women’s leadership

One of my favorite moments during last Wednesday’s National Feminist Town Hall –somewhere between the pizza and the ice cream Gloria Feldt served Kristen Loveland and I as we all tried to figure out that newfangled Mogulus video/livechat thingy–was when participating bloggers started using the chat feature to throw out suggestions for President-elect Obama’s cabinet. We probably won’t know for sure about many of these appointments til after Thanksgiving, but it sure was fun to speculate.

But what’s even MORE fun to think up right about now are all the new offices and agencies we’d like to see–like the visionary ladies who participated in NCRW’s Transition Forum on Friday were asked to do. WHP President Marie Wilson thought there should be a Presidential Commission on Women and Democracy. NWSA Executive Director (and GWP blogger!) Allison Kimmich called for the creation of a Federal Department of Women’s Affairs. Women’s eNews founder Rita Henley Jensen threw in for an Office of Maternal Health, a Title IX Taskforce, and a Special Advisor on Judiciary Appointments.

During the next 11 weeks, we’re gonna hear a lot of names thrown out. Here’s a cheat sheet, courtesy of Yahoo News, and another via CBS, listing some of the names currently being floated around. (Thanks, Lucinda Marshall, for the heads up.) While you’re at it, be sure not to miss GWP blogger Veronica Arreola’s post over at the WMC, , titled “Larry Summers Was Not the Change I Was Expecting.” aHEM.

So…what kind of change are we expecting? I say we all weigh in, and dream large. Who do you want to see as Cabinet members, and what new offices, task forces, and commissions do you think there should be? Below is a list of currently available cabinet positions, but don’t feel constrained–feel free to make up your own, cause things are just way more fun that way:

Secretary of State Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of Defense Attorney General Secretary of the Interior Secretary of Agriculture Secretary of Commerce Secretary of Labor Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Secretary of Transportation Secretary of Energy Secretary of Education Secretary of Veterans Affairs Secretary of Homeland Security

Our new President (hallelujah AMEN!) is looking like a kid on Christmas in this pic in The New York Times today.  I am utterly excited, please please don’t get me wrong.  But I spy only one chick at this table.  I’m optimistic that Obama’s emerging transition team will include a few more!

And in that spirit, I bring you this STELLAR (if I say so myself!) forum convened by the National Council for Research on Women, over at their new blog The REAL Deal.  Check out these messages to the Transition Team now up at their site:

Women Leaders Dream Big and Urge Transition Team to Bring Women and Women’s Issues to the Center of the New Administration, Notes Council President Linda Basch

Says Women’s Media Center President Carol Jenkins, “Our Work Has Just Begun”

Women’s eNews Founder and Editor-in-Chief Calls for Office of Maternal Health, Title IX Task Force, and More

Women’s Funding Network President and CEO Urges New Government to Embrace Women as Experts and Decision Makers

White House Project President Calls for Presidential Commission on Women and Democracy

National Women’s Studies Association Leader Calls for Federal Dept of Women’s Affairs

National Women’s Law Center Says The Nation Has No Time to Spare

Excerpts are also posted at Huffington Post. Feel free to add messages of your own in the comments section over at HuffPo!

My inspiring powerhouse of a friend, feminist philanthropist Jacki Zehner, has a post up today over at Huffington Post that I encourage you to help me make go viral. Here’s the gist:

On Wednesday Goldman Sachs & Co. announced their new class of Partners and yesterday they announced their new Managing Directors. Twelve years ago Jacki was one of those fortunate people who got the call inviting her into the partnership of the firm. The year she made it, she was one of TWO women out of a total of THIRTY-EIGHT, bringing the grand total at that point in time up to TWELVE.  One by one, for reasons Jacki writes about from time to time on her blog, those women left.  Of the fourteen pre-IPO women partners of the firm only THREE remain.  So many of those who have left have gone on to do KICK-ASS AMAZING THINGS.  They are leaders, movers, shakers, philanthropists, and innovative social entrepreneurs.

So that makes Jacki, and these other women, Goldman Sachs alumni–and they are proud of it, as should they be. The question Jacki now asks, though, in light of a cover story in Bloomberg Markets magazine this week that features FORTY-THREE Goldman alums–FORTY-ONE of whom are WHITE MEN–is this:

Is Goldman Sachs proud of them?

Is there any way in which Palin’s dude appeal might ultimately be a good thing for future female candidates? An article in today’s NYTimes points to Palin’s appeal among “the dudes” and notes two contradictory impulses:

Yes, some men come to ogle the candidate, too. “She’s beautiful,” said a man wearing a John Deere T-shirt in Weirs Beach. “I came here to look at her,” he said, and his admiration for Ms. Palin’s appearance became more and more animated. Sheepish over his ogling, he declined to give his real name (“Just call me ‘John Deere’ ”).

But some male fans do seem to feel a deeper connection to Ms. Palin. To a surprising degree, they mention the unusual nature of her candidacy, the chance to make history, break the glass ceiling. (Read the rest here.)

Just as I’m starting to wonder, yet again, whether there might be a small leap forward for womankind embedded in Palin’s run, Michelle Goldberg sets me straight. Goldberg reminds us that by trying to “flirt her way to victory” (aka the Vice-Presidential debate), her farcical performance lowers the standards for both female candidates and US political discourse. Goldberg concludes,

In her only vice-presidential debate, she was shallow, mendacious and phoney. What kind of maverick, after all, keeps harping on what a maverick she is? That her performance was considered anything but a farce doesn’t show how high Palin has risen, but how low we all have sunk.

I wholeheartedly agree. But I still want to be convinced. Is there any way, do you think, that Palin’s run will make things better for future female candidates? Any way…at all?

(Thanks to Jackie for the heads up.)

Well if you’re not awake this morning already, this one will wake you up. Robin Morgan has a new piece just up (remember Goodbye to All That #2?) over at the Women’s Media Center. In “When Sisterhood Is Suicide and Other Late Night Thoughts,” Morgan is at her absolute best.

She begins by offering 10 nice things first, as follows:

Ten Nice Things to Say About Sarah Palin:

1. She’s a lifelong NRA member and crack rifle-woman, but hasn’t yet shot a single person in the face.
2. She’s so unafraid of power that a majority-Republican legislative committee is investigating her abuse of it.
3. She’s broad-minded, willing to have evolution taught alongside creationism.
4. She gives “the personal is political” new meaning: Axing the public-safety commissioner for not firing her ex-brother-in-law (Trooper-gate); firing “foes” suspected of “disloyalty” (Library-gate).
5. She knows how to delegate, involving “First Dude” husband Todd in more governmental decisions than any male politician’s spouse has dared since Hillary tried to give us healthcare in 1993. (First Dude’s defying a subpoena from those meanies mentioned up in #2.)
6. She has executive experience: As mayor of Wasilla, then-constituency 5,000 souls, she presided over a population almost as vast as that of some urban high-schools.
7. She’s an existentialist: Bridge-to-Nowhere-gate, Highway-to-Nowhere-gate. She never “focused much on Iraq”—after all, “the war is part of God’s plan”—and she dismisses McCain’s reluctance to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as being like “Eastern politicians” about environment. (Check out Wasilla’s dead-Lake-Lucille-gate.)
8. She brings home the earmarked bacon—plus moose, caribou, wolf, and any other animal stumbling haplessly across her rifle-sight as she leans out of the ‘copter on another heli-hunt. But! Does she rely solely on godless government for her $500 million U.S.-subsidized natural-gas pipeline? No! Last June, at the Pentecostal Assembly of God Church, she declared, “God’s will has to be done to get that gas line built!”
9. She displays refreshing curiosity, as when she asked, “What is it exactly the VP does?” (Don’t scoff: Are you smarter than a 5th grader?)
10. She’s multi-talented—studied journalism, tried sportscasting, can slickly scan a teleprompter (unlike her running-mate). She’s a jock (Sports-Complex-gate.) She was a beauty queen (as all of McCain’s wives were; how ‘bout that?) She’s patriotic—well, except for attending that secessionist Alaska Independent Party conference during the seven years when First Dude was a party member pulling down DWI convictions on the side. Best of all, she’s a born-again feminist, a “feminist for life.” Which I guess makes me a feminist for death.

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I’ve been curious. What do GWP readers think of the term “hockey mom” as this year’s most popular way to describe a demographic of the women’s vote? If you have a sec, check out Catherine Price’s post, “I Am Not a Hockey Mom,” over at Broadsheet and let us know what you think.

This just in, via The White House Project:

Just in time for the first presidential debate, The White House Project is thrilled to announce that President Barbie is back on shelves! Exclusively at Toys R Us, this is President Barbie’s third term in office since Mattel and The White House Project joined together in 2000 and 2004 to let both little girls and boys know that a woman can be President. As Marie Wilson says, “To make change, you’ve got to go where the people are. More and more girls think they’re going to grow up to be president and call a join session of Congress because their dolls can.” To give a child in your life their very own President Barbie, click here.

Have any of the mamas out there bought Prez Barbie for their girls? Would be curious to hear your thoughts!

(Tina Fey glasses sold separately.)

Do check out this forum compiled by Feminist.com’s Marianne Schnall over at HuffPo today. Marianne asked a number of women (and I’m honored to be one of them!) to answer 3 questions about Sarah Palin and the election. Explains Marianne,

As a woman, I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed and shaken by this election season, the highs and lows of it all. On the one hand, I have been feeling powerful — everyone is talking about women and our decisive influence in this election. Even the cover of the September 22nd issue of Newsweek is asking, “What do women want?” It’s a good question. So many important themes and dialogues have been raised during this election season — about identity politics, what we expect from a woman leader, sexism in the media, diversity in the feminist movement, what masculine and feminine values are, and about Sarah Palin and the “Palin effect.” It all made me want to talk to other women, to get clarity, to gain insight. I tried to think about what I, personally, could do to contribute to this dialogue.

I can’t wait to read what the others wrote–the others being Isabel Allende, Joan Blades, Eve Ensler, Melissa Etheridge, Gloria Feldt, Kim Gandy, Elizabeth Lesser, Courtney Martin, Kathy Najimy, Amy Richards, Deborah Siegel, Eleanor Smeal, Gloria Steinem, Loung Ung, Alice Walker, Jody Williams, Marie Wilson.

Come stop by and add your 2cents!

No matter what we think of Palin (um, barf), you gotta admit it’s an interesting year for women in leadership. And next Wednesday, Sept. 24, the National Council for Research on Women and DÄ“mos are presenting a special forum on women’s transformative leadership. Emphasis on transform. Distinguished women leaders will explore the difference women’s leadership can make to bring about real change across sectors. Deets:

12:00 – 2:00 pm
Location: DÄ“mos – 220 Fifth Avenue between 26th and 27th Streets, NYC

Speakers:
Linda Basch, President, National Council for Research on Women
Michelle Clayman, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer, New Amsterdam Partners
Linda Tarr-Whelan, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women and Distinguished Senior Fellow, Demos
Deborah Walsh, Director, Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University

Moderator:
Ana Duarte McCarthy, Chief Diversity Officer, Citigroup

For media accreditation, or RSVP, contact: Lisa Rast, email: lrast@ncrw.org

I’m late to posting today, but I think you’ll agree that this one is well worth the wait! Guest Girl w/ Penner Madeline Wheeler is a newly single mother of two and writer of the social action theater piece Revealing Frankie, a memoir of childhood abuse. She is currently the Coordinator for the Palmer, MA Domestic Violence Task Force. Madeline earned a BA from Harvard and credits the positive changes in her life to the Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership. Here’s Madeline! – GWP

U.S. War Against Women:
Palin in Prada or Platforms and Maverick was Hot!
By Madeline Wheeler

First of all, I don’t care what Sarah Palin wears (Valentino apparently) and for those of us who grew up in the 80’s, Maverick is Tom Cruise, volleyball, tower fly-bys, and pilot in angst. And though, as of late, he is 4th on the overpaid actors list, he was Top Gun!

Now, after watching McCain ads depicting wolves crossing the tundra, worrying that Arianna Huffington might faint from outrage (her righteous indignation hits home)–not to mention that Matt Damon is seriously frightened–and hearing the word “vetted” jettisoned around the water cooler like a word-of-the-day bake off…I needed an espresso shot of reality. Yesterday, I paid for gas with a credit card and I just finished counting my change–the mortgage is due next week.

With truth blurred by a fury of lexis and linguistic limbo, and the media playing under the bar, the issues facing Americans are not dissipating. The heavy hitters remain: the economy, reforming healthcare and ending war in Iraq. But I’m wondering who will address the silent war against women happening on our own soil? Apparently, not Palin.

According to a 2006 Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault report, Alaska’s rape rate is 2.5 times the national average. Child sexual assault is almost six times the national average and Alaska ranks first in the nation with the highest homicide rate per capita for female victims killed by a male perpetrator. As an Interpersonal Violence (IPV) prevention advocate, I wouldn’t want to be wearing those shoes!

I’m for ending the war in Iraq safely and responsibly. I’m also for ending the war against women in the United States! Currently, we have more battered women’s shelters and violence prevention programs than ever, yet violence against women has reached epidemic proportions. Nationally, intimate partners murder over three women every day–3.56 to be precise.

Each morning we face the reality of war in Iraq with loss. But it is time for the cobbler to check his own shoes. If you can’t see the war against women, do the math. According to a 2006 CDC report, nearly 2 million IPV injuries occur each year among U.S women ages 18 and older, and close to 1300 deaths…bringing our five-year, six-month war against women death toll to approximately 7,155. This carnage does not include women murdered by strangers or otherwise.

If you need a dollar and cents account to seal the deal, the CDC reports that IPV costs exceed $5.8 billion each year, $4.1 billion of which is for direct medical and mental health care services.

According to the npr.org “Toll of War” website, since the invasion of Iraq, U.S. casualties have mounted to 4,148. The NPR website posts a timeline of U.S. troop fatalities against key events, along with eloquent remembrances of the fallen.

Objectors will say that the plight of American women cannot be compared to attacks on foreign soil. I’m not saying the death of troops, allies or civilians in war is acceptable, but it is expected. When considering the war, we must cling to the hope that courageous lives weren’t lost in vain, and that Iraqis have a future once only dreamt of. What, however, can we say to the increasing murder of innocent U.S. women in their own homes and environs? Wherein lies any hope or argument?

Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari and the U.S. have set the preliminary date for American troop withdrawal as June 2009. Although President Bush long resisted “timetable” vocabulary, the Whitehouse is preparing to return our 140,000 troops.

American women, however, will not be leaving their homeland any time soon.

Jewish Women International’s (JWI) Executive Director, Lori Weinstein, currently champions a petition to urge candidates to make domestic violence a priority issue (www.jwi.org). JWI and the Interfaith Domestic Violence Coalition pleaded with the Democratic Party to “provide strong leadership on the issue of domestic violence, calling for expanded language in the 2008 platform.” The 2004 Democratic Platform included just one sentence–“We will help break the cycle of domestic violence by punishing offenders and standing with victims.” The 2004 Republican Platform didn’t fare any better, not mentioning it at all.

Do the 2008 Platforms meet the challenge?

After pouring over the 64-page Democratic Platform, I was pleased to see improvement over its predecessor; after all, Senator Biden championed the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, which he considers his ”proudest legislative accomplishment in 35 years in the Senate.”(www.biden.senate.gov) The 2008 Democratic Platform states, ”Ending violence against women must be a top priority. We will create a special advisor to the president regarding violence against women. We will increase funding to domestic violence and sexual assault prevention programs. We will strengthen sexual assault and domestic violence laws, support the VAWA, and provide job security to survivors”–A far wolf’s cry from the 2004 meager mention.

The Republican Platform refers to” battered women” in defense of the Crime Victims Fund established under President Reagan. However, it states “Bureaucracy is no longer a credible approach to helping those in need. This is especially in light of alternatives such as faith-based organizations which tend to have a greater degree of success with problems such as substance abuse and domestic violence.” Finally, it states, “Crime in Indian country, especially against women, is a special problem demanding immediate attention.” I’ve culled the 67-page document twice and this is all I can find in reference to domestic violence (www.gop.com).

Considering the Republican platform and the state of domestic violence in Alaska, I think it’s obvious, when it comes to the U.S silent war on women; Palin’s boots were made for walking.