Ban Ki-Moon voices intolerance for violence against women

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon spoke out against violence towards women in his continuing global campaign urging political leaders to change the attitudes of abusers:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iYV3Iu0f13kZDBtyzyo_j66Ph_1AD96O8KD00.

Obama

Best wishes to our newly inaugurated President Barack Obama! View his positions on women's rights here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/women/.

Representative Tubb Jones Dies

Representative Stephanie Tubb Jones died this evening as a result of an aneurysm. She was 58.

Tubb Jones was the first black woman to represent Ohio in Congress. She was a fierce Democrat and staunchly against the Iraq war. She was an incredibly strong woman who made it one of her missions to secure rights for everyone.

She will be much missed in the world of politics, and as a person.

Our thoughts are with her family in this time of grief.

For a more detailed story, read the Associated Press' article:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g69eFoFAV_TuMuhxP8zy2W3ut_egD92MBNQO0

Democratic Veepstakes

In this interesting article [http://www.now.org/news/note/073108.html] by the National Organization of Women's president, Kim Gandy takes a look at the likely candidates for Obama's running mate, and their positions on issues that affect women. Check it out!

UN Women's Rights Resource

Check out this fabulous collection of material on women's rights, put together by the United Nations for International Women's Day!

http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/womensday/index.asp

Fair Pay Restoration Act

"The Fair Pay Restoration Act (S.1843) – drafted in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, which held that employees must sue for pay discrimination within the current 180-day statute of limitations – would permit employees to sue employers for wage discrimination even if the discrimination was discovered beyond the 180-day limit," says the National Comittee on Pay Equity. The Senate will be voting early on the Fair Pay Restoration act next week, says Feminist Majority: "The House has already passed the companion bill, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to correct the recent Supreme Court decision that guts the ability of women workers to sue for wage discrimination. Celebrate Equal Pay Day, April 22nd, by contacting your senators today!"

The Women's History Project

P.S. For more information on the wage gap and equal pay, visit http://www.wageproject.org/content/gap/what.php.

ERA History

Today in 1972, Congress approved the Equal Rights Amendment and sent it to the states for ratification. After lapsing, it was revived in 2001. For more information, go here:
http://www.freewebs.com/uswhp/equalrightsamendment.htm

Anne Hutchinson was also banished from Massachusetts in 1638. Check out our biography of this amazing woman here:
http://www.freewebs.com/uswhp/earlyamerica.htm#142142961

The Women's History Project

UN Gender News

Check out this article from today's UNA-USA (The United Nations Association of United States of America) E-newsletter E-news Update: http://www.unausa.org/site/pp.asp?c=fvKRI8MPJpF&b=3936385&tr=y&auid=3435854. The article talks about the UN's plans for ending violence against women.

The Women's History Project

Youth Leadership and Black History Month

February 1st marks the beginning of Youth Leadership Month and Black History Month! (Check out these links: http://www.factmonster.com/spot/bhm1.html and http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/black_history/index.htm.)

The Women's History Project
P.S. Take a look at this website: The Political Voices of Women: Opinion and Commentary of Over 200 Women Political Bloggers .

International Women Leaders Global Security Summit Call to Action

Check it out! "The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands in partnership with The White House Project, the Council of Women World Leaders and the Women Leaders Intercultural Forum launched the International Women Leaders Global Security Initiative in October 2006. This initiative, which will run through June 2008, aims to bring the perspectives and voices of global women leaders to the international discourse on security." They held a summit November 15-17, 2007 in New York City, NY. The participants signed their Call to Action, which is a statment for peace, security and welfare around the world, especially focusing on women's security. It first states, "We, the participants of the International Women Leaders Global Security Summit, share a common vision for a more secure, peaceful and just world. Our different cultures and backgrounds are unified by our common sense of urgency and shared resolve to ensure that all people may live free from fear and want. We commit to supporting effective policies that increase human and state security and challenge affronts to both." You can read the full goals and sign the call here.

The Women's History Project

Following the '08 Primary Elections!

Who will win the 2008 primary election in the U.S.? Follow the major presidential-hopefuls and their campaigns by checking out these web sources:
Scholastic Kids News Campaign News
FactMonster Campaign 2008
BBC News "2008 Election: Main Contenders"
Yahoo! News "Election '08"
Congress.org Election 2008: Canidates and Information

The Women's History Project
For more information, see our website at www.freewebs.com/uswhp.

Benazir Bhutto

Today, former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto, age 54, was assassinated at a rally in Rawalpindi. She was shot in the neck, and a bomb exploded. The assasin, who is unidentified as of now, was also killed in the bomb explosion. Bhutto served as PM from 1988 to 1990 and 1993 to 1996. She was the first female national leader in the Middle East.

To find out more, here are a few links:
For information aimed towards kids about earlier conflicts in Pakistan, see these Scholastic Kid's News links: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3748268, http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3748369, and http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3748476.
And an article by the BBC about the assassination: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7161590.stm.

This is a sad day for everyone: the violence hasn't solved anything, and the loss of a strong woman like Bhutto is very upsetting.

The Women's History Project
For more information, see our website at www.freewebs.com/uswhp.

UN speaks out about violence against women

Sunday was the International Day for the Eradication of Violence Against Women! Ban Ki Moon, current Secretary-General of the UN, has condoned VAW as "one of the most heinous, systematic and prevalent human rights abuses in the world" [and rightly so!]. He has pledged to do something about it, too. Hurrah! Full article here:http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=24786&Cr=women&Cr1=.

The Women's History Project
For more information, see our website: www.freewebs.com/uswhp.