EqualityQuilt

Latinas Leadership for Healthy Living

Latinas in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area have challenged each other to improve their eating and exercise habits, monitoring their success and awarding prizes  accordingly.    The idea emerged when Latinas  Development  Director Silvia Ontaneda asked  a grassroots group, What is standing in the way of your leadership?   The women have had training sessions on topics like reproductive health and civic engagement, and now want to move on to  helping each other in this new way.   Minnesota Latinas are less likely than other groups to use health services like mammograms, cholesterol checks, and first trimester prenatal care.   They are also less likely than White women to have leisure time physical activity - only 14% of Latinas say they have this activity, compared with 42% of White women. 

Silvia, who is working through the Minnesota Women's Consortium as fiscal agent for the Association of Latina Women of Minnesota, is lining up resources like Dr. Ana Diaz, prize donors and sponsors from community groups and health organizations to support the program, which will be conducted in Spanish close to the women's homes.  The program is quickly taking on a life of its own - run 95% by the women themselves - and we hope can eventually become a model to be used elsewhere.  For more information on this and other Latina issues, write Silvia:  latinaassociationmn@gmail.com.

Remember the Ladies

Early this month, I vacationed in Boston, Massachusetts. Boston is a beautiful city with a plethora of things to do. The majority of my time there was spent sight seeing and absorbing all of the incredible history of our nation. I visited cemeteries where many important historical figures are buried, buildings where our nation’s government was formed, and more memorials than I can count. However, I was disappointed in the lack of attention to women’s history that is documented and honored in the city. For instance, the Freedom Trail takes you to the cemetery where Paul Revere is buried and to the home he lived in. However, there is no mention of Sybil Ludington—the sixteen-year-old girl who rode more than twice the distance of Paul Revere to warn troops that the British were coming. Being a women’s history fanatic I was not surprised that the women of early America are not equally honored but I was rather disappointed.

However, on one of my last days in Boston, I stumbled upon the Boston Women’s Memorial on  Commonwealth Avenue Mall. The memorial was commissioned by artist Meredith Bergmann and was dedicated on October 25, 2003. Not only does the memorial recognize three outstanding women but it also recognizes three of my heroes—Lucy Stone, Phillis Wheatley, and Abigail Adams.

 

Much to do about Feminism

I am responding to an article on laterlife.com, entitled Rebranding Feminism in Laterlife.  Being a 22 year-old women in the 21st century, I believe feminism is all about spreading awareness and gaining equal recognition for women in a male dominated society, or perhaps world and making equality the norm instead of something to aspire to for who knows how long.  The feminism I see does not exclude men, it helps educate all the sexes on seeing each other as humans, for one sex cannot change or evolve with out the other.  First and foremost, education on feminism is not taught very well if at all, from a grade school level to a high school level, period. 
Feminism has gotten negative connotations over the years because radical things have taken place, or attitudes that were more focused on than others.  Since we are surrounded by different perspectives in this world, we must keep in mind that many would get scared (men and women) if women started burning their bras.  But that is only one minor example that seems to be the most well known.  This completely creates the entire image of feminism with the help of media and others.  However, if one really does the research and understands that demonstration was symbolic in more than anything, then some understanding among the opposing groups may be found.  Now I do know that there are feminists who hate men, but there are extremists everywhere.  What I see today is quite interesting.

Winter/Spring 2009 Internship

The Minnesota Women's Consortium is accepting resumes for our Winter/Spring 2009 Internship.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The MN Women’s Consortium is looking for an upbeat individual who can assist the organization in its work during the fall months.  Responsibilities include:

• Assisting Consortium staff with special projects such as a the Elder Economic Security project and a women’s health care reform project
• Preparatory fundraising and planning for Celebration 29
• Assist with upcoming Consortium events: Celebration 29, Girls Rock! the Capitol, Presidents on Presidents Day, Women Come to the Capitol, Brown Bag at the Capitol, and an annual spring membership meeting
• Weekly blogging for Equalityquilt.org
• Research topics and issues the Consortium is highlighting for things such as the Women’s Action Plan, Special Newsletter Inserts, or events
• Assist in the development of an in-house email list serve including database management and compiling a bi-weekly calendar for the E-Consortium Notes
• Assist Consortium staff with answering telephones, and general office work as well as any special projects that should arise.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Applicants must have strong commitment to equality for all women and girls. An applicant must be flexible, responsible and willing to take on new projects. Women of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Minnesota Women’s Consortium is willing to work with students and their school to provide the supervision needed for students obtaining credits for the work. The position is not stipend.

HOW TO APPLY:
Send resume and cover letter to Erin Parrish at erin@mnwomen.org.

Pay Equity: We Still Don't Have It

YES YES we will soon have an analysis of the election results and their significance for women - not just the stats on how many women were elected or re-elected (which as Erin points out below is only one dimension of feminist work), but how we are doing on women's issues.  Meanwhile, a colleague sent me a good summary of recent research on pay equity.  Highlights:
* Previous study:  full-time year-round female employees in the U.S. now earn 79% of earnings for their male counterparts - up from 61% in 1978 but still a big gap.
* Previous study (in 2000):  "When symphony orchestras switched to blind auditions - those in which the musicians play behind a screen - women had a significantly better chance of being hired."
* New study on transgender people.  Women who become men (FTMs) earn an average of 1.5% more after the change, while men who become women (MTFs) earn an average of 32% less afterward.  The results were true regardless of whether they were "out" or in same or new jobs.