Betty White is Turning 92!

Normally, I don't make a big deal about the people's birthdays unless you are my child, niece or grandmother, but I do have to give a special notice to Betty White! She is turning 92. Why is that awesome because she is a strong woman we can learn from her. When I grow up, I want to be as healthy and active as Betty White!

Happy Birthday and many more Betty!  Enjoy the video with Queen Latifah and Betty White.

The Ten Most Researched Women in American History

This March, celebrate Women’s History Month by brushing up on some of the ways women have shaped our country.Questia, the premier online research tool for students, has released a list of its library’s top ten most researched women in American history, and is making the reference works on each of them available for free until the end of the month. Visit their topic page on Famous Women for even more women’s history research.

1. Rosa Parks: Her single act of demure defiance set in motion the chance for African American leaders to test the constitutionality of Montgomery, Alabama’s bus segregation laws and so many other laws around the country. [Fields, Suzanne. “The History Lesson from Rosa Parks; A Single Act of Responsibility Changes a Nation's Heart.” The Washington Post [Washington D.C.] 31 October 2005: A21.
2. Margaret Sanger: The American leader in the birth control movement, Sanger helped people see that family planning was a necessary factor in social progress. She published three books, including her autobiography in 1938. [Sanger, Margaret. Margaret Sanger: An Autobiography. New York: W. W. Norton, 1938]
3. Clara Barton: Known as the “Angel of the Battlefield,” Barton worked tirelessly during wartimes to supply soldiers, and search for missing prisoners. She later established the American National Red Cross and headed it until 1904. [Morrow, Laura. “Clara's Heart.” Policy Review 75 (1996): 64.]
4. Jane Addams: In 1889, Addams founded one of the first social settlements in the United States. Hull House first served as a community center to the poor and later as a center for social reform. [Addams, Jane. Twenty Years at Hull-House: With Autobiographical Notes. New York: Mcmillian, 1910]
5. Abigail Adams: Wife of President John Adams and mother of President John Quincy Adams, Abigail Adams was one of the most influential first ladies in the history of the United States. Her entrepreneurial skills, at a time when women had little to no control over finances, made her a revolutionary woman. [Shuffelton, Frank. “A Revolutionary Woman.” The Wilson Quarterly Winter 2010: 104+]
6. Eleanor Roosevelt: In 1921, when husband Franklin Roosevelt was stricken with polio, Eleanor's political life began in order to keep his name alive in New York politics. In World War II, she served as assistant director of the Office of Civilian Defense, and went on to become a U.S. delegate for the United Nations and chair of the Commission on Human Rights. [Riechers, Maggie. “Eleanor Roosevelt, No Ordinary Woman.” HumanitiesJanuary/February 2000: 21+]
7. Sacajawea: Using her knowledge of languages, Native people, forest trails and edible plants, Sacajawea help guide Lewis and Clark on their 19 month expedition across the Rocky Mountains toward the Pacific Coast. [Birchfield, D.L. “Sacajawea.” The Encyclopedia of North American Indians. 9. 1997]
8. Helen Keller: Both blind and deaf, Keller exceeded expectations and graduated from Radcliffe with honors. She went on to write and lecture around the world and become one of the most inspirational stories in American history. [Keller, Helen and John Albert Macy. The Story of My Life. New York: Doubleday, 1903]
9. Susan B. Anthony: A leader of the women’s movement in the late 1800’s, Anthony devoted her life to the abolition of slavery and then to women’s equality. She was arrested in 1872 for illegally casting her ballot in the presidential election, and other women followed in her footsteps to stand up for Fourteenth Amendment rights. [Dorr, Rheta Childe. Susan B. Anthony: The Woman Who Changed the Mind of a Nation. New York: Frederick A. Stokes, 1928.]
10. Rachel Carson: An early environmentalist, Carson led the fight that eventually eliminated a number of toxic chemicals for household items and American homes. [Visser, Melvin. “Rachel Carson's Legacy.” The WashingtonTimes [Washington D.C.] 11 June 2007, A16.] 

Visit: Famous Women - Research and Read Books, Journals, Articles at Questia Online Library

JEC Report Highlights Economic Progress Made by Women in Past 25 Years

As the nation celebrates the 90^th anniversary of women’s right to vote, the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC) released a new report today analyzing how women’s economic conditions have changed since Geraldine Ferraro shattered the political glass ceiling 25 years ago and ushered in a new era of political leadership for women.

The report finds that women, who now make up nearly half of the labor force, have made significant strides in the past quarter century and are poised to be the engine of economic growth as the United States recovers from the Great Recession.  However, challenges remain for women, including a stubborn pay gap where the average full-time working woman earns 80 cents for every dollar earned by the average full-time working man.

Entitled “Women and the Economy 2010: 25 Years of Progress But Challenges Remain,” the report is the first in a series of reports and hearings the JEC will do this fall to provide a comprehensive understanding of women’s economic situation and to identify additional actions that are needed for women to achieve economic equality.

“Women have come a long way since Geraldine Ferraro’s ground-breaking candidacy,” said Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Chair of the JEC.  “This report shows that as women have gained political power, they’ve gained economic strength.  Women work more, earn more, and are more educated than they were 25 years ago.  But, women still earn less than men.  In addition, women still shoulder most of the burden of care-giving responsibilities at home but families are still dependent on working wives’ incomes to make ends meet.”   

The JEC report findings include:

Women’s Share of the Labor Force Has Increased

• In 2009, 59.2 percent of women were in the labor force, up from 53.6 percent in 1984.
• In 2009, women made up 49.8 percent of the workforce, up from 44 percent in 1984.

Women’s Educational Attainment Surpasses Men

• In 2009, 87 percent of women had at least four years of high school education, compared to 73 percent in 1984.  By contrast, in 2009, 86 percent of men had at least four years of high school education, compared to 74 percent in 1984.

Women’s Membership in Unions Has Grown

• In 2008, women made up 45 percent of all union members, an increase from 34 percent in 1984.

Families Depend on Women’s Earnings

• In 1983, wives’ incomes comprised just 29 percent of total family income.  By 2008, wives’ incomes comprised 36 percent of family income.
• Between 1983 and 2008, married couples with a working wife experienced average annual income growth of 1.12 percent, while married couples with a stay-at-home wife saw their average annual incomes decline by 0.22 percent per year.

SELF Magazine Women Doing Good Awards-nomination opportunity

SELF Magazine is looking for the next "Women Doing Good".  Enter or nominate someone for the 3rd annual  2010 SELF Women Doing Good Award.

The search is on to find the most extraordinary women who are working hard and are determined to make a difference, whether it is within their community, environmentally, medically‹the sky is the limit!

The winners will receive a $10,000 donation for their respective charity or organization, be featured in the September issue of SELF, and honored at an awards dinner in New York City.

The contest ends March 30, 2010. Go hear to learn about the contest or enter: http://selfconnected.com/winit_womendoinggood_01.asp .




ABOUT 2009 Winners: 

• Erin Sprague, Lindsay Guetschow, and Beth Ann
• Levandoski.

SELF honored the winners at an amazing celebration dinner gala at the Museum
of Modern Art in New York, hosted by Today show co-anchor Hoda Kotb.

Self VP and publisher Kimberly Kelleher, editrix Lucy Danziger, Burt's Bees'
Jayni Chase (yes, that's Chevy Chase's wife) and Mike Indursky, and Kashi's
Michelle Escala all gave inspiring speeches to the honorees.

Sprague's charity, In The Running, is based on her experience as the
youngest woman to run seven marathons of seven continents. The organization
advocates for seven selected organizations, each of which impacts
humanitarian and environmental challenges facing each continent and the
global community--from improving the quality of life for AIDS-infected women
to fighting poverty in impoverished areas and preserving ecosystems.

Guetschow, in addition to acting as the director of outreach for
StopGlobalWarming.org, founded Cool Globes, a public art project touring
throughout the United States consisting of seven-foot tall globes that
demonstrate simple solutions to help stop global warming.

Levendoski is the president, executive director, and co-founder of the
Tierra Miguel Foundation, an organization that informs and educates the
community on the value of local sustainable agricultural practices and grows
certified organic fruits and vegetables, using Bio-Dynamic agricultural
preparations on its 85-acre working produce farm.

You Are Invited to Celebrate International Women's Day

YOU ARE INVITED

TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL

WOMEN’S DAY

Since 1911, all over the world, on March 8^th, women have gathered in small and large towns and cities to commemorate their contributions to their communities

In 2010, in Chicago, The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) and the Chicago Foundation for Women will host a breakfast to commemorate immigrant women civic leaders

Please join us for a release of a report that will provide a snapshot of the state of immigrant women in Illinois and provide personal testimonies of women who have overcome personal obstacles to emerge as strong civic leaders in their communities

Where: Chicago Foundation for Women
1 East Wacker Drive, Floor 20
Chicago, IL 60601

When: March 8, 2010 8:30 to 10:30 am

Who: Women Civic leaders, Invited:  Iris Martinez, Senator, Illinois state senate, District 20, Elizabeth Hernandez, Illinois state representative district 24, Maria Toni Berrios, Illinois State Representative District 39, Cynthia Soto, Illinois State Representative District 4, Linda Chapa LaVia, Illinois State Representative District 83, Susana Mendoza, Illinois State Representative District 1

Please RSVP to Vivian Ramos at vramos@icirr.org, Space is limited

Did you know? That in 1913, Alice Paul and Lucy Burns form the Congressional Union worked towards the passage of a federal amendment to give women the vote. The group was later renamed the National Women's Party. Members picket the White House and practiced other forms of civil disobedience. The 19^th Amendment, giving women the right to vote was signed in on August 26, 1920.