US Navy Commands Encouraged to Celebrate Women’s Equality Day

Would the women of the suffrage movement been surprised by how far we have come since getting the vote in 1920?  Did they foresee women serving side-by- side with men in the military?  Not only are we serving but the Armed Services are celebrating women and women’s equality.  Here is an article from the US Navy on Women’s Equality Day.

By Ensign Amber Lynn Daniel, Diversity and Inclusion Public Affairs

Established by Congress in 1971, Women’s Equality Day was designed to commemorate the long struggle of generations of women to gain the right to vote.

The observance also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts today towards full equality.

The women’s suffrage movement began in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention in Seneca Falls, N.Y. Convened by suffragist leaders Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, the committee published a “Declaration of Sentiments.” The declaration outlined key social, civil and political demands for women, helping the cause of women’s suffrage gain national prominence. Nearly 72 years later, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was passed Aug. 26, 1920, granting women throughout the United States the right to vote.

In 1971, to honor and commemorate the passing of the 19th Amendment, U.S. Rep. Bella Abzug introduced a resolution to designate Aug. 26 as the annual Women’s Equality Day. Today, the observance recognizes the anniversary of women’s suffrage and of the continued efforts toward equal rights in the United States.

All Navy commands are encouraged to reflect on and celebrate the accomplishments of women in the armed services during this observance.

Women first entered Naval service in 1908 with the establishment of the Navy Nurse Corps, 12 years before women were granted the right to vote. Women continued to serve in the Navy in varying capacities throughout World War I and World War II, but it was not until June 12, 1948, with the passage of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act that women gained permanent status in the U.S. armed services. The first six enlisted women were sworn into regular U.S. Navy service July 7, 1948. Four months later the first eight female Naval officers were commissioned Oct. 15, 1948.

Women were first assigned to selected non-combatant ships in 1978, and opportunities were later broadened to include service on warships in 1994 following the repeal of the combat exclusion law. In April 2010, the Navy announced a policy change allowing female officers to serve on submarines. Today, 95 percent of Navy billets are open to the assignment of women.

This year has been a landmark year for women in the Navy. The year kicked off with five women making naval history as the first all-female E-2C Hawkeye crew to fly a combat mission. Plane Commander Lt. Cmdr. Tara Refo, Mission Commander Lt. Cmdr.

100826-N-6003P-046
ARABIAN SEA (Aug. 26, 2010) An all-female line-handling team guides the phone and distance line from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) to the Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Big Horn (T-AO 198) during a replenishment at sea (RAS). Harry S. Truman’s deck department used an all-female crew at one of the RAS stations to commemorate Women’s Equality Month in the Navy. The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike group is deployed supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kilho Park/Released)

Brandy Jackson, Second Pilot Lt. Ashley Ruic, Air Control Officer Lt. Nydia Driver, and Radar Operator Lt. j.g. Ashley Ellison were assigned to Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 125, embarked aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) as part of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 when they made their historic flight Jan. 25.

Two days later, the Navy honored the passing of the fleet’s first female aircraft handling officer, Lt. Cmdr. Regina Mills, during a ceremony Jan. 27 in Bremerton, Wash. More than 2,000 family members, friends, and shipmates assembled aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) to pay respect to Mills, who was struck and killed by a vehicle when she stopped to assist others involved in a traffic collision in Gig Harbor, Wash., Jan. 23.

In April, the Navy bid fair winds and following seas to one of the original female surface warfare trailblazers, Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau. Rondeau holds the distinction of serving as the first warfare qualified female admiral and, prior to her retirement, was the highest ranking female flag officer in the Navy. She retired after 38 years of dedicated naval service.

Later that month, Rear Adm. Michelle Howard was nominated for appointment to the rank of Vice Admiral April 16. If confirmed, Howard would become the first female African American three star admiral. In July, Vice Adm. Nanette DeRenzi was assigned as Judge Advocate General of the Navy. De Renzi is the highest ranking female in the Judge Advocate General Corps, and is the first woman to hold the Judge Advocate General Corps’ most senior position. Vice Adm. Robin Braun, the highest ranking female aviator in the Navy, became chief of the Navy Reserve Aug. 13, and is the first woman to hold the post.

There are currently 35 female flag officers in the Navy; 21 represent the active duty component, and 14 represent the Reserve component.

Enlisted women also made notable accomplishments during 2012. In May, Command Master Chief (AW/SW) JoAnn M. Ortloff became Fleet Master Chief for Commander, Naval Forces Europe and Africa. Upon her selection, Ortloff became the highest ranking enlisted woman in the Navy, and only the second woman to reach the position of fleet master chief.

Command Master Chief (AW/SW) April Beldo continued her tradition of breaking barriers for women when she assumed her new position as force master chief of Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), the first African American woman to do so. Beldo arrived at NETC in April after serving aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), where she held the title of the first female African American command master chief of a nuclear aircraft carrier. She is currently the only woman serving as a force master chief in the Navy.

Policy changes affecting women serving in the Navy also took shape in 2012. The Department of Defense announced changes to the 1994 Direct Ground Combat Definition and Assignment Rule Feb. 9. The changes were implemented in May, opening an additional 14,325 positions throughout the Department of Defense previously closed to women.

Today, 54,537 women serve in the Navy on active duty or in the Reserve, comprising 17 percent of the force. Additionally, nearly 50,000 women serve across the Navy in a wide range of specialties as civilian employees.

For more information on women in the Navy, visit http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/organization/bupers/WomensPolicy/Pages/default.aspx.

Misbehavin’ Notification: Scholarships Help Women Advance Their Careers through Education

Ten women are getting early holiday gifts, thanks to Career Advancement Scholarships from the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation.  This enables them to move closer to fulfilling their dreams of finishing school and advancing their careers.

BPW Foundation established the Career Advancement Scholarship Program in 1969 to provide financial assistance to financially disadvantaged women seeking to further their education. Scholarships are provided to women 25 years of age or older, who wish to advance in their careers or are soon to enter or re-enter the workforce.  This year’s scholarships focused on recipients pursing bachelors degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) or related fields. These fields are careers where women are traditionally under-represented.

“BPW Foundation scholarships have a profound effect both on the women who receive them and on their communities.   Many recipients use the degrees they earn with the help of a BPW scholarship to work in careers that directly impact the quality of life in their communities,” explained Dr. Sheila Barry-Oliver, Chair of the BPW Foundation Financial Aid Committee. “That is why BPW Foundation has the application and screening process done through BPW Foundation state and local Legacy Partners. They know the women in their communities.”

Scholarship recipients must have been accepted at an accredited educational institution and be within two years of completing their degree.  Over the years, demographics have shown that the average recipient is a 37 year-old single mother of two children.  Twenty-five percent of the recipients have received public assistance at one time or another and 40 percent of the recipients are the first in their immediate family to earn a college degree.

“Once again I am so impressed by the quality of the applicants and heartened by their stories and drive.” BPW Foundation CEO Deborah L. Frett said. “I am so pleased to be part of an organization with a program that has such a profound impact on women, with limited opportunities but unlimited potential.”

Career Advancement Scholarships are made possible through the long time generosity and commitment of BPW Foundation donors.  For every gift given, 97% directly funds our programs supporting working women, their families and successful workplaces.

Each woman is receiving a $2000 grant. Following is the list of scholarship recipients, their home states, and degree aspirations:

Career Advancement Scholarships

Laura Schumacher, Grass Valley, CA 95949, BSN

Layne Jackson Hubbard, Denver, CO, BS, Neuroscience

Leslie Venable Adams, Denham Springs, LA, BSN

Erin R. Dunphy, Beverly, MA, BSN

Jeannine Padilla, Ronan, MT, BS, Computer Science

Christina Palmer, Weddington, NC, BSCE (Civil Engineering)

Anastasia Mercier, Franklin, NH, BS, Psychology/Health Science

Kristin E. Leonard, Jersey Shore, PA, MS, Forensic Anthropology

Susan R. Ledford, Spartanburg, SC, BS, Accounting/BA Psychology

Michelle Lopez Michaelson, Little Elm, TX, BSN

Women’s News to Chew On: Link Love for Lunch

Equity in the Workplace

What we can learn from today’s TV female bosses [Forbes]

Why is TV glamorizing the 60s (Mad Men, Pan AM) since it was such a bad time for women? [Smith Sophian}

A solution for a struggling global economy: Gender equality [Forbes]

Why its time for women to get on Boards of Directors [CNBC]

A female dominated workplace won’t fix everything [Harvard Business Review]

5 actions that can make a workplace female friendly [Cosmopolitan]

The effects of motherhood timing on career path [Work Family]

Women who ask do get ahead but men don’t have to [Forbes]

Empowered Workforce

4 ways women unintentionally stunt their careers. Women need more promotion less self-modesty [Harvard Business Review]

To change girl’s perceptions of business we need to reach and teach them early [BusinessWeek]

Feeling like a fraud pervasive feeling in women, inferiority complex may be self-fulfilling? [Forbes]

Focus on reaching critical mass enrollment of women in business schools, men say it’s because of lack of mentoring that women don’t enroll [New York Times]

Health

One in 8 women gets breast cancer, but 1 in 4 will be victim of domestic abuse [WomensVoicesforChange]

Pap smears now recommended every three years instead of yearly [New York Times]

Study: Mammograms lead to many false-positive results [Time]

STEM

Women in science: the gender divide remains [Daily Princetonian]

Minnesota University has increased female enrollment in engineering programs, recruits women heavily [MN Daily]

Military/Veterans

The American Legion launches PSA campaign supporting women veterans [American Legion]

Bill to prevent sexual assault of veterans clears House [Women’s Policy]

Gen Y

Gen Y women are  “power users” of social media – brands need to add a “feminine touch” to reach them [SmalBizTechnology]

Mentoring young women in business [Newsday]

Other important and Interesting News

Need bi partisan effort to help families [Washington Post]

Women’s News to Chew On: Link Love for Lunch

Successful Workplaces

Gender inequality holds back business growth [Bloomberg]

Non traditional family roles promote gender equality [NewsWise]

Paid sick days laws gather momentum [Forbes]

The real impact of babies on career success [Business Insider]

Penalized for balancing work and family? [Wall Street Journal]

The business case for gender equality in the workplace [Computer Weekly]

Working Mom announces best companies for 2011 [Working Moms]

Empowered Workforces

5 ways working moms can own the “juggle”[The Glass Hammer]

Tyson’s pays 2.25 million in back pay to almost 1700 qualified female applicants [NJ.com]

Women earned more doctoral degrees than women for second year in a row [MJPerry.Blogsot]

Women still not landing top jobs in corporate America [Fox Business]

Women strategize to find right work-life balance [Detroit Free Press]

Equity

Hard work was supposed to lead to equality.  It hasn’t [Forbes]

Facts on the gender gap from the World Bank [Wall Street Journal]

Secretary Clinton says women key to future economic growth and security. [Forbes]

Women worry about having little gold in their golden years [Senior Journal]

Military and Veterans

Women are the fastest growing group of homeless veterans [News5]

Slow road, 30 yrs long, but VA is building up women’s health services [DC Courier]

Small Business

Women entrepreneurs help ignite the economy [NJ.com]

Women business owners need retirement plans [MySanAntnio]

SBA adds vets, women to mentor/protégée program [Washington Technology]

Important Odds and Ends

America’s richest women – only 42 in 400 richest list [Forbes]

OK Governor Mary Fallin on governing, business and why women should run for office [Forbes]

Confusion among the world of women racers: women records only set when they run against each other? [New York Times]

Women quoted in new book about Obama say White House was not hostile [Washington Post]

Pre election polls underestimate the success of women candidates [NY Times]

British study says skirts over pants for success [Daily Mail]

Non-Traditional Careers

Catalyst publication: Checking the pulse of women in biosciences: what organizations need to know [Catalyst]

NSF grant to aid women faculty in STEM fields [NewsRoom]

Women still resist STEM careers [Guelph Mercury]

Women’s News to Chew On: Link Love for Lunch

Equity

People still prefer a male boss but gap is closing [The Grindstone]

The education bonus and the gender gap [NYTimes]

Can women do more to make their way to the top? [Forbes]

Leadership gap blamed on women’s reluctance to compete [Forbes]

And then: Women just as ambitious as men [West Virginia Gazette]

Study: Gen X women successful at work; have fewer children [Huffington Post]

When gender and age work against your job search [Forbes]

At the top the spotlight can turn harsh [NYTimes]

Successful workplaces for women, families and business

Seattle city council votes for paid sick days [PaidSickDays]

Small Business

25 years of progress for women small business owners [SunTimes]

Women entrepreneurs talk about how to survive tough times [SunTimes]

Saluting Misbehavin’ Women

Two female members of Cultural Support Team in Afghanistan receive combat badges [dvidshub]

Important Odds and Ends

A picture of women’s health in US shows we need to be more proactive [Awesome.good]

Night shift moms [Parenting]

WH blog: Women and the Jobs Act [www.whitehouse]

Non-Trad Jobs

Breaking new ground: women in construction [BangorDailyNews]

Women with wrenches: number of women bike mechanics in NYC on the rise [NYTimes]

The problem with women and science it’s hormonal – or is it? [Time]

Gen Y

What it is important for the next generation of women to learn [www.pr.com]

Women Military/Veterans

New York Times Editorial: Justice for sexually assaulted and harassed women veterans [NYTimes]

PTSD: the war within women [ABCLocal]

Almost 1/3 or Iraq and Afghanistan women vets with PTSD report sexual trauma [UCSF.Edu]

Challenges faced by women veterans are different [Huffington Post]

Joining Forces: Women Veterans Speak Out – HomeLESS to HomeOWNER!

Read the latest article of BPW Foundation’s every-other-week Joining Forces feature that brings us the voices of women veterans telling their stories.  If you are a women veteran who would like to share your story, please contact us through our Joining Forces for Women Veterans Facebook page, or email dcorazza@bpwfoundation.org

From HomeLESS to HomeOWNER! (Part one of a two-part series: Jessica Campbell’s  story)

Life in a Nutshell -The Road to Homelessness

In 2002, at the age of 21, I made the decision to quit wandering around the small Arkansas town I’m from and to make something of myself. I chose to enlist  in the Army. I spent several months in  basic and advanced training in the field of Communications, learning how to be a Networking Systems Switching Operator or, in layman’s terms, to set up networks for phone and internet access. I learned how to use large computers mobilized on HMMWVs to perform system and network operations in the field, including development of user databases and ongoing preventative maintenance and troubleshooting. I was also awarded a Secret clearance. Once this training concluded, I was shipped to my permanent duty station in Georgia…. only to be shipped off to war six weeks later.

I spent 10 months serving in Kuwait and Iraq attached to a Large Extension Network team, a moving convoy of HMMWVs responsible for providing communications for the front line. We had no protection, no combat unit providing cover during our missions following the moving operations around the country while Baghdad was being bombed. We unexpectedly took fire during a one-day mission, barely avoiding injury and knowing we were sitting ducks.

Living in the line of fire day after day creates a stressful, constant paranoia, although it is required to stay alive, there is a cumulative mental and physical toll.

When I came home I was a different person. I couldn’t feel, couldn’t think, couldn’t function the way I used to. I seemed to be in a state of shock, and began self-medicating with alcohol to deal with the insomnia. This led to trouble in my military life – I had a hard time making morning formations after being up all night, unable to sleep. My coping mechanism, alcohol, earned me a DUI and the embarrassment and shame that goes along with it…with family, friends, and my own self image.  When my unit was issued orders for deployment again, I didn’t go—I decided to accept a general discharge instead of going overseas. I couldn’t do it again.

Once released from active duty, I didn’t have anywhere to go.  There wasn’t any transition help available—for a job or anything. I ended up approaching the VA hospital in Florida for help with the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms I had. They dealt with me in a dismissive manner – prescribed medication and sent me on my way.  I wasn’t mentally equipped to deal with everyday life at that point, my part-time job at Home Depot involved dealing with customers, and I really couldn’t handle the “in-your-face” attitude many of the civilians I was working with had.  After bouncing around from friend-to-friend’s homes aimlessly for a couple of years, I finally exhausted my resources and had to admit that I was homeless.

Now in South Carolina, I again approached the VA for assistance. They gave me a list of local shelters. I approached several of the shelters, but was denied entry because I wasn’t broken enough.

I didn’t come from prison. I didn’t suffer from alcoholism. I hadn’t been battered physically. I didn’t have children. I didn’t meet any of the criteria needed to receive their help. Thank goodness the last shelter on the list, Angel’s House, had space for me. After spending two months there and completing a job training program with the local non-profit, Fast Forward Community Technology Center, I saved up enough money to strike out on my own. I also secured a full-time job with a company offering medical benefits, 401K benefits with full vesting, and vacation time.

I still can’t afford a lot of luxuries, like internet and cable, but I am on my own two feet and getting better every day.

From Left to Right: Dee of Fast Forward, Jessie, and Bobbie of Angel House. Thanks to the helping hand extended by both of these fantastic women and the non-profits they run, Jessie was able to get back on her feet.

It took four years. Four years for me to go from active duty and traumatized to satisfactory civilian employment and independent living.  If I could influence the transition process for any service member returning to civilian life, it would be to have more access to information about programs and services that are available to veterans, best and worst case scenarios.

I wasn’t prepared when I left active duty, and I don’t think anyone should leave the service without going through transition or re-entry services.

(Stay tuned for Part II: What a Difference a Year Makes!)

As told to and edited by Danielle Corazza

Women’s News to Chew On: Link Love for Lunch

Today is Women’s Equality Day: Are we there yet?

Beyond suffrage: how far have women come? [Los Angeles Times]

1915 anti woman’s suffrage ad [DisInfo]

Equality in the workplace remains a goal[Taunton Gazette]

The Topsy Turvy Path to Equality [WomenMisbehavin‘]

USA could be just 3 states way from ERA [Women’s e-News]

Women’s groups launch HER VOTES to mobilize women voters in 2012 [Sacramento Bee]

Successful Workplaces/Empowered workforces

Women make better leaders than men if you give them the chance [AOL.com]

Two former female partners file suit against Booz Allen [Washington Post]

US lags way behind other industrialized counties in maternity leave [Washington Times]

Judge rules that women who were part or Wal-Mart suit have until end of October to file individually [Reuters]

Discrimination against pregnant women and new mothers is not work-life balance issue [ABetterBalance]

Should pumping at work get you fired? ACLU says no [Time]

Stay at home Mom’s have hardest job [Los Angeles Times]

Women’s negotiations, problem may be power not gender [Yahoo.com]

Less depression for working moms who don’t expect to “do it all” [MedCompare]

Overworking trend favors men over women [PsychCentral]

Paying to get chores done for more family time [Atlanta Journal Constitution.com]

Mommy Track: mothers winning flex time at work and husbands help at home [US News]

When women meet with women are they missing real networking opportunities? [Reclaiming Leadership]

Black women lost more jobs during recovery [Workforce]

Saluting Misbehavin’ Women

First woman to head chapter of Disabled American Veterans [Billings Gazette]

Military women are heroes too [Time Blog]

Forbes’ 100 most powerful women in the world list [Forbes]

The 20 youngest powerful women [Forbes]

Pat Summit who has the most wins of any basketball coach facing down Alzheimer’s challenge with courage [USA Today]

Marine Brig. Gen. Loretta Reynolds first female commander at Parris Island [Washington Post]

Rear Admiral Eleanor V. Valentin, First female and first Asian Director of the US Navy Medical Service Corps [Asian Journal]

Health

TX women’s health program that saved the state $20 million is endangered [Austin Chronicle]

Smoking implicated in half of women’s bladder cancers [NIH]

Small Business/Entrepreneurship

Financing female entrepreneurship [Forbes]

SBA may develop new system to simplify participation in contacting process [Biz Journals]

Women business owners need retirement plans also [PaysonRoundup]

Military/Veterans

All female crew takes “unmanned” flight to new level of meaning [Daily Democrat]

Marines in Afghanistan run in honor of fallen “sister” [dividshub.net]

Non Traditional Jobs

STEM faculty parity at community colleges [Inside Higher Ed]

Misbehavin’ Notification: A Salute to Women Veterans

Excerpts from remarks by Deborah L. Frett, CEO, Business and Professional Women’s Foundation at the Salute to Women Veterans, in Chicago, August 12, 2011.

Deborah L. Frett, BPW Foundation CEO

Business and Professional Women’s Foundation is pleased to be here tonight with the Chicago Sky, saluting our women veterans.   I would like to thank the Chicago Sky team and staff for joining us in hosting this special Salute to Women Veterans tonight.   We are very grateful that they are raising the visibility of women veterans in our society  – as women veterans often do not self-identify and are often overlooked.

I also want to Thank you Col. Sylvia Moran. We are delighted that you could join us tonight and share some of your insights based on your 35 years of experience in the military, as part of that historic West Point Class of female firsts and as well as your personal transition experiences.

BPW has been advancing the cause of working women since 1919; and BPW Foundation comes naturally to our work of supporting women veterans.

• We were the first to focus our research and programs exclusively on women in the workforce.

•  We were the first to elevate issues of women in non-traditional occupations.

• And we were the first to examine the domestic and workplace needs of women veterans as they transition from military to civilian life.

BPW Foundation has always focused on working women – and more specifically, women working in non-traditional occupations including the military.

Women have fought for and served our nation since its beginning.  Women now represent more than 15% of our service members and there are almost 2 million women veterans with an anticipated 150,000 more transiting from military to civilian life in the next five years.   Our country has been slow to acknowledge this demographic change and is just now recognizing that veteran services and programs designed for men don’t necessarily work for our women veterans.  It is time to be sure that we recognize their strengths and abilities and ensure that they easily transition into successful civilian careers.

BPW Foundation recently launched the Joining Forces for Women Veterans Mentorship Program.  How we developed this program and got to where we are today can be summarized in three steps:

• We actually asked women veterans what they needed.

• We didn’t stop with research.

• We are implementing a course for change.

The first step – We actually asked women veterans what they needed.

• In 2005 we recognized that the surge of women veterans returning home from two wars was an unaddressed issue;

• In 2007 we conducted and published the first research that examined the transition of women veterans of all eras back into the civilian workplace

The second step – We didn’t stop with research.

Last fall we organized and hosted the Joining Forces for Women Veterans Summit, to educate the government and employers from all sectors about the gender distinct issues and challenges faced by women veterans.  The discussions at that meeting resulted in the publication of a Summary Report outlining recommendations and the next steps that need to be taken to support our women veterans.

And the third step – We are implementing a course for change.

• Because of what we learned from our research and during the Summit, we launched the Joining Forces for Women Veterans Mentorship Program. Evidence pointed to the need for one-on-one mentoring to help women veterans make the transition to successful, meaningful jobs and fulfilling civilian lives.

In addition, The Office of the First Lady and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce highlighted this “mentorship gap” with their recognition of BPW Foundation as point organization for a large-scale mentoring initiative to benefit women veterans and military spouses.

Working with our partner, the U.S. Chamber, and others, we intend to significantly increase women veteran and military spouse employment by joining forces in public private partnerships and establish a network of 10,000 women mentors from corporate, government and nonprofit communities across the country and connect them with women veterans and military wives by the end of 2012.  Beyond this joint program, BPW Foundation’s Mentorship Program has a goal of eventually engaging 100,000 women mentors.

We will be partnering with corporations and businesses across the country to accomplish this and I hope that some of you will join us in the effort.  Of course I hope many of you will also agree to join us as mentors.  You can sign up on our website, BPWFoundation.org, to get updates and information on how you can participate.

Again, I want to thank the Chicago Sky, Colonel Moran, William Schmutz of the Chicago Mayor’s Office and all of you for joining us in this Salute for Women Veterans tonight.

Women’s News to Chew On: Link Love for Lunch

Men are unhappy, too.  Good news for women and workplace policy?  [Open Salon]

Can women create a “new business culture?”  Might be the time. [Examiner]

Mentoring women, focus on women and girls during NASA’s IT Summit.  First African American women military pilot featured. [PRNewswire]

Women often need sponsors/mentors to advance to top jobs in finance [CFO]

Why women should have career mentors [Forbes]

Why are women missing from action in science and technology? [MetroUs]

New Milk Campaign that makes fun of PMS and effects on men shut down early [New York Times]

The 2012 Project: Electing more women [Women’s Issues]

Politics has women fed up survey finds [Star Tribune]

Would female leaders solve the debt crisis better? [CNN]

NIH panel recommends no co pay for wide range of women’s health services including birth control [Herald Extra]

Marketers take aim at moms with smart phones [Washington Post]

Title IX may be a road block for pay-for-play [ESPN]

At 2 year colleges less scrutiny means less athletic equality [New York Times]

Ledbetter and Hallman op ed: women must continue fight for equal pay [Madison.com]

Women’s groups call on leaders to protect women in budget debate [Daily Caller]

Sidestepping the motherhood penalty [BlogHer]

1 in 4 Americans provide unpaid care for an adult. Toll is huge on caregiver and family [NPR]

BLS – Highlights of women’s earnings in 2010 [FullTextReports]

World Cup final breaks twitter record [WebProNews]

Women’s soccer was a TV must see [New York Times]

Journal showcases VA’s research on women veterans’ healthcare [TMCNET]

Female veteran entrepreneur uses military skills to benefit small business owners.  [Connections Newspapers]

Michelle Obama to participate in Extreme Makeover of home for women veterans [Boston Herald]

Navy women see a slow but steady rise in rank [Stripes]

VA launches child care pilot [Bradenton]

LA’s homeless Private Benjamin [CityWatchLA]

WH Blog on VA’s support for women veterans [White House]

Women lawyers walk work-life balance tightrope [Wisconsin Bar]

USDA attempting to right past wrongs against women and minority farmers [DemingHeadLight]

Women’s News to Chew On: Link Love for Lunch

Studies find Title X critical to women’s health [Ms Magazine]

Gen Y women debunks Millennial myths [PRDaily]

Recovery is by-passing women [Wall Street Journal]

Pew study shows women not benefiting from economy recovery [PewSocialTrends]

Levo League wants to help Gen Y women through on-line mentoring and job help [Forbes]

Sobering UN report on lack of gender equity world-wide [New York Times]

Head of a New Zealand trade group finally fired for statement that women earn less because of “monthly” health problems [MSNBC]

More women are working in non-traditional jobs [AJC.com]

Workplace sexual discrimination is a reality [New Haven Register]

Wal-Mart women pave the way for pay equity [Womens e-News]

CT governor signs paid sick leave law – first state [New York Times]

Paid sick leave – a stand off in Philly [Labor Notes]

Changing families, changing workplace needs [The Glass Hammer]

Can Sheryl Sandberg help women lead in social media? [New Yorker]

Cracks in the Silicon Valley glass ceiling? [Wall Street Journal]

Study to test Glass Ceiling issues [Physorg.com]

Women small business owners more confident about future [SmallBizTrends]

Why there is no better time to be a woman entrepreneur [indeonline]

New federal set asides for women small business owners [Post Gazette]

What is needed for women’s career equality? [CS Monitor]

Woman solves shirt “gap” problem and starts a new company [New York Times]

Mentoring women veterans – a unique approach [Community.ere]

Military spouses at home [Washington Post]

Female special operators now in combat [Military.com]

VA wants women’s input on services [Air Force Times]

National Center on Family Homelessness seeking input from women veterans [NCHV]

Documentary about “Rosie the Riveters” [Daily Mail]