Retiring Justice David Souter
First of all, I want to applaud The New Agenda’s call for a woman to be appointed in David Souter’s place. Well done!  I think it’s really important to continue to pressure him on the issue of gender equity, since very few OTHER women’s organizations seem to be interested in doing so.
This being Barack “99 Problems” Obama, I can’t help being just a teeny, weensy bit cynical about whether he will eventually bow to that pressure, however. So, in the spirit of snark and crystal-ball-gazing, I would …

Time to take our medicine
After I returned home from The New Agenda’s Violence Against Women Forum last Saturday, I couldn’t stop talking to my husband about it. (I, like one of my favorite bloggers, AnnaBelle P, am extremely blessed to have a husband with whom I can discuss these types of issues.)
Now, I know I’m pretty radical, even for a feminist. I say “Women First,” and women start cringing and backing away – even women who essentially agree with me. The idea that women should be our first priority doesn’t …

Male and Female
Violence against women has been on my mind a lot lately. High-profile cases such as Chris Brown’s alleged beating of his girlfriend, Rihanna, and New York State Senator Hiram Montserrate’s alleged assault on his girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, not to mention the not-as-well-known uptick in incidences of female genital mutilation in Great Britain, added to the astonishing figure of 130 million living women who have been permanently scarred by this horrifying procedure, plus the fact that one out of every three women has been sexually or physically abused in the …

Stephanie Kwolek, Inventor of Kevlar
As part of our bi-weekly BlogTalkRadio show, The View From Under The Bus, my cohosts and I do a Women’s Herstory segment. The first show in March, Women’s History Month, was a special one: We had a game show, during which we quizzed our brave contestants, testing their knowledge of womens’ accomplishments and contributions within all sectors of society. I learned so much from our show, and although I knew quite a few of the political and artistic women we profiled, I must admit that I …

Susan B. Anthony
Last night, the lovely and talented LadyBoomerNYC informed me that a Ken Burns documentary on Women’s Herstory was showing on PBS. “Not For Ourselves Alone,” the story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, is a moving, inspiring and heartbreaking documentary of the two titans of feminism’s 50-year friendship, and of their lifelong struggle for “a little bit of justice”: votes for women. Tragically, Stanton and Anthony both died before their victory was achieved, although they did see their efforts resulting in a steady improvement in the daily lives …

We Made Him Listen to Us!
It’s happening – the promised awakening that resulted from the misogyny directed at both Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin during the election of 2008. Women are realizing that they are a force to be reckoned with, and that their power lies in standing strong to support other women.
Just look at Barack Obama’s executive order, signed on March 11, which created a White House Council on Women and Girls. Many Presidents have had similar councils, including Presidents Clinton, Kennedy and Roosevelt. This council was not part of …

Am I Distracting You?
When rabid sexism, like that demonstrated by the radio host (Peter Boyles, right) who called Representative Diana DeGette “Vagina DeGette,” is brought to our attention by the corporate media, I can’t help but wonder about what does not capture their attention — like, for example, female underrepresentation in government, or the fact that women are still not protected from discrimination according to the Constitution. Are most Americans even capable of seeing the more subtle, but far more damaging misogyny that pervades our society so thoroughly? Does the cartoonish and …

What Do You Mean?
After a (somewhat deserved) comment from a TNA member on my last post, I’ve been thinking a lot about the words “non-partisan.” What do they really mean, going forward? As for me, I am unabashedly liberal. I think that’s pretty clear. However, I can agree with conservatives, moderates, Republicans, evangelicals or whatever labels you want to come up with on the full enfranchisement of women in our society. This means ratifying the ERA, and all the things that come with it: full representation in government, being paid …

The Time is Now
(Note: This call to action is coming from me as an individual, not from The New Agenda as a group. It is, however, my hope that TNA will support and help turn this idea into reality.)
Well, my sistren and brethren, after a month of “Hope and “Change,” are you feeling sufficiently represented by your new “progressive” government?
In my case, the answer to that question is a resounding, “Hell, no!”
Legislatively, the Obama Administration has failed to impress. The Lilly Ledbetter Act finally passed, but without the Paycheck Fairness Act, it’s …

Welsh Women Making a Difference
Over at Fifty-One Percent, the inestimable Heidi Li has directed us to this wonderful article in last week’s BBC News.
Women ‘transform Welsh politics’
Women AMs ‘making a difference’
The almost equal gender balance of AMs in the Welsh assembly has transformed how politics in Wales is conducted, according to a new report.
The study showed there were more female voices at the assembly than at Westminster and in many Welsh councils.
Political debates were more consensual than adversarial as a result and had ‘non-traditional’ topics on …