened by the “mommy penalty.” A report published by The University of Chicago Press highlights two studies which “find that employed mothers in the United States suffer a per-child wage penalty of approximately 5%, on average, after controlling for the usual human capital and occupational factors that affect wages,” and additional research that shows, “for those under the age of 35, the pay gap between mothers and non-mothers is larger than the pay gap between men and women.” Considering the fact more than half of American women who work are breadwinners contributing at least some part of the necessary income to maintain their households, the gap is quite disconcerting. And for me, a primary and sole [...]

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The Hello Ladies Guide to Sexism in Politics (revisited)

September 12, 2012
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The Hello Ladies Guide to Sexism in Politics (revisited)

Clearly it’s time to revisit The Hello Ladies Guide to Sexism in Politics. In recent weeks: Reporters at the Chicago Sun Times, in reporting a story about whether or not Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan would run for governor, wrote, “Madigan and her husband, Pat Byrnes, have two young children, ages 7 and 4. She was asked whether she could serve as governor and still raise her kids the way she wants to.” Eric Golub, a writer for the Washington Times Communitites section wrote following the Democratic National Convention, “Sandra Fluke and Elizabeth Warren gave shrill, angry, hysterical speeches that validate every negative stereotype about women. They began their speeches enraged and ended somewhere between conniption and apoplectic.” Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman John Walsh referencing one of Senator Scott Brown’s campaign ads said, “ He spent a couple million dollars folding towels on TV to prove he’s an honorary girl.” So in an effort to help easily identify and respond to unfair treatment of female politicians, here again is “The Hello Ladies Guide to Sexism in Politics.” Overt sexism: In this category we have the outrageous remarks that make you scream, “How does this person (insert name of person who spoke or wrote the sexist [...]

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Meet the 17 Women Running for U.S. Senate

September 6, 2012
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Meet the 17 Women Running for U.S. Senate

This could be a big election year for women. Seventeen women are running for seats in the U.S. Senate. Currently only 17 of the 100 Senators are women and two are retiring: Olympia Snowe of Maine and Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas. Six women are up for reelection and five states have an opportunity to elect their first ever women Senator: Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nevada and Wisconsin. View this SkinnyScoop List

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DNC Women Deliver

September 5, 2012
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The female speakers on the first night of the Democratic National Convention delivered impassioned speeches illustrating how the party’s policies affect women. From NARAL’s Nancy Keenan’s fiery speech about reproductive rights, to First Lady Michelle Obama’s personal and moving tribute to the President, the convention featured an impressive lineup of women who had specific relevant, messages for women. It was a sharp contrast to the GOP’s softer “salute” to moms. Read "Women of the dnc" by Hello Ladies at Britely!

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The GOPs Mixed Message for Mom

September 2, 2012
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The GOPs Mixed Message for Mom

The Republican National Convention concluded earlier this week after Mitt Romney accepted his party’s nomination and not before Republicans made a desperate attempt to court women voters. The convention featured an impressive lineup of female speakers including former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez and of course, Ann Romney who talked about mothers saying, “You are the best of America. You are the hope of America. Tonight we salute you and sing your praises.” Romney himself mentioned the word “mom” at least ten times in his acceptance speech. But speeches and theatrics can’t overcome GOP policies that are decidedly not female-friendly. Remarkably, we find ourselves agreeing with something New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said in an interview with CBS. Christie told Charlie Rose, “I think it’s condescending to women to say we have to have a different message for women than we have for men.”  We do too. It’s not about saying “mom” a lot. It’s about the policies. Take Ann Romney’s message, which was was more patronizing than condescending. She told us “women sigh more than men,” and “mothers work a little harder.” She told us her husband makes her [...]

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Ignorant (Would Be) Legislator of the Week: Tom Smith

August 28, 2012
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Ignorant (Would Be) Legislator of the Week: Tom Smith

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tom Smith caused a post-Akin uproar yesterday when he compared pregnancy outside of wedlock to rape. When asked at a Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon about Congressman Todd Akin’s “legitimate rape” comments, Smith said, “I lived something similar to that with my own family.” Asked by a reporter what that situation was, he said his daughter had gotten pregnant out of wedlock. According to news reports, Smith was asked if he thought having a baby out of wedlock was similar to rape and he at first said no and then kept talking,  ”No, no, no, but put yourself in a father’s position, yes. It is similar.” Smith, who built and sold a coal mining business in Pennsylvania, is running against Democratic Sen. Bob Casey on November 6. According to his campaign website, he is “pro-life, period” and will “work in the United States Senate to protect our most vulnerable citizens.” No, not victims of violent, sexual assault. Fertilized eggs. Related articles Having a Baby Out of Wedlock Kind of Like Getting Pregnant from Rape, Says Senate Candidate [Rape Rape] Pennsylvania Senate candidate Tom Smith: Sex out of wedlock ‘similar to’ rape The GOP War on Women Continues….Pennsylvania Edition

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Todd Akin Revisited

August 21, 2012
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Todd Akin Revisited

  Congressman Todd Akin continues to dominate the news cycle following his comments on a St. Louis television program about rape and abortion. When asked about abortion exemptions for pregnancies resulting from rape Akin said, “It seems to me first of all from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” Here’s a quick roundup of reactions. Over at Salon Joan Walsh wrote Akin a thank you note for exposing his party’s misogyny. Wrote Walsh, “Of course, the far right will keep trying to get its laws into our lady parts. The battle is far from over. But it’s clear Akin crossed a line, and once again reminded women how far right Republicans hone. ” Walsh also appeared on MSNBC’s “NOW along with actress Gabrielle Union. They discussed the importance of women advocating for women’s rights, and the need for access to affordable women’s health care. Union, a rape survivor, said Akin’s comments told rape survivors, “Your experience is not valid.” Walsh added that Republicans, “Play on people’s fear about the independence of women.” You can watch the clip here. President Obama held a press conference yesterday [...]

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