Chick Power
Victory for Women’s Athletic Equity: PA High School Disclosure Bill Passes
During the closing hours of Pennsylvania’s budget frenzy, 40 years after the enactment of Title IX, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed its own landmark legislation to advance gender equality in educational opportunities. The Equity in Interscholastic Athletics Disclosure Bill passed the state House of Representatives on June 30 as part of an omnibus school code bill (HB 1901) which the Governor has approved.
Continue Reading...
By: Nicole Yelich
Business gurus, high techies, optometrists, health care entrepreneurs, environmental rock stars – even popular TV characters — are all doing it. What is it? Running for office next year. And these are just a few of the new faces taking the plunge into politics, thanks to The 2012 Project.
Continue Reading...
By: Dana Brown
Over the past several years, women running for office around the country have made headlines, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, to name a few. But these high-profile women obscure a sad truth: the percentage of American women holding public office remains dismally low.
Continue Reading...
By: Cynthia Cavendish-Carey
The “Sonny and Cher Show” was top-rated when I was a little girl. I remember watching this variety show every week (there were a lot of variety shows back then). This one in particular sticks with me as does The Carol Burnett Show. But Sonny and Cher was different: slap-stick comedy, popular music and they always involved their little girl, Chastity, as they sang the show out with “I Got You, Babe” each week. Times have changed. Variety shows are no longer in vogue … and (gasp) Chastity is now Chaz Bono.
Continue Reading...
By: Heather Arnet, CEO, Women and Girls Foundation
Last week, President Obama declared August 26th “Women’s Equality Day” to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the 19th amendment (guaranteeing women the right to vote). While this ceremonial day of reverence and reflection is important, actions speak far louder than words. And lately the actions of Congress, State Legislatures, and even the White House have created some real concerns for advocates for women’s equality.
Continue Reading...
By: Cynthia Cavendish-Carey
Like me, some of you may have been old enough – young enough – in the 60s to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his famous speech on the Washington Mall. But, did you know it was a woman who inspired him to add what would become the most recognizable and memorable part of that speech?
Continue Reading...
By: Cynthia Cavendish-Carey
“They” say that you should never discuss politics or religion. It’s hard not to when there’s so much in the news on both of these topics, particularly when such colorful characters are making the news every single day.
Continue Reading...
By: Christy Uffelman
This fall the Pittsburgh region realizes a new and soon-to-be national program for emerging female leaders. Organizations looking to capitalize on the opportunity to engage, develop and retain high-potential women AND give back to the community in a real way may check out the new Strong Leaders Program piloting this fall through Strong Women, Strong Girls (SWSG). The program is designed to align with participating companies’ organizational goals for recruitment and retention. This is a real way to impact the region and reinforce management’s commitment to employees and the community.
Continue Reading...
By: Susan Nitzberg
What does the City of Pittsburgh have in common with UPMC, Fifth Third Bank, Chatham and Carlow Universities, Allegheny County and the Pittsburgh Foundation? They are all employers.
Continue Reading...
By: Sheila K. Collins, PhD.
As the first born in a family that eventually had six children, I was raised to consider myself a leader. My parents were clear; they expected me to behave since the younger children would likely do what they saw me do. So, I was to set the tone for the family, and if my younger siblings misbehaved, I was held accountable. Though it was somewhat flattering to imagine having that kind of power, the system often felt unfair to me, especially when it didn’t work, and my sibling group reacted with a mind of its own. I eventually held meetings with my siblings to get their input on how we were going to avoid getting in trouble with our parents.
Continue Reading...
By: Cynthia Cavendish-Carey
Women lost a powerful advocate this month when Betty Ford passed away on Friday, July 9th at the age of 93. Those of us who are old enough to remember, know her as an outspoken supporter for women and women’s health. In fact, she often took a great deal of criticism for her candor and openness at a time when things like breast cancer and addiction were not discussed openly in public.
Continue Reading...
By: Cynthia Cavendish-Carey
The Casey Anthony trial is over and the “not guilty” verdict is in … on all counts except for four counts of lying to police. Serving her time for these misdemeanors, Casey Anthony will walk out of prison, a free woman, on Sunday, July 17th. Yet, the drama continues. The public is clearly – and vehemently – speaking out about a lack of justice for little Caylee Marie Anthony. The purpose of this article is not to retry the case in the public domain. Rather, I’d like to propose that perhaps it’s time to pass a formal bill of rights that would protect our children.
Continue Reading...
By: Emily Bush
When people hear the word “feminist” they automatically think of bra-burning, hairy-legged lesbians… oh, and they all hate men too, right? NO. I don’t know how long it will take for that to be washed from people’s memories and think of the modern day feminist.
Continue Reading...
By: Heather Arnet, CEO, Women and Girls Foundation
This week the PA State Legislature and Governor Corbett are hoping to finalize the 2011/2012 State Budget. It is sad to see that despite having received an extra HALF BILLION dollars in unexpected revenue, that the Legislature and Governor have decided to save these monies for a “rainy day fund” and instead make drastic cuts now on everything from child care, health care, and nutrition for the elderly, to education and housing assistance for the working poor, and job training for the unemployed.
Continue Reading...
By: Cynthia Cavendish-Carey
When did it happen? Where exactly was the threshold that my generation crossed over to enter the realm of elder statesmanship. How did we find ourselves taking care of children and parents at the same time? Where did the safety net of the older generation go, leaving us to handle the big, important things on our own? Who will now let us know if we’re doing it right?
Continue Reading...
By: Beth Slagle, Esq.
Meet Michael Glass, CEO of Dress for Success Pittsburgh. Michael happens to be the first male CEO or executive director in the history of DFS worldwide.
Continue Reading...
By: Cynthia Cavendish-Carey
Up until the Women’s Movement of the 1970s, marrying women were expected to assume their husband’s names. Our fore-mothers had a message for men and women during this revolution, though … you know what they say when you “assume.”
Continue Reading...
By: Magdeline E. Jensen
The accomplishments of seven extraordinary women from the Pittsburgh community were honored on May 25, 2011, at the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh’s 29th Tribute to Women Leadership Awards Luncheon. More than 650 people in attendance celebrated the following exceptional slate of awardees.
Continue Reading...
By: Cynthia Cavendish-Carey
The countdown has begun and daytime television as we know it will change forever in just a few short days. Personally, my TV is usually tuned to CNN while I’m working, but this week marks an event that we must all notice.
Continue Reading...
By: Cynthia Cavendish-Carey
This past Sunday marked my 26th Mother’s Day. My son and I are very close, so it was not really a surprise that he would do it up right. He made reservations for a classy brunch followed by a tour of Clayton, Henry Clay Frick’s mansion. He thought of everything: the card, the flowers, time for a quick nap (he knows how much I like my Sunday afternoon naps). The day had me thinking about when he was young … and the kind of man he’s become.
Continue Reading...
By: Susan Nitzberg
“You know, she came into work every day wearing a turtleneck – even in the summer. One day, she put her head down on the desk and cried for a while. I kept hearing her say on the phone – no don’t come here! I just didn’t know what to do.*”
Continue Reading...
By: Sheila K. Collins, PhD.
As a dancer I’ve always been aware of a bodyspirit connection which travels across miles and political borders. I experienced this connection strongly while dancing in my Zumba class the other day. I’d been following the story of the women in Egypt in our local newspaper and as I was shaking tightness and tension out of my own body in the dance studio, a picture of the women demonstrators in Tahrir Square came to me.
Continue Reading...
By: Cynthia Cavendish-Carey
This is the story of a remarkable woman of accomplishment. A brilliant student at Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh, Fanetta Nelson Gordon was poised to be first in her 1936 class and valedictorian. She was following in her sister’s footsteps: Sophia Phillips-Nelson had addressed her class as valedictorian just two years before in 1934.
Continue Reading...
By: Cynthia Cavendish-Carey
It was Sunday evening and my son and I were sitting on our front porch discussing the upcoming week’s activities. When it was my turn, I told him that I’d been asked to sit on a panel at a women’s conference to discuss balance in women’s lives. His reaction was humorous. He said, “you! balance! I don’t get it.” In addition to giving me a great opening line sure to get a laugh (which it did), this also got me to thinking.
Continue Reading...
By: Lynne Garfinkel
Picture if you will a Venn diagram. Woman A is in the left circle, a nonprofit executive who is trying to engage professional women in supporting the organization’s work. Woman B in the right circle is a corporate executive, busy with work and other obligations, trying to find ways to support other women while finding some balance in her own life. At the center, where the circles intersect, is Cynthia, supreme networker. What makes Cynthia unique is that her interest is not only in networking for her own personal gain, but even more so to connect women who have shared interests. As a beneficiary of Cynthia’s networking proficiency (my organization, Strong Women, Strong Girls has gained many volunteers and financial support through connections she has made on our behalf) I have made the following observations of what makes Cynthia’s networking so successful for those she connects. Here is my take on Cynthia’s top 5 networking practices:
Continue Reading...
By: Bernadette Smith
Do you see yourself as a leader? I believe we all struggle with the perspective of what constitutes a leader and who qualifies to deserve such a label. There is perhaps a mythical stereotype of a leader, based on conventional thinking, societal norms and the media, among other sources. According to “The Leadership Challenge” by Posner and Kouzes, there are a number of myths surrounding leadership that we have the power and ability to debunk. The following are the myths and my guidance on how to navigate each of them.
Continue Reading...
By: Aradhna Malhotra Dhanda
What stories there are in the diversity of our networks! We are all connected. Each of us has a sphere of influence and yet very rarely do we pause to comprehend the magnitude of what this means to our lives and the lives of those we touch, or how it all came about.
Continue Reading...
By: Patricia Ulbrich
Pittsburgh has a long history of producing entrepreneurs, philanthropists, artists and musicians. What is less well known is that Pittsburgh also produced influential leaders of the women’s movement who created pioneering feminist organizations and shaped the national women’s movement. In Sisterhood: the Women’s Movement in Pittsburgh is a five-year, multimedia project documenting the local roots of the women’s movement during the period 1967-1989.
Continue Reading...
By: Cynthia Cavendish-Carey
March is Women’s History Month and this past Wednesday marked International Women’s Day. There are many women throughout history that we know very well such as Susan B. Anthony, Sacagawea, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Rosa Parks, Indira Ghandi, Oprah Winfrey, Hilary Clinton, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart, Mother Theresa, Florence Nightingale and many others. However, there are numerous – perhaps unsung – heroines who are less well known, but equally important to our history. This is a tribute to those really cool chicks. I invite you to learn more about these notable women whose shoulders we stand upon.
Continue Reading...
By: Lexi Smith
In the 80s, there was a commercial for Faberge Organic® shampoo featuring Heather Locklear saying: “and she’ll tell two friends, and so on, and so on.” Today, we have Facebook and Twitter to speed up our viral messaging and product promotion; and, according to Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO, “the social [networking] world is being led by women.”
Continue Reading...
By: Porsche Foxx
Music has always filled my soul.
I think there’s truth in the idea that the muses are divine inspiration for the arts. In fact, the word “music” is derived from the Greek word “muse,” which is the source of inspiration. Since I was very young, I have felt the power of music from my fingertips to my toes. For me, it all comes back to music, regardless of what mood I am in … or what ails me.
Continue Reading...
By: Bernadette Smith
Why should we as employees, shareholders and managers of corporations be concerned about gender-balanced leadership?
Continue Reading...
By: Cynthia Cavendish-Carey
“Do one thing every day that scares you.” My friend had no way of knowing that this brief sentence held profound meaning for me.
Continue Reading...
By: Aradhna Malhotra Dhanda
Like yin and yang, male and female should be equal parts of the same whole, nesting alongside one another.
Continue Reading...
By: Bernadette Smith, Women & Girls Foundation of Southwestern PA, Board Member
Women have made enormous progress in the workforce since the Equal Pay Act (EPA), but the stubborn fact remains that four-and-a-half decades later, the basic goal of the Act has not been realized.
Continue Reading...
By: Heather Arnet and M.J. Tocci
In challenging economic times, companies must seek out every competitive advantage possible to improve efficiencies and increase corporate performance. While the business case for developing corporate diversity strategies has been well documented, many companies find that in the midst of a global recession, professional development, recruitment and retention programs…
Continue Reading...
