Typing Like They Mean It

I just came across quite a cool network of women online. It's a blog run by Catherine Morgan called The Political Voices of Women: Opinion and Commentary of Over 200 Women Political Bloggers.

The site lists other cool blogs like:

Antigone Magazine: A Blog About Women, Politics, Women in Politics, and the Politics of Being a Woman

Mom’s Speak Up

MomsRising

On the site it shares this from the New York Times article Women, Politics, and the Internet by Katharine Q. Seelye: "We know that women slightly outnumber men online. But at least anecdotally, it seems as if more men are on the political blogs, writing specifically about politics, reading about politics and putting in their two cents in the comments sections."
This quote struck me in particular, because I find it an interesting parallel--or contrast--with the New Moon blog. Recently, many daughters have been chiming in to appreciate their moms, and moms have been adding their two cents, too. That's also why I highlighted the mothers' blogs. It's always wonderful to see the power of women's voices anywhere.

One thing's for certain: girls are growing to be the strong leaders their mothers have led them to be--just look at the recent "Letter to Congress" issue of New Moon!

I hope that the voices of women sharing political passion adds support to your own passion! You're part of quite a community.

Your blogger, Elizabeth!

Power Shift, Part Two

Power Shift, the four-day national youth summit for climate change in Washington, D.C., began yesterday. (Read more about the event itself in the earlier post, "Power Shift, Part One.") Shadia Wood, whom New Moon recently interviewed, is one of the event planners and spokespeople. Her list of accomplishments at age twenty is hefty, but perhaps most admirable has been the combination of passion, time for reflection, and commitment to joy in her life that got her there. That combination has surely made a difference in the world, too, and she has gotten noticed for it.

Beginning at seven, she was involved in an eight-year lobby campaign to halt the increase of toxic waste sites in her community that would further the resulting illness and deaths that were already present from nearby sites. For this campaign, the Hitachi Foundation awarded her the Yoshiyama Award, and the Earth Island Institute gave her the Brower Youth Award. At fifteen, she attended the Youth Summit on Sustainable Development, helping with the Official Global Youth Energy Policy Statement, and the Second National People of Color summit, where she was involved in the Environmental Justice Youth Platform's creation. She became the youngest of the Campus Climate Challenge Coordinator during her time off between high school and college (always a worthy pursuit), and has just shifted her focus to the implementation of Power Shift itself. Of her experience being biracial, she has said that she is familiar with halves and feeling in-between. Activism, she has described, has been "the whole in my life." Next spring will bring her to the American University of Beirut to study Arabic and photography. In the interim between Power Shift's end and college's beginning, she will take time with her family to rest after two years of work to make Power Shift a reality, and to determine what she wants out of her education and her "big move to the Middle East." Of activism, she says, she knows it will always be a part of her life, "but we'll see what form that takes."

Read on for the completion of our interview.

New Moon: You began very early on your path of activism--I read that your first press conference was at age two. What was it that motivated you to become involved in activism so early?

Shadia Wood: The story behind the first press conference is kind of where it all began. Obviously I really wasn’t cognizant for that press conference. My community, which is a very small, rural community in upstate New York, was sited for a landfill and an incinerator. We already have Superfund sites surrounding my community. There’s one that’s a mile away from my house. So we already had cancer clusters, so a lot of children and old people were dying because of the pollution. Clearly I don’t remember this at the time, but the community rallied and was able to not allow [the proposed landfill and incinerator] to happen.

My mom was a big proponent of that. She was a community leader at the time; she rose to that position even though she had six kids. Since I was the youngest and wasn’t in school, as all of my other siblings [were,] she took me with her to wherever [she was going.] So that’s where that came from. She put a paper bag, cut some armholes and headholes, and [it] said, “Don’t dump on me.” That kind of creativity that I grew up around--we were really poor, but we made things work. I grew up around that framework of thinking; you use the resources you have.

When I was seven, the Superfund program in my state, the money for the toxic waste sites, was going bankrupt. It hadn’t gone bankrupt yet, but there was this huge push in the activist community, to educate each other and especially the young people. I attended this kids’ conference that explained in very simple terms what PCBs were and why Onondaga Lake was the first place to ever be declared a Superfund site, which is where my grandparents live. So I was digesting a lot of this information as a seven-year-old and making the connections to why people in the community I lived in were dying or why so-and-so had to miss school all the time for check-ups, and it just really made me angry. That’s where I got involved. We did an action, and it was a lot of people from seven to about fifteen. It was right around Halloween, so we dressed up as mutant toxic monsters, and we picked a chemical to associate with that we had learned about, and went down to Onondaga Lake and did a photo op. I remember being at the table at the reception dinner afterwards, and I was standing on the chair, and so angry Those were the emotions I was going through that sparked me into funneling that energy into that organization Kids Against Pollution that was big in my community at the time. That’s the story of initial involvement of why I started so young.

Did you have any female role models? It sounds like your mom was one. Did you have any outside influences that encouraged you in your activism?

My mom is a powerful woman, and she raised six kids on no budget whatsoever. I have an older sister, Ilina, who is eight years older than I am, and was also a large influence on my life and is why I am the way I am. When she was in high school, she started getting into Ani DiFranco. At the time I was [about] six, when Ani DiFranco first came out. So Ilina got the album, and we would listen to it on the car rides, and it would [mainly] be my sister and my mom and I when we were going places. That’s what I remember, is, as a little girl, listening to this powerful woman speaking through the [car] speaker and really empowering [the listener]. She was definitely a huge influence on my life. I knew a lot of her lyrics and didn’t really know what they meant, but I kind of felt it.

Another big influence on my life has been—I really like history—the activist Alice Paul, who was a suffragist. She’s kind of written out of history. When I started getting more involved in researching activism and organizing different movements and figuring out what worked and what didn’t, I came across Alice Paul and was like, “Wow! Here’s a powerful young woman who created this movement and did direct action, and nonviolent direct action at that in a time that it was not the climate for women to be doing that.” I was very inspired by her and looked to her for leadership.

What has been like for you to be the youngest involved in many things, or one of the younger ones? What advice do you have for girls who [encounter] age bias or bias [against girls]?

I was fortunate to have a really good support system of women in my life, and I realize that not all young women have that. Especially around the ages of eleven to thirteen and fourteen, you’re figuring all of these really important things out, and it’s just this really intense process. It’s really hard to understand what your emotions are and who you are. I guess a lot of that for me was taking time to reflect on the situations I was put in. What has helped me the most was figuring out why things happened and processing them, whether it was a situation that I was in that wasn’t positive or someone was treating me like I was thirteen when I actually had a stake at the table. I [had] a voice and [had] just as good and just as valid opinions as anybody else when I was being treated like I was five or like I was thirteen. It was very important for me to reflect on that and then figure out what the best way to move from that was. It’s staying strong and what you believe in and having a really clear concept of what that is. It’s figuring out where you best fit in in a movement.

What message do you most want to communicate to girls about Power Shift? …about activism in general, too?

Young women and girls need to really be at the forefront of this. We see all the time, women are the grassroots activists, but they’re rarely in these bigger positions of power. Women are on the ground making it work, but they’re discredited or it’s just seen differently. I think it’s so important for our young women and young girls to really be taking part in whatever they can on issues like this and find what speaks to them. Some people, the 1Sky and some people it’s the polar bears are dying and some people it’s the power plant in their backyard. What is it that speaks to you? Find that, and run with it, and push people’s way of thinking. Really be OK to be out there.

I think that’s what Power Shift is for me, it’s this convergence where young people, and especially young women, young women of color, young people of color, can come together in larger numbers and stand in solidarity with one another and really figure out what does speak to them, and push for those things.

Thanks again, Shadia, and good luck with Power Shift!

Here's a link to a story featuring Shadia:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/14/AR2007061401876.html

By the way, you can read dispatches from the summit on their website and on It's Getting Hot in Here: Dispatches from the Youth Climate Movement.

Wishing you a weekend of joy, Bissy (Elizabeth!)

Burma, Laura Bush, and Why It Doesn't Hurt to Be a Dreamer

Laura Bush: First Lady. Librarian. Education advocate. And now...radical activist?

I was shocked last week to read that the First Lady, in a highly unusual move, decided to use her voice to intervene on behalf of a populist freedom movement in Burma.

Some background: Burma, also known as Myanmar, is a Southeast Asian nation controlled by the iron rule of one of the fiercest military dictatorships in the world. The country been struggling for fifteen years to free its people from the junta. Aung San Suu Kyi (photo below), now held under house arrest in Burma's capital city, has led the fight for freedom. She's a terrifically courageous woman--probably the bravest woman I've ever heard of--and received the Nobel Peace Prize for her incredible strength.

This August saw the biggest peaceful pro-democracy protests in Burma in ten years. Around the world, activists have been joining the Burmese people in solidarity. Groups like the US Campaign for Burma have brought together everyone from Hollywood actors to U.S. Representatives in calling for freedom in Burma. Even President Bush issued a statement condemning the Burmese government for arresting protesters.

And last week, the First Lady made an extraordinary move: she telephoned the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, and called on him to denounce the Burmese government.

This is the first time the First Lady has taken a stand on international issues--until now, she's concentrated her efforts on national issues that avoid controversy, like literacy, education, and healthcare.

But this May, she joined the 16 women in the Senate to appeal publicly for Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi’s release. In June, she met in the White House with refugees and exiles from Burma and wrote an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal on behalf of Mrs. Aun San Suu Kyi. And now she's called for the United Nations to draft a resolution on the human rights abuses in Burma.

She told TIME, "Like many people, especially women, I got interested because of Aung San Suu Kyi, and I learned about Burma and how she represents the hopes of the people of Burma, and how those hopes were being dashed by her house arrest and the fact that her party won the elections and never had the opportunity to have power at all...One of the things that's really important for the world to know is that the people of Burma do listen to radio, and when they hear that people around the world are speaking out for their rights, I think it gives them hope."

Mrs. Bush, 60, also responded to comments that her new role is a little unusual, saying: “I think this is sort of one of those myths: that I was baking cookies and then they fell off the cookie sheet and I called Ban Ki-moon."

I know that many of us don't count ourselves as supporters of the Bush administration. But I'm thrilled to see a woman who is willing to speak out for justice, to bring light to a cause that our country has all but forgotten. It's true that the First Lady is a politician, and her motives aren't necessarily genuine idealism. But her actions are a great reminder of the power of idealism.

Maybe her words won't make a difference. But she argues otherwise: “So ‘why bother,’ I guess, is the question people ask. But I think the answer is, ‘Why not?’ I mean, why not continue to put pressure on the regime in any way we can?”

The First Lady is a great reminder that it never hurts to try. We have nothing to lose from taking a stand for what we believe in, even if our goals might seem impossible. In fact, idealism is the only way that we've ever made progress. After all, weren't most great leaders once dismissed as dreamers? As the feminist Emma Goldman once declared, "Idealists...foolish enough to throw caution to the winds...have advanced mankind and have enriched the world.”

Today, I was lucky enough to attend Fighting Bob Fest, the biggest political event in the Midwest. Thousands of activists converge to talk politics, meet some big-time leaders, share ideas, and just have fun. One of the speakers I heard was peace activist Cindy Sheehan, who is as much a hero of idealism than anyone else. Her words stuck with me. She said:

People don't want change. They want the status quo. Why do we want the status quo? The status quo tolerates racism and sexism and homophobia...Our job is to tear down, not protect, the status quo.

No matter who we are--First Lady or first grade student--it doesn't hurt to be a dreamer. Think big. To quote Gandhi (sorry, getting a little quote-heavy now): "We must become the change we want to see in the world."

And to all those who complain that I am prone to blog posts decrying terrible things in the world, yet never leaving suggestions of ways to take action against these injustices, I leave you with a website: DoSomething.org. Do Something is a one-stop-shopping resource for girls out there looking for ways to make a difference. They'll hook you up with volunteer opportunities, activism groups, mentors, girls working on the same issues you are, and lots more resources... Best of all, they have a handy section called "Do Something Today," where they feature one little thing you can do to make the world a better place. Because little things make a difference.

And that's your daily dose of idealism, folks. Peace.

A disclaimer: Certain bloggers (ahem, Natalia) are prone to writing about politics and activism. Because that is what they feel passionate about. And we at New Moon like to share our passions. But the views of any New Moon blogger--whether New Moon staffer, guest blogger, or girl writer--do not necessarily reflect any views of New Moon Publishing. And, for the record, New Moon never endorses political candidates. We just endorse the power of girls' voices. So tell us what you think...and we'll do our best to help make your voice heard! Love, LunaOnline (that's Luna's twin sister, who spends more time wired than she should...)

Make Some Noise!

Hey, girls! Here's a way cool opportunity for older teens (high school-aged) from YouthNoise, an organization affiliated with UNICEF.

YouthNoise is hosting a series of youth summits across the country this year that will provide teen leaders an opportunity to create change in their local and global communities.

What is a YouthNoise Summit? A YN Summit is a conference and cultural event for students. These FREE two-day events are about creating grassroots change in local neighborhoods. What would you change about your world? Come to a YouthNoise Summit to give your two cents, find out what others are doing, and get involved.

Who's invited? High school and college students who are passionate about finding REAL solutions to local problems.

When and where are the YN Summits?

San Francisco, CA- September 1-2, 2007

San Jose, CA-September 22-23, 2007

Minneapolis, MN-October 13-14, 2007

Orlando, FL-November 17-18, 2007

Oakland, CA-January 12-13, 2008

Tucson, AZ-January 26-27, 2008

Los Angeles, CA-February 9-10, 2008

San Diego, CA-February 23-24, 2008

Bakersfield, CA-March 8-9, 2008

Denver, CO-March 29-30, 2008

Providence, RI-April 12-13, 2008

Sacramento, CA-May 3-4, 2008

Seattle, WA-August 30-31, 2008

Why should I go? Create projects to benefit your community and get online and offline support to help you plan, develop, promote, fund, and execute grassroots civic action. As a UNICEF volunteer, you can tell others about UNICEF's work and create projects that will result in helping UNICEF save children's lives.

How do I sign up? Register online at http://www.youthnoise.com/summit.

What's happening at the Cultural Event? Local youth artists and musicians will showcase their talents at an all-ages youth organized cultural event with headliner bands, spoken word, youth art and more.

What is I'm not in high school yet? Check out the Youth Noise website! It's a youth-driven, non-profit website dedicated to providing creative ways for youth to spark movements and magnify their voices. The website is great! It's got resources for taking action on a variety of causes--from poverty to war to education, as well as a database of projects created by youth, discussion forums, info on elections, and much more. They even have communities dedicated to "empowering women," "giving girls a voice," and feminism. It's an entire community dedicated to youth taking action! Kudos to YouthNoise for their awesome work.

Labor Day Blogging

Happy Labor Day, readers! Before heading off to obligatory family picnics, take a few minutes to learn about why we have Labor Day--and why it's still so important to keep fighting for workers' rights!

Labor Day began 125 years ago, during a time when workers across America were involved in a surge of protest movements that demanded their rights to fair working conditions and pay. They wanted an end to 12-hour work days, paltry wages, and unsanitary and unhealthy working conditions. They wanted to unionize, or join together in workers' unions that would counteract greedy, powerful big businesses.

Mary Harris Jones, aka Mother Jones (the namesake of the modern magazine), was an important figure in the labor movement. Mother Jones, a self-described "hell-raiser," was once denounced in the U.S. Senate as the "grandmother of all agitators." But she was proud of that title and said she hoped to live to be the "great-grandmother of agitators."

Mother Jones was one of the most important members of the Knights of Labor, a major workers' union that helped establish Labor Day. She was also one of its few women members. But she was a fierce fighter for fair wages and working conditions, and she took on child labor as one of her biggest causes. In many ways, she was the mother of the modern labor movement.

The Knights of Labor created the first Labor Day celebration on September 5, 1882. They wanted to make it a national holiday. President Cleveland wasn't particularly excited to support the day, but he was also opposed to supporting the May 1 holiday that workers in other parts of the world celebrate as Labor Day, because unions had held major riots on May 1 that had brought mayhem to urban America. He didn't want a federal holiday to draw attention to those events! So he agreed to make a September Labor Day a national holiday.

Today, few people think about the history of the labor movement on Labor Day. PBS explains, "Labor Day is [now] seen as the last long weekend of summer rather than a day for political organizing. In 1995, less than 15 percent of American workers belonged to unions, down from a high in the 1950's of nearly 50 percent, though nearly all have benefited from the victories of the Labor movement." But there's still so much work to be done for workers! We still live in a world that prioritizes business profits over workers' rights. And as American businesses keep increasing international trade and exporting labor--that is, taking factory and other jobs overseas for cheaper labor--the labor movement must expand to look at working conditions in other countries. A number of international unions have been formed, but it's still the tip of the iceberg. Which bring me to my next Labor Day tidbit...on child labor.

As students head back to school this week, it's easy to forget that millions of kids around the world won't be going to school--but to work. According to UNICEF, an estimated 246 million children must go to work each day around the world. In fact, in places like West and Central Africa, 41% of boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 14 are child laborers.

What gives? Well, in many parts of the world, dirt-poor families have no choice but to use their children's labor to make ends meet. Even when governments offer families free education for their children, global poverty is so bad that many families have to choose between having their kids in school and having bread on the table. According to UNICEF, 1 billion children worldwide suffer from extreme poverty, which leaves them "vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, violence, discrimination and stigmatization.” Poor children are especially likely to be exploited by employers who force them to work long days under treacherous conditions, often with dangerous materials.

Take this child's story:

Each day, Alone Banda wakes before the crack of dawn. With only a weak cup of tea to carry him through his fourteen-hour day, he walks to a quarry south of his Zambian hometown. Like other boys in his town, Alone, eight, works as a stone-crusher. He spends the day heating rocks with flaming rubber scraps, so that the stones will fracture more easily with a steel bolt. New York Times reporter Michael Wines writes, “At dusk, when three or four blazes spew choking black clouds across the huge pit, the quarry [where Alone works] looks like a woodcut out of Dante.”

Alone is not alone. Millions of other children toil under similar working conditions--even in the U.S. Most people think that child labor has ended in America. But almost 60,000 children under 14 are illegally employed in this country, including many immigrant children who work with families in agricultural work. Amazingly enough, some children 13,100 work in sweatshops within the U.S. And as recently as 2005, Wal-Mart paid $135,000 to settle federal charges that it violated child labor laws in Connecticut, New Hampshire and Arkansas.

No, child labor--and other forms of exploitative labor--is far from over. So where are the solutions?

Child labor is a huge and complex problem. Says Birgitte Poulsen of the International Labor Organization, ''[finding a solution to child labor] is like trying to empty a bathtub with a teaspoon while the tap is running."

Child labor may be an enormous problem, but there are few problems more important. And (to not finish on a too pessimistic note) there are so many solutions. A sampling:

*providing free education for all children

*strengthening and enforcing laws that protect children from child labor

*increasing international attention on child labor, including "invisible" child labor like on family farms or in private homes

*providing stronger support for children and family through crises, such as disease, war, or natural disasters

*working to eradicate global poverty in general

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Hey, readers! What's your opinion on child labor, both globally and closer to home? Do you think that poor families should be allowed to send their kids to work, if it means that the family might have a chance at escaping poverty? Do you think teens in countries like the U.S. should be allowed to work even as they continue their studies? Should kids working in artistic industries, like music and film, be allowed to work? (In the filming of Kid Nation, which premiers later this month, child actors worked 14-hour days, which some say isn't unusual in the media industry.) Do YOU have a job? Leave us a note!

Sweet Sixteen and Already Been...to the Polls

Hi! It's Natalia here, New Moon's former editorial intern and blogger. After my internship ended, I took a 6-week hiatus from blogging to travel, write, and work on coordinating a program in my community called Madison SOS (Speak Out, Sister!) - The Young Women's Leadership Forum. Now I'm back to blogging! Stay tuned...

Earlier this week, the New York Times wrote about the current national trend towards lowering the voting age to sixteen. Was the Times a little behind the times? Well, yes--New Moon featured the topic last September in Voice Box! But we're happy to see that the conversation has continued. And this time, the whole country's talking.

I enjoyed reading the thoughtful Times article, and I would encourage you to read it, too. But I was frustrated by the way the writer stereotyped teens a few times too many. Take her opening paragraphs:

"It is a nippy November Tuesday and your 16-year-old has her day all planned out. After school, she’ll have a rehearsal of her high school musical, “High School Musical.” She’ll instant-message her friends about that ridiculous question on the trig test, and she’ll drive to the mall for a burger with her boyfriend.

Then she’ll head to the polls, where she’ll cast a vote on a bond issue for a new prison, a referendum on property taxes, and the races for governor, senator and president of the United States.

If that sounds farfetched, it’s because in this country, at least, not a lot of people spend time debating the age at which a citizen can begin to vote, let alone whether a baby-faced 16-year-old should."

It's the media's same old trap: telling us that all teens (specifically, teen girls) are about is clothes, boys, make-up, shopping... In other words, that teens can't see beyond their own noses. I would challenge that. Teens care about more than that! The mainstream media might not want to admit the power of teens' voices, but there are plenty of teens who care about issues like poverty, the environment, peace, and civil rights...we know, just from the letters we receive from New Moon readers!

Is lowering the voting age the best way for teens to get involved in the political process, to make sure that decision-makers hear their voices? That's up to you. But I'm happy to see that the US is joining the bandwagon of efforts around the world to put power in the hands of teens, and to finally give issues facing young people the attention they deserve. (For the record, countries with 16-year-old-voting include Austria, Brazil, Cuba, and Nicaragua.) After all, the article points out: if teens were casting ballots, perhaps certain all-powerful politicians might start looking more at the issues we face and care about, like the environment and education.

Above: a poster from a British campaign

But it shouldn't have to take lowering the voting age for elected officials (and other adults whose decisions dictate our lives) to start listening to us!

Join the conversation! Leave us a comment and tell us if YOU would vote at 16 (or younger!). Do you support lowering the voting age?

Celebrating Equality

We're nearing the end of August and all most of us can think about is the start of school. But don't despair yet; it's time to celebrate! This Sunday is Women's Equality Day in the U.S., marking the date 87 years ago (1920) when women first earned the right to vote.



Suffragists Who Changed History

• Sojourner Truth- A famous and popular public speaker of her day. She was a former slave who cared deeply about women's and African American rights. Her most famous speech was 'Ain't I a Woman?' given in 1851 at an Ohio convention.


• Susan B. Anthony- A long with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, she founded the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA). Of the two, she was the public voice and often organized and traveled. In 1872 she tried to vote for a presidential election and was 'found guilty'. She refused to pay and no one made her. Anthony was also the first female on U.S. currency. (The coin was later replaced by the Sacajawea dollar.)


• Elizabeth Cady Stanton- In her partnership with Susan B. Anthony, she was considered the theorist and writer behind the conventions. When they founded the NWSA, she acted as president. Also, she worked to give woman equal guardianship of children, give property rights to married woman and insure divorce rights.


• Carrie Catt- Carrie started off by being a lecturer in the woman's suffrage movement. Soon she was involved with the NWSA and was chosen to succeed Susan B. Anthony as president. (She didn't become president until after Anna Shaw.) After the 19th amendment she continued to empower women by organizing the League of Women Voters.


• Lucretia Mott- With Elizabeth Stanton she co-wrote the "Declaration of Sentiments" which is deliberately similar to the Declaration of Independence. As a feminist and an abolitionist, she struggled between the split priorities of women's and African American rights; acting as president of the American Equal Rights Convention.

These women and countless others helped the women of day earn the right to vote. It's only right that we celebrate their achievements and all that they have done for us.

Not Separated but Also Not Equal

• Women are paid 20 to 50 percent less than men and have a hard time getting credit and financial services.


• Two thirds of all illiterate people in the world are women.


• 70% of the world's poorest people are women. (United Nations)


• Only 10% of legislators are women worldwide.


• More than 950 American women are sexually assaulted every day. That's 3 to 4 million a year.

What Can You Do to Celebrate Woman's Equality Day?

• If you're over 18, vote whenever you get the chance. Or once you turn 18, register to vote. It's so easy, you can even do it online.


• Sign this petition going to prospective candidates for the 2008 elections urging them to make women's rights a priority.


• Request a copy of "Women's Rights Are Human Rights" report.


• Read all about the suffrage movement or rent a video about it.


• Visit the Women's Museum in Dallas or the International Women's Air and Space Museum in Cleveland.


• Say thank you to teachers, coaches, parents, etc. because they worked hard to get to where they are today. Women everyday make a difference by exploring new jobs and roles.


• Write to your local newspaper or radio station to request that they cover this important holiday.


• Visit the United Nation's website 'Women's Watch' to learn more about women making a difference and other countries' rights for women.


• Bake a cake and eat it with your family. I don't know why this is important, but cake tastes good.


• Most of all, enjoy being a woman and take a moment to think about the people who helped us get this far.

So everyone, have a fun weekend and a great Woman's Equality Day!

Peace, friends.

Happy Women's Day!

Well, belated Women's Day. Yesterday was Women's Day is South Africa, commemorating the day back on August 9, 1956 when more than 20,000 women marched to government buildings in Pretoria. They wrote this petition that protested against the law that required women and men to carry special passes that allowed them to go into "white areas". Today, the holiday is a time to look at current laws objectively and see if they promote women's rights and equality. Yay for women!

Peace, friends.

Can You Hear the Children?

It's been four years; four long years for everyone. The war that was only supposed to last a year has dragged on and every soldier that is deployed leaves a gaping hole behind. It's especially hard on the kids who are left trying to make sense of it all. And for more than 1,200 kids, their parents will never come home. "About 39 percent (more than 469,999) of the children of deployed parents are age 1 and under, 33 percent (more than 400,000) are between the ages of 6 and 11, and about 25 percent (more than 300,000) are between the ages of 12 and 18," a Virgina Tech study concluded. Most of the kids in the study (between the ages of 12 and 18) said that they hid their emotion, but “lashed out” at people about things they normally wouldn't have. And while some teens said that their grades were going down because of all the stress they had, other teens actually improved. In another split result, some teens said that the relationship with a home parent got worse, but others claimed they became closer. “…when he’s not there, everything is looser,” said a 13-year-old girl. “Like you know, I’ll do my homework maybe after I eat dinner and stuff. And like maybe I’ll just do things in a little different order when I’m around my mom.” It seems that there isn't just one formula on how the deployment of a parent will affect the family.

However, it was pretty conclusive that the older sibling felt they had to be "the strong one" in the family. In many of the cases they matured quickly and took on more responsibilities. “I was always, always, always the last person to go to sleep,” said Garrett Schlobohm, 17, “I always made sure everything was shut, let the dog out, tried to take care of everybody pretty much. So I think when my dad was gone, I kind of tried to take over his role.”

Now, camps and support groups are springing up virtually everywhere for teens and kids in this situation. If any of you out there have parents in Iraq, it might be a good idea to go to one of these programs just to try it out. Friends and family can be a great resource, but sometimes it's good to have others your age who know what you're going through. For anyone one who has a friend who's parent is in Iraq, try to be understanding. Be the support link and let them know you'll be there; for the good and the bad.

One teen said, “At first when my dad got deployed there was a lot of support … like people calling, people giving us, you know, food and stuff. But then as time went on, it just kind of died down and nobody really cared that he was deployed.” We can't let them forget that we care.

Voices of Children
(While I can write about girls and boys who have parents in Iraq, I have never experienced it. I think they can say it much better than I ever could.)

• "I felt really sad when my dad left because I knew that a lot of people had already gotten killed in Iraq," said Sierra Kelley, 11. "I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, he's going to get killed.'”


• One 17-year-old boy said, “When my dad left, I stayed separate from the family. I would really keep to myself. …my mom and my sister were constantly crying and stuff so I was always trying to comfort them. And I couldn't show any emotion … because I had to be the strong one.”


• “…my mom acts different, too, when my dad’s gone. It’s like she’s not her normal self,” said one 14-year-old boy. “She’s kind of like stressed out and stuff. And her [being] stressed out affects me, too …”


• "I don't want to be a daddy because daddies die," said four-year-old Jack Shanaberger.


• "Did Dad love his soldiers more than he loved us?"- Richard Marshall, 16.


• “(Mom) came to Ramstein to visit me and we went to restaurants, shopping, and just hung out together relaxing,” said Sal Russo, “We cooked, laughed, watched movies, and called family back in the states. She even helped me with a Business writing course I was taking.”

Find out what the Pentagon is now doing for families.

"America’s Military Kids Are Latest Collateral Damage "- an article from the Women's Media Center.

To everyone who's parent(s) has been deployed, just know that we think of you and hope.

Peace, friends.

President of Peace

Many of you might be familiar with the United Nations; it's the international organization that tries to find peaceful solutions to problems. (Running on a budget less than the New York Police Department!) What you might not know is that currently the General Assembly has a woman leader for the first time since 1969. (There have only be three women G. A. leaders in history.) Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa was appointed to the post by representatives of the United Nations General Assembly. The Presidency is only a one year term starting in September. As September comes, it will not only begin a wonderful new school year (do I hear grumbling?) it will also bring Sheikha's term to a close.
Sheikha was born on October 18, 1952 in Bahrain. She received two degrees; one in Civil Private Law and one in Comparative Law. Then she became one of two woman to first practice law in her country. Now, she has her own law firm called Haya Rashed Al Khalifa Law Firm. She's also been an Ambassador for France, Belgium, Switzerland and Spain and is a Global Advisor to Orphans International. Is she a feminist? Sheikha is an 'active participant in the movement to elevate the position of women in Bahrain'. Yeah, I'd say that qualifies.

So she's the President of what? What is the General Assembly? What does it do? First, the General Assembly has member states. Member states are countries that pay to have a vote in the General Assembly. Currently, there are 192 countries listed as member states. If a country wants to join they have to get 2/3 majority. (Most every other decision is made based on majority vote). Each year the budget is divided among the member states according on their ability to pay. Some countries only have to pay .0001% of the budget. If a country is unable to for two years in a row, they lose the ability to vote. The G. A. is the only part of the U. N. were every member state gets a vote.

So what is the focus of the General Assembly? Basically anything is up for discussion; it could be AIDS or the environment. From September to December (the normal session) they follow the agenda they voted on. Sometimes emergency meetings are called "in the case of an act of aggression". The President will run these meetings as well. (There was only been 9 emergency sessions so far). The President has a growing power and responsibility as the influence of the G.A. grows. They are responsible for moving the agenda forward and getting the member states to agree. They often speak for the Assembly as a whole and give reports. Unless the General Assembly has another emergency meeting, Sheikha's term is over. But she made history as the third woman to hold this high position.

Read more about Sheikha in an interview she gave.

Click here to go to the United Nations website.

Peace, friends.

One in Three

Amnesty International recently released a report that showed how indigenous women (in America) are 2 times as likely as other women to be sexually assaulted. So about one in three of indigenous women will be abused in her lifetime. Now, because of the report, the House of Representatives has set aside $1 million to create "a tribal sex offender registry" and $1 million to fund a study about the violence against indigenous women. "This vote is an important step toward justice for Native American and Alaska Native women," said Larry Cox who is the Executive Director of Amnesty's US section, "But more needs to be done."

• Lifetime rate of rape/attempted rape for women, according to the Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences of Violence Against Women Survey:
  All: 17.6%
  White: 17.7%
  Black: 18.8%
  Asian/Pacific Islander: 6.8%
  American Indian/Alaskan: 34.1%
  Mixed Race: 24.4%

I know this isn't the happiest of posts, but I thought it was good to know that the government is at least doing something. You can read the article here.

Peace, friends.

Gendercide: "Honor" Killings in Jordan

Dua Khalil; stoned to death for being seen with a man from a different religion. Muqadas Bibi and her younger sisters; throats slit by their stepfather after Muqadas leaves her abusive husband. Dalia; stabbed by her father 12 times because she fell in love with a man of a different religion. All of these women were killed in the name of "honor". "Honor" killing means that a woman is killed when she "taints" family honor. When this happens tribal custom dictates that the only way to cleanse the family is to kill her. "90% of the cases that occur are based on just rumour and suspicion. So 90% of the women that are killed are still virgins at the time of death," says Norma Khouri (see * below) who wrote a book to commemorate her friend who was a victim of honor killings.

In Jordan, about 20 to 25 honor killings occur each year; accounting for 1/3 of all violent killings in the country! This number, however, doesn't include all the women who go into hiding or flee their country to escape, fearing for their lives. Currently Jordan's laws protects the killings; "A husband or a close blood relative who kills a woman caught in a situation highly suspicious of adultery will be totally exempt from sentence. (Article 340 of the criminal code)". Even if the relative is charged, they face only 3 months to 2 years in prison. "If you rob a house you get a higher sentence than for killing a woman!" said Mion Nagi a woman journalist from Jordan (picture on the right).

There is a Jordanian Women's Union that was established back in 1945 to assist women and educate them. The 10 branches of the Union focus on teaching women to read and write and also to help them understand their legal rights. Nadia Shamroukh (who runs the Union) said, "You can't separate social, political, and economic issues for women, because we believe women's rights are part of human rights." In recent years the Union's primary focus has been to raise awareness on honor killings. But no one has been more efficient at than the journalist Rana Husseini. Rana was just starting off as a journalist at the Jordan Times when she read about a 16-year-old girl who was shot by her brother. Back in the 90's it was taboo to write about honor killings. Facing public ignorance and the media's silence, Husseini decided to keep writing about the crimes. "I wanted to be their voice," she said. For her work Husseini received the Reebok Human Rights Award. Now most newspapers are reporting on honor killings, domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual abuse. Even the government is now acknowledging that the murders are happening. And while the "official" number of murders is different than those reported by Rana, she says it is a step forward. "At least the government acknowledges the problem," Rana said, "This is an important success, because then you can push them to find solutions."

While I chose to write exclusively on Jordan, it is not the only country that has reported "honor" killings; Brazil, Ecuador, Italy, Sweden, and Britain have also have these killings. The United Nations estimates that, throughout the world, 5 thousand woman are killed annually due to honor killings.

To read more about other countries and their problems with "honor" killings or to find out more about gendercide click here.

*I must make a correction. The book written by Norma Khouri, as I mentioned above, is fraudulent. I would normally just overwrite it, but I'm afraid a lot of people have already read this article. Thanks to the reader to clued me into this fact. You can read an article about the fraud here.

Peace, friends.

Clinton Cleavage? Who cares?

Recently, I got an email that one of the New Moon staff had sent out and it had this article attached to it. The article (called Hillary Clinton's Tentative Dip Into New Neckline Territory) was published in the Washington Post; a newspaper I thought was above the cutting remarks it bestowed on Clinton. At this point, it doesn't matter who the article was referring to. I'm not complaining because it's Hilary Clinton; what I am saying is that the things this journalist assumed about women are totally wrong. "Showing cleavage is a request to be engaged in a particular way. It doesn't necessarily mean that a woman is asking to be objectified, but it does suggest a certain confidence and physical ease," says Robin Givhan, author of the article. Right. Are you suggesting that all women that wear tanktops have "confidence and physical ease"? It just made me mad that this should even be worth writing; let alone published. Why are we wasting space that could be used for valuable news? "I can’t believe they’re serious about this – it almost feels like the article is a “trap” – just to register how much outrage there is out here. And there is plenty around," Paulette Warren (New Moon's Chief Marketing Officer) wrote.

Apparently, Ms. magazine is calling for action. "...it was reassuring to see how many people are scoffing at this article. Still, that doesn't stop the fact that it made it to publication and that alone means a lot of people along the line have given it tacit approval. It's pretty disgusting," writes Lacey Louwagie (New Moon's Acting Manager Editor) in response. You can take action against the article by 1) sending this email to the editor from Ms. magazine 2) (if you don't like form letters) make your own email and send it to letters@washpost.com or 3) write a letter to the editor at: Letters to the Editor The Washington Post 1150 15 St. NW Washington, DC 20071.

Okay, rant over.

Peace, friends.

This is one small step for a woman, one giant leap for womankind.

India beat us to it. On Saturday, Indian legislators elected it's first-ever female president; Pratibha Patil. As America waits to see if Hilary Clinton will become the first female president of the U.S., India will have Patil sworn in on Wednesday. In India the role of 'president' is pretty much a ceremonial post. But that didn't make a difference to the women who showed up outside her home to set off fireworks and beat drums when the news got out. While only 68% (Outlook magazine) of women approve of her presidency, none are complaining at the impact it will make for them. There has been a few Indian women of power (Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister in 1966), but overall, fewer than 10% of politicians in the lower house of Parliament (Lok Sabha) are women.

In India, girls are seen as burdens because families will eventually have to pay a very large dowry to the groom's family. As a result the girls are not well educated and they don't get proper medical care when they're sick. An international group estimated that as many as 10 million female fetuses have been aborted in the country over the last two decades!

So far, many countries have had women in powerful political roles. (To see a list click here.) Whether the title is president or prime minister, the United States is certainly behind. For now, until, perhaps, in 2008, we can only watch as India joins the growing number of countries with female presidents.

For an article about Pratibha Patil click here.

Pratibha Patil:

• Born December 19, 1934
• Deputy minister for education in 1967
• A full cabinet minister for the state in 1972-1978
• Elected to the Rajya Sabha as a Congress candidate in 1985
• Most recently a governor the northern state of Rajasthan

Check out Natalia's post on Pratibha Patil.

Peace, friends.

Female Judges

In Maldive (a small island in the Indian Ocean) the president has appointed Aisha Shujoon Mohamed and Huzaifa Mohamed as the country's first women judges. They will be serving on the Civil Court and the Family Court. It all started with the suggestion of UN Special Rapporteur Leandro Despouy (basically he's the expert on human right's for the United Nations)that to the President of Maldive should appoint women judges to begin a movement for gender equality.

In the past Maldive has been criticized by human rights and women's rights groups activists for their abusive treatment of prisoners and unwarranted arrests. Last year in March the government adopted "Roadmap for the Reform Agenda" hoping to more aggressively protect human rights.

It is expected that in the next week a third female judge will begin her duties.

Peace, friends.

Hillary Clinton: Girls Respond!

Over a week ago, we asked blog readers to weigh in on the current debate over Senator Hillary Clinton’s run for the presidency. We wanted to know what girls think about the huge spotlight the media is shining on her gender. We had also heard from many girls who weren’t sure what it means to have a woman running—As girls and women, do we automatically support Hillary, because she’s a woman? As Courtney E. Martin, the author who we interviewed last week, wrote in a great article for AlterNet, “Does Being a Feminist Mean Voting for Hillary?”

According to the responses we got, yes and no. Most of you said something along the lines of these comments: “I am quite happy that there is a women running for president—but really, I'm not going to go all nutso for her just because she is female” and the more plainly stated “I think a persons’ gender shouldn't matter at all when it comes to politics.” Others celebrated just having a serious woman candidate for the first time in many years. “To tell you the truth,” one girl said, “I feel so great that a woman is running for president. It makes me so proud.”

Here’s what we asked readers:

If you support Hillary, is it because she’s a woman, or do you support her regardless of her gender? What role does gender play in your political decisions?

When New Moon surveyed girls on politics earlier this year, we found that 73% said you’d definitely vote for a woman for president. Would you vote for Hillary?

If you could vote for ANY woman for President (not necessarily a politician), who would you choose?

We never anticipated that we’d receive over twenty thoughtful, animated responses from girls across the U.S. (and even from other countries!) Many girls had really interesting comments to share on the role gender plays in politics, but most of them also told us whether they support Hillary (if you’re curious, many girls hadn’t yet decided, but of those that did, girls were split half-and-half between supporting and opposing Hillary).

You can read some of the comments we got on the blog, but we also wanted to share some of the longer responses we received by email.

Some of the most interesting responses we received related to gender. Like the anonymous comments we shared above, many girls said that gender isn’t a huge factor in their decisions.

Ada, 11, said, “I am a big supporter of women's rights, and I really want a female president. But I want a female president that is also great in politics, and I wouldn't vote for a politician that I didn't think was. You have to have a balance.” Karinn, also 11, stated, “Gender only plays a 5% role in my views; the rest is based on the politician’s issues, opinions and plans.”

Fourteen-year-old Candace, who supports Hillary, says that gender shouldn’t matter at all: “I believe a woman can run this country. Any person can if they are smart, know what to do, and are willing to learn.”

Oh, and about that ‘do we support her just because she’s a woman’ question? It’s a pretty hot topic right now, especially among feminist thinkers. Lisa Jervis, founder of Bitch magazine, has written about the idea she calls "femmenism,” which she describes as “the mistaken belief ... that female leadership is inherently different from male; that having more women in positions of power, authority, or visibility will automatically lead to, or can be equated with, feminist social change; that women are uniquely equipped as a force for action on a given issue; and that isolating feminist work as solely pertaining to women is necessary or even useful.”

In other words, being a woman doesn’t mean a politician will be supportive of women’s issues. Lisa mentions certain women like Condoleezza Rice, who stood by the Bush Administration during Abu Ghraib and countless other scandals, and Ann Coulter, who is fond of using homophobic insults to describe certain Democrats.

On the other hand, The White House Project, an organization devoted to bringing women into politics, all the way up to the Presidency, argues that a significant number of women in leadership positions—no matter which issues they support—will make the world a better place. The more women in power, the better the world will be, they believe.

Many girls responded to the ‘do we support Hillary just because she’s a woman’ question. Eleven-year-old Lillian told us no: “Just because she is a woman doesn't mean she automatically should have support.” Other girls called for gender equality in politics. Dagny, 13, wrote, “I am totally into having a woman president. I think that would be so cool! But I think the voters should treat Hillary as any possible president-to-be, regardless whether she's male or female.”

Hannah, also 13, added: “I do not think that it is fair that Hillary receives extra publicity because of her sex, although I know that this will be a deciding factor in many U.S. citizens’ votes. People tend to vote for people like them, and current women voters have only had one female candidate before, Shirley Chisholm, in 1972.”

If gender doesn’t (or shouldn’t) matter, then what does? Most girls told us the issues a politician supports or opposes matter most, echoing a recent poll that found that 63% of young women voters say the most important factor is in choosing which candidate they support is the candidate’s support of the issues she cares about.

Eleven-year-old Nathalie said, “I think most people are voting for Hillary because she is a woman. I like the fact that she is a woman running for president, but I don't like her political opinions. I don't think I would vote for her if I could vote.” Some of the strongest responses we received cited Hillary’s stance on the war. Here’s what girls said:

The biggest reason I do not think that Hillary should deserve the title of President is her view on the War in Iraq. First, she voted that we should go to war in Iraq, which was completely wrong in the first place. Now, she is campaigning against the war. As President, when you make a decision, you should stick with it. Hillary's cover-up story is that we have done our job in Iraq, and we need to get out. In my opinion, we never had a job to do in Iraq.
—Lillian, age 11

[I don’t support Hillary.] Why not? Though strong, Hillary is not as strong a candidate as Nancy Pelosi. The main reason that I wouldn't vote for her is that she supports the Iraq War. I don't want another president who supports that inhumane crime.

—Hannah, age 12

I do support Hillary, mainly because I like her line of thinking, her views, and her anti-quitting attitude. I would vote for Hillary because I am very fond of her plans to bring our troops back from Iraq on a January First [2008] basis. I also appreciate her caring, sympathy and sincerity to those without healthcare. If I could choose any woman to be President, I would still choose Hillary Clinton. She is a strong person, an awesome politician and a wonderfully kind person!
—Karinn, age 11

We also asked girls who they would vote for if they could vote for any woman, politician or not. Twelve-year-old Katie said, “If I could choose a celebrity to be president I would choose Oprah. A politician, and I would choose Hillary.” Hannah, also 12, responded: “Woman I want for president? Easy—Nancy Pelosi. Never have I seen such a strong woman politician with such honest views and above all, amazing decisions. As a girl from the VERY far left, I think that Nancy Pelosi would be a great candidate for president. She would lead the country to peace, and that’s [the issue at] the top of my list.”

Thanks, girls, for your great responses! We loved reading them, and we’re so happy to have the opportunity to get this important conversation started. Keep writing!

SPECIAL BONUS FEATURES: WOMEN AND THE PRESIDENCY

Want to hear what more girls told us about Hillary? Read on.

I believe that Hillary Clinton is an amazing woman, but more importantly, I think she should be President because of her spirit and beliefs. Clinton knows politics, and she knows what it is like to be President; after all, her husband was. She knows and understands people, and she is right on. Senator Clinton supports gay rights, abortion for rape victims, wants to withdraw from Iraq, and would put a better focus on Global Warming and schools—all issues that affect us.
—Ada, age 11

Hilary Rodham Clinton is a debate. She gets much attention just because she's a woman, but there is also a group of people that listen (gender barriers aside) to what she has to say. She is a Democrat and against the war in Iraq, and has a Democratic view on most things. As for me, I support her as a woman and appreciate the gender barriers she's trying to break. But, politically, I think that she could be a little bit stronger in her views and not count on the people who she thinks will vote for her just because she's a woman.
—Gabrielle, age 11

I think that she is a good woman and would make a good president. Women may get in fights but most often resolve it themselves. Why can't men do that? The War on Terror has been going on for at least four years so it makes me wonder why President Bush can’t do that. Still, many other people think that someone else should be President, but is it not a good time for change.
—Elisabeth, age 11

Yes, I would vote for Hillary Clinton regardless of her gender. I think she is intelligent and well-informed. The only reason I wouldn’t vote for her is because I wanted to be the first women president. ; )
—Katie, age 12

As we mentioned, our blog’s readers were pretty split over their support of Hillary. Curious about what adults think? The most recent poll numbers we could obtain (a July 3 Newsweek poll) say that support for Hillary is higher than ever: Fifty-six percent of people said they would support Hillary when asked, “Suppose the race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination next year comes down to a choice between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Who would you most like to see nominated?” Thirty-three percent said they supported Barack Obama, and eleven percent reported that they were still undecided.

Interestingly enough, more adult Americans say they would vote for a woman president than girls we polled. Earlier this year, we conducted an online survey of over 1,000 girls, and found that 73% said you'd definitely vote for a woman for president, and another 25% said “maybe.” [LINK] But according to the Times Union/Siena College First Woman President poll, 66% percent of Americans think the U.S. is ready for a woman president and 81% would vote for one.

More promising news: A poll of adults conducted by GfKRoper Public Affairs found Americans believe that a woman president would be as good as or better than a man at leading on the issues of foreign policy (78%), homeland security (77%) and the economy (88%).

And still more good news: A CosmoGIRL!/White House Project poll from just a few weeks ago found that young voters today are ‘very’ to ‘somewhat comfortable’ with a woman being president (88%), and 73% say they are ready for a woman president. Interestingly, 69% would be more likely to vote on Election Day if a woman is on the presidential ballot, yet 69% would vote for who they find to be the best candidate, regardless of gender. Sounds like good news all around!

Facts from The White House Project and American Women Presidents on Women and the Presidency:

Out of over 180 countries, only 11 have elected women heads of state.

In every election since 1980, US women have voted in higher rates than men.

16% of members of national parliaments worldwide are women.

Victoria Claflin Woodhull became the first woman to run for the US Presidency when she announced her bid in 1872. A decade later, Belva Ann Lockwood ran twice with the Equal Rights Party.

In 1964, Margaret Chase Smith became the first US woman nominated by a major political party for President.

On the one-hundredth anniversary of Woodhull’s historic 1872 campaign, Congresswomen Shirley Chisholm (New York), Patsy Mink (Hawaii), and Abzug (New York) simultaneously became the first Democratic women to run for U.S. president in 1972. Chisholm’s strong primary showing won her 152 delegate votes or five percent of the delegate votes cast at the Democratic National Convention—an unprecedented historic victory for women on the 100th anniversary of the campaign to elect women to the US Presidency.

Since 1972, several other women have thrown their hats in the ring, including Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro (D-NY), Republican Elizabeth Dole, and Democrat Carol Moseley Braun. Feminist activist and environmentalist Winona LaDuke is also worth noting—she ran for Vice President twice, in 1996 and again in 2000!

On Paris

"I'm claustrophobic and my cell is really small. I was going a little crazy...but I'm getting used to it."

--Paris Hilton, from prison, as quoted by Newsweek, July 2

So, is she getting used to the cell, or getting used to being crazy? We'll leave it to you, dear readers, to decide.

New Moon isn't exactly fond of celebrity journalism, so I was reluctant to post this article from Wiretap (an online magazine) on Paris Hilton. I rationalized the decision with the fact that the article is really more about prison reform, not Paris--and New Moon's September/October issue, "The Great Debate," features a great article with both sides of the prison debate. So, this is much less about Paris, and more about reforming the prison system (an issue that has long been a target of feminist activism).

Here's an article that does a nice job of illustrating one side of the debate:

"Prison abolition and Paris Hilton" - http://www.wiretapmag.org/blogs/wiretap/43156/

Give it a read, then share your thoughts with us!

India: On the Road to a Woman President?

With all the talk of Hillary Clinton* as a possible future President of the US, it seems some of us have forgotten that other women are going for the top offices in their own countries! While Michelle Bachelet, Portia Simpson-Miller, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and other women have shows the world that women are more than capable of the Presidency, we still have so few women who have successfully risen to the top. That's why I was so excited to hear about Pratibha Patil (left), who is campaigning in India to become the first woman president in the republic's 60-year history.

Earlier this month, 50,000 women rallied to kick off Pratibha's campaign. At the rally, Pratibha called herself an advocate of women’s rights and expressed gratitude to her supporters, saying, "It is a moving experience for me to see such a vast number of women expressing their solidarity with me on this historic occasion."

Once in office, Pratibha will push for 33 percent of Parliamentary seats to be reserved for women, according to the newspaper The Hindu. Currently, one in six members of Parliament are women.

Though Pratibha's campaign is still in the early stages, it holds a promising future. Pratibha has received backing from India's ruling party, the United Progressive Alliance. On July 19, members of Parliament will vote to select the president -- a largely ceremonial role in India -- for the next five years.

The coming weeks promise to be exciting for the women of India--and women worldwide.

--Feminist Daily News Wire: July 5, 2007

*Read the blog on Monday for reader's opinions on Hillary Clinton!

35 Years of Title IX

Last month, women and girls across the country celebrated the 35th anniversary of the landmark law called Title IX, which read, "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." Written by Congresswoman Patsy Mink, who wrote the law as a response to her experiences with discrimination in college.

Title IX was controversial, but also revolutionary. Says New Moon founder Nancy Gruver: "Title IX, which outlawed gender discrimination in education...[is] a somewhat invisible thing that has brought more positive change in gender equity for girls and young women than anything else I can think of, leading to massive change in our society."

A common myth about Title IX is that it only applied to athletics; Title IX also affected issues like math and science education, sexual harassment in schools, standardized testing, and education opportunities for pregnant teens. But Title IX proved most revolutionary in sports: over the last 30 years, Title IX has helped increase girls' participation in high school sports 800%, and women's participation in intercollegiate sports 400%! Women also have gained more opportunities to compete at elite levels through competitions like the Olympics, World Championships and professional leagues.

As girls, we've grown up in a world where sports are a regular part of our lives (although we still face plenty of sexism). But here's what the pre-Title IX world looked like:

"Things were different. The primary physical activities for girls were cheerleading and square-dancing. Only 1 in 27 girls played high school sports. There were virtually no college scholarships for female athletes. And female college athletes received only 2% of overall athletic budgets."

Unfortunately, Title IX has been under attack in recent years. But it's still so important. According to http://www.titleix.info/:

Girls make up only about 42% of high school and college varsity athletes, even though they represent more than 50% of the student population.

Each year, male athletes receive $137 million more than female athletes in college athletic scholarships at NCAA member institutions.

Women in Division I colleges are over 50% of the student body, but receive only 32% of athletic recruiting dollars and 36% of athletic operating budgets.

In 2001-02, only 44% of coaches of women's teams were women. In 1972, the number was over 90%.

Unfortunately, the Department of Education issued a new Title IX policy that threatens to reverse the progress that women and girls have made in sports on March 17, 2005: Title IX is under attack. Do you think girls and women deserve better? Visit http://www.savetitleix.com/ to sign a petition to the Secretary of Education and take action!

You can also check out some cool Title IX-related stuff:

• Listen to soccer star Julie Foudy, former Captain of the US Soccer Team, explain why Title IX needs to be saved


• See some common myths about Title IX


• Check out the Women's Sports Foundation


• View Active.com's tribute to Title IX, with great articles on women's struggles in sports

Then tell us: Do you play sports? What do you wish was different about the girls and women in sports?

P.S. What do you think of this: Last month, Rags to Riches became the first filly in more than a century to win the Belmont Stakes, the prestigious annual horse race in Elmont, N.Y. The last time a filly beat the boys at the Belmont was when Tanya surged to victory in 1905.

Both genders of horses race together. What about humans? Do you support single-sex sports, or do you think girls and guys should play sports together?

State of the World's Children

What do 17-year-old Doly of Bangladesh, 13-year-old Mulu of Ethiopia, and 14-year-old Fatna of Chad have in common? [click on the links girls' names to watch short movies about their lives!]

They’re all girls profiled in The State of the World’s Children 2007, an annual report created by UNICEF. This year, the report focuses on gender equality. According to UNICEF, eliminating gender discrimination and empowering women does a lot to help children—so the report focuses on ensuring that women and girls have equal opportunities in education, government, and economics.

Like previous years' reports, this year’s paints a grim picture for girls worldwide. Here’s a UNICEF summary:

Despite progress in women’s status in recent decades, the lives of millions of girls and women are overshadowed by discrimination, disempowerment and poverty. Girls and women are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and women in most places earn less than men for equal work. Millions of women throughout the world are subject to physical and sexual violence, with little recourse to justice. As a result of discrimination, girls are less likely to attend school; nearly one out of every five girls who enroll in primary school in developing countries does not complete a primary education. Education levels among women, says the report, correlate with improved outcomes for child survival and development.

It’s a sad report, but it’s also touching to read stories like those of a girl in Africa who’s trying to become her village’s first girl to graduate from high school, or a girl who fought to safe her own life after being abducted.

Click here to read the report—you’re in for a fascinating ride. The report, and UNICEF’s webpage about its findings, is telling. For example, take these statistics on discrimination against women in different parts of the world:

In the Middle East and North Africa, UNICEF found that over 80% of men who responded to their survey agreed that men make better political leaders than women do. In Asia, that number was closer to 60%. But that’s still way too high!
And here are more facts:

The total number of female heads of state or government in the world is 14 out of 192 UN Member States (countries that belong to the United Nations).

Women and children account for 80% of civilian casualties during armed conflict (i.e. war).

In Cameroon, women who earn money typically spend 74% of it on food for their families, while men only spend about 22%.

One out of every 16 sub-Saharan African women will die as a result of pregnancy or childbirth, compared to just 1 out of every 4,000 in industrialized countries.

While more than 80 per cent of Latin American countries have specific legislation against domestic violence, this is true of less than 5 per cent of countries in Eastern Europe, Africa and East Asia and the Pacific.

After reading the report, check out UNICEF's cool website for kids and teens: Voices of Youth. See their explanation on why gender equality benefits everyone, learn how to take action to make a difference, and view the beautiful winning photos from their photo contest on portraits of inspirational women.