Loren

Posts Written by Loren

By Loren • 14 years ago

Women gain as men lose jobs

In advance of Labor Day I thought this article in USA Today was interesting, “Women gain as men lose jobs.”

According to the article, in June of this year women held 49.83% of jobs in this country and despite the record unemployment their numbers are growing. In fact, women are poised to become the majority of the workforce for the first time in our history in October or November of this year.

The article does a good job of pointing out a few caveats and important tidbits for thought:

(1) The change reflects the growing importance of women as wage earners, but it doesn’t show full equality. On average, women work fewer hours than men, hold more part-time jobs and earn 77% of what men make.

(2) Through June, men have lost 74% of the 6.4 million jobs erased since the recession began in December 2007. Men have lost more than 3 million jobs in construction and manufacturing alone.

(3) Strikingly, this also applies to other sectors, such as local government. Of the 14.6 million-person workforce (which includes cities, schools, water authorities and other local jurisdictions) 86,000 men were cut from payrolls during the recession while 167,000 women were added.

By Loren • 14 years ago

In the Twenty-First Century, the Face of the Immigrant is That of the Woman

The earliest immigrants to this country broke almost every chain that bound them to the Old World to start a new life in America. They abandoned religions, traditions, languages, and political institutions – yet even as the world around them changed radically these immigrants leaned heavily one unchanging force: the family unit.

Even though our immigration laws have changed over the years (decidedly away from its “cornerstone” of family reunification) some things don’t change.

Recently, New America Media conducted a poll among immigrant women in the United States to gain an insight into what it means to be a female immigrant today. The results were fascinating, both for immigrant advocates and feminists.

The poll revealed that the great gender imbalance that once ...

By Loren • 14 years ago

Celebrating 37 years of Title IX

Today we celebrate the 37th anniversary of the enactment of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the landmark civil rights law which banned gender discrimination from all education programs and extracurricular activities in federally funded schools.

I don’t think I need to go into a huge description all that Title IX has done, but for the sake of discussion I’ll just outline two:

1). Although the law did not originally make any reference to athletics, it has since become famous for altering schools’ athletic policies to increase female participation in sports and establish gender equality in athletic budgets and competitions. Before its passage girls made up only 7 percent of high school sports participants; that number now stands at more than 40 ...

By Loren • 14 years ago

South Africa Rape Study: 1 In 4 Men Admit Rape

I’m just amazed at how different conditions are for women country-to-country. I’m not sure how to proceess this new survey data other than with a total sense of dismay.

According to a new survey conducted in South Africa:

One in four men in South Africa may have raped someone.
More than half had attacked more than one victim, data from a new survey suggests.
One in 20 men surveyed said they had raped a woman or girl in the last year.
The study found that 73% of respondents said they had carried out their first assault before the age of 20.

Oscar Tradition of Rewarding Women Who Play Strippers and Prostitutes

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to an article written by Lauren A.E. Schuker of the Wall Street Journal entitled “Stripping Your Way to Success“.

The article starts off talking about how Marisa Tomei has been nominated for an Acadamy Award for playing a stripper in “The Wrestler”, and is doing so joins a long list of recent actresses who’ve been nominated for playing similar roles.

“Four years ago, Natalie Portman was nominated for playing a young stripper in Mike Nichols’s steamy drama “Closer,” and just a year earlier Charlize Theron won an Oscar for her role as a real-life prostitute-turned-serial killer (in “Monster”). In the decade before that, Elisabeth Shue, Mira Sorvino and Julia Roberts all became Oscar ...

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to an article written by Lauren A.E. Schuker of the Wall Street Journal entitled “Stripping Your Way to Success“.

The article starts off talking about how Marisa Tomei has ...

By Loren • 15 years ago

Patriarchy Hurts Men Too

I saw this story today, and as a male vegetarian who gets a lot of crap from my otherwise understanding friends and family, I thought I’d pass it along.

“Beef At Gay Insult” (my apologies for sending you to the NY Post site)

Basically, a guy was fired from his job because his boss thought it was “gay” that he was a vegetarian, and he’s now fighting back.

I’ve always thought that the best way to get men more involved in feminism was to show them the ways patriarchy hurts us, and how feminism can be a great tool to take on those fucked up assumptions about what men can and should be.

And this is one of them. Reject claims that you ...

I saw this story today, and as a male vegetarian who gets a lot of crap from my otherwise understanding friends and family, I thought I’d pass it along.

“Beef At Gay Insult” (my apologies for sending ...

By Loren • 15 years ago

Congress Passes “Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008″

Great news!

Last night Congress passed H.R. 7311, which reauthorizes (through 2011) the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, and enhances measures to combat trafficking in persons.

I know (from a past feministing blog entry by Jennifer Podkul at Ayuda) that there was some controversy about the effects this law would have on prosecuting crimes of human trafficking. My initial reading of the reauthorization language doesn’t lead me to believe that would still be the case, since the “force, fraud or coercion” language wasn’t stricken from the bill, it was just slightly reworded (feel free to chime in if my reading is incorrect here).

For additional information on the bill check out the Feminist Law Professor blog, and the statement ...

Great news!

Last night Congress passed H.R. 7311, which reauthorizes (through 2011) the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, and enhances measures to combat trafficking in persons.

I know (from a past feministing blog entry by ...

By Loren • 15 years ago

LPGA Golfers Mad Wie Is Playing In PGA Tournament

Michelle Wie, the 18-year-old golfer has been catching a lot of heat lately for her decision to skip major LPGA tournaments in order to play in PGA tournaments.
Wie was listed in qualifying for the Women’s British Open at Sunningdale, but she pulled out and instead has decided to play in her eighth PGA tournament. Wie, who has yet to make the cut on the PGA Tour, has also yet to win on the women’s tour.
Yet LPGA golfers seem to have taken a hard line response to Wie’s decision. “I really don’t know why Michelle continues to do this,” said Annika Sorenstam, who is playing in her final major tournament in this week’s Women’s British Open.
Fellow LPGA golfer ...