Economic Equality for Women

Please Check Out My New Blog

2009-04-01T14:58:00.000-07:00

This blog focuses on the issue of paid parental leave in the US and Europe.

http://paidparentalleavepolicy.blogspot.com

NAFE Top Companies for Women 2009

2009-03-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

nafe top companies TOP TEN PROFILES 2009

2009's best of the best stand out for their stellar succession plans, metrics for managers, and commitment to bringing women into P&L posts.

By Betty Spence

Aetna In the past three years, Aetna inaugurated the “Diverse Discoveries” leadership initiative specifically directed at women and people of color, including a seven-month program to increase visibility, enhance skills and savvy, help manage personal and professional goals, and create access to mentoring and networking opportunities. Business plans for departments must include metrics for women and people of color in managerial positions, as well as action plans to build the pipeline. Plus, managers’ compensation is linked to achieving these objectives. Aetna also started a six-month leadership program for women in the corporate law department.

AstraZeneca New to the list, the pharma giant swept into the Top Ten with its deep and broad attention to women in succession plans. Management reviews all women at director level and above—keeping an eye on emerging talent from other levels as well—and identified a 40 percent female candidate cache for near- or longer-term senior roles. At VP and above, women make up 36 percent of identified global high potentials, and women are 23 of 55 members of the U.S. governance teams. Something else we heartily applaud: specific attention given to filters on assessment that may devalue women’s contributions.

Avon Products The only Top Ten company with a female chief executive and with women comprising 40 percent of the board, Avon remains profitable in a difficult economy. CEO Andrea Jung has built the global business, notably increasing the number of Avon reps in China; but women are finding this a good income source stateside as well. Jung is complemented by her second-in-command, President Elizabeth Smith, who in 2007 rolled out the first global ad campaign. Fortune magazine named both among the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business. At Avon, we see a promising pipeline, with women as 56 percent of senior managers.

General Mills. Not many companies get it about women the way General Mills does, with a chief executive and senior management that set out several years ago to drive change for women with a comprehensive, strategic plan. Now a new CEO demands accountability via officer-level goals, tools to address development challenges, and senior leaders’
identifying and removing systemic barriers. Last year, women made up 54 percent of participants in leadership training at the GM Institute, concentrating on strategic results and business/financial acumen. With women as a third of P&L corporate executives, General Mills is closing the leadership gap.

IBM Corporation In the 2007 Global Women Leaders Survey, women reported their top perceived barrier as access and visibility to key positions. To remedy this, the Global Women’s Task Force implemented shadow programs, and the company’s “fiveminute drills” continue to bring transparency to executive reviews by highlighting open positions, candidate slates, and closed positions. The program “Gender Differences” began strengthening communication skills
of men and women, while at the same time expanding networks. IBM has more women’s networks than anyone, including Diversity Network Groups, Women’s Councils, Diversity Councils, Subnets for discussing career development, and the Super Women’s Group that hosts virtual, global discussions.

Johnson & Johnson NAFE welcomes another newcomer to the Top Ten and salutes its Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) for its critical role. With a grass roots structure and a steering committee of senior women, the WLI meets regularly with senior management. Johnson & Johnson is part of the Smith College Consortium, sending high-potential women for training in leadership and strategic thinking. In addition, Smith and Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business have created an executive education program to help Johnson & Johnson women assume responsibility for global businesses or functional areas. The very active WLI also initiated a career acceleration program for multicultural women.

Liz Claiborne Women continue to excel at Liz, where they are 77 percent of the workforce, 67 percent of senior managers, and 40 percent of executives with profit-and-loss responsibility that report directly to the CEO. Women oversee major brands: Elizabeth Munoz serves as president of Lucky Brand, Benedetta Casamento as president of Liz Claiborne Brands, and Gela Taylor as co-president of Juicy Culture with Pamela Skaist Levy. NAFE lauds Liz’s outstanding education program for ending domestic violence, including implementation of the “Love is not Abuse” and “Love is Respect” curricula in more than 1,000 high schools in 48 states, teaching students about dating violence.

Marriott International Women are more than half of Marriott associates, nearly half of managers, and 30 percent of VPs. We love the stories of women like Lucy Martin, who started as a cocktail waitress at the New York Marriott Marquis and now is executive pastry chef at the Orlando World Center Marriott; or Stephanie Billstone, once an hourly PBX operator and now regional senior director for hotels in Texas; or Erica Qualls, GM of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, who 15 years ago was answering phones on a night shift in California. An innovative electronic language program, Sed de Saber (“Thirst for Knowledge”), helps Spanish-speaking associates learn English.

Principal Financial Group Most U.S. companies have glass walls—between staff and line jobs—as tough to get past as their glass ceilings, but not Principal. Last year, Nora Everett moved from legal, where she was deputy general counsel, to overseeing the mutual fund business as SVP-Retirement and Investor Services and president, Principal Funds. Two other notable women have slipped between staff and line: Deanna Strable, formerly an actuary, now is SVP-individual life and specialty benefit division; and Julia Lawler returned to the staff side as CIO after serving as president of the real estate equity group. A whopping 89 percent of employees consider their company committed to the fair treatment of all employees.

Procter & Gamble In the past three years, women count as 50 percent of global management new hires and P&G has seen a 20 percent increase in the number of women at president, VP, and general manager levels. Accountability helps: the company links stock options for top 30 execs to diversity leadership results. The North America Market Development Organization combines forces with the Regional Women’s Network and National Women’s Board to influence senior leadership to deliver on improved retention and development of women. Fortune continues to list three P&G women among its 50 Most Powerful Women in Business: Susan Arnold, Melanie Healy, and Deb Henretta.

New Gender Investment Index

2009-03-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

In these difficult economic times, socially-conscious investing may not be at the forefront of everyone's mind. However, through various research over a period of years, it has been proven that greater diversity in the workplace has a correlation to higher profitability. A new gender index, highlighting firms with a great amount of gender diversity, is a good place to look for companies to invest in that value women in the workplace. It will be interesting to follow this index's performance over the next year, in comparison to the S&P, to see if the research holds true.

The Search for Women in the Boardroom

Selena Maranjian
March 31, 2009

If you're looking to invest in companies with diversity in the boardroom, there's no need to click around websites looking at bios, names, and photographs in search of people who seem to bring different expertise than your average Tom, Dick, or Harry. That would be time-consuming and a dubious way to find the good mix of business expertise, gender, and ethnicity that has been linked to better governance and higher profitability.

If you're particularly interested in gender diversity, a new stock index series introduced by the folks at Pax World and KLD provides a shortcut to finding promising investment candidates. The objective of The Gender Investment Index series is "demonstrating that gender equality is an important indicator of financial health, and that companies that empower women and encourage gender diversity outperform others over the long term."

Selection criteria for the index included representation of women on the board of directors and in management, programs and policies that support women (such as mentoring, maternity leave, and flexible schedules), and lawsuits or claims about discrimination or hostile work environments.

http://www.fool.com/investing/etf/2009/03/31/investing-in-women.aspx

Status of Global Gender Equality: A UN Statement

2009-03-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

Editor's Note: Joint Statement submitted to the UN Commission on the Status of Women, 53rd session, 2-13 March 2009. New York by Education International (EI), International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Public Services International (PSI), non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council.

The respect of women’s reproductive rights, the access to appropriate health care gives protection to the spread of the pandemic which is the trigger for millions of orphans under age 18 and which is expected to exceed 25 million by 2010. There is an urgent need for attention to women and girls as most vulnerable groups in this context.

The promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women as outlined in the 3rd Millennium Development Goal tackles poverty, discrimination and illiteracy. Achieving these goals is clearly linked to access to equal opportunities in education, decent work and health care. Nevertheless, family responsibilities remain with women. The gender division of responsibilities in the household detracts from economic growth and development; women are restricted from full economic participation by the demands of their household work while men are still uninvolved in care work.

We, Non-Governmental Organizations in consultative status with ECOSOC, members of the trade union international movement, reaffirm our commitment and call attention to the situation of workers, particularly women workers around the world. These women continue to be confined to vulnerable and informal employment because of a responsibility to the family which men do not yet fully share.

We acknowledge and support the important steps taken by the adoption of ILO Conventions on Maternity Protection (No. 183, 2000), Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, (No. 156, 1981), and the Workers with Family Responsibilities Recommendation, 1981 (No. 165); we strongly request their ratification and full implementation by all Member States.

We also recognize the very valuable contribution of the UN CSW resolutions taken by the International Community. The Platform for Action Beijing 1995, the Agreed Conclusions 1996/3 on “Child and dependent care, including sharing of work and family responsibilities”, Resolution 52/4 “Women, the Girl Child and HIV/AIDS”, the Agreed Conclusions 2008/L.8 on “Financing for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women” are only a few examples of that commitment.

Gender inequalities are one of the major reasons for the HIV/AIDS pandemic affecting women and girls. Women comprise 50 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS and in some parts of the world the number reaches 60 percent. Education and information is one of the most effective tools to prevent HIV/AIDS infection of women and girls. Worldwide, 774 million adults lack basic literacy skills. Some 64 percent of them are women, a share virtually unchanged since the early 1990s.

1. As women workers, members of trade unions all over the world, we would like to call the attention of the UN CSW to the fact that a substantial body of research has shown very consistently that women spend considerably more time than men in unpaid tasks related to caring for children and elders, cooking, cleaning, collecting food, water or firewood, among other tasks. Unpaid family responsibilities affect whether women can undertake paid work, the type of work, for how long, and where. Family responsibilities are one of the reasons women turn to vulnerable and informal employment. Women increasingly occupy employment in unregulated sectors and are often the only ones to meet the family’s survival.

2. We draw attention to the fact that where States fail to provide adequate public health, childcare, publicly funded education and other essential social services the burden falls disproportionately on women to compensate for their non-availability. Statistics show that women and girls comprise nearly 90 percent of caregivers.

3. We are also concerned by the impact of negative cultural norms, gender roles and stereotypes, that contribute to perpetuate discrimination toward women and girls, and are also at the root of violence against women. Women and girls continue to experience severe violations of their human rights, in particular the right to a quality public education and to quality public health services, including reproductive health. Furthermore, education and health must include a gender perspective.

4. Global funding for HIV/AIDS, including the funding of universally accessible health services, remains woefully inadequate, particularly in the developing world, increasing the burden on women as caregivers. Women and girls living with HIV or affected by AIDS suffer from the social stigma that has developed toward the pandemic. In a quite substantial number of cases they do not have access to appropriate treatment, and must provide care to family members, dropping out from paid employment or from school with severe consequences for their future life. Here again the absence of an adequate redistribution of caring activities between women and men is a major problem that affects the possibilities of real quality of life for women.

5. For women and girls the provision of quality public services is fundamental. We know that quality public services are essential to build strong economies and inclusive societies too. Without them the Millennium Development Goals cannot be reached. Women and girls support, sometimes very much alone, the burden related to transportation of food and water and the giving of care. The ongoing and prognosticated climate changes represent a further challenge to their livelihoods since their impacts influence sectors that are traditionally associated with women. Women play a crucial role in the defense of public education and health services, eroded by privatization during the last 20 years, and they have paid a heavy price for those activities that are aimed at improving the welfare of the entire society. The participation of men has been always a very positive aspect of these civil society initiatives and needs to be welcomed and increased.

6. We also draw attention to the persistent under-valuing of women’s work, predicated on the notion that a woman’s primary role is home-based: caring for her family and tending to household chores. We urge governments to implement ILO Conventions 100 on Equal Remuneration (1951) and 111 on Discrimination (1958)

7. The world is facing the first financial crisis of the 21st Century. Not only financial but also the provision of food and the environment is in crisis. Public services could also be considered to be in crisis. The gender impact of these crises is being overlooked, causing women and families to fall into deeper poverty. Women are at risk of being forced out of the workplace and "back home" by the global financial crisis, particularly in rural areas and among minority and excluded groups (women living with AIDS, children, older people, migrant and domestic workers). Labor market and policies promoting decent work, including access to social protection, basic rights and a voice at work for women and men – play key roles in reducing poverty and inequality around the world.

Recommendations: International Trade Union Confederation, Education International and Public Services International call Governments to:

1. Put in place strong legislation for gender equality in order to abolish discrimination of women in the labor market;

2. Create education programs that raise public awareness, knowledge and skills among men, including young men, on their roles as parents and the crucial need to improve the sharing of family responsibilities between men and women;

3. Strengthen and broaden social safety nets and protection by ensuring access to social security, pensions, unemployment benefits, maternity protection, and quality education and health care for all, and access to public services and measures which would enable reconciliation of work, family and private life;

04. Increase predictable funding to the infrastructure of public services, such as education, health and social care, utilities and transportation. In particular, vocational education and training is an imperative especially in the context of the current financial crisis;

5. Develop quality, and affordable child and elder care facilities, and care facilities for other dependent people, including people living with HIV/AIDS;

6. Develop programs for recruitment and training of men in early childhood education and care giving occupations;

7. Adopt laws and incentives to encourage equal sharing of parental responsibilities between women and men;

8. Promote provision of public childcare services including at the workplace, and adopt family friendly employment schemes such as adequate parental leave, part-time work and flexible working hours where men are encouraged to share equally with women household and family responsibilities;

9. Take bold and robust measures aimed at achieving equal pay for work of equal or similar value between women and men;

10. Promote gender balance in all financial institutions funded by government; encourage and promote an increase in numbers of women in management;

11. Make provisions available within working conditions to make it easier to balance home and work responsibilities;

12. Revise selection and nomination procedures to remove any direct or indirect discrimination against mothers/fathers;

13. Recognize the value of ensuring that women not only begin but also complete their primary and secondary education and of eliminating gender bias in all types of educational materials that enforce and reinforce inequalities between men and women.

Gender Budgeting

2009-03-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

The idea of gender budgeting seems to make a lot of sense. It is painfully obvious in many under-developed nations women hold very little, if any, economic power. By looking beyond the surface of third world issues such as poverty, malnutrition, and disease, it is evident that women and children are not given equal opportunity to men. Through various research it has been shown that women are more likely to spend money on food, healthcare, and education than their male counterparts, therefore, gender budgeting can be a useful tool in getting at the core of many of these issues to create change.

Gender Budgeting: Gender Analysis of Policies that Effect “the least of these”

by Meagan Manas

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

“Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?”

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:35-40

In this spirit, a group of women gathered in 1879 to found the Women’s Home and Foreign Mission Society in the American Lutheran Church. Through collections gathered in “mite boxes,” this organization has collected more than a million dollars to fund various projects around the world. Some of the first projects included financing women missionaries, including two female missionary doctors, Dr. Anna Sarah Kugler, and Dr. Betty Nilsson, and building schools, both coeducational and for girls only, like this one in China.

According to the Women’s Funding Network (WFN), “It is estimated that women hold more than 51% of the personal wealth in the United States, and they are set to inherit trillions of dollars more as the World War II generation begins to transfer its wealth. Women are expected to control 60% of the wealth in the United States by 2010.” The mission of WFN is to connect these women with opportunities to fund other women around the globe, women who are in poverty and truly the least of “the least of these.”

The movement, led by women inside and outside of the ecumenical community, to consider specifically women and children in the world’s poor when writing policy or contributing money is now seeking a new target: gender budgeting in all levels of our communities, governments, and world.

What is Gender Budgeting?
Most of us are familiar with the idea of women’s missionary societies collecting loose change, or even with women philanthropists contributing to women’s organizations. But for many, “gender budgeting” is a new term. A helpful resource booklet from Anglican Women’s Empowerment explains it like this: “Gender budgets are not separate budgets for women, but are general budgets planned, approved, executed, monitored, and audited in a gender-sensitive way—making sure that women, men, and children are all treated fairly.” Gender budgeting is based on the practice of gender analysis, which “recognizes that there are different social rules for men and women and different responsibilities, opportunities, and needs” and “addresses the underlying power relationship between women and men over time and across cultures.” Understanding more about gender roles and the dynamics of power in gendered relationships helps us to analyze the ways in which men and women benefit differently from programs and policy.

Why gender budgeting?
Jesus’ call to serve “the least of these” is recognized in gender budgeting’s aim to evaluate if policy, programs, and funding help women or continue to marginalize them. For example, according to materials from Women Thrive Worldwide, “In sub-Saharan Africa, women produce up to 80 percent of basic foodstuffs both for household consumption and for sale. Yet, female farmers receive less than 10 percent of credit provided to farmers and own only 1 to 2 percent of all land in developing countries.” Programs implemented to help farmers in this region of the world are often aimed at farm-owners, which benefits the men who own the farms, and not the women who make up the vast majority of the agricultural workforce. More case-studies like this are available through Women Thrive.

Gender budgeting is not only about women, though. The reality is that “women are at the greatest risk of being poor worldwide. Research and experience have shown that women in poor countries are more likely to use their income for food, healthcare, and education for their children, helping to lift entire communities out of poverty.” Gender analysis and gender budgeting are aimed at uncovering the structures of power that keep women, men and children entrenched in poverty and working to make sure programs for foreign aid and the work of NGO’s and governments do not fall prey to those same systems.

Recently, the National Council of Churches signed on to a letter by Women, Faith and Development Alliance urging our senators and representatives to incorporate gender budgeting as they consider Foreign Aid Reform, noting that both U.S. and International “poverty reduction efforts will fall far short of their potential unless both women and men benefit, particularly since women are more likely to invest extra income in the health and education of their children, helping to break the cycle of poverty. Expanding economic opportunity for women also decreases their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, trafficking and gender-based violence.” The letter (pdf) has been signed not only by Christian organizations and women’s organizations, but Jewish, Muslim, and Baha’i, faith groups, and NGO’s, including Amnesty International, focused on a wide range of issues, from children to poverty relief and the environment.

How can I get involved in gender budgeting?
AWE’s resource is a great place to get started. The booklet offers helpful ideas for thinking about your own budget and your local community or church’s budget through a gender budgeting lens. Some of the questions they recommend for reflection are:

* What are the particular needs, concerns, and realities of women in your community?

* How does spending impact women and girls differently than men and boys?

* How are particular groups of women affected by spending?

* Who has control over decision-making on spending?

The booklet goes on to offer a sample gender analysis of a parish budget (pp.18-21) that is enlightening, reminding us that this is not just “someone else’s problem.”

You can also help shed light on gender budgeting by bringing it up for discussion in your community with the resources listed above, or by writing and op-ed or letter to the editor piece, or even by furthering this petition. Women Thrive also offers a sample Op-Ed and Letter to the Editor submissions.

New Study on Men and Women at Work and at Home

2009-03-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

The newest study from the Families and Work Institute provides data that seems to be great news in the area of women and the workplace. I, however, am not as optimistic as the tone of the press release below. While I feel that this new data is a step in the right direction, I would like to see a multitude of studies producing the same results before I am swayed into believing that there has been real progress in the public's opinion of gender roles.

NEW STUDY SHOWS SIGNIFICANT AND SURPRISING CHANGES AMONG MEN AND WOMEN AT WORK AND AT HOME

First report from 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce traces the trends in men’s and women’s attitudes and actions over the past three decades

New York, NY, March 26, 2009 – For the first time, young women want just as much to advance to jobs with more responsibility as young men. Moreover, being a mother does not significantly change young women’s career ambitions.

These changes in attitudes reflect women’s evolving roles in the workplace. The share of dual-earner family income contributed by women has risen to 44% and 26% of women now earn 10% or more than their husbands. At the same time, men have increased the amount of time they spend with young children and are experiencing more work-family conflict than women. These are among the findings of a newly released report entitled “Times Are Changing: Gender and Generation at Work and At Home,” which examines the evolution of work-related gender roles over the past three decades.

The report was produced by the Families and Work Institute (www.familiesandwork.org) and funded by IBM. It is the first report issued based on data from FWI’s 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce (NSCW), the only study of its kind to provide 30+ year comparisons (from 1977 to 2008), of life on and off the job1. The report is also supplemented by other public data to provide as broad and current a picture as possible.

The gradual increase of women in the labor force over the past half century, combined with various work life trends and economic pressures, has resulted in a shrinking gap between how men and women view their careers, family roles, and the fit between their lives on and off the job2. From the desire to take on greater responsibility at work, to how men and women share responsibilities at home, the new report highlights how differences between the genders are in many cases narrowing.

“Our findings are striking and surprising,” said Ellen Galinsky, president and co-founder of Families and Work Institute and lead author of the study. “There are many firsts in this study—the first time that younger men and women feel the same about job advancement and the first time that there is no statistically significant difference between men and women in their views of appropriate gender roles.”

"The results of this study highlight the need to understand what motivates different generations and ensure your programs meet their needs," according to Ron Glover, Vice President, Diversity & Workforce Programs, IBM. "IBM has conducted Work/Life Surveys since 1986 and we have seen a steady increase in work/life challenges for men. Work/Life difficulty is no longer a women's issue --- it's a people issue."

Some of the very notable trends identified in the report include:

Women in dual-earner couples are contributing more to family income. In 1997 women contributed an average of 39% of annual family income. That figure rose to 44% in 2008. In 2008, 26% of women living in dual-earner couples had annual earnings at least 10 percentage points higher than that of spouses/partners, up from 15% in 1997.
Among Millennials (under 29 years old), women are just as likely as men to want jobs with greater responsibility. In 1992, 80% of men and 72% of women under the age of 29 wanted jobs with greater responsibility. Today the figure is 67% of men and 66% of women. The figure reached its low point for both genders in 1997.
Today, there is no difference between young women with and without children in their desire to move to jobs with more responsibility. Whereas 60% of women under 29 with children and 78% of women without children wanted jobs with more responsibility in 1992, today the percentages are 69% (with children) and 66% (without children).
Men and women are both less likely to embrace traditional gender roles. Only 41% of employees in 2008 believe it is better “if the man earns the money and the woman takes care of the home and children,” down from 64% in 1977. The drop is even more pronounced among men (74% to 42% versus 52% to 39% of women). Now there is no statistical difference between men and women in their views.
Greater proportions of both men and women agree that employed women can be good mothers. In 1977, 49% of men agreed (strongly or somewhat) that a mother who works outside the home can have just as good a relationship with her children as a mother who does not work. Today, 67% agree. From 1977 to 2008, the percentage of women agreeing moved from 71% in to 80%. Both men and women who grew up with employed mothers exhibit greater acceptance of working mothers than those whose mothers did not work outside the home.
Employed fathers, especially Millennials, are spending more time with children today than their age counterparts did three decades ago, where as employed mothers’ time has not changed significantly. On average employed fathers of all ages spend 3.0 hours per workday with children under 13 today compared with 2.0 hours in 1977. For employed mothers of all ages, time spent with children has remained at 3.8 hours. Today’s Millennial fathers spend 4.3 hours per workday compared with the 2.4 hours spent by their age counterparts in 1977. Mothers under 29 today average 5.0 hours compared with 4.5 hours in 1977.
Men are taking more overall responsibility for the care of their children. In 1992, 21% of women said that their spouses or partners were taking as much or more responsibility for the care of their children as they were. By 2008, that percentage has risen to 31%.

Interestingly, 49% of men reported taking as much or more responsibility for the children as their wives, indicating a perception gap.

Changing gender roles appear to have increased the level of work life conflict experienced by men. Men’s work-life conflict has increased significantly from 34% in 1977 to 45% in 2008, while women’s work-life conflict has risen less dramatically and not significantly from 34% to 39%.
Fathers in dual-earner couples experience more work life conflict than mothers . In 1977, 35% reported experiencing some or a lot of conflict. In 2008, that figure has risen to 59%. The level of conflict experienced by mothers in dual-earner families has not changed significantly during that time period (41% in 1977 and 45% in 2008).

Data collection for the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce was funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the new report on “Gender and Generation at Work and At Home” is downloadable free of charge at www.FamiliesandWork.org .

ABOUT FAMILIES AND WORK INSTITUTE

Families and Work Institute (FWI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan premier research organization that studies the changing workforce and workplace, the changing family and the changing community. As a preeminent think-tank, FWI is known for being ahead of the curve, identifying emerging issues, and then conducting rigorous research that often challenges common wisdom, provides new insight and knowledge, and motivates and leads to action. Since the Institute was founded in 1989, its work has focused in three major areas: the workforce/workplace, youth and early childhood. For more information, visit www.familiesandwork.org

1The NSCW surveys representative samples of the U.S. workforce every five years. Sample sizes average about 3,500, including both wage and salaried employees and self-employed workers, though this report focuses on wage and salaried employees. The first NSCW was conducted by FWI in 1992 and it has included questions originally part of the 1977 Quality of Employment Survey conducted by the Department of Labor.

2The gap between men and women completing 4 years of college or more is the smallest since 1940. In 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Education, 29.5% of men and 28.0% of women had completed four years of college or more.

Equal Pay Day

2009-03-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

April 28, 2009 is Equal Pay Day sponsored by the National Committee on Pay Equity.

Currently there is action taking place in congress and on the state level to try to create equal pay for equal work in the United States.

In Congress:

The Paycheck Fairness Act, sponsored by Senator Clinton and Representative DeLauro aims to strengthen court penalties for equal pay violations. The bill also would prohibit retaliation against workers who inquire about or disclose information on employer wage practices. The bill provides for compensatory and punitive damages and back pay for women denied equal pay for equal work. It also authorizes class action equal pay suits and directs the US Department of Labor to provide public information about strategies for identifying and eliminating wage discrimination and to issue guidelines for evaluating jobs.

The Fair Pay Act, sponsored by Senator Harkin and Representative Norton would prohibit wage discrimination based on sex, race, or national origin by requiring employers to provide equal pay for work of equal value, whether or not the jobs are the same. The bill would ban retalitation and require employers to file wage information with the EEOC annually.

In States:

There are three types of bills that are trying to be passed on the state level -

1. Bills that prohibit wage discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion or national origin.

2. Bills that enhances current legislation by allowing workers to sue for punitive and compensatory damages.

3. Bills that establish a commission to study the wage gap and recommend solutions.

States that have shown some recent success is Illinois, Wyoming, Maine, and Vermont.

International Women's Day

2009-03-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

Did you know that March 8th is International Women's Day? Events actually occur around the world in honor of women for the entire month of March. More than 60 countries participate, and in many countries March 8th is a national holiday. Please check out the official website of International Women's Day as it is a great resource for facts, articles, and events.

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/facts.asp is a great source for facts about gender.

White House Council on Women and Girls

2009-03-12T16:17:00.000-07:00

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
____________________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release March 11, 2009

EXECUTIVE ORDER
- - - - - - -

ESTABLISHING A WHITE HOUSE COUNCIL ON WOMEN AND GIRLS

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order as follows:

Section 1. Policy. Over the past generation, our society has made tremendous progress in eradicating barriers to women's success. A record number of women are attending college and graduate school. Women make up a growing share of our workforce, and more women are corporate executives and business owners than ever before, helping boost the U.S. economy and foster U.S. competitiveness around the world. Today, women are serving at the highest levels of all branches of our Government.

Despite this progress, certain inequalities continue to persist. On average, American women continue to earn only about 78 cents for every dollar men make, and women are still significantly underrepresented in the science, engineering, and technology fields. Far too many women lack health insurance, and many are unable to take time off to care for a new baby or an ailing family member. Violence against women and girls remains a global epidemic. The challenge of ensuring equal educational opportunities for women and girls endures. As the current economic crisis has swept across our Nation, women have been seriously affected.

These issues do not concern just women. When jobs do not offer family leave, that affects men who wish to help care for their families. When women earn less than men for the same work, that affects families who have to work harder to make ends meet. When our daughters do not have the same educational and career opportunities as our sons, that affects entire communities, our economy, and our future as a Nation.

The purpose of this order is to establish a coordinated Federal response to issues that particularly impact the lives of women and girls and to ensure that Federal programs and policies address and take into account the distinctive concerns of women and girls, including women of color and those with disabilities.

Sec. 2. White House Council on Women and Girls. There is established within the Executive Office of the President a White House Council on Women and Girls (Council).

(a) Membership of the Council. The Council shall consist of the following members:

(1) the Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison, who shall serve as Chair of the Council;

(2) the Secretary of State;
(3) the Secretary of the Treasury;
(4) the Secretary of Defense;
(5) the Attorney General;
(6) the Secretary of the Interior;
(7) the Secretary of Agriculture;
(8) the Secretary of Commerce;
(9) the Secretary of Labor;
(10) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;
(11) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;
(12) the Secretary of Transportation;
(13) the Secretary of Energy;
(14) the Secretary of Education;
(15) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;
(16) the Secretary of Homeland Security;
(17) the Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations;
(18) the United States Trade Representative;
(19) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;
(20) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;
(21) the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers;
(22) the Director of the Office of Personnel Management;
(23) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration;
(24) the Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council;
(25) the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director of the National Economic Council; and
(26) the heads of such other executive branch departments, agencies, and offices as the President may, from time to time, designate.

A member of the Council may designate, to perform the Council functions of the member, a senior-level official who is a part of the member's department, agency, or office, and who is a full-time officer or employee of the Federal Government. At the direction of the Chair, the Council may establish subgroups consisting exclusively of Council members or their designees under this section, as appropriate.

(b) Administration of the Council. The Department of Commerce shall provide funding and administrative support for the Council to the extent permitted by law and within existing appropriations. The Chair shall convene regular meetings of the Council, determine its agenda, and direct its work. The Chair shall designate an Executive Director of the Council, who shall coordinate the work of the Council and head any staff assigned to the Council.

Sec. 3. Mission and Functions of the Council. The Council shall work across executive departments and agencies to provide a coordinated Federal response to issues that have a distinct impact on the lives of women and girls, including assisting women-owned businesses to compete internationally and working to increase the participation of women in the science, engineering, and technology workforce, and to ensure that Federal programs and policies adequately take those impacts into account. The Council shall be responsible for providing recommendations to the President on the effects of pending legislation and executive branch policy proposals; for suggesting changes to Federal programs or policies to address issues of special importance to women and girls; for reviewing and recommending changes to policies that have a distinct impact on women in the Federal workforce; and for assisting in the development of legislative and policy proposals of special importance to women and girls. The functions of the Council are advisory only.

Sec. 4. Outreach. Consistent with the objectives set out in this order, the Council, in accordance with applicable law, in addition to regular meetings, shall conduct outreach with representatives of nonprofit organizations, State and local government agencies, elected officials, and other interested persons that will assist with the Council's development of a detailed set of recommendations.

Sec. 5. Federal Interagency Plan. The Council shall, within 150 days of the date of this order, develop and submit to the President a Federal interagency plan with recommendations for interagency action consistent with the goals of this order. The Federal interagency plan shall include an assessment by each member executive department, agency, or office of the status and scope of its efforts to further the progress and advancement of women and girls. Such an assessment shall include a report on the status of any offices or programs that have been created to develop, implement, or monitor targeted initiatives concerning women or girls. The Federal interagency plan shall also include recommendations for issues, programs, or initiatives that should be further evaluated or studied by the Council. The Council shall review and update the Federal interagency plan periodically, as appropriate, and shall present to the President any updated recommendations or findings.

Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) The heads of executive departments and agencies shall assist and provide information to the Council, consistent with applicable law, as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the Council. Each executive department and agency shall bear its own expense for participating in the Council.

(b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(d) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 11, 2009.

From the New York Times

2009-03-12T16:07:00.000-07:00

MARCH 11, 2009, 3:16 PM

Obama’s Council on Women and Girls

By LISA BELKIN

President Obama has just signed an executive order establishing the “White House Council on Women and Girls.” The purpose of the new group “is to ensure that American women and girls are treated fairly in all matters of public policy,” he said at the signing. “Our progress in these areas is an important measure of whether we are truly fulfilling the promise of our democracy for all our people.”

He defined those areas as economic security, a balance between work and family, violence against women, and women’s health.

In part the council will be a switching station for the existing bureaucracy, getting all Federal agencies to focus on “the challenges confronted by women and girls to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies consider how their policies and programs impact women and families,” the White House said. But if it goes beyond that, and creates rather than simply coordinates change, what exactly should that change be? What are the issues and policies today that affect “women and girls” to the exclusion of, or more dramatically than, “men and boys”?

There is no one more vocal than I about the fact that women and men experience the realms of family and work differently (you can find some examples of my thoughts here and here.) But I think that too many of the problems women and girls have in the world stem from the fact that the problems are considered “their” problems — “women’s problems” — rather than problems that both genders share.

Let’s review just a few:

Unequal Pay. This was the first to be tackled by the new administration with the signing of the Ledbetter Act. And certainly this is a concern for women, who still earn less, on average, than men (though the gap has narrowed sharply, and much of the difference is due to different career paths men and women take — more on that below — than on overt discrimination.) Yet to call this a “woman’s problem” is to glide over the fact that the pay difference hurts more than just women. Pay discrimination is a family issue. In a two-parent family, it reduces the income of the entire household, and is often a determinative factor in tipping a single parent family from stable to impoverished.

Maternity leave. By definition this is on a woman’s radar. And the United States lags woefully behind most of the rest of the western world in the amount of time mothers get to take off after giving birth. But we also lag woefully behind in paternity leave, too. And to compartmentalize this as a need only of women, is to leave out nearly half of all parents. Studies show that men already feel stigmatized about taking the minimal leave available to them, and that reluctance hurts who? Among others, women.

Childcare. There is no greater evidence that society still considers children the responsibility of mothers, rather than of parents, than the fact that we call childcare a woman’s issue. It is. Because that’s the way the world currently works. But if the White House council’s only role in this area is to increase child care options for women — rather than also prodding social norms so that it targets more than just women — then it will only have done part of the job.

Work/Life Balance. Today’s workplace is built for a man — requiring the fiercest hours and attention in the early years if you are going to make it up that ladder. Fine for a 1950s man with a wife at home. Tolerable for a 2000s man with a working spouse. Not really okay for a working woman, who, biology dictates, has to use those same early years if she wants to have children.

What women need is a system that allows stepping out and stepping back in without penalty. And for those of us who can’t afford to leave — and that means most of us — we need a system that allows for flexibility and control over our lives. That system must factor in periods of great ambition and achievement, mixed with periods of slow but steady work, all with the understanding that ups and downs make a career, and don’t automatically knock you off the track.

While women have had the more visible juggling act in the past few decades, and have led the demands for change, all they are really asking is to be able to earn a living and care for their children in a ratio that isn’t perfect, but is less lopsided than the status quo. Giving them that means giving it to girls AND boys, too — and to the women AND men they will grow up to be. And a system like that will change men’s lives as well.

What do you think the White House Council on Women and Girls should put on its agenda? Does it matter what the council is called? Or is it only important that they tackle broadly and wisely?

Gender Pay Gap Bigger Than Previously Thought

2009-03-12T16:02:00.001-07:00

Friday, 6 March 2009, 11:05 am
Press Release: International Trade Union Confederation

New Report Shows Global Gender Pay Gap Bigger Than Previously Thought

Study also covers the impact of the economic crisis on women's jobs and incomes and reveals costs of violence against women

Brussels, 5 March 2009 (ITUC OnLine): A new report released by the ITUC for March 8, International Women's Day, has revealed that the pay gap between men and women worldwide may be much higher than official government figures. The report, "Gender (in)Equality in the Labour Market", is based on survey results of some 300,000 women and men in 20 countries. It puts the global pay gap at up to 22%, rather than the 16.5% figure taken from official government figures and released by the ITUC on March 8 last year.

The report also confirms previous findings that union membership, and particularly the inclusion of women in collective bargaining agreements, leads to much better incomes for both women and men, as well as better pay for women relative to their male co-workers. The study, which follows the March 8 ITUC Global Gender Pay Gap report, was written by London-based pay specialists Incomes Data Services and is based on internet surveys conducted in industrialised and developing countries in 2008 by the WageIndicator Foundation.

"This report clearly confirms the advantage which men and women workers gain from union membership, which is all the more important in the current global economic crisis when jobs and living standards for millions of workers are under severe threat," said Guy Ryder, ITUC general secretary.

Other key findings in the report include confirmation that women with higher educational qualifications actually experience a larger income gap compared to males with similar qualifications, that the pay gap is less in the public sector than in private employment, and that the pay gap increases with age.

"There are a number of reasons why women still earn so much less than men, including overt as well as subtle discrimination against women in the labour market and in the workplace, the way that employers, especially in the private sector, handle promotions to better-paid jobs, and lack of maternity protection for women and parenting leave that both men and women can access," said Sharan Burrow, president of the ITUC and of the Australian Trade Union Centre ACTU.

A special new ITUC video on maternity protection aims to bring public attention to the problems faced by women workers in balancing work and activities at home and in the community.

Impact of Economic Crisis on Women

The report also examines the impact of economic recession on women's access to employment and incomes. Previous downturns have had a particularly negative effect on women in developing countries working in export industries and agriculture. Any reductions in government spending on health, social protection and education also often hit women hardest. Special attention must be given to the impacts of policy responses on women in the context of government action taken to tackle the current crisis.

"The global trend towards regular employment being replaced by contract labour and agency employment has had a particular effect on women, and these precarious jobs are the first to go as employers reduce their payrolls in this global recession. Millions upon millions of women working in domestic service and as migrant workers are facing unemployment or have already lost their jobs, and already-struggling households around the world are being hit hard because of this," said Ryder.

A special chapter in the report also tackles the appalling human and economic cost of violence against women, taking a close look at the impact of violence against women at home, in society and at work. The report cites WHO figures indicting that in some countries a majority of women experience physical assault and psychological intimidation, while a global average of some one-third of women suffer from violence at some stage in their lives. Along with the lasting physical and mental damage caused by violence against women, the report advances clear evidence of its economic effects on women's employment and economic situation. Examples are given of the total economic cost of violence against women in several countries indicating that the total global cost is likely to be in the tens or even hundreds of billions of dollars.

"Unions around the world are working to stop violence against women, through government action, raising awareness and also action in workplaces. We are calling on governments to work together to build a complete picture of the causes and effects, including analysis of the huge economic costs which add to the impacts on women themselves and on society," said Burrow.

Video link: High Definition: http://vimeo.com/3482351 Standard Definition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG96fEi6WrU

To see the full report: http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/GAP-09_EN.pdf

This report is produced as part of the Global Unions 'Decent Work, Decent Life for Women' Campaign

The ITUC represents 170 million workers in 312 affiliated national organisations from 157 countries. http://www.ituc-csi.org http://www.youtube.com/ITUCCSI

ENDS

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2009-03-08T18:33:00.000-07:00

The 20 Careers with Highest Wage Discrepancy

2009-03-08T17:44:00.000-07:00

The United States Department of Labor released a report in 2003 of the gender wage gap. There was a pay difference between men and women in every occupation reported. According to the statistics the occupation with the least amount of wage disparity is Health Aides, Except Nursing with women making 96.60% of every man's dollar.

The 20 occupations with the greatest wage disparity are:

(percentages reflect amount women earn to every man's dollar)

1. Physicians
58.20%

2. Sales Supervisors and Proprietors
66.20%

3. Insurance Sales
66.50%

4. Sales—Retail and Personal Services
66.80%

5. Managers, Medicine and Health
67.60%

6. Administrators, Education and Related Fields
70.30%

7. Financial Managers
71.50%

8. Laundering, Dry Cleaners
72.50%

9. Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians
74.20%

10. Managers, Food Serving & Lodging
74.30%

11. Production, Craft & Repair
74.30%

12. Psychologists
74.40%

13. Accountants, Auditors—Management-Related
74.90%

14. Real Estate Sales
75.30%

15. Health Technologists and Technicians
76.00%

16. Lawyers
76.80%

17. Advertising and Related Sales
77.40%

18. Correctional Institution Officers
78.70%

19. Mail Clerks, Except Postal Service
79.80%

20. Computer Programmers
81.70%

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Highlights of Women's Earnings in 2002," September 2003. Report 972