Change.org's Women's Rights Blog

Update: Yoani Sánchez Detained & Beaten

Jen Nedeau — 2009-11-07T08:10:00-08:00

Yoani Sánchez, the 34-year-old Cuban blogger who was not allowed to leave Cuba and go to the United States to receive the Maria Moors Cabot Prize, was detained and beaten by Cuban state security yesterday.

"No blood, but black and blues, punches, pulled hairs, blows to the head, kidneys, knee and chest,'' Sánchez told El Nuevo Herald. "In sum, professional violence.''

According to Reuters, Sánchez said that she and two fellow bloggers were detained briefly on Friday by security agents and accused of being "counter-revolutionaries" as they walked to a demonstration against violence. This video captures the peaceful demonstration from that day.

In the past, it has been reported that the Cuban government does not hide its distaste for Sanchez, who is occasionally attacked in the government-run press as an enemy of the state. Currently, Cuba is said to have about 200 political prisoners, whom the government views as traitors working with the United States to toppled the Cuban government.

Demonstrating that she will not be silenced by the Cuban government's attacks, however, Sánchez has already written about the incident on her blog Generación Y. In her post she describes how she and her friend, Claudia Cadelo, were accosted by men driving a black car and then detained by the state police while being physically and verbally abused. Her blog receives more than 14 million page views a month and thousands of comments.

Additionally, a lot of the initial coverage about the incident came from Twitter where Sánchez and her friend Cadelo tweeted about being detained by the police and soon conversation spread quickly about what was happening. Individuals are expressing their support for the two women using the hashtag #yoani on Twitter to discuss the incident.

It is clear that while Sánchez has a huge following around the world, neither Cubans nor the government appreciate her internet presence. This recent post, which has been translated into English, demonstrates some of the attitudes in Cuba toward free speech:

"What do you do?" he asks me under the streetlights of Belascoain Street. I'm a blogger, I warn him, and the lights of Carlos III Avenue show me his suspicious and fearful face. "Look, don't go and tell what I just said," he says, changing the indulgent tone he used when picking me up amid the gloom. "I don't want you to publish later some nonsense about me on the Internet," he clarifies, while grabbing his crotch in a gesture of power. My straight hair is no longer a reason to trust me, now my eyes don't seem so almond-shaped, and when I explain-through my narrow lips-the subjects I deal with in my blog, it's as if I am threatening him, razor in hand, a dangerous criminal. I confirm, then, that his spectrum of classification stigmatizes not only some shades of color, but also certain leanings of opinion, those tones which are not carried on the epidermis but that also lead, on this Island, to displays of segregation and rejection.

Roots of Hope in Miami has already spoken out against the incident and is calling "on Cuban authorities to immediately cease all acts of violence against civil society youth leaders." It is my hope that there are no more acts of censorship or violence toward Sánchez and that she is able to continue writing about her views of the Cuban government.

Friday Femme Fatale: Social Media, Book Lists & Beth Ditto

Jen Nedeau — 2009-11-06T11:22:00-08:00

This weekend I am taking a reprieve from the bright lights of New York City and heading to Washington, DC for a few days to do some speaking at the Pledge2Protect conference and visit old friends.

Additionally, for those who wonder what I do over at my full-time gig, Air America Media, I just published this column today in SmartBrief titled: Can social media save the radio star?

I hope you all are gearing up for some rest and relaxation this weekend as well, but before you unplug completely check out the stories you may have missed in the world of women's rights:

Social Media Salary Report: Ladies, It's Not Pretty (Social Media Today)

No. 1 Omission From Top 10 Book List: Women (New York Times)

Jewish Women Lag Behind Men in Promotion and Pay (Jewish Daily Forward)

At the UN, Criminalizing Rape as a Weapon (Women's Media Center)

No More Women's Unhealthy Healthcare (Feminist Peace Network)

Beyond Breast Cancer: "Awareness" Must Extend to Other Women's Cancers (RH Reality Check)

Beth Ditto On Punk, High Heels And Breaking All Fashion's Rules (Air America Media)

The day-care dilemma (Market Watch)

Female Bloggers Noticeably Absent From Technorati Survey

Jen Nedeau — 2009-11-05T13:49:00-08:00

Earlier this fall, Technorati published a survey called the "2009 State of the Blogosphere." Some of the findings are interesting such as the idea that "Despite being perceived by some as enemies of the traditional media, bloggers actually carry a journalistic pedigree."

I was trained as a journalist and pursued that passion until I realized that there weren't many jobs left in print reporting. Now I'm a blogger and a new media director. Not surprising that I ended up in the communications field, but what is surprising about this survey are the statistics about gender:

Two-thirds are male

60% are 18-44

The majority are more affluent and educated than the general population

75% have college degrees

40% have graduate degrees

One in three has an annual household income of $75K+

One in four has an annual household income of $100K+

Professional and self-employed bloggers are more affluent: nearly half have an annual household income of $75,000 and one third topped the $100,000 level

More than half are married

More than half are parents

Half are employed full time, however ¾ of professional bloggers are employed full time.

At first glance, it appears that the Technorati methodology failed to include enough women respondents. It seems absolutely erroneous that they only found 1/3 of bloggers are female.

Did they somehow miss the vast network of feminist and "mommy" blogs out there? Or the 1000+ attendance at Blogher?

Marian Wang at Mother Jones takes note of the same results and predicts that the lack of diversity (real or perceived) will only hurt the future of journalism and blogging as a whole:

That's a worse gender imbalance than in American newsrooms, which is saying something. (Mother Jones is a rare exception-by my quick calculation, our editorial department is 61 percent female, but that's hardly the case everywhere.) Women represent only 37 percent of American newspaper staffers, according the American Society of News Editors. And if newspapers are doomed and blogs are to take their place, then this can't be good for the supposed diversity of voices we're getting online.

Here's the methodology from Technorati so you can decide for yourself. Do you think Technorati's statistics are wrong about female bloggers?

Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates, conducted an Internet survey from September 4-23, 2009 among 2,828 bloggers nationwide. The margin of error for the survey is +/- 1.84% at the 95% confidence level and larger for subgroups. The following audiences are included throughout this report:

All: Entire sample of bloggers

Hobbyists (72%)

Part-Timers (15%)

Corporate (4%)

Self Employed (9%)

Technorati data was collected from Technorati's index. Lijit collected data for the 2009 State of the Blogosphere report was from two primary sources. The first is the 11,000 active Lijit publishers that have the Lijit Search Widget installed on their blog. The second is the network of 2.5M blogs that those 11,000 blogs connect to via their Blogroll and other social network connections tracked by Lijit.

The Movement To End Genocide

Jen Nedeau — 2009-11-05T11:57:00-08:00

For those interested in global women's rights, the Pledge2Protect conference in Washington, DC should be on your agenda this weekend.

From November 6 - 9, Genocide Intervention Network's (GI-NET) student-led division, STAND, is bringing together a powerful network of 1,000 students and community leaders and activists from across the country to Capitol Hill for Pledge2Protect: a conference designed to educate, empower, and highlight the work of activists who are driving the movement to prevent and stop genocide and mass atrocities.

In collaboration with core partners Save Darfur Coalition and The Enough Project, Pledge2Protect aims to eqip activists with grassroots organizing and advocacy skills, plus in-depth education on conflicts of concern.

I am going to be attending and speaking at the conference on Saturday. My panel is called, "Internet and Politics: Leveraging the Online Space for Social Change." I am speaking with Alan Rosenblatt, T. Neil Sroka, and Tom Burton. I hope it will be an engaging conversation about using online efforts to create conversation around important issues such as the women's rights movement and stop genocide efforts.

For those interested in attending, here are a few other panels relevant to women's rights:

Wars against Women and the Pursuit of Peace: the Case of Darfur

Speakers:

Jehanne Henry, Researcher, Africa Division, Human Rights Watch

Niemat Ahmadi, Darfuri Liaison Officer, Save Darfur Coalition

Rebecca Hamilton, Author of the forthcoming book The Promise of Engagement; Open Society Fellow; Visiting Fellow at the National Security Archives

Mohammed Ahmed Abdallah, MD, Physician and Professor of Medicine at el-Fasher University in Darfur, Sudan, until recently director at the Amel Center for the Treatment & Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture in Darfur (RFK Prize Winner)

Featuring fresh reports from the ground in Sudan and Chad, this panel will shed light on the daily challenges faced by Darfuri women who have survived years of displacement, violence, and the endemic use of rape as a weapon of war. Panelists will discuss what the concepts of peace and security would really mean for Darfuri women — addressing areas including protection from violence; mental and physical recovery and health; women’s ability to provide for the basic needs of themselves and their children; pursuing justice for crimes in Darfur; and women’s participation in peace negotiations. Panelists will highlight how the U.S., international community, and activists can impact the daily lives of Darfuri women.

Sexual Gender-Based Violence / Rape as a Weapon of War in Congo

Speakers:

Professor Lee Ann De Reus, Professor at Penn State University and Carl Wilkins Fellow

Dr. Roger Luhiriri, Human Rights Advocate, Columbia University / Panzi Hospital

Frequently called the “worst place in the world to be a woman”, panelists discuss current efforts to treat sexual gender-based violence and rape in Congo and steps that can be taken to help prevent it.

Let me know if you'll be able to make the conference and please stop by the panel and say "Hello!" You can also follow the conference via Twitter here.

2009 Election: Winning Female Candidates & Democrat Losses

Jen Nedeau — 2009-11-04T08:50:00-08:00

Yesterday's election was fraught with disappointment for Democrats. Instead of continuing the wave of "change" from just one year ago when Barack Obama was elected President, the 2009 elections delivered several big victories for the GOP: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the victory by Republican challenger Chris Christie for the governorship in New Jersey and then Republican candidate Bob McDonnell who won the Virginia gubernatorial race.

Interestingly, despite these losses, Beau Friedlander at Air America says that this shouldn't be considered a referendum on Obama, but rather an example of just how low the Republicans will go to win elections:

The GOP is racing to the bottom of its own depravity. They’ve stopped at nothing, floating racist memes and lies and distorting facts to achieve goals that are so blatantly pro-business and anti-American as to be laughable--if it weren’t for the fact that their message-making, via Fox News and talk radio, seems to find a home in the hearts and minds of many Americans.

Perhaps the most disappointing news last night was from Maine where voters rescinded the Legislature's approval of same-sex marriage. According to the Associated Press, gay marriage has now lost in all 31 states in which it has been put to a popular vote — a trend that the gay-rights movement had believed it could end in Maine.

In terms of women who won, however, there are several positive stories to break through the depressing news. Here are some of the victories of Women's Campaign Forum's Endorsed Candidates and a few others who I listed last week that ran at the state and local level:

Carolyn Comitta (Mayor - West Chester, PA)

Stephanie Hausner (Town Council - Clarkstown, NY)

Jessica Lappin (New York City Council)

Stephanie Miner (Mayor - Syracuse, NY)

Stacey Newman (State House MO-73)

Kathleen Rice (Nassau County District Attorney, NY)

Jill Miller Zimon (Pike Pepper Council)

Congratulations to these ladies who won their races. Now we must move onward to 2010, which will be the bigger election year as it will involve many more races and serve as a true barometer for whether or not President Obama can be re-elected in 2012.

Desperate Times Calls for Desperate Catholics

Jen Nedeau — 2009-11-03T19:34:00-08:00

As someone who was raised Catholic, went to 15 years of Catholic school and is still asked to rise at eight o'clock in the morning when I visit my parents to go to church, the following news is quite the shocking revelation: the Catholic Church is now accepting applications from Anglicans.

For those who are not well-versed Christianity, here's a quick definition of an Anglican: those who historically protest the Catholic Church and have been traditionally more liberal on their stances on the ordination of women bishops, gay priests and gay marriage.

But it looks like desperate times in the church call for desperate Catholics as being reported by Laura Flanders at Grit TV:

Now facing flagging attendance and shrinking contributions, some of that hard-lining is going soft. Given the chance to fill some empty pews, by allowing conservative Anglicans into the ranks, the Catholic Church is backing off. Those conservative Anglicans are disaffected by their own church's more liberal stances on contraception, gay rights and women's autonomy but they're not about to excommunicate pro choicers - not yet. So suddenly, Rome is willing to do as the Anglicans do.... and call debate over reproductive rights a difference of opinion. Heck, they're even willing to create loopholes to let married clergy stay married.

Fancy that. So what about all those fights over all those years? What about all those denied a place in their faith, and most of all, those who died due to botched and politicized abortions? All those who were forced to bear children against their will, or were infected with HIV due to lies about condoms - or no sex ed at all? Now we find out they suffered simply over a difference of opinion?

I personally believe that everyone needs a sense of spirituality and often religion can provide that. When I was growing up, the Church gave me an understanding of the concept of having faith and I gained an understanding of social justice and community service that I still appreciate to this day. However, the stances of the Catholic Church toward women definitely make even the Christmas carol hard to sing. It's a good thing to see the Catholic church opening up to other ideas about what the Bible means, but is it too little, too late?

Top 10 Feminist Twitter Lists

Jen Nedeau — 2009-11-02T09:37:00-08:00

Well then. Twitter has rolled out yet another popularity tool to keep users addicted to the microblogging platform: Twitter lists.

To me, the lists are useful because they can help organize interest groups, offer a branding structure for companies, offer transparency about who is working with who and drive user generated recommendations that everyone can benefit from.

On the flip-side, these lists can add additional elements of hierarchy to the social media space, which contradicts the purpose of social media in my mind to be the greatest equalizer of information.

Regardless of my qualms, I do want to share some of the feminist Twitters lists being made so we can all continue to elevate women's voices in the online space.

Here are ten of the best female-friendly Twitter lists chosen based on volume of people listed, the creator of the list and objective of the list. It's not a terribly scientific process but tried to use my best judgment.

Just hit "Follow" to add these lists to your profile and click through some of the users to find new people to stay in touch with. Feel free to add additional lists you think should be here in the comments section.

Women In Politics & Technology (@Sairy)

Feminist Inspiration (@Illusionists)

Women, Girls and Feminism (@Glopan)

Feminists (@MeganCarpentier)

Awesome Women (@RandomDeanna)

Feminism (@Radical Feminist)

Allies in Women's Rights (@RevoltRealWomen)

Feminist Resources (@ShelbyKnox)

Black Women in Social Media (@BlogDiva)

Parents and Parenting (@AnnDouglas)

Friday Femme Fatale: Gore Vidal, Gen Y Women & Transphobia

Jen Nedeau — 2009-10-31T09:32:00-07:00

Ok, so this is more like a Saturday Femme Fatale - but I didn't want to let anyone down who is looking for the most interesting links in the feminist sphere from the past week.

Without further delay, here's this week's list:

Oldies do it too: Why shouldn't the over-50s have love lives - and talk about them? (Daily Mail)

What women's lib? 70 percent of Americans think women should take spouse's name after marriage (NY Daily News)

Work/Life Balance Is Not a Woman's Issue (American Prospect)

No Dignity For NBC (Ms. Magazine)

A [Disgusting] Conversation With Gore Vidal (The Atlantic)

Domestic violence as a pre-existing condition outlawed in House bill (SEIU)

Pro-Palin Book Takes on Tina Fey, Feminists (Washington Independent)

'Why Y Women' (Media Post)

Is Seventeen teaching transphobia? (Salon.com)

Dating, love and feminism: do men prefer submissive women? (The Examiner)

Update: U.S. Agrees To Negotiate International Arms Trade Treaty

Jen Nedeau — 2009-10-30T12:09:00-07:00

A few weeks ago, I asked the question: Will the Obama Administration Support An International Arms Trade Treaty?

Initially, the answer to this question seemed like "No" given the fact that the U.S. didn't even speak about the ATT during their remarks to the UN General Assembly last month and typically don't express support for international treaties.

However, today at the United Nation, the vast majority of governments - 153 in total - agreed a timetable to establish a "strong and robust" Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) with the "highest common standards" to control international transfers of conventional arms. There is currently no global Treaty on the conventional arms trade. Most of the world's biggest arms traders - including the USA, UK, France and Germany - will now all back the UN process. Nineteen states abstained but are all expected to take part in the process. In the past the United States has explicitly voted "No" when presented with this treaty, but this time around, Zimbabwe was the only State to vote against.

"For too long, governments have let the flow of weapons get out of control causing pain, suffering and death in some of the world's poorest regions. With hundreds of thousands of people dying a year from armed violence, weapons that fall into the hands of criminals and rights abusers destroy communities and livelihoods." said Anna Macdonald of Oxfam International in a press release. "Governments must ensure that negotiations live up to the promise of setting the highest possible standards - this is a life and death situation for thousands of poor people worldwide."

During the debates on the resolution, many countries spoke out and underlined the need for the treaty to be based on international law, including international human rights and humanitarian law. There are estimated to be nearly 650 million small arms in the world today and Oxfam International has reported that 2.1 million people have died as a result of armed violence.

Women, in particular, are disproportionally affected by the arms trade as victims of it's violence. While available data supports the widespread assumption that most direct casualties of gun violence are men, particularly young men, women also suffer from firearms violence indirectly as displaced women and girls are vulnerable to rape and other forms of sexual violence as they flee violent areas, or when they search for firewood and even when they go to the bathroom at night. Also, after a conflict, women become the main breadwinners and primary carers when male relatives are killed, injured or disabled by gun violence. And women, like men, are caught in the crossfire, both in times of war and of peace.

The agreement in the UN today means that the eventual ATT will be negotiated in a series of UN meetings concluding at a UN Conference in 2012.

* The States that abstained were: Bahrain, Belarus, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, UAE, Venezuela and Yemen.

Could Carrie Bradshaw Have Survived the 1930s Dating Scene?

Jen Nedeau — 2009-10-29T11:46:00-07:00

If you're a single girl in her twenties like me - or ever have been - you know that dating can often be full of trials and tribulations. It is often a petty, guessing game of who likes who more (or less) and a jigsaw puzzle of emotions, coy remarks and the never ending "chase" to get a man (or woman depending on your sexual orientation).

But, no matter how many episodes of Sex in the City I need to watch in order to try and understand my new dating life in New York City, I will always know that things could have been a LOT worse.

Just take a look at this photo gallery: A Single Girl's Guide To Dating. It's from the 1938 issue of Parade Magazine - even Carrie Bradshaw would have had to learn a few new tricks to be able to survive during this time period:

Check out the complete strip of photos here.

2009 Female Candidates List

Jen Nedeau — 2009-10-28T08:25:00-07:00

Voting season is upon us! But before you go to the ballot box, make sure to check out the 2009 Endorsed Candidates from the Women's Campaign Forum as well as a few other candidates I have added to the list. A lot of women running for office in New York this year, which is wonderful to see!

Federal Candidates

Martha Coakley: Attorney General Martha Coakley is running for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts in a special election to fill the seat of the late Ted Kennedy. Martha has served Massachusetts as the Attorney General since 2007, and prior to that she was District Attorney of Middlesex County, Massachusetts for eight years. Primary election date: December 8, 2009.

Dede Scozzafava: Representative Dede Scozzafava is running in a special election for Congress in New York's 23rd District. A longtime North Country resident, Dede has nearly two decades of experience in elected office. She has served her area as a New York State Assemblywoman since 1998, and prior to that she spent 4 years as Mayor of her hometown, Gouverneur, and 4 years as a Village Trustee.

Statewide Candidates

Cynthia Neff: Cynthia Neff is running for the Virginia House of Delegates in the 58th District. Cynthia recently retired after 25 years with IBM, where she started in sales and worked her way up to an executive position. She now works as a court-appointed special advocate for abused and endangered children.

Jody Wagner: Jody Wagner is running for Lieutenant Governor in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She was the Commonwealth's first female Secretary of Finance. Additionally, she is a former Vice Chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia.

Stacey Newman: Stacey Newman is running in a special election for State Representative in Missouri's 73rd District, which encompasses part of St. Louis County. Stacey has devoted her career to supporting Missouri Democrats and representing women's voices in the political process. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Harriet's List, a Political Action Committee that supports progressive women running for office in Missouri.

Jeanette Rishell: Jeanette Rishell is running for the Virginia House of Delegates (50th District). After running a formidable, though ultimately unsuccessful campaign for the seat in 2007, Jeanette hopes to use her experience to unseat the current anti-choice incumbent.

Margaret Vanderhye: Representative Margaret Vanderhye is running for reelection to the Virginia House of Delegates (34th District). Margi currently serves on the Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources, and the Committee on Science and Technology.

State/Local Candidates

Ruth Balser: Representative Ruth Balser is running for Mayor Newton, Massachusetts.

Suzanne Barclay: Suzanne Barclay is running for Supervisor of the town of Orangetown, New York.

Nora Bredes: Nora Bredes is running for Monroe County Legislature in New York's 18th District.

Lisa Borders: Councilwoman Lisa Borders is running for Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia.

Carolyn Comitta: Councilwoman Carolyn Comitta is running for Mayor of West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Theresa Conejo: Theresa Conejo is running for Town Council in Bensalem, PA.

Stephanie Hausner: Stephanie Hausner is running for a seat on the Town Council in Clarkstown, New York.

Irene Hernandez-BlairIrene: Hernandez-Blair is running for the Governing Board of Chaffey Community College in California.

Michele Iannello: Michele Iannello is running for re-election as County Legislator in Erie County, New York.

Dana Marie Kennedy: Dana Marie Kennedy is running for Phoenix City Council.

Hillary Kwiatek: Hillary Kwiatek is running for Lehigh County Commissioner in Pennsylvania's 5th District.

Jessica Lappin: Jessica Lappin is running for re-election to the New York City Council in District-5, which includes the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Roosevelt Island.

Janine Materna: Janine Materna is running for New York City Council (51st District).

Stephanie Miner: Councilwoman Stephanie Miner is running for Mayor of Syracuse, New York.

Patricia O'Dwyer: Patricia O'Dwyer is running for County Executive of Orange County, New York.

Annise Parker: City Controller Annise Parker is running for Mayor of Houston, Texas.

Kathleen Rice: District Attorney Kathleen Rice is running for re-election for District Attorney of Nassau County, New York.

Jill Miller Zimon: Political analyst and blogger running for Pepper Pike City Council in Ohio.

Bernadette Watson: Bernadette Watson is running for City Council in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Female Economy: Be Careful Of What You're Sold

Jen Nedeau — 2009-10-27T21:40:00-07:00

The Harvard Business Review published this article, The Female Economy, which simply says: women are the largest economic force in the global business market.

Globally, they control about $20 trillion in annual consumer spending, and that figure could climb as high as $28 trillion in the next five years. Their $13 trillion in total yearly earnings could reach $18 trillion in the same period. In aggregate, women represent a growth market bigger than China and India combined-more than twice as big, in fact. Given those numbers, it would be foolish to ignore or underestimate the female consumer. And yet many companies do just that, even ones that are confident they have a winning strategy when it comes to women.

Before you get all excited, be careful of what you're sold. For years now, the corporate world has tried understand and cater to women far faster than the political clique because somehow the bottom line on Diet Soda is more demanding than the bottom line on voting precincts. (Despite my sarcasm, it is often true).

And while some get it right, a lot of the corporate and political entities still don't seem to get a 100% on the test when it comes to the female consumer. However, it is assumed that this Harvard Business Review article will put them on the treadmill to chase women quicker than anything else out there.

Just as Betty Friedan warned us in The Feminine Mystique - women are an economic force mostly because of the items we consume: vacuums, household cleaning products, suits for the husband, anti-wrinkle cream and lots of clothes - and these items can keep us from moving up the social ladder in the long run.

While Harvard and others try to understand what makes women BUY (not what makes us tick) we need to be careful of what they are selling us. We need to be wary of whether the economic force we have created offers real influence, or whether it just perpetuates another female stereotype.

The Feminist Queries: Cindy Gallop

Jen Nedeau — 2009-10-26T09:45:00-07:00

For today's Feminist Query, I am featuring a woman I admire very much and have been lucky enough to spend a bit of time with here in New York City. Her name is Cindy Gallop. She is half English, half Chinese, grew up in Asia, in Brunei, and read English Literature at Somerville College, Oxford. She began working in theater marketing and then moved to advertising, where she spent the majority of her career working for one agency, global creative network Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH).

She joined BBH in London in 1989 to run global accounts such as Coca-Cola, Polaroid and Ray-Ban; moved to Singapore in 1996 to help start up and run BBH Asia Pacific; and finally, moved to New York in 1998 to start up BBH US. In 2003, she was voted the "Advertising Woman of the Year" by Advertising Women of New York.

Four years ago, Cindy resigned as chairman of BBH to do something different. She now consults for clients who want to change the game in their particular sector, and who are looking for radical reinvention, as well as groundbreaking, innovative, forward-thinking strategic and executional approaches. She is the founder and CEO of IfWeRanTheWorld.com, which is a simple crowdsourced web platform designed to turn good intentions into action and will launch in January 2010. She has also launched another side venture called MakeLoveNotPorn.com at TED 2009. In her "free time", Cindy acts as board adviser to a number of technology and media start-ups.

I hope you enjoy her responses as much as I did and think deeply about her question for you at the end.

Do you call yourself a feminist and if so why? When did you start identifying with the feminist movement?

I call myself a rampant feminist. I amplify that deliberately because I hate the way so many women shy away from the term 'feminist' as if it implied something negative along the lines of 'strident man-hating unfeminine harpy'. I am a self-described feminist because I believe in championing women's rights and women's issues, and doing everything I possibly can personally to help make the world a better and more advantageous place for women. Note I don't use the term 'equal' in there - we are so very, very far away from equality with men in so many respects that are not fully realized or acknowledged by either gender, that I find it hard to use that term casually.

To the second part of your question - I always have.

What were hurdles you faced as a woman in business? What is your advice for other women trying to make it to the top?

All the usual ones. My advice is, never give in to insecurity and lack of confidence - just grit your teeth and barrel through them. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, 'No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.'

Many women struggle with the idea of self-promotion, but often it is the one way men get ahead in their career. Why should women embrace self-promotion and what will that mean for their careers?

It frequently astonishes me that people utter the world 'self-promotion' like it's a bad thing. Self-promotion is, very simply, about presenting your personal brand to the world in a way that achieves desired personal and professional outcomes. And it's like anything else - you can do it badly or you can do it well. When women do it well, it can make a significant difference to the way they're perceived and the way they progress in business - and in life, quite frankly. One of my personal mantras is, 'People value you at the value you are seen to put on yourself.' When you project a strong sense of confidence in who you are, that changes the way other people look at you and how they think about you - for the better.

You're working on two unique online projects - IfWeRanTheWorld.com and MakeLoveNotPorn.com. Can you briefly tell us about them both?

IfWeRanTheWorld is designed to bring human good intentions and corporate good intentions together and turn them into collective action.

MakeLoveNotPorn takes the myths of hard-core porn and balances them with the reality of how real people have real sex in the real world - just to help everyone have as good a time sexually as possible.

What both ventures have in common is that when I come across something I feel strongly about, I do something about it.

Finally, if you had one question to ask women everywhere, what would it be?

'What do you want your life to be?'

You decide - then go out and make it happen. Because nobody else is going to do it for you - but you absolutely can make it happen for yourself. One of my all-time favorite quotes is from Alan Kay: "In order to predict the future, you have to invent it."

Show Me The Money: Why Don't More Women Ask For A Raise?

Jen Nedeau — 2009-10-25T18:51:00-07:00

The New York Times had an excellent op-ed this weekend by Joanne Lipman, the former deputy managing editor at The Wall Street Journal who was also the founding editor in chief of Condé Nast Portfolio magazine.

The piece titled, "The Mismeasure of Woman" reflects on the Shriver Report and catalogs many of the issues women face today in society: the false-positive sense of equality among young women, the effect of 9/11 on women, the stalled progress of women to achieve equal pay and crash through the glass ceiling to run Fortune 500 companies, law firms and businesses.

The part of the article that may have resonated the loudest for some was how women can end up being their own worst enemy in the job market:

In my time as an editor, many, many men have come through my door asking for a raise or demanding a promotion. Guess how many women have ever asked me for a promotion?

I'll tell you. Exactly ... zero.

Sure, it's a risk to ask for a raise. But women need to take risks - and to realize that at some point they will fail. This is an incredibly hard thing to do, especially for women brought up in a culture that celebrates unrealistic perfection in every sphere, from beauty to housekeeping.

Everyday I hear from a female friend who wants to earn more money at their job, but instead of negotiating a raise, they wait for their boss to do it for them. The problem with this method is that unless they receive a promotion it is unlikely their boss will step in and offer up company profits to their employees.

Additionally, many of my female friends don't always think about negotiating the salary they want when they start a new job, which is the most crucial time to leverage a better salary. No one should ever start a new job without a desirable base pay. It is very hard to jump a salary up by 10, 20 or 30 percent after you start working. While I believe there are systematic reasons behind why white women earn 77 cents, African American women earn only 69 cents and Latinas just 59 cents to to men's dollar - it is also our responsibility to take risks, negotiate a better pay and smash the glass ceiling once and for all.

For those in a position to negotiate salary or switch jobs here are a few tips I've learned along the way about getting the pay you want and deserve:

Look ahead. When switching jobs ask for a salary that is 5 - 10% above the money you would receive if you were promoted tomorrow at your current job. This will ensure that you aren't losing out on money you could have earned by staying in the same place.

Stay calm and collected. Even if you are desperate for any job, don't let the prospective employer realize that. By giving specific salary demands, it shows that you know the market landscape and what is a competitive rate for the position.

Know your self worth and market worth. Measure everything you do from how many clients you work with, how much money you've been in charge of, and the unique relationships or networks you have that no one else can claim. These things should give you an advantage in the workplace and help you speak intelligently if your boss asks you why you deserve a raise.

Don't budge. If a new employer doesn't offer you the number you want, then try to decline the job if you can afford it. It is probably not worth it in the long run if an employer isn't willing to start you at the salary you want and need.

Negotiate additional benefits. If you can't get the exact salary you are looking for, try to negotiate additional benefits such as vacation, sick days or the ability to consult outside the business.

Finally, Lipman's op-ed does a great job summarizing the state of reminding all of us about the most important thing with any job, relationship or endeavor: "make sure respect is part of the equation too."

Respect, above anything else, is the best currency one can negotiate with. Give respect, get respect. It can be that easy.

What are your tips for getting the pay you want and deserve?

Photo Credit: Emdot

Friday Femme Fatale: Mammograms, Pink Taxis & Lap Dances

Jen Nedeau — 2009-10-23T14:21:00-07:00

I don't know about most of you, but I spent a majority of this week battling a terrible cold. No, it wasn't the "Swine Flu" - but hopefully my writing this week hasn't suffered too much under the influence of various cold medications. You'll have to tell me...

Anyways, here's the latest news in the women's rights arena, just in case anyone tells you the "battle of the sexes" is over:

The Big Thaw: Charting a New Future for Journalism (Media Consortium)

Why Has It Taken So Long For ACS To Change Its Tune On Mammogram Benefits? (Feminist Peace Network)

New Grants for Women Media Entrepreneurs (McCormick Foundation)

Women, Mothers, Families and Reform (The White House Blog)

Lap Dances at Yahoo's Hack Days? A Lesson in Monitoring a Global Brand (Fast Company)

Mexico's pink taxis cater to fed-up females (AP)

A New Era for Global Women's Rights? (Campus Progress)

Roman Polanski's rape (Boston.com)

Demi's Sex Slave Crusade (The Daily Beast)

10 Facts on Female Victims of Violence (Department of Justice)

Fight sexist attacks against women in politics (Women & Politics)

Benefits and Risks of Cancer Screening Are Not Always Clear, Experts Say (New York Times)

How the Media Treat Murder (Newsweek)

Cartoon credit: Peaco Todd

A Low-Income Woman's Nation: How A Green Economy Can Help Those Struggling Most

Shelley A. Davis and Judy Patrick — 2009-10-23T12:13:00-07:00

This past week Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress released a seminal report on the emergence of women as primary wage earners for millions of families. The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Changes Everything, marks a promising step forward in the evolution of a society that for too long has failed to adjust policies and practices to women's growing presence in the workplace.

Left in the shadows of this otherwise comprehensive report, however, were the unique obstacles faced by those struggling most to make ends meet-low-income single mothers trying to support their families on paltry wages in jobs that offer no prospects for a better future. Any serious national discussion on the obstacles confronting women in the workforce must include a special focus on the growing numbers of women toiling at the bottom of the economic ladder.

Consider these facts:

Ninety percent of working-age adults who work full-time but earn less than $15,000 a year are women.

In 2008, 37.2 percent of female-headed families with children were living in poverty compared with just 8 percent of families with both parents in the home and 14 percent of male-headed families.

Adult women and teenage girls make up two-thirds of minimum wage employees in the U.S.

The recession has taken a significant toll on low-income single mothers. In September, 11.6 percent of this population were unemployed, compared with 11 percent of men overall and 7.4 percent of married men. Providing low-income single women with the resources to train for and stay employed in jobs with good wages and benefits is the clearest path to a brighter future for millions of families. Since women now make up half the workforce, it is also a vital component of lasting economic recovery for our nation.

As founding members of a new collaborative of women's foundations - the Women's Economic Security Campaign - we have seen up close how programs that train women for better paying jobs with the possibility of advancement can make all the difference for families and communities. With the emergence of a green jobs sector, we have an opportunity to advance women's economic security in a bigger and better way than ever before, providing low-income women with a rare chance to get in on the ground floor of a growth industry and learn the skills to compete for stable, higher-paying jobs.

Unfortunately most green jobs, from weatherizing homes and buildings to constructing wind turbines, are in fields that have typically been dominated by men. As a society we have a terrible track record of training and placing women in these non-traditional careers. For example, 0.5 percent of roofers and 1.4 percent of plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters are women, according to a new report from the Women's Economic Security Campaign-Creating Opportunity for Low-Income Women in the Green Economy. Even at the higher end, women make up just 10.6 percent of civil engineers. The median hourly wage for roofers, at the low-end of the non-traditional job spectrum, is $16.17 an hour- enough to cover the basic needs of a small family. By contrast, preschool teachers, 98 percent of whom are women, earn just $11.48 an hour. At that wage, a preschool teacher would need to work over 25 hours more per week then a roofer to support a similar living standard.

Fortunately, our country is in a good position to change this pattern. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided states with millions of dollars to train workers for new green sector jobs. We need to ensure that a significant portion of those funds goes to programs that prepare low-income women to successfully compete in the green economy.

Once they are on the job we need to provide women with the supports necessary to stay employed. For low-income single mothers that means child care, flexible hours and accessible transportation. It also means enforcing anti-discrimination and sexual harassment laws that for too long have made non-traditional workplaces inhospitable to women.

As Congress debates climate change legislation, our representatives in Washington, D.C. should stand up for the needs of low-income women when considering provisions aimed at training and placing workers in green jobs. We have the chance to do it right this time and shape a more promising future for the growing number of women and children in poverty. In the process we can help our nation move toward a long-term economic recovery that will benefit us all.

Shelley A. Davis is vice-president of programs and advocacy for Chicago Foundation for Women; Judy Patrick is president and CEO of the Women's Foundation of California. Both our founding members of the Women's Economic Security Campaign, which aims to elevate the voices of women's foundations to dismantle poverty.

The 30% Rule of Women's Leadership

Jen Nedeau — 2009-10-22T15:01:00-07:00

Yesterday I had the privilege of hearing Linda Tarr-Whelan, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos, speak at about her new book, Women Lead the Way.

One of the things that Tarr-Whelan stressed in her speech (it's also in her book) is the idea of a 30% solution: if we can get to at least 30% women as partners at the power tables, we have a chance to change the world.

In the book, she describes how 30% provides critical mass in any group of decision makers and creates a "tipping point" at which women's voices can be heard and their ideas implemented. The concept of the 30% solution has already been adopted in 23 countries, which already meet or exceed the goal. In 101 other countries, there have been changes to the constitutions, laws and/or political party practices to try and aim for 30% (or more) women in the decision making bodies. The eleven countries with the greatest representation of women at the highest levels of government are: Rwanda, Sweden, Cuba, Finland, Argentina, the Netherlands, Denmark, Angola, Costa Rica, Spain, and Norway.

However, the United States currently ranks 69th in the world in terms of women's legislative representation. That is behind the country we spent so much money and time to interfere with - Iraq - which is 38th on the list published by the Inter Parliamentary Union. It is clear that the United States does a lot of talking, but very little action when it comes to making women present in the larger decision making process.

In an interview today with Tarr-Whelan, I asked her about The Shriver Report and the book, Half the Sky. She said that the topics in both have discussed many times before and while the Shriver Report offers a very positive message, that message alone isn't enough.

"These problems have been identified in the past. We've been talking about the family-work problem for 30 or 40 years without any progress. And yet, both of these books did not mention where the leadership is coming from to make the changes in the world that are needed. And unless we change who makes the decisions we won't change the reality of the situation," she said.

Clearly, Tarr-Whelan is a big advocate of women's leadership and she offers many practical tips in her book for those who are looking to make a difference. I asked her for tips for those who are the only female among a group of men in an organization. She offered two things you can do to gain support and become influential in that atmosphere:

Be sure to build some bridges with women in other organizations so that you have a support network. If something is coming up and need to be particularly influential you can ask these other women if they've faced a similar work situation and get their advice.

It's important to build male allies. When you're the only woman decision maker, sometimes you think you are the only one who shares your goals or insight, but there are men out there who will take your side and support you. Make sure to research their opinions first, however, before asking for them to support your ideas.

She also says that "unless you have both insiders and outsiders, you just actually can't make the progress happen. We have to make sure that younger women realize that we have to change the leadership dynamic - and if they don't get ahead themselves, the system will be weighed against them as they try to move up."

I tend to see many young women (even myself at a certain point) who went through school, graduated college and thought the world was an even playing field. Then they hit the workforce and things aren't as easy. It's important that we don't send mixed messages of "equality achieved" when there is still a lot of footwork to do in order to change the system and make sure balanced leadership exists in government, media and business.

This book gives very practical advice for women on how to break through the glass ceiling and truly become leaders. I would definitely recommend reading it, or at least taking some of its lessons to heart.

Cuba's Virtual Revoluciónista: Yoani Sánchez

Jen Nedeau — 2009-10-21T12:18:00-07:00

The latest target of Cuba's totalitarian government is Yoani Sánchez, a 34-year-old Cuban writer, editor and linguistics scholar. Last week, she became the first blogger to win a Maria Moors Cabot Prize given by Columbia University for journalism, but she was unable to be attend the awards ceremony due to the fact that the Cuban government wouldn't let her out of the country.

"We're going to keep trying to get her to come here for a few days. It's very difficult to tell who to talk to about it because the leadership of Cuba is so old, they probably don't even know what a blog is - we don't know where to apply pressure," said Josh Friedman, the Director of the Maria Moors Cabot Prize in an interview with Change.org.

Her two-year-old blog, called Generación Y, is filled with personal observations and social commentary from Havana, Cuba. It is some of the most vivid writing I have read about what is actually happening on the communist controlled island and I think it is really inspiring that a female writer has been able to speak out not only for herself, but an entire country through the use of the social web.

Take a look at this recent post:

"How do you shout on Twitter?" That was one of the first messages I sent to explore the potential to express myself in one hundred and forty characters.

Today I have to ask: How do you sing the anthem mobilized by a people on the net, how do you broadcast this desire for change that I see in every one of the faces around me. Before, it was accomplished with the sound of bugles, galloping horses and some stanzas that summoned the Bayamese* to "die for the fatherland"; but now everything is different.

It occurs to me to use kilobytes, to take advantage of the cutting edge of a word that is also sharp and makes precepts grow more durable than the machete. Travel the net, then, the five points of this blog action, like the call to slaughter against control, authoritarianism and censorship:

Freedom of opinion

Freedom of access to the Internet

Freedom to enter and leave Cuba

Freedom of association

Freedom for prisoners of conscience

Freedom for Cuba

According to the New York Times report, Sánchez's blog now gets more than 14 million page views a month, and routinely receives thousands of comments. However, most of Sánchez's audience exists outside of Cuba as the government blocks the site from distribution on the island.

In an interview, Sánchez said she sees the Cabot Award as a means to "protect" her from the Cuban governments criticism and that it also "validates the new phenomenon of the alternative Internet blogosphere", which I totally agree with:

The fundamental protection it has given me is because it shines a bright light upon me and upon all those who are utilizing the infrastructure of the Internet to express different opinions and critiques about the Cuban reality. In general, the prize does not give me a total immunity, but it is a kind of protective umbrella that allows me to continue a bit further. I am going to take full advantage of the protection that it gives me, and I am going to try to use this protective umbrella to cover other bloggers that may need it as well.

So far this year we've seen several female journalists captured for trying to disseminate truthful information. From Roxana Saberi to Euna Lee and Laura Ling, it is all to often we see women in the media persecuted for pursuing truth and justice - we can only hope that the Cuban government doesn't go to extremes in order to keep Sánchez from publishing her blog.

The most we can do right now for Sánchez is to raise awareness about her story here in the United States. Recently, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand voiced her support of Sánchez and asked the Cuban government to allow her to leave the country in order to receive her award. It is my hope that with added political pressure she can come to the U.S. to claim her award and be able to return to Cuba peacefully in order to continue blogging without threats or interruption from the Cuban government.

Clinton Global Initiative: Investing in Female Changemakers

Iman Bibars — 2009-10-21T11:26:00-07:00

The plight of women and girls in the developing world is a book of sobering stories with very few happy endings. Year after year, we are reminded of some of the most jarring injustices of our time, most of which go unrecognized, let alone unpunished. And yet, hope for action is on the horizon. The Clinton Global Initiative, along with some inspirational stories to both humble and inspire us, just might have signal the arrival of this increasingly crucial issue to the forefront of the agenda.

The 5th annual CGI meeting, held this past September, serves as the gathering grounds for hundreds of influential leaders, scholars, business executives, celebrities, and journalists to discuss and engage in multi-sector cooperation towards a common development goal. Tackling poverty alleviation, climate change, and the promotion of economic opportunity - CGI annually highlights the most critical development issues of our time - topics worthy of the utmost global recognition and concern. This year CGI is again addressing these subjects, but to the hope of many there is a new issue on the agenda: the subject of investments in girls and women.

Adding this new component of CGI may very well begin elevating the issues of women's inclusion to a top priority on the global development agenda. CGI has an opportunity to truly assert women's development, making it an argument that can no longer be viewed as 'soft' or only relevant to women, elevating it from a distant second relative to poverty alleviation, AIDS prevention, climate change, etc. to other development issues. In fact, one could even argue that women's development underpins the advancement of each of these agendas.

Investing in women has a domino effect of sorts, with women's empowerment adding to the prosperity of entire societies. Women and girls who earn money reinvest up to 90% of it into their families, as compared to only 30% or 40 % by men. Furthermore, if girls' enrollment in schools increases by only 10%, the country's economy will grow steadily by 3%, showing again how investments in girls and women benefit both genders, community, and country. Top scholars and leaders are arguing more and more that investing in women, unequivocally, simply makes sense for everyone, and it is time we looked at how this agenda could play out, and took note of some of the key changemakers in this movement.

Ola Abu Ghaib is an example of how one woman's commitment to create positive change has repercussions beyond herself. Ola is a Palestinian who has lived the majority of her life confined to a wheel chair, excluded by her society and hidden from view. Disabled Arab women suffer significantly higher rates of abuse than non-disabled women, and families, schools, and other institutions are often negligent of the needs of disabled women in the Arab region. Many of them remain hidden inside their parent's home, unmarried and uneducated. Palestine's current landscape itself severely limits the empowerment of its entire population, and thus Ola's country, gender, and health all have forced her to the outermost point of exclusion.

It is here though that we witness a departure from the typical paradigm of women being forced to succumb to marginalization. In 2007, Ola founded 'Stars of Hope', the first organization in the Arab world for women with disabilities. It is completely run by disabled women, providing direct services and training to empower others like them to contribute to society. Ola also offers them coaching for negotiation, presentation, and communication skills, which further affirms their identities as engaged and active citizens.

Building Stars of Hope from the ground up tested her strength, ingenuity, and innovation like nothing before. After surviving the bureaucratic struggle to register her NGO officially, Ola faced the stark and troubling reality that there were no statistics on women with disabilities in the Palestinian territories. As such, to ensure appropriate planning and dissemination of services, Ola decided she had to establish her own database, which called upon her to travel throughout Palestine, interviewing women to obtain the most precise understanding of the challenges and concerns of disabled Palestinian women and how Stars of Hope could best meet these needs.

In addition to affecting thousands of disabled women, community members, and leaders in the West Bank, Ola now also sits on the board of the global Disability Rights Fund, established in the wake of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In further recognition of her impact, Ola was elected an Ashoka Fellow in 2007, signaling her entrance into the world's leading association of social entrepreneurs.

Ola's life and work are a humbling wake up call for us all - a declaration that, in fact, realities can be changed even by the unlikeliest of heroes. She is a living example of how women's empowerment is not simply about putting more money in a woman's hand, but also about giving her the opportunity to drive change. Ola gives more than a means to cope - she provides a key to advancement, and we must applaud her as much as we should learn from her.

During CGI's four-day conference, deals will be made, partnerships will come to fruition, and those who are willing to invest in a better future will gather strength. And yet, at the end of the day, the true leaders in creating social change will not be those with the ability to raise billion-dollar funds to invest in women - but rather the women themselves, like Ola, who are spearheading the change donors are propagating. If CGI can gather our most influential leaders to recognize the imperatives of women's development, they will need people like Ola to make them into believers - the two cannot move forward separately. Global partnerships may be able to move money, but local changemakers, like Ola, move people.

I Am Not A Pre-Existing Condition

Jen Nedeau — 2009-10-20T14:18:00-07:00

Perhaps the most stunning revelation in the health care reform process is the finding that being a woman is essentially a pre-existing condition in the eyes of insurance companies.

We've heard about how being a victim of domestic violence, being pregnant or having had a previous c-section can prevent a woman from qualifying for private insurance. Despite how shocking this all is, it becomes really problematic if a public option is not included in the health care reform package when and if it is ever passed.

Today, the National Women's Law Center is trying to raise awareness about these issues and more by announcing a new public awareness campaign called "Being a Woman is Not a Pre-Existing Condition." The goal of the national campaign is to educate women about the disparities they face in health care coverage and rally them to contact their Members of Congress to demand that Congress pass health reform legislation that works for women.

The Center also released a new report, Still Nowhere to Turn: Insurance Companies Treat Women Like a Pre-Existing Condition, which provides new data about the inequities that women face in health insurance such as:

The extent of gender rating, in which insurance companies charge women more than men for the same coverage, worsened since the Center issued its landmark Nowhere to Turn report in 2008; 93% of the best-selling plans in the individual insurance market practice gender rating in 2009 compared to 83% in 2008.

Gender rating also occurs in the group market; insurance companies in most states are allowed to charge a business more for coverage if it employs women. Some states have protections against this discriminatory practice, but these are typically limited to small groups - such as businesses with 50 employees or less. Moderate-sized and larger businesses are subject to gender rating in all states except Montana.

The gender gap for younger women has grown significantly in the last year; in 2009, 25-year-old women are charged as much as 84% more than men for individual health plans, compared to as much as 45% in 2008.

To further examine the arbitrary nature of the current system, NWLC looked at premiums charged 40-year-old female non-smokers versus 40-year-old male smokers. In most states, it often costs more to be a woman than to be a male smoker; more than 60% of best-selling plans charged 40-year-old female non-smokers more than 40-year-old male smokers.

Those who want to join the campaign can visit the website to learn about the issues and upcoming events, share the facts with their own networks via social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, and post about the issue on their blogs and websites. They also can send a message to their elected officials in Congress to tell them that health care reform must meet the needs of women and their families.

You can take action right here on Change.org by signing this petition.