California NOW

Why Women Should Rule the World

Dee Dee Meyers' book, Why Women Should Rule the World comes out February 26.  Wish it came out last week. 

In any event, Ms. Meyers, who was the White House Press Secretary for Bill Clinton, believes that everything would change ~ politics more collegial, businesses more productive, communities healthier.  She says, "Women tend to be better communicators, better listeners, better at forming consensus."  Adding,  "Virtually every story written about me included observations about my earrings, my makeup, my clothes, my shoes. And then there was my hair."

Taken from the Amazon.com promotion ~ In a highly competitive and increasingly fractious world, women possess the kind of critical problem-solving skills that are urgently needed to break down barriers, build understanding, and create the best conditions for peace.

Leadership in Partnership

Did you read today that the successor for Benazir Bhutto is a partnership of her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, with her 19 year old son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari?  It reminded me of a long held dream ~ leadership carried on in partnership.  A few years ago Oprah Winfrey’s Legends Luncheon, matched pairs of women; seasoned and young African American women: poet to poet, writer to writer, singer to singer, politician to politician, activist to activist.  It was explicit that the senior women were bequeathing responsibility into the hands of the younger ones, but it was not a passing of a baton, rather it was a conscious partnership working together, exchanging expertise and energy, sharing understanding and hope.

Since working on Feminists Who Changed America, 1963 – 1975, I have been around many architects of the Second Wave, our storytellers, our WiseWomen and I also have the great good fortune to spend a lot of time with younger women, who have entirely different lives, issues and challenges.  As the Vice President of Membership of CA NOW I am often asked how to keep leadership strong, with people graduating, moving, retiring.  Imagine pairs, matched by interest and function, coming together to establish and celebrate unity in American Feminism!  I only know how such a possibility would have impacted me 30 years ago.  Who would you have chosen?

My Holiday Favorite: Little Feminist Women

When I was little, my mom read Little Women to me. It was a beautiful hardback book, covered with a sweet drawing of the March family gathered around the piano. I loved the story of those sisters who were much like their mother, living by a moral code that required right actions, right thoughts, kindness, respect for others and self, and making the best decisions possible.

For Christmas my mom gave me the 1994 film staring Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, Kirsten Dunst and Susan Sarandon. I’ve seen this, and the other versions, many times over the year. In fact, I named my clothing line Jo March Designs after my favorite character. Jo has always been one of my role models, the strong, independent sister, who believes in women’s rights and follows her dreams. But it was this year, that I realized what a blatant feminist story this was. I must sound so naïve, but I never realized the entire plot of the story is how Mr. March is fighting in the war, and the March women must fend for themselves and try to maintain the family on a pittance. To keep the families social standing and avoid a life as a domestic servant these bright, educated women instead must rely on clever frugality, as well as on the support of the men in their lives. With four young women in the household the need to marry, and hopefully marry well, is a reoccurring conversation. My heroism Jo instead insists on a world where a woman can love anyone she chooses and support herself instead.

Today, I know so many bright women that embody Jo March. With millions copies sold I wonder how many women were influenced by Louisa May Alcott’s 1968 masterpiece. With Gillian Armstrong’s 1994 version, and the all star cast, there will be many more to come.

Diane Middlebrook, noted feminist biographer and intellectual, passes away

Diane Middlebrook, noted feminist poet, biographer and teacher died Saturday in San Francisco of terminal cancer. Middlebrook became famous largely for her biographies of 20th century women poets and authors, most notably those of Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath. Her work affirmed and celebrated the complex women behind the public personas, and made literary history accessible to scholars and laypeople alike. Middlebrook was also deeply involved in a life of intellectual discovery and creative exploration through literary salons and her time at Stanford. Said one of her contemporaries, “... Diane was interested in people, especially in women and what they were encountering in their professional lives.” “[She] was fabulous at drawing us out, making an environment where women could talk about their dreams, about things they wanted to invent and do," said San Francisco artist Squeak Carnwath. A pioneer in feminist academia, Middlebrook’s articulate voice will be sure to influence generations of intellectuals in years to come.

Schapiro & Pollan talked, laughed and chatted about Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products

I am truly unveiling what a social justice, feminist, eco geek I am by telling you that last night's discussion in Berkeley with Mark Schapiro author of Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power and Michael Pollan author of The Omnivore's Dilemma (another Must Read!), ranks as high as meeting Ani DiFranco in NY! After this post and this post, I know you are not surprised that we sat in the front row.

As I've already told you, Schapiro exposes the dangerous consequences that lax environmental policies are having on the consumer products that we, and our children, use every day thanks to lobbying efforts by the U.S. chemical industry. Yet, despite the numerous powerful chemical companies in the European Union, the EU has passed laws that prevent untested or toxic chemicals in the market place.

How did they do this? Is the EU full of eco-freaks like me? Do the politicians hate big business? Unfortunately, the answers are no and no. But the real answers are still fantastic. #1. The political candidates in the EU cannot take campaign contribution from business & industry!! Woo hoo!!! Politicians free from the golden handcuffs of lobbyists and big business are able to DO THE RIGHT THING! I'm so glad. #2. The most of the European Union have single payer health care...that means that the Government is invested in Europeans health because they pay the health care bills. I wonder what it feels like to know your Government actually cares about your health.

Schapiro and Pollen laughed, as they told us we all need to "get over" our idea that the FDA protects us. We all have grown up believing that new products get screened through the FDA, right? Wrong. That is a myth. They don't even test most foods.

Couldn't make it to Berkeley last night? Can't wait for your copy to arrive? Listen to the NPR interview with Terry Gross.

Thanks for a great night Mr. Pollen and Mr. Schapiro. If either of you ever want to blog here, just let me know.

Lecture: "The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry: Toxins in Personal Care Products and Safer Alternatives" - November 28

Lead in lipstick ... Carcinogens in baby shampoo ... How is this possible? Simple. The $50 billion cosmetics industry has kept itself unregulated for decades. The result: Toxic chemicals are widespread in beauty products, and in our bodies. It's not just women who are affected by this chemists' brew. Shampoo, deodorant, face lotion and other products used daily by men, women and children contain hazardous chemicals that the industry claims are "within acceptable limits." But there's nothing acceptable about daily multiple exposures to carcinogenic and hormone-disrupting chemicals — from products that are supposed to make us feel healthy and beautiful.

Stacy Malkan is a media strategist for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and author of Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry (New Society, 2007). The book delves deeply into the dark side of the beauty industry, and looks to hopeful solutions for a healthier future.

       

Date: Wednesday, November 28
            Time: Noon to 1 p.m. (Feel free to bring your lunch)
            Place: Herbst Hall at Mt. Zion, 1600 Divisadero Street, 2nd floor
            Presenter: Stacy Malkin is communications director for Health Care Without Harm, a global coalition working to green the health care industry. Stacy is also a media strategist for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. Her new book, entitled "Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry" (New Society) will be released in September 2007.

It's Not So Much the Glass-Ceiling as it is the Sticky Floor

Rebecca Shambaugh, in her new book, says it's not that the ceiling for women in business is made of glass, but that the floor is too sticky for women to rise off it.

Her book, IT'S NOT A GLASS CEILING,IT'S A STICKY FLOOR lays out the failures of business that prevent women from moving forward, getting ahead, and competing with their male counterparts in the workplace.

More than one-third of Fortune 500 managers are women and yet they make-up less than five percent of the top executive earners. Sahmbaugh says it's not just that women can't make it up past a certain point in the ranks, it's that most of them can't get off the floor. And they probably expect us to mop it, too.

Guest Blog: Megan Seely

Hi! I'm Megan, author of Fight Like a Girl: How to be a Fearless Feminist and past CA NOW president (2001-2005).  I currently teach sociology and women's studies at Sierra College.  I've been asked to be a guest blogger on CA NOW's rockin' new blog site.  So I thought that I would start with a brief introduction of myself.

I served two terms as CA NOW's president--the youngest-ever elected to the position, which is a great tribute to CA NOW's commitment to young feminist leadership.  I loved my time in NOW despite the many challenges.  I had the privilege of meeting phenomenal people dedicated to social justice.  I also had the opportunity to explore the many facets of feminism, hone my activist skills, and train others in working for social change. 

I believe that I have been an activist since a very young age, frequently challenging gender notions at school and speaking up about issues that concerned me.  In one of my earliest acts of public activism I took on a grocer during the grape boycott of the United Farm Workers and shared a hunger strike among my friends.  For many reasons this was a pivotal experience in my life.  In my book I write about the details of this experience and how it taught me to stand up to injustice and fight for change.    This experience also led me to want to do more, become more involved and so when I was fortunate enough to go to college I looked for the feminist community and I found NOW.

I wrote Fight Like a Girl because I wanted to continue the efforts that I began with NOW.  I wanted to dispel the myths of feminism that persist today and teach activism.  So in a shameless plug I'll add that Fight Like a Girl is full of tips, ideas, anecdotes, and resources.  It is a user-friendly guide to feminism and activism.  It is the assertion that we can all be activists and that activism is about daily efforts of any size.  Check it out--I hope you enjoy it!

Finally, I'll end my intro of self with a note about becoming a mother.  I birthed my daughter, Molly   Elaine Sher Seely (yes, she has my last name!) on July 7th.    Becoming a mother has changed me in many ways and while I have always advocated for mothers' rights I must say that I now get it in a whole new light.  With CA NOW I worked to create educational campaigns and policy to aid parents in integrating work, family and civic life.  Now having a daughter, I recognize how truly important achieving that goal is.  This country has so much to learn about family values. Looking at the situations of families in Sweden, Norway, France, Germany... I am often frustrated in what parents in the U.S. are left to deal with.  I've been able to create a pretty great schedule with my job and my partner has taken a reduced schedule at his job in order to be home part of the week.  In the next few months we'll begin child care sharing with a friend in our cooperative "it takes a village" approach to childrearing.  But my situation is far too unique as too many parents in this country struggle to keep their jobs and have time with their child.  If we, as a nation, are truly concerned about children, families, and our future then we must change our system.  We must provide better and more comprehensive leave (for children, elder family members, etc), we need a broader range of family friendly work benefits, we need to change the culture  to value all types of family, and we need to reclaim what it means to truly have family values.

I am looking forward to the next couple weeks of blogging--if there is anything that you want to discuss ~ email me

In fearless feminism!                                                                                                                                                                  Megan

Doris Lessing waits 40 years, Finally Wins Nobel Prize in Literature

"Either they were going to give it to me sometime before I popped off or not at all" said Doris Lessing upon hearing the news that she's won the Nobel Prize in Literature from a group of reporters waiting at her doorstep when she returned home. "I was a bit surprised because I had forgotten about it actually" she said. "My name has been on the short list for such a long time. This has been going on for something like 4o years," referring to how long she's been on the short list for the Nobel.

The NY Times says Ms. Lessing's strongest legacy may be that she inspired a generation of feminists with her breakthrough novel, "The Golden Notebook", although Ms. Lessing herself once disavowed that she herself was a feminist. I'm not a feminist but...I won the Nobel Prize in Literature...for being a great feminist writer? Someone who knows more than I...please comment!