Passings: Notable women who left us in 2012

With the passing of another year, we pause to remember those who are no longer with us.  Featured here are a few of them.

Even though they are gone, their words and deeds will continue to inspire us for years to come, and in that way, they will live forever.

Blessed be.

Adrienne Rich

Feminist poet and essayist.



Read her poem "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers."

Helen Gurley Brown

Former editor of Cosmopolitan magazine and known as the original "Cosmo Girl."  Wrote "Sex and the Single Girl."

Helen Milliken

Michigan's former first lady and advocate for women's rights, including the Equal Rights Amendment and reproductive rights.  She skipped the opening ceremonies of the 1980 Republican National Convention, held in Detroit, after the party removed pro-ERA language from its platform and joined a protest march outside.

Florence Green

Believed to be the last surviving veteran of World War I, Green served in Britain's Royal Air Force.  She worked on the home front as a waitress in the officer's mess.  However, her service was not officially recognized until 2010.  She died Feb. 4, just short of her 111th birthday.

Nora Ephron


Journalist, blogger, essayists, screenwriter and filmmaker.

Sally Ride

One of the ultimate barrier breakers, she was the first American woman to fly in space.

Susan "Suzie" Kienscherf

Acting as a good Samaritan, Suzie was killed while trying to assist a fellow motorist after an accident.  A resident of Troy, Mich., she volunteered with Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue, fed feral cats in her neighborhood and found homes for a box of kittens someone left on her front lawn. 

You don't have to be famous to make a difference, because there's no such thing as an insignificant life.

The New York Times' list of notable deaths from 2012

Feminist icons appear on "Wall of Frame"

The "Wall of Frame" at House of Optical in Clawson, Mich.

I couldn't resist sharing this image of a delightful local landmark.

This is the "Wall of Frame" featured on the wall of House of Optical in Clawson, Mich. where I have purchased my eye glasses and contact lenses for many years. 

The company commissioned the work from a local artist when it moved to its present location at 329 14 Mile Road about 13 years ago.  According to the staff, it has been touched up several times over the years.

Three women can be readily identified in the tribute to famous spectacle wearers.

Third from the right, next to Elvis, is tennis great Billy Jean King.  According to World Team Tennis, she won "39 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles tennis titles, including a record 20 titles at Wimbleton," but she is perhaps best remembered for winning the tennis "Battle of the Sexes" in 1973 against Bobby Riggs.  She is also an outspoken advocate for social change and equality and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Slightly less prominent, but no less important, is journalist, activist and Ms. Magazine co-founder Gloria Steinem.  That's her toward the middle in back of John Belushi, next to Larry King.  In 1993, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York and was the subject of the 2011 documentary "Gloria:  In Her Own Words."

Actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg is also featured just off center to the right of Larry King.

This is just another example of how feminist connections can be found all around us, we just have to open our eyes and look for them.

From Cherie's Kitchen: A holiday treat, Andre Black's Carrot Cake

In my family, as in many others, baking is holiday tradition.  Even people who don't cook or bake the rest of the year will be out in the kitchen measuring flour, sugar and butter to recreate old, traditional recipes or try out new ones.

Andre Black's Carrot Cake is one of my favorites.  It was clipped from The Detroit News years ago and was saved in my old-fashioned recipe card file.  Since then, it has made its way to a multitude of Internet recipe sites. 

It is a great new tradition for Thanksgiving or as an alternative to a traditional Christmas fruit cake.

The cake is a Detroit original.  It won Andre Black, a local culinary student, a $10,000 scholarship to Johnson and Wales College, now Johnson and Wales University.  His recipe was one of 19 winners chosen from 270 entries.

Because the recipe was written in professional baking terms, it was adapted for home cooks by food writer and author Robin Mather.

The cake is vegetarian, but not vegan because it contains eggs.  (If you're feeling adventurous, you could experiment with a commercial egg replacer like Ener-G, or maybe applesauce.)


The recipe may be prepared as a three-layer cake, but I like to keep it simple in a single 13-by-9-inch pan and baking it for about an hour, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  I've also made the recipe as cupcakes.

Also included is Black's cream cheese frosting recipe.  It makes an ample amount, so slather on a generous amount and enjoy.

Is baking a feminist act?  Vegan chef and blogger Lagusta Yearwood thinks so.  Read her essay here.


Andre Black's Carrot Cake

Cake:

3 large eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup & two tablespoons salad oil
2 cups & 1 tablespoon sifted cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup & two tablespoons crushed, drained pineapple
1 cup & two tablespoons crushed walnuts
1 cup raisins

Frosting:

1/2 cup softened margarine or butter
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 pound confection sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fareheit.  Grease and flour three eight-inch layer pans, or one 13-by-9-inch pan (see my note above.)
  
• Combine eggs, sugar and oil.  Beat on high speed until creamy and thick, three to five minutes.
• Sift together flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.
  
• Slowly add one-third of dry igredients to egg mixture; beat well.  Repeat with remaining dry ingredients, beating well after each addition.  Batter will be extremely stiff; it may be necessary to blend with a spatula or spoon.
  
• One by one, fold in coconut, carrots, pineapple, walnuts and raisins.  Divide batter into prepared pans.
  
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes for layers, or one hour for 13-by-9-inch pan or until a tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean.  For layers:  Let cool in pans five minutes, then turn out on rack to cool completely.  (I usually frost my 13-by-9-inchn cake right in the pan.)
  
• Prepare frosting by combining ingredients and beating until smooth.  Frost cakes when they are completely cool.

Honoring women veterans means addressing their unique needs at home

I love this graphic that Women's Rights News posted on its Facebook page:

There are currently 1.9 million women veterans in the United States.  Another 50,000 servicewomen will be coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan.  

Many of those will be returning with serious physical and emotional wounds. Homecoming is not easy, and is not always met with empathy and understanding. 

"When we come back, we're not looked at as veterans," Layla Mansberger said during an interview with the PBS program "To the Contrary." 

"People think, 'Oh, you just served, you didn't see any combat.' I was told that I wasn't even in a combat zone.  I was in Iraq! I got bombed every other day."

Mansberger's story is part of the 2011 documentary film "Service: When women come marching home" by Marcia Rock and Patricia Lee Stotter. The film features the stories of eight women veterans as they struggle "to find their way home." 


While serving as a food service specialist at Tallia Air Force Base, Mansberger was sexually assaulted.

She's not alone.  Military Sexual Trauma affects one out of three U.S. servicewomen and is addressed in the film.

"It seemed like no one cared what really happen to me," Mansberger said on the film's website.

"It wasn't until I was introduced to several other women vets that have suffered MST that I was finally attended to in any fashion."

Although their film project is complete, Rock and Stotter continue to reach out to women veterans through social media and podcasts.  Visit the film's website, servicethefilm.com.
 
See a a preview of "Service: When women come marching home" here:



Related links:

VA report:  "Strategies for Serving Our Women Veterans"

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America report: Women Warriors: Supporting She 'Who Has Borne the Battle," October 2009

A day for Malala

Malala Yousafzai recovering in an English hospital.

Malala Yousafzai, 15, is sitting up and reading at a hospital in England.  She is recovering from being shot in her native Pakistan last month after the Taliban targeted her as a threat simply because she wants an education.

Yousafzai is a young advocate for girls' education in her homeland.  She became known as "The Anne Frank of Pakistan" after the BBC aired a series of her video diaries chronicling her activism.

According to a report submitted to the United Nations' Convention Eliminating All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) by the Global Campaign for Education, "Only four in 10 of Pakistani women over the age of 15 can read and write, compared to 70% of men. This dramatic educational disadvantage is the result of a deeply unequal education system. Although girls’ enrolment (sic) rates have improved, the net rate at primary level is still just 60%, compared to 72% for boys. At secondary level, the performance is even more
appalling (although the gender difference is smaller): the net enrolment (sic) rate for girls is just 29%. Altogether, more than 8 million girls of school age (primary and secondary) are not in school."

The report cites widespread violence against women in Pakistan as a major detriment to girls' education.  In northern Pakistan, the report says, "...girls’ access to education was 'severely'
restricted because of their families’ fear of violence whilst traveling."

Additionally, "Violent acts committed mainly by men against women within the context of the
subordinate status of women which society seeks to preserve include domestic violence; sexual violence; traditional harmful practices including female genital mutilation, honor killing and dowry-related violence; and human trafficking."

The report also notes that "strict family, tribal and religious customs (that have) become cultural norms" also play a role.

The shooting of Malala Yousafzai is certainly an illustration of patriarchy at its ugliest.

Today, the United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon and former British prime minister Gordon Brown, the UN's special envoy fo reducation, have called for a Global Day of Action in honor of Malals Yousafzai and ask that you share her story with friends and family.

Why not post this image as your Facebook cover and include a link to this post:

The right to education is a social, cultural, civil and political right not to be taken for granted.

Related Links:

Women in the World Foundation
A petition to award Malala Yousafzai the Nobel Peace Prize
Read the report, "Gender Discrimination in Education: The violation of rights of women and girls"

Lilly Ledbetter shows "Grace and Grit" with Colbert

Watch Lilly Ledbetter on the Colbert Report

But is her namesake law enough to prevent wage discrimination?

"I read the scribbled words and my heart jerked as if an electric jolt had coursed through my body ... I'd never gotten a note like that before.  Someone had listed my name and those of three other tire-room managers with salaries next to each name.  My salary was exactly correct, down to the dollar.  Over the years, I'd worried about being paid less than the men who were doing the same work I was, but I didn't have any proof ... But now there it was in plain black ink, what's I'd always feared:  The other managers, all men, were making more than I was."  -- "Grace and Grit:  My fight for equal pay and fairness at Goodyear and beyond" by Lilly Ledbetter and Lanier Scott Isom

Lilly Ledbetter became the face of equal pay when President Barack Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in January of 2009.  She has now written a book titled "Grace and Grit: My fight for equal pay and fairness at Goodyear and beyond." 

Some background:  Ledbetter was an overnight supervisor with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for over 19 years.  She discovered she was making 40 percent less than male coworkers who were doing the same job.

"That was a devastating hit for me because it meant that my overtime was incorrect ... and it also meant that my retirements would not be correct," Ledbetter told Stephen Colbert during a recent appearance on "The Colbert Report."

Ledbetter sued Goodyear and was awarded $3 million in damages.  However, the decision was overturned by the Supreme Court when it was found that Ledbetter missed the 180-day limit for complaints set the the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed major forms of discrimination based on race, sex and religion.

The Ledbetter law amended the 1964 act so that the 180-day statute of limitations resets with each new paycheck affected by the discriminatory action.

Ledbetter is sharing her story because she does not want what happened to her to happen to other families.  But is her namesake law enough to prevent pay discrimination?

Jamie Peck, a contributing editor for The Gloss, says no.  Here's why:

"The most glaring issue I have with it is that it does nothing to empower victims of discrimination to figure out whether they’re being discriminated against in the first place" says Peck.

"As of now, companies are under no obligation to disclose how much they’re paying all of their employees, which leaves those who are potentially being discriminated against to ask their co-workers what they are making. This is generally thought of as being a “rude” question, so many never bother to ask. And even when they do ask, many won’t tell, because…well, because they don’t have to!"

What she's talking about is wage transparency, which is basically the freedom for employees to share salary information -- or to ask their employers for this information -- without fear of discipline, discrimination or dismissal from their employers.

 Colorado passed a transparency law in 2008.

According to the National Law Journal,Coloado Senate Bill 08-122 "... applies only to employers who are subject to the NLRA and makes it unlawful for an employer to discharge, discipline, discriminate against or in any way interfere with any employee who had 'inquired about, disclosed, compared, orotherwise discussed the employee’s wages.' It also prohibits making nondisclosure by an employee of his or her wages a condition of employment or requiring employees to sign awaiver of “the right to disclose” their wage information."

Similarly, California labor law prohibits "employer limitations on when, how and with whom their employees may discuss their wages. The California law also explicitly prohibits employers from requiring employees to sign a waiver of the right to disclose their wage information."

Here in Michigan, I found, under Payment of Wages and Fringe Benefits, Act 390 from 1978 which states that an employer shall not "(a) Require as a condition of employment nondisclosure by an employee of his or her wages. (b) Require an employee to sign a waiver or other document which purports to deny an employee the right to disclose his or her wages. (c) Discharge, formally discipline, or otherwise discriminate against for job advancement an employee who discloses his or her wages."


A new bill that would amend this Act to permit employees to ask their employer for the compensation rates of those in similar jobs was proposed in the spring, but I can't find any evidence of further action.

Adoption of wage transparency laws would be the next step in the fight against wage discrimination. But, until they are widely adopted, Lilly Ledbetter, and those like her, must continue to tell their stories to keep the issue of equal pay in the public eye and on the agenda of legislatures.

Women propel Obama into second term and make some HERstory of their own in the process

President Barack Obama was re-elected to a second term, and women played a role in his success.

Women voters favored Obama 55 percent to 43 percent over challenger Mitt Romney, according to NBC News.

Meanwhile, political analysts are saying that the Republican party failed to recognize the changing demographics of ethnicity and gender.  ABC News analyst Matt Dowd called the GOP a "'Mad Men' party in a 'Modern Family' America ..."

While some women celebrated political victories, others experienced defeat and disgrace.  Here are some highlights and milestones from the 2012 race:

Brown

Warren

• There are now 20 women in the U.S. Senate.  Among them is Elizabeth Warren who will serve as the first female senator from Massachusetts.
  
• There was also an interesting defeat.  Republican Linda McMahon, a former executive with World Wrestling Entertainment, lost her second bid for a Connecticut Senate seat.  She spent $10 million of her own money on her two campaigns.
  
• In my home state of Michigan, State Representative Lisa Brown (D), won her bid for Oakland County Clerk.  Earlier this year, the Michigan House of Representatives censured Brown for saying the word "vagina" in a floor debate over abortion legislation.

  

  Worthy

  
  
• Also in Michigan, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy won re-election. Worthy was also recognized in the November issue of O, The Oprah Magazine as one of "12 Elected Officials Who Get Things Done." She was also honored by the Wayne County Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) as a "feminist of the year."

•  In my home town of Troy, Mich., Mayor Janice Daniels was recalled after almost a year in office. According to Crain's Detroit Business, "Daniels, who had opposed taking federal money for a regional transit center in the city and drew fire from a former city manager and gay rights supporters in just one year of public office, had 47.8 percent of the votes in her favor in a local recall election ballot measure. The recall effort passed by 1,800 votes."

Want more post-election analysis?

The American Association of University Women will host a post-election conference call Monday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m.  Lisa Maatz, the AAUW's director of public policy and government relations, will provide analysis of election results as well as an overview of how women voted and their impact on the results.  Preregistration is required.  Use this link to RSVP.

IMHO: We need the RIGHT women in office

Feminists commonly say, "We need more women in political office." 

We need to qualify that statement to say, "We need more of the RIGHT women in office."

Or, we could go a step further and say, "We need the right PEOPLE in office that support feminist and women's issues."

For example, here in my hometown of Troy, Mich., the citizens are going to the polls to decide the recall of the city's mayor, Janice Daniels.

Daniels gained national attention when one of her Facebook posts went public.

“I think I am going to throw away my I Love New York carrying bag now that queers can get married there,” Daniels said.

She has also exhibited other questionable leadership behavior.

Troy Mayor Janice Daniels in a campaign graphic.

The ballot states the reasons for the Daniel's recall as:

1. Referring to the city's charter as a "whimsical" document.
2. Declaring during a "office hours" forum that "the homosexual lifestyle is dangerous."
3. Pubicly attacking city employees during a meeting while reading a 20-minute position paper into the record.
4. Failing to support a federal investment in a transit project.

Recalls are difficult, but enough valid signatures were gathered to put the recall on the ballot.  So, Troy voters will get their "mulligan."  We'll know the results soon.

The election of Janice Daniels is an example of what happens when people don't turn out to vote.  In a city with a population of around 80,000, only 14,000 voters decided the election.  And even then, the race was close between Daniels and her opponent, another woman, Robin Beltramini, who served on the city council for years.


But, the point is this:  Not all women represent feminist interests or the interests of other marginalized people.  That is why it's important to do research and find out where the candidates stand on issues, even at the local level.  This is a task that has become more challenging, because we have lost so much of our traditional media.

There was only one group asking this question:

Exactly!

From the Detroit Free Press:
Students protest over Troy mayor's slur

On Election Day: Don't take the right to vote for granted

Photo courtesy of Matt Stopera, Buzzfeed.com

Women didn't always have the right to vote in the United States.  Many women, like the suffragettes pictured here, put everything on the line to win it for us.

Please don't take your right to vote for granted.  Educate yourself about the candidates and the issues and vote your own mind.  If you're informed, you won't be easily swayed by scary and deceptive ads.

It can be hard to find information, particularly in a time when we've lost so much of our traditional media.  But even at a late hour, there are sources that you can turn to.

Pick up a voter guide from the League of Women Voters in your area, or follow the link to the organization website.  Although not considered to be a "feminist" organization by some, the organization's information is well organized and concise.

Before you go to the polls,  print out a copy of your ballot at Publius.org. and take it with you.  That way, you'll be sure to complete the whole ballot and expedite the process.

By participating in the process, we honor the hard work and sacrifice of those early suffragettes.  and we say, "Thank you."

Robocalls: An invasive campaign tactic that's here to stay

In the last week, I've received calls from Bill Clinton and Clint Eastwood.

Well, not really.  They were robocalls -- defined by Wikipedia as "phone calls that use a computerized autodialer to deliver a prerecorded message, as if from a robot, hence the name." 

Clinton's voice was part of a message urging me to support a Michigan ballot proposal to amend the state's constitution to include collective bargaining.  And, of course, Eastwood's voice was urging me to vote for Mitt Romney.

The phone has been ringing often this election season with similar calls for support of candidates and issues.  Others are negative in nature.  One thing's for sure, the volume of the calls has increased since the last presidential election in 2008 and the midterm election of 2010.

And it looks like political robocalls are here to stay.  They are exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry, along with charities, because they do not fit the Federal Trade Commission's definition of "telemarketing."

However, these calls are regulated by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991.  This federal law requires all telephone calls using prerecorded messages to identify who is initiating the calls and include a telephone number or address where the initiator can be reached.

A few states have their own guidelines for robocalls, although Michigan is not among them.

In California, a person must come on the line before the recording to identify the nature of the call and the organization behind it.  Additionally, the recipient of the call must consent to the recording being played, and the call must be disconnected from the telephone line as soon as the message is over or the recipient hangs up, whichever comes first.

In Indiana, the introduction of the prerecorded message must be made by a live operator and the message may only be played with the recipient's consent.

One of the most disturbing robocalls I received came from the Susan B. Anthony List, a group that, according to its website, is, "dedicated to electing candidates and pursuing policies that will reduce and ultimately end abortion."

The group endorses pro-life candidates, including two from Michigan:  Pete Hoekstra (R), who is running for the senate, and Candice Miller (R), who is running for congress.

The voice of Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tennessee, 1994-2003.) asked for my vote on behalf of "thousands and thousands of children who have not yet been born."  He called President Obama the "most pro- abortion president we've ever had" and went on to say, "if he's reelected, more babies will never be born."

"If you value human life," the senator said, "you need to cast your vote against Barack Obama and vote for Mitt Romney."

 The truth of the matter is that President Obama trusts women to make their own decisions when it comes to their reproductive health, and has said so.

As for Susan B. Anthony, she opposed abortion in her day because conditions made it a dangerous, if not deadly,  procedure for women to undergo.  In those days, her concerns -- for the health and safety of women -- were legitimate.

Of course, this issue of abortion has been divisive even among feminists.  But, we can only speculate as to how Anthony might view abortion in its modern legal and medical context.

I also wonder how Anthony would feel about having her name associated with an organization with such extreme views, not to mention its invasive tactics.

Detroit Free Press columnist Brian Dickerson exposes how Michigan's Right to Life is Working to make pro-choice voters irrelevant. 

Make time to mentor a girl

A good post is worth repeating!  I had the opportunity to talk with local author/mentor Paula Dirkes about the importance of mentoring girls for the Oakland/Macomb NOW blog, but I want my audience to see it too:

Paula Dirkes knows that the concept of being a “mentor” is scary for many people, but she also knows first-hand that it can be the basis for a fulfilling and meaningful relationship that can change lives – especially for women and girls.  

Paula Dirkes talks about the importance of mentoring girls, how to get involved, and how she incorporated mentoring into her busy life:

  

Dirkes has written a book, out this week, titled “Mentor Me! The Complete Guide for Women who want to Mentor Girls.” Her coauthor is her mentee of over a decade, Chelsea McKinney, who is now 22 years old and a student at Michigan Career Technical Institute.

What she hopes to convey is that it doesn’t take a superhero to be a mentor, and it’s something that can be accomplished within the constraints of a busy life.

Dirkes was matched with McKinney through Oakland County Youth Assistance when McKinney was a fifth grader.  When their relationship first began, “I thought I had to be the solver of all problems, it freaked me out,” Dirkes said.

But she soon came to discover, “You’re not the fixer or the changer, “you’re just there.  You’re a partner, in some cases a listener, a buddy, a friend.”

What young women mentees want, Dirkes says, is someone who will “show up on a regular basis and listen.”

They might view a mentor as “an adult friend that’s supportive and reliable, dependable and respects what you have to say.”

Dirkes wants to encourage other women to take up the mentoring torch.  She wrote the book as a guide for her target audience, “busy women,” like herself.  Dirkes is the owner of Solid Pathways Consulting, LLC  based in Berkley, Mich.  

“I want to invite the busy women of the world to take on the task of mentoring a girl, and the whole idea is that you incorporate that child into your existing routine,” Dirkes said.

After all, Dirkes says, “If you want something done, give it to a busy woman.”

In conjunction with her book launch, Dirkes will host a mentoring appreciation event Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012  from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Unity Church, 11200 E. Eleven Mile Road in Warren, Mich.  The event is free and will include networking, mentor/mentee success stories, giveaways, light refreshments, mentoring resources and book signing.  To RSVP, email mentormebooklaunch@gmail.com by Monday, Jan. 16.

Related links: 

January is National Mentoring month

New Year's resolutions for every woman to make now

Welcome to 2012!

To make resolutions or not to make resolutions, that's always the annual question.  Yet, January is a great time to set goals and take stock of our lives and goals.

Here's a handful of resolutions every woman should make right now.  They are guaranteed easy to keep and can make a tremendous difference in your life, and in the lives of others:

1. Vote!  We waited far too long for the right to vote, so don't take it for granted.  Don't wait for the registration deadline -- October 9 here in Michigan -- and take a chance on missing it.   Make sure you are registered now.  Rock the Vote can help.  If your going to be out of town or away at school, make arrangements to get an absentee ballot ahead of time. 
2.  Mentor a girl.  January is National Mentoring Month.  Local author Paula Dirkes has written a book titled "Mentor Me! The Complete Guide for Women Who Want to Mentor Girls."  She also has offers suggestions on her website.
3. Read more.  It's one of the easiest ways to push your boundaries.  Try a different genre of fiction or a different point of view.
4. Support other women.  We don't do it enough and it seriously holds us back.  It can be as simple as liking a post on Facebook, following a blog, joining a cause, making a phone call or writing a personal note.
5. Wear red for heart health.  My personal mission is to make the read dress as recognizable as the pink ribbon.  Heart disease is the number one killer of women.  National Wear Red Day is February 3, but you don't have to wait to learn what you can do to protect yourself and the women you love. Check out this video from the Ministrelli Women's Hearth Health Center:

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