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Misrepresentation of Women Subject of Film to be Shown at College of DuPage

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Mon, 2012-05-21 12:51
2012-02-29 22:00
US/Eastern
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Country: 
United States of Ameirca
Venue: 

To attend the event, please email: Jason Florin, florin@cod.edu or call 630-942-2043.

Description: 

If the media is sending females the message that their value only lies in their body, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract them from making a difference and becoming leaders. Herein lies the message of the groundbreaking film Miss Representation, which first aired at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and has since been shown on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), as well as locations across the U.S. On Wednesday, February 29, from 6 to 9 p.m. the 90-minute film will be shown at College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, followed by a panel discussion. Co-sponsored by Family Shelter Service, offering help and hope to victims of domestic abuse, together with College of DuPage, this free event will be held in SRC #2800 (on the second floor near the library; enter from north doors). Family Shelter's "Behind Closed Doors" art exhibit will also be on display at the event.

Written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, filmmaker, actress, speaker, and advocate for women, girls, and their families, Miss Representation explores how the media’s misrepresentations of women contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence. Following the launch of her new film, Newsom created the website MissRepresentation.org, the social action arm of the documentary film and a call-to-action campaign that gives women and girls the tools to realize their full potential.

Her objective in writing the film and launching the website was to engender a shift in the cultural mindset of communities, change the way women and girls are represented in the media, interrupt and stop patterns of sexism, and ensure a tipping point that will lead to gender parity in leadership throughout the United States. The website includes special educational tools for teens and pre-teens that teachers can use to help girls and boys alike to think about the effects of the images they see—particularly the ways media affects women and girls’ ability to see themselves as leaders and be seen as leaders by others in society.

While women have made great strides in leadership over the past few decades, the United States is still 90th in the world for women in national legislatures, women hold only 3 percent of clout positions in mainstream media, and 65 percent of women and girls have disordered eating behaviors.

Stories from teenage girls and provocative interviews with politicians, journalists, entertainers, activists and academics such as Condoleezza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Margaret Cho, Rosario Dawson and Gloria Steinem build momentum as Miss Representation accumulates startling facts and statistics that will leave the audience shaken and armed with a new perspective.

MissRepresentation.org also pioneered the groundbreaking #NotBuyingIt campaign that serves as a mechanism to call out sexism as it happens and educate others about the prevalence of sexism in our ads. This campaign has caused corporations such as JC Penney and Forever 21 to change their advertising practices.

A wave of change has been occurring as a result of Newsom's work, from fathers advocating to bring the Miss Representation curriculum to their children’s schools, to mothers requesting that media executives pull offensive advertisements off television, to young people starting Miss Representation clubs to talk about issues of sexism with their peers.

The film's creator Jennifer Siebel Newsom is also an Executive Producer of the 2012 Sundance Award-winning documentary The Invisible War, and is currently in pre-production on her next film. As an actress, Newsom appeared in films and television shows including In the Valley of Elah, Something’s Gotta Give, NBC’s Life and Mad Men. She graduated with honors from both Stanford University and Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Newsom resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, and their two children.

The DuPage County-based Family Shelter Service provides trauma-informed counseling to victims of domestic violence. For more information, please visit www.familyshelterservice.org.


Women, Politics and Power

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Mon, 2012-05-21 12:39
2012-04-03
2012-05-31
US/Eastern
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Country: 
USA
Venue: 

RSVP via e-mail at: hmdill@iusb.edu or call 574-520-4622

Description: 

19 Mar 2012— The role of women in politics and society has been on the front burner lately as individuals and political candidates debate health care matters related to gender.

Indiana University South Bend will host a spring series of events on the theme: “Women, Politics and Power,” sponsored by the campus American Democracy Project. All events are free and open to the public:
- 11:30 a.m. April 3: “Preparing the Next Generation: Women as Role Models,” a lunch and learn gathering featuring Christina Wolbrecht, a political science professor at theUniversity of Notre Dame. The gathering will be in Room 221-223 of IUSB’s Student Activities Center. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to: hmdill@iusb.edu.

- 5:30 p.m. April 5: “Back to the Future: Women in American Politics, 1776-2012 and Beyond,” a lecture by Elizabeth Bennion, IUSB political science professor, in Room 1001 Wiekamp Hall. A reception will follow.

- 11 a.m. May 4: “Forward Together: Building a Coalition for the Collective Good,” a women of power and influence luncheon in the University Grill, IUSB Administration Building. Members of the public planning to attend should RSVP via e-mail at: hmdill@iusb.edu or call 574-520-4622.

A roundtable panel will feature a question and answer session along with a brainstorming discussion and networking period.

Participation is limited to 100 people, by invitation. A lunch will be provided. Members of the general public who wish to attend should contact hmdill@iusb.edu .

The third event is the 24th annual Lundquist Fellowship Lecture at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 5, in Room 1001, Wiekamp Hall. Professor Elizabeth Bennion, director of the American Democracy Project, and associate professor of political science, will present the lecture on “Back to the Future: Women in American Politics, 1776-2012 and Beyond.”

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Bennion will have a multimedia presentation on women’s role in American democracy from the founding of the nation through contemporary times. She will discuss the fight for the right to vote, the Equal Rights Amendment, the 2010 congressional election and future candidates for all office.

A reception will follow.

The Eldon F. Lundquist Fellowship recognizes a faculty member who has exhibited excellence in teaching, scholarly achievement and diversified relevant service.

Bennion arrived on campus as a lecturer in 1999. She became the director of the American Democracy Project in 2004. She became an associate professor in 2007.

She received her bachelor’s degree in American studies from Smith College, Northhamption, Mass., in 1994. She received her master’s and her doctorate in political science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

 The Lundquist Lecture was instituted in 1984 and named after Eldon Lundquist, one of Elkhart’s best known natives. He wore many hats – public relations, advertising, hospital development director, sportscaster and legislator. He was a member of the Indiana General Assembly from 1961 to 1976, where he served as the Senate Education Committee chairman for more than a decade.

 In 1976, he was appointed assistant to the president of Indiana University with an office at IU South Bend. He served in that role until his death in 1977.

 His friends established an endowment in his name to sponsor public lectures. In 1984, the Faculty Fellowship Program was established to support IU South Bend faculty members who demonstrate outstanding accomplishments in teaching, scholarship and research.

Past Lundquist winners have been Les Lamon, Tuck Langland, De Bryant, Ken Smith and Mike Keen.

The events are sponsored by MPA Architects, South Bend

For more on the event, see Southbend Tribune.


United States: The 2012 Project: Women Wanted

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Mon, 2012-05-21 06:18

Summary: 

Last week, I interviewed Laurie Syms, co-director of Rachel's Network, an advocacy group that promotes women's leadership, both in the environmental community and government. I learned that women, overall and regardless of party, consistently vote more in favor of environmental protections and policies than their male counterparts in Congress. I also found out that women account for only 17 percent of the U.S. Congress and 23 percent of the state legislature. That puts the United States 78th in the world (tied with Turkmenistan) for percentage of women holding office.

Body: 

Read the original article published on 18 May 2012 at Huffington Post.


Jamaica: More female leadership needed in Parliament, says GG

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Wed, 2012-05-16 11:37

Summary: 

GOVERNOR General Sir Patrick Allen says more women should become involved in Caribbean politics and entrusted with leadership roles in order to soften the harsh and aggressive view of politics in the region.
"Our politics has sometimes been too muscular, too aggressive, too lacking in compassion, empathy and balance. It has been scientifically confirmed that greater gender balance in politics and greater empowerment of our female parliamentarians would work wonders in addressing these deficits," he said.

Body: 

For the original story, published on 16 May 2012, see Jamaica Observer.


UNDP: Boosting indigenous peoples' political participation crucial for development, says UNDP

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Tue, 2012-05-15 11:58

Summary: 

New York – Around 100 officials from Mexico and other Latin American countries, indigenous peoples’ representatives and non-governmental organizations gathered today in New York during the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples (7-18 May) to discuss how to increase indigenous peoples’ political participation—especially women.

“It is crucial to ensure inclusive participation and active decision-making through citizen empowerment and advancement of effective human rights of all people—and urgently—of indigenous peoples. This is essential to overcome historical inequalities and discrimination,” said Heraldo Muñoz, Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the UN Development Programme (UNDP), which organized the event with the Government of Mexico.

Body: 

For the full story published on 11 May, 2012 see UNDP.


United States: Life of Julia, Obama Campaign's New Online Tool, Touts Pro-Women Policies

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Fri, 2012-05-04 01:24

Summary: 

As former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama vie for the crucial women's vote in the upcoming presidential election, the Obama campaign released an online tool called "The Life of Julia" on Thursday that walks users through the life of an average, middle-class woman, in hopes of showing how Obama's policies benefit her more than Romney's at every stage.

Body: 

Read the complete story at Huffington Post, published 3 May 2012.


Mexico: Chance at first female president slims

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Thu, 2012-05-03 02:49

Summary: 

3 May 2012 - MEXICO CITY (AP) — Josefina Vazquez Mota exulted in the explosion of camera flashes as a pumped-up crowd cheered her victory in a bruising three-way race to become the ruling party's presidential candidate and this country's first woman to lead a major ticket.

With her daughters beaming behind her, the candidate pledged in February to become Mexico's first female president. Over the next weeks, she pulled within single digits of the front-runner in the July 1 election.

Body: 

For the full story, see Associated Press.


Global: Launch of the 2012 Social Institutions and Gender Index

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Thu, 2012-04-26 06:10
2012-05-22 13:57
Etc/GMT
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City & Province/State: 
Virginia
Country: 
United States
Description: 

 

When? Where?

 

Thursday, May 10, 2012 
9:00am-12:00pm 
Marshall Center Auditorium 
US Department of State 
Entrance on 21st Street, at Virginia Ave NW

To participate, RSVP by email to: washington.contact@oecd.org

To guarantee entrance to the State Department for this event, please include name, date of birth, citizenship, and drivers license/passport number when you RSVP

Programme

Opening remarks

  • Heidi Crebo-Rediker, Chief Economist, US Department of State

Speakers

  • Carlos Alvarez, Johannes Jütting and Somali Cerise, OECD Development Centre
  • Asma Khadar, Secretary-General, Jordanian National Commission for Women and Former Minister of Culture & Government Spokesperson for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
  • Inderjeet Singh, Deputy Director-General, Central Statistics Office, Government of India
  • Donald Steinberg, Deputy Administrator, USAID

Event Description

While conventional indicators of gender equality capture inequality in outcomes such as education and employment, the OECD Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) focuses instead on the underlying drivers of these inequalities. Applying the SIGI data to issues as diverse as employment, hunger and the achievement of the MDGs has shown that countries displaying higher levels of discrimination against women are also performing more poorly on a range of development indicators. Strengthening our understanding of these discriminatory factors would therefore enable the development of more effective and targeted policies in support of gender equality at the local, national and global levels.

The launch event is co-hosted by the United States Department of State and the OECD Development Centre. A presentation of the 2012 SIGI data and rankings will be followed by a discussion of the following important topics:

  • Measuring social institutions at the country level: the SIGI India pilot
  • How do donors address discriminatory social institutions?
  • What drives change? Evidence from the Middle East and North Africa

Background

Since SIGI was launched in 2009, the index and the role of discriminatory social institutions in undermining gender equality have gained increasing attention in the eyes of policy-makers and researchers alike. The 2012 version of the SIGI reflects changes in laws or practices, an updated conceptual framework and improved data sources for over 100 countries.

See Also

External Links

For more information, see WikiGender.


Global: The Most Powerful Women You've Never Heard Of

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Wed, 2012-04-25 05:31

Summary: 

The Angela Merkels and Dilma Rousseffs get all the attention. But they're not the only female leaders running the world.

Body: 

For the full story, see Foreign Policy.


IDEA: Second Meeting of the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Wed, 2012-04-25 05:25
2012-05-01
Etc/GMT
Click here
City & Province/State: 
Jakarta
Country: 
Indonesia
Description: 

 

Driven by the regional entities around the world, the ASEAN Secretariat and International IDEAwill host the Second Meeting of the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy on 1 May 2012 in Jakarta.

The Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy is a platform for engagement among regional organizations on democracy. Apart from the ASEAN Secretariat, other participating organizations include the African Union, European Union, League of Arab States, Pacific Islands Forum, Organization of American States, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation with International IDEA as the facilitator.

“This high-level meeting provides a forum for both policy-makers and practitioners from regional organisations around the world to exchange views, best practices and experiences on democracy and institutional building,” said H.E. Dr Surin Pitsuwan, the Secretary-General of ASEAN. “The region is committed to the principles of democracy and the rule of law in its community-building efforts,” Dr Surin further added.

This year’s theme on ‘Promoting and Ensuring Inclusive Political Participation and Representation Among Our Regions’ responds to the recent democratic movements around the globe and highlights the role that Regional Organisations can play.

Former President Fidel V. Ramosof the Republic of the Philippines will share his personal experiences in restoring and strengthening democracy as the guest speaker during a diplomatic Luncheon.

”It is indeed fitting that we hear the voice of experience and words of wisdom from one of the region’s illustrious senior statesmen during this event,” Dr Surin said.

Later in the afternoon, Dr Surin Pitsuwan will moderate an ASEAN Secretariat Policy Forum where Heads of the participating regional organizations will share their views on democracy and related issues and the importance of political participation and representation. Professor Kishore Mahbubani, Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of the National University of Singapore, will set the stage for the forum with his reflections on the political transformation that has unfolded around the world and its implications on ASEAN. Followed by a Question & Answer session, the forum is open to the Jakarta-based diplomatic community and other guests from the region, representatives from international and regional organisations, think-tanks, and the media.

According to International IDEA's Secretary-General Vidar Helgesen: “Inclusive political participation is vital for sustainable democracy. Recent events have reaffirmed that the citizen is at the heart of democracy and it is now clearer than ever that all democracies need to deliver on their promise of true citizen participation and representation.”

For more information, see IDEA.


UNDP: Doing Right by the World's Women

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Wed, 2012-04-25 05:07

Summary: 

23 April 2012 - When Foreign Policy compiled its list of 25 of the most powerful but least known women in the world for our May/June issue, Helen Clark was a natural pick. A three-term prime minister of New Zealand, she stepped onto the international stage in 2009, when she became administrator of the United Nations Development Program. As the first woman at the helm of the UNDP, she oversees the organization's 8,000-plus employees working in 177 countries to fight poverty and corruption and support vital welfare, health, and environmental programs.When Foreign Policy compiled its list of 25 of the most powerful but least known women in the world for our May/June issue, Helen Clark was a natural pick. A three-term prime minister of New Zealand, she stepped onto the international stage in 2009, when she became administrator of the United Nations Development Program. As the first woman at the helm of the UNDP, she oversees the organization's 8,000-plus employees working in 177 countries to fight poverty and corruption and support vital welfare, health, and environmental programs.

Body: 

For the full story, see Foreign Policy.


Mexico: Analysis- Mexican women voters back "alpha male" over female rival

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Mon, 2012-04-23 03:52

Summary: 

20 April 2012 - The 45-year-old Pena Nieto, candidate for the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), is favorite to win Mexico's July 1 presidential election, which for the first time will feature a woman as one of Mexico's main contenders.

Women make up a majority of eligible voters, but despite being traditionally sidelined in Mexican politics, they have failed to warm to the only female candidate - Josefina Vazquez Mota of President Felipe Calderon's conservative National Action Party, or PAN.

Body: 

For the full story, see Reuters.


Canada: Girls Government is an enterprising way to encourage interest in public life

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Mon, 2012-04-23 03:20

Summary: 

22 April 2012 - At a time when many are deeply cynical about politicians and the political process, it’s refreshing to hear a teenager call herself “lucky” for getting to spend a day at Queen’s Park to debate public policy.

That Helen Costa is only 13 should give us even more hope for the future. She is part of Girls Government, a non-partisan initiative of New Democrat MPP Cheri DiNovo. It introduces Grade 8 girls to social issues and the political environment in the hope that some will grow up to consider politics as a career option.

Body: 

For the full story, see The Star.


UN Women: Mexico - Mobilizing to increase women in decision-making in Mexico

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Thu, 2012-04-19 05:45

Summary: 

18 April 2012- “Rise up and sit at the table. Negotiate, because you are not alone. We are many women waiting for you to negotiate on our behalf “. The call comes from a strong commitment among Mexican women and SUMA (meaning sum of all parts in Spanish), an alliance of five civil society organizations which is working to increase women in decision-making in Mexico. The organization has been supported since 2011 by UN Women’s Fund for Gender Equality, in cooperation with the National Institute for Women. The Fund aims to advance women’s economic and political empowerment through high-impact, multi-year grants of up to USD 1 million

Body: 

For the full story, see UN Women.


United States: Clinton, Quinn and Fluke Ask: Where Are The Women (Who’ll Run)?

Submitted by iKNOW Politics on Fri, 2012-03-30 01:20

Summary: 

29 Mar 2012 - If you didn’t realize women don’t rule the world (yet), you’re not alone. In front of a full house at the 92nd Street Y Wednesday night, Chelsea Clinton made a confession.

“Until my mother ran for president, I wasn’t fully cognizant of how few women run for office and how few women hold office,” Clinton said. She then rattled off this depressing fact: The United States ties Turkmenistan at 78th place for the percentage of women in national political office. “Not enviable company,” she quipped.

Body: 

For the full story, see WNYC.