US: Senate Bathroom to Accomodate More Women Senators. 1st-ever openly gay Hispanic woman judge confirmed. The manly GOP.

Old Guys Rule? No. Bill Clinton says ‘Women Rule  marketwatch.com SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (MarketWatch) — OK, so “Old Guys Rule.” Today. But old guys, old thinking, old ideologies are killing the economy, killing us as a world power, dragging us back to their 19th century macho-dominated patriarchy. Time to end “Old Guys Rule.” Time to get new blood, new thinking.

How? More women. In fact, “Women Rule” the future, says Bill Clinton.

…Today, when we move from the world of surfing into the sullied world of politics, “Old Guys Rule (Very Badly)” is more accurate … in Washington where senators and representatives swear allegiance to special-interest lobbyists buying favors for narcissistic billionaires … in Corporate America with its addiction to materialism, to profits, to perpetual growth at all costs … with Wall Street CEOs, private equity and hedge fund managers making tens of millions, while average wages have stagnated under free-market excesses … where high-frequency traders make millions playing games with America’s retirement money in the shadowy $600 trillion global derivatives casino … to Pentagon generals dismissing women senators to protect rapists … to immigrants, education and universal health care getting shortchanged … the list goes on. Yes, “Old Guys Rule (Very Badly).”

Will Questioning The Status Quo Help Women? Forbes It appears to be a behind-the-scenes battle between members of the Senate, and one where the numbers of women in the chamber has had some effect. At the heart of the debate is who in the military should be responsible for deciding which assault cases …

Senate Women’s Bathroom Grows to Accomodate More Women Senators The Mary Sue We reported on the line for the women’s bathroom in the Senate last November after the election, but soon that line will be relieved (as will the Senators), because the women’s bathroom in the Senate is due to be expanded to accomodate more ladies in the Senate than ever before.

As much as we must lampshade the ridiculousness of twenty women being a “hallmark” number of politicians (only 1/5 of the Senate representing the gender identity of over half of the nation’s population),  this is still exciting. A bathroom may seem small, but the fact that the infrastructure of the Senate building is being altered to accomodate increased numbers of women says a lot about the way in which more women are getting into politics at the highest levels of government. They are being acknowledged physically– and that says a lot about increasing mental acknowledgement, too.

Image from msnbctv.com

‘A sign of the progress we’re making’: Lady lawmakers to get bathroom … Daily Mail Forget about demolishing that glass ceiling — women in the Senate are finally getting a much-needed update to their bathroom. Female senators have been forced to share a two-stall facility for 20 years, causing lines and headaches. But now that the …

Women of Senate Vow to Continue Fight Against Military Sexual Assault Ms. Magazine Various women in the Senate have vowed to continue the fight against military sexual assault despite Senator Carl Levin’s announcement Tuesday that he would be removing a provision in the defense spending bill that would take sexually violent cases out …

Massachusetts Senate race: Can Republican Gomez … – Yahoo! News Massachusetts Senate race: Can Republican Gomez win over more women voters? Massachusetts Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez faces a gender gap, …

Phila. judge confirmed by US Senate is first-ever openly gay Hispanic female …  The Pennsylvania Record …After the federal legislators cast their voice votes, Quinones Alejandro became known the country over as the first openly gay Hispanic woman ever confirmed to the federal judiciary. The soon-to-be-former Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge was one of three of President Obama’s nominees confirmed this week to open seats on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the other being Berks County Common Pleas Court President Judge Jeffrey Schmehl and U.S. Magistrate Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo.

Home » At TMV » Chisholm First Black Woman In Congress And To Be …  The Moderate Voice For African-Americans and for women, Shirley Chisholm was a true trail blazer. Not only was she the first African-American woman to serve in the House of Representatives, but she in 1972 became the first black Presidential candidate to have her name …

Republicans Pick Female Lawmaker to Manage Abortion Bill Bloomberg The Judiciary Committee’s 20-12 vote to approve the bill “provides the Democrats with an abundance of message opportunities to solidify their very strong position with female voters,” Ross Baker, a political science professor at Rutgers University in…

Dana Milbank: The manly GOP York Daily Record 

WASHINGTON — Ladies and gentlemen, Republicans are again voting on new abortion restrictions. Cue their theme song:

“Men men men men, manly men men men!”

“Men men men men, manly men men men!”

The House Judiciary Committee gathered Wednesday to pass another anti-abortion bill, and the nameplates on the majority side told the story:

Mr. Goodlatte.

Mr. Sensenbrenner.

Mr. Coble.

Mr. Smith.

Mr. Chabot.

Mr. Bachus.

Mr. Issa.

Mr. Forbes.

Mr. King.

Mr. Franks.

In all, the nameplates of 23 misters lined both rows on the GOP side; there isn’t one Republican woman on the panel. The guys muscled through a bill that, should it become law, would upend Roe v. Wade by effectively banning all abortions after 20 weeks.

Man Up! Men Urged to End Abortion’s War on Women Christian Broadcasting Network Now some men say it’s time for males to step up and put an end to these things, to end this war on women. Paul Cole leads the Christian Men’s Network, which specializes in mentoring men. He says many abortions happen because of men who refuse to step …

Clinton: Opportunities for women ‘great unfinished … Video on NBCNews.com: Former Secretary of State  Hillary Clinton talks about the need to …

GOP’s women problems continue  Video on NBCNews.com: As Republicans pursue more restrictive abortion legislation …

When women bring home the bacon, they should get a full slice, Obama says San Antonio Business Journal Specifically, he called on Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would limit employers’ defenses for wage disparities between men and women, subject them to possible compensatory or punitive damages, and make it easier to pursue …

Equal Pay Act’s 50th Anniversary Brings Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand And Marie … Huffington Post  Gillibrand also argued that having more women in Congress would force our legislative branch to take the issue of equal pay more seriously. “One of the reasons I’ve been fighting so much for more women in Congress is this is something they believe…

 

AU: The Gender Wars Down Under. What’s a woman PM to do? Gillard, Thatcher and the politics of being a woman.

Steve Marshall: ‘Don’t judge Australia by its politics’ TVNZ … BBC correspondent Nick Bryant responded “don’t judge Australia by its politics”. The quote’s ringing in my ears after a less than admirable week that’s seen Australia’s political landscape dominated by gender wars and sexist menus rather than good …

Julia Gillard: Liberal Party dinner menu ‘grossly sexist’

The “gender wars” down under Telegraph.co.uk Political reporters, who have seen some highly grubby antics in their time, declared it one of the lowest moments in the history of Australian politics. Then came the news that more than 100 members of the Australian defence force had been caught …

Political gender wars SBS But while some might think the gender wars have cast a low light on Julia Gillard’s political career, Australian correspondent for The New York Times, Matt Siegel said she will be remembered for how she approached gender issues. “I think the misogyny …

Women targeted Tasmania Examiner Women targeted. June 17, 2013, 10:24 a.m.. I FEEL compelled to respond to Larry Digney’s rant (Letters, June 14) about Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s speech on women’s issues. I can’t help but wonder if he still holds the same views after the events of …

What’s a woman PM to do? Sydney Morning Herald I simply don’t understand all the fuss about Julia Gillard talking about a women’s issue (abortion) to a group of women (“PM’s cynical ploy fails to win voters”, June 17). It would have been more surprising and inappropriate if she’d discussed problems …

 

 

Abbott, sexism debate fires up Gillard The Australian One issue that brings together Gillard’s personal motivation and a potential rallying point for Labor is sexism, due concerns in some quarters about Abbott’s stance on women’s issues. So this week represented something of a perfect storm for Gillard …

Gillard, identity and the limits of political discourse The Conversation The legitimacy of gender as personal and political issue in the coming election is less natural. Should misogyny and unbecoming comments be discussed in public or around the kitchen table among friends? Certainly. How about as an issue central to an …

Gillard, Thatcher and the politics of being a woman Women’s Agenda The denigration of the first female Australian prime minister on the basis of her gender echoes that endured by the first female prime minister of Great Britain. While Julia Gillard has suffered the juvenile attacks of men from the political right …

Poll shows ‘gender war’ backfires for PM Sky News Australia The poll suggests that Ms Gillard’s lament that the abortion issue would be a plaything of male politicians under a Coalition government, did not resonate with men. Ms Gillard’s standing as the preferred prime minister also headed south giving her her …

Women attack PM on gender The Australian GREENS leader Christine Milne and deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop have warned against Julia Gillard’s revival of gender politics, calling it an unfair attempt to silence legitimate criticism of her government. Key independent MP Andrew Wilkie …

 

 

Gender war backfires as men ditch Australia PM New Straits Times SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s attempt to marginalise the opposition by claiming it would change abortion rights and sideline women has backfired with a poll Monday showing male voters are deserting her. Gillard, the country’s first …

Australian men desert Julia Gillard The Times (subscription) Australian male voters have deserted the ruling Labor party, bringing support both for the party and for Julia Gillard, the prime minister, collapsing to devastating lows and making the position of the beleaguered PM even more tenuous. Polls published …

Nielsen poll puts Labor’s primary vote below 30 per cent as MPs gather for …  ABC Online The shift in voter sentiment is beyond the poll’s margin of error, and is most noticeable among male voters, where there has been a 7 per cent drop in support for Labor. The poll’s publication comes as Labor grapples with obvious leadership tensions …

Male support for PM crashes Sydney Morning Herald Julia Gillard’s controversial attempt to rescue Labor by claiming Tony Abbott would marginalise women and change abortion rights has backfired, with support among male voters collapsing. In a finding certain to ratchet up pressure on the Prime Minister …

Australia Labor Party Snubbed by Male Voters, Coalition Scores – Nielsen Poll International Business Times AU Mr. Stirton explained the specifics, “We’ve got Labor’s primary vote down seven points amongst men, but up one amongst women. We’ve got Labor’s two-party preferred vote down 10 amongst men, p two amongst women, and approval of Julia Gillard down …

Gillard slips further in polls Business Spectator Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s support has deteriorated further in the latest, led by a sharp decline in the support of male voters. The Fairfax Media/Neilsen poll released today shows Labor’s support continues to slide, led entirely by a seven per …

A PM’s clumsy gender war The Sunday Dispatch Gillard described the election as “a decision about whether, once again, we banish women’s voices from our political life”. Voters looking for facts to substantiate this assertion will search in vain. Labor cannot win re-election by mounting a case …

Male voters desert PM – The Age A controversial attempt to rescue Labor’s election prospects by claiming Tony Abbott would …

Bill Shorten’s wife Chloe is president of the board of Women for Gillard. AAP … The Conversation Julia Gillard’s pitch last week to female voters has backfired dramatically, with Labor’s primary vote in today’s Nielsen poll falling 3 points to 29% while support among men has plunged 7 points. With the leadership crisis consuming the party as MPs …

Gay Jibe Sparks Gillard Worry Women Will Shy From Public Life Businessweek The fallout capped a week in which gender and sex dominated the political agenda three months from an election that opinion polls indicate Gillard’s Labor party will lose in a landslide. The nation’s first female prime minister thrust gender into the …

Mr Abbott, don’t let gender-obsessed, post-60s feminists distract you The Australian POLITICS really does imitate art. At the moment we are trapped in one of those almost comically off-putting modern productions of Gotterdammerung. No pyrotechnics or exploding Valhallas, just a dreary postmodernist men and women in suits thing with …

Buttrose calls for calm in gender war Herald Sun Reflecting on this week’s so-called gender war, Ms Buttrose said Australians want to see politicians get back to pressing issues like the economy, education and refugees perishing at sea. “I don’t think women’s voices are going to disappear from …

Show respect: gender issue turning politics into sideshow Brisbane Times Deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop has branded the Prime Minister’s latest declaration on anti-women comments a false gender war (”PM fires up at bad-taste politics”, June13). Ms Bishop should reflect on the use of the term gender war. The frequent…

Leave abortion out of politics The Australian Wisely, NSW Labor MPs Ed Husic and Stephen Jones questioned the merit of injecting the abortion issue into the political fray. Leading feminists have also questioned Ms Gillard’s decision to again play the gender card. It is regrettable she has decided …

Australian women told to beware tide of ‘blue ties’  Winnipeg Free Press Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard played the gender card this week, warning women that “blue tie” misogynists will push women from power if she is defeated as expected in the Sept. 14 election. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, whom Gillard has attempted to portray as an unreconstructed 1950s misogynist, would oversee a government “dominated by men in blue ties,” she said.

THE AUSTRALIAN: Gillard’s clumsy gender war BDlive Before an enthusiastic audience of Labour women on Tuesday, Gillard launched Women for Gillard — a fundraising vehicle seeking to exploit her attempt to manipulate a gender divide in the community. Yet the poorly scripted speech confirms how detached …

Women voters deserve more than the ‘A’ word On Line opinion The so-called ‘gender-war’ headlining the Australian political stage at the moment is embarrassing. Both major parties have fallen short in respecting the dignity of women, as well as men, and it appears that the most effective way to win votes in …

Labor campaign loses way, thanks to Gillard WA today If Mr Abbott has a ”problem” with female voters, Ms Gillard has a problem with male voters and she just made it worse – even some male Labor MPs were annoyed. Other MPs just despaired at her poor timing and judgment. Speculation is growing that Kevin …

No shame in Gillard using her strengths Perth Now Which is why the hysterical reaction – and make no mistake, it has been nothing short of hysterical – to the launch of Women for Gillard has been entirely unsurprising. Right on cue Gillard’s unapologetic attempt to woo female voters was shrilly …

 

Australia: Garrett backs Julia Gillard as she reignites gender war. Gender a legitimate issue, Gillard says.

Julia Gillard v Tony Abbott on women, where they really stand in new “gender … Adelaide Now JULIA Gillard and Tony Abbott each claim the moral high ground on women’s issues, but in reality they are not so far apart after all. Analysis of their stated positions reveals that while the Prime Minister was hoping to gain political ground by firing …

Mia Freedman and Janet Albrechtsen discuss politics of gender ABC Online JANET ALBRECHTSEN, COLUMNIST, THE AUSTRALIAN: I don’t think he should be disendorsed I think if he was there should be a lot of politicians who should be disendorsed for their offensive remarks. I think the fact that it’s sexist is of course offensive …

‘There will be ways I’m criticised that haven’t happened in the past because I’m the first woman to do this job,’ Prime Minister Julia Gillard told a fund-raiser in Perth. ‘There will be issues I focus on because I’m the first woman to do this job.’ Photo: Bloomberg

 

Gender a legitimate issue, Gillard says The Australian Financial Review Prime Minister Julia Gillard has defended her renewed focus on so-called “gender politics” at a fund-raiser held in Fremantle, one of the last remaining Labor strongholds in Western Australia. Ms Gillard told the $125-$250 a head event on Wednesday …

Julia Gillard is right. Women’s body parts are not for public consumption The Guardian … is precisely how we treat women”’. Photograph: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters. Imagine, just for a moment, raising a piece of pink steak into your mouth at a fancy fundraising dinner. Now, while you’re there, imagine that oozing gristle as David Cameron’s …

Women ‘banished’ under Abbott: Gillard The Australian Financial Review Prime Minister Julia Gillard has re-ignited the gender debate to pull more votes from female supporters, warning that women will be “banished from political life” if Tony Abbott wins the September election. “We didn’t discover ‘women’s issues’ in a …

Gillard’s gender debate divisive: Abbott SBS “The last thing I think any political leader should be doing is trying to divide Australians on the basis of class, gender or where people were born,” he told reporters on the Gold Coast on Wednesday. Mr Abbott was making his first response to comments …

Peter Garrett backs Julia Gillard as she reignites gender war NEWS.com.au And deputy Liberal Leader Julie Bishop has accused Ms Gillard of “confecting false gender wars”. But Peter Garrett backed the Prime Minister’s speech yesterday to a women’s political group in which she said abortion would become the “political …

Eva Cox: Gillard’s appeal for women’s vote a distraction from the bigger issues Women’s Agenda Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s appeal for women to vote for Labor — most notably through the Women for Gillard group, launched yesterday — is a rather desperate attempt to exploit the gender tensions that exist in our society. Her misogyny speech …

Why the PM may have actually destroyed her chances with women Women’s Agenda If I choose to vote for  Labor in the Federal election it won’t be because the leader is a woman. If Labor switches leaders but policies remain the same then there is every chance that my voting intention will remain the same. Do I find the Liberals …

Gillard abortion debate worries MPs BigPond News Labor MPs have questioned Julia Gillard’s bid to capture female votes by raising the issue of abortion. Behind closed doors on Tuesday, the prime minister told a Women For Gillard gathering that a Tony Abbott-led coalition government would marginalise …

Desperate PM rolls the tie die The Daily Telegraph Gillard’s campaign to attract female votes by ridiculing men and fanning the abortion panic only serves to further alienate male voters and disillusion women smart enough to realise that men – and blue ties – are not the enemy. Increase Text Size …

Opposition apologises to Austrlian woman PM after serving up ‘Julia Gillard … Daily Mail Details of the menu at a fundraising event in Brisbane were revealed after Miss Gillard’s warning that if her Labour Party lost the general election in September, the incoming Liberals would be ‘dominated by men in blue ties’ and women would be given …

Australian PM sorry for sexist Gillard menu News24 “On that day, 14 September, we are going to make a big decision as a nation,” she told the launch of Labour group “Women for Gillard”. “It’s a decision about whether, once again, we will banish women’s voice from the core of our political life. “We don …

Some women win while others lose Sydney Morning Herald Women have made some gains under the past six years of Labor government rule but many have gone backwards, say gender equality experts. Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s attempt to put gender in the spotlight of her election campaign has raised questions …

Julia Gillard’s clumsy and manipulative gender war The Australian (blog) Eva Cox said it was a shallow attempt to appeal to female voters. Jane Caro said it was clumsy and manipulative. It made her, and other feminists, feel uneasy. If several of the most prominent feminists regarded the speech as an act of desperation that …

Julia Gillard warned on return to misogyny tactics The Australian The gap between male and female voters was a relatively small eight percentage points, with the sexes dividing 35 per cent to 43 per cent. However, a chasm could be seen in the response of supporters of the different political parties. Sixty-six per …

Policy before gender: PM clutching at straws Central Western Daily  NSW Business Chamber director Ellie Brown said it was unlikely women would be worse off under a Coalition government and there were just as many female voters as male. Suggestions a government fronted by Tony Abbott would roll back abortion laws …

 

UK: Nick Clegg: Liberal Democrats have let women down. Germany: Labour minister proud of Merkel’s legacy

The shaming of Nick Clegg: Deputy PM humiliated as inquiry rules he failed … Daily Mail The Deputy Prime Minister ‘made mistakes’ over the allegations against Lord Rennard, according to a highly critical report into attitudes to women among senior Liberal Democrats. Mr Clegg conceded that ‘women had been let down’ after the independent …

Nick Clegg: Liberal Democrats have let women down BBC News The Liberal Democrats have “let women down”, leader Nick Clegg has said, as a report following allegations of sexual impropriety by former chief executive Lord Rennard was published. The independent inquiry found Mr Clegg “should have asked more …

Nick Clegg: Liberal Democrat sexual misconduct report ‘makes sobering reading’ Telegraph.co.uk The review by Helena Morrissey, a businesswoman, found mistakes stretching back for 20 years in the way the Liberal Democrats dealt with sexual harassment allegations. She singled out Nick Clegg, and two ministers, Jo Swinson and Danny Alexander, …

Nick Clegg admits Lib Dems ‘let women down’ over ‘Lord Grope’ harassment … Mirror.co.uk Nick Clegg was rapped today for his bungled handling of the “Lord Grope” sexual harassment claims. A damning report said the women involved were failed by Mr Clegg, Danny Alexander and fellow Lib Dem MP Jo Swinson after they failed to investigate …

Lib Dem ‘failure’ over Rennard harassment claims – report Channel 4 News … Helena Morrissey to conduct an investigation into its handling of the affair. Women who worked for the Lib Dems made claims to Channel 4 News that Lord Rennard, the party’s most powerful official, had made unwanted sexual advances towards them.

Clegg: Party mistakes left women feeling let down ITV News Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg. Credit: Press Assocation. Mr Clegg said: “It shows that stretching over a 20 year period a series of mistakes were made which left a number of women feeling seriously let down and for that there is absolutely no …

Nick Clegg Should Have Ordered Inquiry Into Lord Rennard Allegations, Report …  Huffington Post UK They were made by Nick Clegg, Danny Alexander and Jo Swinson. “I think you can make a mistake and learn from them, it’s different from setting out to mislead or to do something wrong.” Four women made allegations against Lord Rennard, but Ms …

Clegg Erred by Failing to Probe Sex Allegations, Morrissey Says Businessweek U.K. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg made a mistake by not ordering an official investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct made by women in his party against a senior lawmaker, an inquiry found. Newton Investment Management Ltd. Chief …

Lib-Dems failed to investigate Lord Rennard sexual misconduct claims Evening Standard 12 June 2013. Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats were guilty of a “failure” to investigate alleged sexual misconduct by former Lib-Dem chief executive Lord Rennard, an independent report found today. … She said in her report that the women rightly felt …

Nick Clegg ‘should have ordered Rennard sex harassment inquiry after 2008 … Telegraph.co.uk The accusations only became public in a Channel Four documentary earlier this year, when a series of Liberal Democrat women came forward amid concerns Lord Rennard had returned to party activism. The review by Helena Morrissey, a businesswoman, …

Clegg admits Lib Dems let women down for 20 years as damning report into sex … Daily Mail He added: ‘The report shows that the individuals who dealt with their complaints had the right motives, but there weren’t the right processes in place to support the women who’d come forward. And as Leader of the Liberal Democrats I take responsibility …

Deputy leader of the Labour Party Harriet Harman visits Kirkby Mansfield Chad The Rt Hon Harriet Harman, who is deputy leader of the Labour party, addressed a conference of MPs, councillors and activists on some of the barriers currently facing women in politics, business and the media. Afterwards, members were given the …

Opinion: Gender quotas are the sensible way forward Liberal Democrat Voice Research outlined by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) shows clearly that ‘the quality of corporate governance and ethical behaviour is high in companies with high shares of women on boards’. Given some of the behaviour of some major …

Still a long way to go to full equality This is Nottingham Gender equity can only be achieved when differences in women’s and men’s approaches to achieving a particular goal, or in management styles, is positively identified by all as ensuring best value in work, politics or daily life. You cannot legislate …

Hayle UKIP Viv Lewis mistaken for a woman This is Cornwall “I think voters in Camborne thought I was a woman and I think a lot of people think women should be able to run things. “Mrs Thatcher had been in the news a lot so that might have been in the back of their minds. “I suspect this because someone rang …

Votes for Puffins? How Women and Other Majorities Are Ignored Huffington Post UK Now that the campaigners The Womens Room are threatening to take the Bank of England to court over its decision to drop prison reformer Elizabeth Fry from the UK five pound note, thus leaving the Queen as the only woman on our notes and coinage, I am …

Rebecca Front and Jessica Hynes in “Up the Women”. Photograph: BBC

 

Modern feminists can learn a lot from Suffragette sitcom “Up the Women” New Statesman As longtime fans of the television series Spaced (has a sitcom before or since so hilariously conveyed twentysomething experience?), we were extremely excited about Jessica Hynes’ new venture, a comedy called Up the Women focusing on a Banbury craft group’s sudden interest in the Suffragette movement. The first two episodes of the three-parter aired on BBC4 this month, and it has already been recommissioned for BBC2, news that is unsurprising for anyone who’s seen it. Its slightly stagey feel lends itself well to the razor sharp lines and its comic characters have been well rendered, particularly that of Helen, a Lady Bracknell-esque character and the craft circle’s chair (played by Rebecca Front), who disapproves of women’s suffrage, saying “the present system works perfectly well. My husband votes for whom I tell him to vote. What could be a better system than that?”

What Would the Suffragettes Say if They Could See Us Here Today? Huffington Post UK They would look  globally, because gender equality, like democracy, exposes how interconnected we are, both at home and overseas. One shining example under the Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening, is DFID’s very explicit …

Germany

German Labour minister proud of Merkel’s legacy euronews The German Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Ursula von der Leyen is considered a serious rival to Angela Merkel inside the conservative CDU. Von der Leyen is well known for her progressive views on social issues, such as a quota for women in top …

 

UK: Soubry ‘clarifies’ female GP comments. US: Wisconsin announces Margaret Thatcher Award. Is gun violence prevention anti-feminist?

Study: Female Politicans Are Stereotyped, But Not as Women National Journal “Voters seem to be ambivalent towards female politicians and to have ill-defined ideas about what it means to be a female politician,” write political scientists Monica C. Schneider and Angela L. Bos, in the latest issue of the Journal Political …

United Kingdom

The government is failing young women on career advice The Guardian The report identified barriers to women progressing at work, including access to childcare. It is encouraging to see the recognition of the contribution that older female workers can make – an issue that Labour has been championing through an Older…

Soubry ‘clarifies’ female GP comments Practice Business The accusations came after Conservative MP Anne McIntosh made a comment in a debate on Wednesday that it was a “tremendous burden” on the NHS to train women GPs if they went part-time soon after qualifying. Soubry responded that the MP had made …

United States

Kyle Coplen, founder of the Armed Citizen Project. Credit: New York Daily News

Houston Gun Group Fights The ‘War On Women’ By Handing Out Free Shotguns ThinkProgress …Women are an increasingly important consumer base to gun manufacturers and the NRA, a trend visible in the rise of typically exploitive, sexist marketing. But the real effect guns have on women’s security is exactly the reverse. A gun in the home often risks accidental deaths or suicide attempts, while it is also invariably more dangerous to women in abusive relationships. Women are not safer with guns, despite the NRA and allies’ insistence that gun violence prevention is anti-feminist.

Coplen hopes to eventually use his initiative as a type of field experiment that proves that guns have a “deterrent effect” on crime. However, the best research out there shows that the number of guns and gun deaths go hand-in-hand.

Free guns for ‘vulnerable’ women in Houston MSNBC On its website, the group describes itself as “dedicated to training and arming vulnerable women” and “fighting the war on women, one free shotgun at a time.” The group is also geared toward providing residents of high-crime neighborhoods with firearms …

Right Women Line Up To Choose Winners of Right Women Awards Newsradio 620 (blog) Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch announced today on Midday with Charlie Sykes the appointment of 17 accomplished conservative women to the selection committee charged with choosing the winners of the first-ever Margaret Thatcher …

Why Democrats Still Need Working-Class White Voters (And How To Get Them) ThinkProgress Romney’s inability to make substantial gains among white working-class women was central to his failure to run up large enough margins among the white working class overall to win the election. The other group that should be mentioned is white working …

GOP Senator Inadvertently Explains Why Women Are Better Suited… http://www.alternet.org Are young men just too hormonal for the battlefield?

Canada

Councillor Jaye Robinson in 2011. CARLOS OSORIO / TORONTO STAR

Rob Ford boots last woman, Jaye Robinson, off executive committee Toronto Star Two of the three conservative women continue to serve in prominent positions for which Ford chose them: Frances Nunziata is the council speaker, Karen Stintz is the chair of the TTC. But Ford has repeatedly castigated Stintz, and he has called his …

 

Kuwaiti Parliament Failing Women Citizens. Iran’s Pres Candidates Court Female Vote. Afg: Women in parliament receive threats – from fellow lawmakers.

Reserved seats for women and the elite’s hold on them The Express Tribune The way reserved seats for women in the legislature are filled is a matter of grave public concern. The indirect modality of election on reserved seats with no prescribed criteria for the eligibility has led to nepotism and the capture of seats for …

Afghanistan : Women in parliament receive threats – from fellow lawmakers Christian Science Monitor “I’ve noticed the rhetoric around women’s issues has changed, and conservative members of society and parliament are once again feeling safe to verbally attack women publicly,” says Barakzai. “The Afghan government isn’t doing anything about these …

 

Speaker Azizah al-Hibri, left, speaks with Khalid J. Qazi, president of local chapter of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, at the group’s ninth annual banquet Saturday at the Adam’s Mark hotel. Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News

Working to empower Muslim women Buffalo News Azizah al-Hibri taught law for 20 years at the University of Richmond and founded KARAMAH:  Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights. A native of Lebanon, she has written and lectured on legal and women’s issues from an Islamic viewpoint, was a …

Kuwaiti Parliament is Failing Women Citizens Al-Monitor For decades, Kuwaiti women have been celebrated by others in the region for their visibility and fight for female suffrage, which was only granted in 2005. The four women parliamentarians elected in 2009 emphasized this national achievement, mostly …

Women rights being ignored due to weak actions, lack of legislations Business Recorder (blog) She urged the newly elected coalition government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to take prompt steps for implementation of all relevant laws to ensure protection of women rights in the society. Owing to lack of women representation in traditional Jirga, she …

Iran’s Presidential Candidates Courting Female Vote Payvand Iran’s Guardian Council ruled last month a woman cannot be president even though 30 women sought to be included in the race. That worries Iranian women’s rights activists, who say Iran’s clerics, led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were …

Iran’s Presidential Candidates Courting Female Vote voanews.com Iran is a country of more than 70 million people – almost half of them women, some of whom …

Move tarnishes parties’ image: women reserved seats given to kith and kin! Business Recorder (blog) Anusha Rehman, whose name was on top of the list, was elected on seats reserved for women for the second consecutive term, which sources inside PML-N claimed, was mainly due to her close connections with Shahbaz Sharif. Tahira Aurangzeb, another …

‘Guidelines on quota for women in ULBs to be framed soon’ The Hindu The Mahila Congress had played a vital role in the victory of the Congress party in the by-electionsto the Udupi-Chikmagalur parliamentary seat in 2012 and in the recent Assembly elections, he said. Pramod Madhwaraj, MLA, regretted that women did not …

Voter list: Not enough women on board Times of India A reassessment of the voter list in April this year reflected that the enrollment drive managed to make some difference. From 788 females per 1,000 male voters last October, the ratio gradually improved to 797 females per 1,000 male voters and now …

Looking up to Cameroon’s women senators NewsDay YAOUNDE — Marlyse Aboui, a 40-year-old nurse, has still not gotten over the astonishment she felt when she heard that Cameroon’s President Paul Biya had nominated her to the Senate. IPS “I feel like I am in a dream that I will wake up from at any minute. When I first learnt that I had been appointed to the senate, I told myself that it couldn’t be true. I asked myself what I could possibly have done to receive this high appointment from the president,” she told IPS.

 

US: GOP men most likely to say Congress should be mostly men. Viral video shows the power of men in women’s issues.

Viral video shows the power of men in women’s issues Statesman Journal (blog) …But last night, as I heard actor Patrick Stewart taking a stance against domestic violence and how men were key in stopping violence against women, I realized it was exactly what I needed at that moment. I was working on this week’s Raising a Community column, which just happens to be about a local group of men who are looking to prevent violence against women by changing the culture around masculinity and being positive role models.

POLLSTER UPDATE: GOP FEMALE OFFICE-SEEKERS FACE A TOUGH ROAD Huffington Post “A majority (58%) of Americans would like to see men and women represented equally in the U.S. Congress, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll. Despite efforts like Rutgers University CAWP 2012 Project “20% in 2012″ campaign, women still account for only 18% of Congress. While many would like to see women members of Congress at parity with men, many challenges remain to getting them even close. For Republican women, the challenges are even steeper….Republican men were far more likely than anyone else to think Congress should be mostly men. They also thought that women’s interests were already fairly represented in Congress…so why bother electing women?” [HuffPost]

Nancy Pelosi: Congress Is ‘Rigged’ To Maintain The Status Quo Huffington Post The day after Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) and an all-male panel of his colleagues advanced a bill to restrict abortion rights across the U.S., House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Congress is “rigged” to suppress the interests of women and keep their voices out of the discussion.

Commencement speaker: We don’t need female CEOs, we need invested moms MSNBC …Peter Heck, a conservative motivational speaker and radio talk show host who has shared the stage with right-wing commentator Glenn Beck, raised eyebrows while speaking before graduates at the Indiana high school where he teaches history by telling the young women that their greatest role in life “will be that of wife and mother” and the young men to lead [their] homes in a pathway of righteousness.”

“Ladies, I challenge you to a life of rebellion,” Heck told graduates on Sunday at Eastern High School in Greentown, Ind. “To solve the problems plaguing our society, we don’t need more women as CEOs. We need more women as invested mothers.”

Record 67 women running for NJ Assembly, Senate spots this year Hunterdon County Democrat NJ.com TRENTON — A record 67 women will be looking to either gain or retain seats in the 120-member state legislature this fall, according to numbers compiled by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. The number includes 52 …

Massachusetts Senate Candidate Loses Women’s Support As He Flounders On … ThinkProgress Gabriel Gomez, the Republican nominee for John Kerry’s former Senate seat in Massachusetts, has been struggling to adequately articulate his positions on women’s health issues over the past several weeks. And as recent polling shows, that’s not winning …

MSNBC’s Bashir Highlights Fox’s Female Employees Denouncing Male Colleagues’ Sexist … mediamatters.org 

 

US: Female senators bash military brass for sex assaults. The Megyn Kelly Effect. Female President, the Power of Symbolism.

NANCE: Michele Bachmann’s legacy  Washington Times It is not easy to run for political office — much less for president — but Mrs. Bachmann taught women that we can do it with poise and success. Remember, it was not long ago that conservative women had no national platform or political standing. Now …

 

 

The Megyn Kelly Effect: The Power of Women’s Voices The AtlanticThe takeaway from this whole episode seems almost too obvious to point out: The discussion about women tends to change when women are part of the discussion. A panel consisting of Lou, Erick, Juan, and Doug (Schoen, the pollster who was also on the offending panel) may reach a quite different conclusion than a segment between Lou, Erick, and Megyn. That’s why it’s so important for women to be represented in these kinds of debates — it’s the case for everything from suffrage to female CEOs.

It’s also part of the case for women in elected office — an arena where women are chronically underrepresented but gaining steadily. It’s commonly assumed that women have a hard time getting ahead in politics because of the sexism they face.

Fox News Host Megyn Kelly SHREDS Lou Dobbs … businessinsider.com Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly just conducted a heated interview with colleagues Erick Erickson …

How do we get more women into politics? MSNBC Last Saturday on Melissa Harris-Perry, the panel discussed the importance of having women in elected office, and how more can be urged to run in the upcoming elections. Women in government seem to come to the job with an agenda of productivity: their …

Working moms and military sex assaults: More GOP insensitivity Washington Post (blog) Beyond the shakiness of the logic underpinning these comments, they suggest that some Republican politicians still haven’t learned the lessons of the 2012 election, in which the GOP struggled to connect with female voters. “Whenever any male politician …

Female Breadwinners and the Power of the Market RealClearPolitics Unfortunately, the Fox panel hosted by Lou Dobbs fed straight into left-wing stereotypes of conservatives as chauvinistic males threatened by strong women. In fact, the discussion touched on some valid concerns: to the extent that the rise of female …

A Female President and the Power of Symbolism: A Response to Amy Schiller The Nation In her piece, Why I’m Voting For Her, Valenti essentially said that she was “fed up” with the endless cycle of sexism and thought electing America’s first woman—while acknowledging that women candidates do not guarantee feminist outcome—would be a …

Why Congress likely will move quickly to curb sex assaults in the military Washington Post (blog) … female senators — five Democrats and two Republicans — serving as the chief sponsors of the legislative proposals in the mix will not only pique public interest in the issue, but add to another intriguing political narrative, the rise of women in …

Why Bother Electing Women? Huffington Post We weren’t able to find statistics on how many current women in Congress were elected when they had kids at home, so we gathered the data ourselves. We found that 82% of women members of Congress are mothers, but that most Democratic women had …

Female senators bash military brass for rash of sex assaults New York Daily News WASHINGTON — In an extraordinary hearing on Capitol Hill, female senators Tuesday dressed down the nation’s military commanders over the epidemic of sexual assaults in the armed services. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of …

Getty Images Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) shakes hands with chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey as Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno looks on after testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday in Washington.

 

UK: British MP quits to face sex assault charges. Gender on Labour’s agenda in Holyrood elections.

Holyrood hopefuls to be equal number of men and women. Picture: Kenny Smith

 

Gender on Labour’s agenda in Holyrood elections Edinburgh Evening News Edinburgh Northern & Leith, where long-serving MSP Malcolm Chisholm plans to stand down, will not be involved in the pairing arrangement since it is a Labour-held seat, but it could have an all-women shortlist as part of the same drive to improve …

Liberal Democrat MP accused of sexual assault resigns party whip The Guardian The woman complained to the police in 2010 but the inquiry was dropped. John Lyon, then parliamentary commissioner for standards, said in October 2011 that he did not have a remit to examine Hancock’s behaviour. The Lib Dems were asked to investigate…

Portsmouth South MP Mike Hancock quits Liberal Democrat whip to fight sexual … The Independent But the fallout is likely to send shockwaves through the Liberal Democrat party which is still reeling in the aftermath of allegations. The woman’s solicitor, Harriet Wistrich, said she wrote to the party in October 2011 after her client failed to …

British MP quits to face sex assault charges, dealing body blow to Lib Dems Hong Kong Standard “I can assure you that I will continue to vigorously defend my position and that I completely refute the allegations made against me,” Hancock said in a letter to the Liberal Democrats. The woman has filed a civil lawsuit against the … The woman’s …

Women’s Business Council report – Response from Kate Green MP Labour Party It is also encouraging to see the recognition of the contribution that older women workers can make – an issue that Labour has been championing through our Older Women’s Commission. The Government should take note of each of these recommendations.

 

Emily Davidson

FleetStreetFox on Emily Davison 100 years on – and why women need to keep … Mirror.co.uk The Suffragette was fighting for votes for women, but what has really changed since her sacrifice? Getty. A hundred years ago this week a 40-year-old woman breathed her last. It wasn’t all that an unusual thing; in 1913 you weren’t guaranteed to reach …

Emily Davison: What is the suffragette’s legacy today? The Week UK Professor June Purvis from the University of Portsmouth on the BBC: “Many see her as a suicidal fanatic but others emphasise that she was a rational, intelligent woman who risked her life to bring the democratic right of the vote to women in Britain …

Sexism ‘shames us’ Journal Live The incident proved to be a precursor to change for women in Britain. In 1918 the Representation of the People Act gave women over 30 the vote, later extended to women over the age of 21 in 1928. But Ceri Goddard, chief executive of the Fawcett Society …

Singing out for women’s rights The Australian IN 1913, London suffragette Emily Wilding Davison threw herself under King George V’s racehorse at the Epsom Derby in the cause of women’s right to vote. Almost 100 years to the day later – more by coincidence than design – southwest London rocked to a …

The moment Emily Davison walks in front of King’s horse ITV News Tomorrow marks the 100th anniversary since the infamous protest which hugely contributed to the campaign to give women the right to vote. On June 4th 1913, a campaigner called Emily Davison walked onto the course in front of the King’s horse during the …

The suffragettes’ unlikeliest enemy The Guardian Over the last weeks there has been a slew of books, articles and even a TV sitcom commemorating the victorious fight for women’s votes, leading up to the centenary of Emily Wilding Davison’s protest at the Epsom Derby. But one name has been singularly …

Why is Emily Wilding Davison remembered as the first suffragette martyr? OUPblog (blog) The obituary, published in Votes for Women (6 January 1911), was written by Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence, one of Mrs Pankhurst’s co-leaders of the Women’sSocial and Political Union (WSPU) and explained that, to bring women freedom, “Mary Clarke laid …

Legacy of tragic Emily Davison ‘betrayed’ Journal Live The incident proved to be a precursor to change for women in Britain. In 1918 the Representation of the People Act gave women over 30 the vote, later extended to women over the age of 21 in 1928. But Ceri Goddard, chief executive of the Fawcett Society …

Equality progress ‘still slow’ 100 years after Davison’s Derby death Herald Scotland One hundred years since suffragette Emily Wilding Davison ran in front of the King’s horse at the Epsom Derby in the name of women’s rights, progress towards equality in Britain’s democratic institutions is still painfully slow, campaigners have said.

 

France

French conservatives pick woman for Paris mayor race Chicago Tribune Holding onto the mayorship for the ruling Socialist Party will be a challenge for President Francois Hollande, whose approval ratings have slumped to as low as 24 percent as voters blame him for record unemployment and stalled economic growth. The race …

 

UK: Labour to introduce all-women shortlists for Warwickshire general election. When did calls for women’s suffrage start in Britain?

Miriam OReilly.

Labour to introduce all-women shortlists for Warwickshire general election … Coventry Telegraph Labour is hoping to win back seats in Warwickshire with general election candidates selected from all-women shortlists. But party officials are tightlipped amid widespread expectations that Coventry North East – where Bob Ainsworth MP is standing down …

Survey – ‘Women and the Vote’ The Independent I conducted an online survey on surveymonkey.com from 15th-17th May 2013, which I publicised via social networking, namely Twitter and Facebook. Although it was open to any British woman under the age of 30, it is likely to have a biased demographic …

Women’s suffrage: interview transcript, Alys Cooke, 22, undergraduate student … The Independent AC: I think having a vote makes women equal to men; I think you can’t deny women anything because we’ve been… like, historically women were perceived not able to vote; now that it’s accepted that women can vote, it kind of suggests that actually …

Young women today and their views on suffrage: Street interviews The Independent I spoke to a group of twenty-somethings out on a shopping trip about their views on women’ssuffrage and the importance of voting. Their responses were very disheartening, and highlights a serious disillusionment with voting among young people in Britain.

When did calls for women’s suffrage start in Britain? The Independent The first woman to vote in Britain was Lily Maxwell in 1867, as her name was added by accident to the electoral register, as she possessed the adequate property to be eligible to vote, were she a man (according to www.parliament.uk the 1832 Great …

Suffragette Viscountess Rhondda’s Newport bomb attack remembered BBC Bristol website Viscountess Rhondda went to Usk prison after refusing to pay a £10 fine for the attack at the height of the women’s rights campaign in July 1913. On Sunday the post box she targeted was garlanded in the suffragette colours of green, purple and white.

Claire Balding reveals the secrets of a Suffragette.

Heroine Emily’s mistake Express.co.uk The idea of the Suffragette who died under the hooves of the royal horse is an iconic one and has become historical shorthand for the whole women’s suffrage movement, but Davison herself remains mysterious. Did she really intend to kill herself? A …

Hay Festival 2013: Women need to ‘get off their backsides’, says Lucinda Hawksley Telegraph.co.uk We represent fifty-two per cent of the population. If we want more women in power, we should vote for them. We have to empower ourselves, and make it about merit, rather than whether you went to the same school or were a member of the Bullingdon club.