Salary.com's 9th Annual Mom Salary Survey Reveals Stay-at-Home Moms Would Earn $122,732 in the U.S. and $135,661 in Canada
2009 Valuation of the Mom Job Shows Working Moms Would Earn an Additional $76,184 U.S. and $83,863 Canadian
NEEDHAM, MA--(MARKET WIRE)--May 5, 2009 -- Salary.com, Inc. (NasdaqGM:SLRY - News), a leading provider of on-demand compensation, payroll and talent management solutions, announced today the results of its annual Mom Salary Survey. For 2009, Salary.com(TM) determined that the time mothers spend performing the 10 most popular "mom job functions" would equate to an annual cash compensation of $122,732 for a Stay-at-Home Mom and an additional $76,184 for a Working Mom, up 5% and 11%, respectively, from the 2008 calculations of $116,805 and $68,405. Moms and their families can create their own "mom paycheck" by visiting the Mom Salary Wizard®.
"This is our ninth year looking at the value of mom's work. It has become a popular annual event because it not only recognizes the critical value of what moms do, but educates the public on the key factors that determine what employers are willing to pay for a given job," said Meredith Hanrahan, senior vice president at Salary.com, Inc. "We value the job of mom based on her job description and calculate what an employer would have to pay in cash if they were to hire someone to do all that a mom does."
Salary.com created the 'Mom Job' based on Certified Compensation Professional®* benchmarking principles that determine the value of a job. Following these employer-based principles, it is important to match jobs based on their job descriptions and not solely job titles. In Mom's case, her role is an example of a hybrid job with 10 different jobs -- each with different salaries -- that comprise her job. In the Mom Salary Survey, 12,150 moms quantified their hours worked in each role for a typical week. Salary.com's compensation professionals weighted the different responsibilities of the job to determine mom's overall total compensation.
Salary.com leveraged its CompAnalyst® global market data to benchmark the mom jobs in the U.S. and Canada. In Canada, the salary was $135,661 for Stay-at-Home Moms and an additional $83,863 for Working Moms (reported in Canadian dollars). The job titles that best matched a mom's definition of her work in both countries are (in increasing order of the percentage of her total 'Mom Job' salary) were: Laundry Machine Operator, Janitor, Van Driver, Housekeeper, Computer Operator I, Cook, Day Care Center Teacher, Facilities Manager, Psychologist, Chief Executive Officer.
Because the study took place from Mother's Day 2008 to Mother's Day 2009, the increase for both the stay-at-home and working mom reflects merit increases between 3.5 and 5.0 percent in early 2008, prior to the downturn. However, economic conditions began to show up in the working mom's salary.
"We found that not only are working moms outsourcing less and doing more themselves, but they're also spending more time on the higher-paying jobs such as facilities manager, CEO, and psychologist -- both factors that contributed to their increased salary figure. This year, the working mom had 17 hours of overtime in addition to her full time hours both at work and as a mom -- up nearly double from 2 years ago," added Hanrahan. According to the Salary.com survey, the working mom puts in over a 92-hour work week once you combine her full-time job, mom hours, and mom overtime. The primary driver of mom's six-figure salary depends on the amount of overtime worked. This year the stay-at-home mom's overtime averaged 56 hours in their 96-hour "work week" -- over half her time spent on the job is overtime.
The Mom Salary Survey has been enhanced over the years to reflect feedback such as adding salary ranges for working moms and for stay-at-home and working dads. The survey data has been incorporated into the Mom Salary Wizard, an online tool where consumers can personalize the survey data to reflect their time spent per job in an average week. The Mom Salary Wizard shows users how factors such as geography and the mix of various mom jobs can impact compensation and can either increase or decrease the mom salary from the national median Salary.com publishes every year.
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Sunday, May 10, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
CEDAW--The fight is still on!!!!
A Women's Bill of Rights
San Francisco shows how an international treaty can help in the fight for gender equality and why the U.S. government should sign on
By Justine Andronici
Ten years ago, when San Francisco's Public Works Department was asked to analyze the gender impact of its services, it responded that there was no gender impact. After all, everyone uses sidewalks and streetlights, not just women.
But after the analysis got under way, it quickly became clear that women were indeed affected differently than men by public works decisions. Here’s one simple example: Women are disproportionately impacted when street lighting is inadequate, as they’re more vulnerable to sexual assault. The analysis led to a decision to space streetlights closer together.
None of seven San Francisco departments that underwent this sort of gender analysis would have undertaken it without the passage in 1998 of the city’s version of CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. CEDAW is the ultimate women’s bill of rights, with both global and local significance—and its time has come.
Once a nation signs on to CEDAW, it commits to examining and identifying gender discrimination in every possible arena—education, health care, legal rights, work, culture, governance— then taking concrete actions to overcome it, including ending violence against women. A U.N. committee evaluates the progress ratifying countries make in implementing the treaty. With the election of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, who have endorsed CEDAW (Biden, along with Sen. Barbara Boxer [D-Calif.], led efforts for Senate ratification), and more supporters of women’s rights in Congress, feminists are renewing the drive to ratify the CEDAW treaty.
This international agreement, adopted by the United Nations in 1979, was actually signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1980 just as he was leaving office, and referred to the Senate. During the succeeding presidential administrations of Reagan, Bush I, Clinton and Bush II, opponents—led by archconservative Jesse Helms, who chaired the Senate foreign relations committee—have prevented the full Senate from voting on the treaty, which requires a twothirds majority to be ratified.
To date, 185 countries—more than 90 percent of the members of the U.N. General Assembly—have signed on to CEDAW. The unsigned nations are Iran, Nauru, Palau, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan and Tonga—and one industrialized country, the United States.
Frustrated by lack of progress in signing onto CEDAW nationally, a coalition of feminist groups in San Francisco lobbied for the adoption of a model local version. Ten years later, CEDAW has begun to change the way things are done in the city. To start with, the city’s Commission on the Status of Women has been elevated to the status of a city department (acronym: DOSW). In the city’s juvenile justice system, CEDAW helped preserve programs for girls, including pregnancy prevention and parenting skills, during a round of budget cuts. In the city’s growing environment department, the gender and racial balance of employees is carefully monitored, which has led to outreach efforts and a rise in the number of women in nontraditional jobs. In the governance sphere, DOSW analyzed the gender composition of the city’s boards, task forces and commissions, which hopefully will lead to more women appointees on these key policy-making bodies.
“The idea of human rights under CEDAW is to account for differences,” says Emily Murase, executive director of DOSW. “This allows for the development of policy that is responsive to the realities of women’s lives.”
Perhaps the most promising area in which CEDAW can expand is the budgeting arena. In 2003, faced with imminent budget cuts, the city’s Board of Supervisors passed a resolution requesting that city departments examine the gender impact of proposed cuts. Last summer, DOSW began training personnel from the mayor’s budget office on how to apply a gender lens to their budgeting process for the upcoming fiscal year.
“When policy-makers have a better understanding of how the budget impacts men and women differently, they are better prepared to make good decisions about how to allocate their money,” says Ann Lehman, DOSW’s senior policy analyst. San Francisco does not yet have mandatory gender-responsive budgeting, but it’s well on the way to being the first U.S. city to adopt it.
The successful use of CEDAW in San Francisco’s public sector has even led to its application in the private sector. DOSW has partnered with 16 major businesses around the San Francisco Bay Area, including Internet giant Google, cable company Comcast and consulting firm Deloitte, to use CEDAW principles to advance gender equity in their workplaces. Seven key areas will be examined, including management, work-life balance and compensation.
The progress being made in San Francisco is reflected around the world in countries that are already implementing CEDAW. To name just a few: In Uganda, it has led to the establishment of state-funded programs and policies to help stop domestic violence; in India and Pakistan more girls are in school. In Germany, Guatemala, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom, working women now enjoy improved maternity leave and child care in accord with CEDAW provisions. In 22 countries, laws have been passed to increase women’s participation in government.
“As we purport to support the advancement of women’s rights in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world, it is long past time for the U.S. to pass CEDAW,” says Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation (publisher of Ms.). “We are gearing up for a major push.”
From our friends at MS.
For more info on CEDAW check out http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/
From our Fabulously Feminist Friends at Feministing.com
President's Budget Cuts Ab Only, Funds Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Crossposted at Choice Words.
President Obama’s 2010 budget, which was released today, May 7, 2009, eliminates funding for abstinence only programs and redirects funds to a new Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative. The relevant portions of the budget can be read here (pdf).
The elimination of funding for abstinence only programs is a huge victory. Abstinence only programs have no perceivable impact on teen sexual activity - young people who go through these programs are just as sexually active as their peers. Instead, the programs teach inaccurate information about contraception and decrease condom use and other safe sex practices . Further, they often teach a fundamentalist Christian worldview, encourage young people to fit into essentialist and offensive gender roles, and ignore or actively oppose homosexuality . Abstinence only programs waste government funds teaching a belief system rather than scientifically accurate information.
Federal funds for abstinence only programs are not necessarily gone; according to a Wall Street Journal article 25% of the $164 million in funds for teen pregnancy prevention could potentially go to these programs if they pass the evaluation process.
Funds will be directed to “teenage pregnancy prevention programs that have been proven through rigorous evaluation to delay sexual activity, increase contraceptive use (without increasing sexual activity), or reduce teenage pregnancy.” The administration recognizes that no abstinence only programs will qualify, as they have been shown to fail on all three counts. They could apply for funds to develop “innovative strategies” to prevent teen pregnancy, though these programs have had zero success showing results so far.
This is a qualified victory; the focus on pregnancy prevention reveals some major flaws. As SIECUS points out, these funds will not be able to go to programs focused on reducing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. This is arguably one of the most important aspects of comprehensive sexuality education and its conspicuous absence from government funded programs could be incredibly detrimental; I can imagine a scenario where young people are only being taught how to prevent pregnancies, so using birth control without condoms ends up seeming like not that bad an idea.
The current intense focus on teen pregnancy is increasing the vilification of teen parents, who are often viewed as foolish, irresponsible and a drain on society. These stereotypes often become racialized, as the pop culture image of teen parents is almost exclusively people of color; Bristol Palin is seen as an anomaly. Decreasing unwanted pregnancies is a good thing. Giving young people information about the responsibilities of raising a child is a good thing. But the mounting prejudice against teens who do parent needs to be countered.
Finally, safe consensual sex can be a great thing. We need to stop assuming that young people can’t have a healthy positive sexuality. Teens are not being trusted with information on how to have good sex and as a result are turning to whatever sources they can find such as porn, the vast majority of which presents a sexist and unrealistic view of sexuality. A cultural fear of and discomfort with real teen sexuality is clearly harming young people by refusing them important information.
Eliminating abstinence only funding is an important first step. Now we need to fund comprehensive sexuality education. And we need to re-frame the conversation around teen sexuality and pregnancy in a way that is respectful of young people’s intelligence, decisions, and humanity.
Crossposted at Choice Words.
President Obama’s 2010 budget, which was released today, May 7, 2009, eliminates funding for abstinence only programs and redirects funds to a new Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative. The relevant portions of the budget can be read here (pdf).
The elimination of funding for abstinence only programs is a huge victory. Abstinence only programs have no perceivable impact on teen sexual activity - young people who go through these programs are just as sexually active as their peers. Instead, the programs teach inaccurate information about contraception and decrease condom use and other safe sex practices . Further, they often teach a fundamentalist Christian worldview, encourage young people to fit into essentialist and offensive gender roles, and ignore or actively oppose homosexuality . Abstinence only programs waste government funds teaching a belief system rather than scientifically accurate information.
Federal funds for abstinence only programs are not necessarily gone; according to a Wall Street Journal article 25% of the $164 million in funds for teen pregnancy prevention could potentially go to these programs if they pass the evaluation process.
Funds will be directed to “teenage pregnancy prevention programs that have been proven through rigorous evaluation to delay sexual activity, increase contraceptive use (without increasing sexual activity), or reduce teenage pregnancy.” The administration recognizes that no abstinence only programs will qualify, as they have been shown to fail on all three counts. They could apply for funds to develop “innovative strategies” to prevent teen pregnancy, though these programs have had zero success showing results so far.
This is a qualified victory; the focus on pregnancy prevention reveals some major flaws. As SIECUS points out, these funds will not be able to go to programs focused on reducing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. This is arguably one of the most important aspects of comprehensive sexuality education and its conspicuous absence from government funded programs could be incredibly detrimental; I can imagine a scenario where young people are only being taught how to prevent pregnancies, so using birth control without condoms ends up seeming like not that bad an idea.
The current intense focus on teen pregnancy is increasing the vilification of teen parents, who are often viewed as foolish, irresponsible and a drain on society. These stereotypes often become racialized, as the pop culture image of teen parents is almost exclusively people of color; Bristol Palin is seen as an anomaly. Decreasing unwanted pregnancies is a good thing. Giving young people information about the responsibilities of raising a child is a good thing. But the mounting prejudice against teens who do parent needs to be countered.
Finally, safe consensual sex can be a great thing. We need to stop assuming that young people can’t have a healthy positive sexuality. Teens are not being trusted with information on how to have good sex and as a result are turning to whatever sources they can find such as porn, the vast majority of which presents a sexist and unrealistic view of sexuality. A cultural fear of and discomfort with real teen sexuality is clearly harming young people by refusing them important information.
Eliminating abstinence only funding is an important first step. Now we need to fund comprehensive sexuality education. And we need to re-frame the conversation around teen sexuality and pregnancy in a way that is respectful of young people’s intelligence, decisions, and humanity.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Fabulously Feminist Activism
Amherst protests anti-abortion bigot
By Nick Zukowski May 5, 2009
AMHERST, Mass.--Students at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) at Amherst organized to show that bigots and sexists are not welcome as speakers on campus.
On April 30, the UMass Republican Club sponsored a talk by Dr. Mike Adams titled "I Had an Abortion: The Hypocrisy of Roe v. Wade." Adams is a conservative Christian columnist who opposes abortion rights and gay marriage. A biography proudly describes him as "a vocal critic of the diversity movement in academia."
Although the Republican Club billed the event as "an opportunity to engage in dialogue over Roe v. Wade and abortion in the United States," the aim of the talk was to promote right-wing lies about abortion.
A group of students, including members of the International Socialist Organization, attended the event to make sure their opposition to Adams' right-wing lies was heard. As a result, roughly half of the audience in attendance was there to actively demonstrate their disdain for this self-styled conservative "intellectual."
Two students who voiced their objections during Adams' speech were forcibly removed from the premises by police officers at Adams' request--even as he sanctimoniously and insincerely lectured the audience about the right of free speech. Adams also cut the question-and-answer session short, after evading questions from pro-choice students and disregarding the issues they raised.
The event closed with students shouting for "Free abortion on demand!"--and Adams silent on the issues at hand.
By Nick Zukowski May 5, 2009
AMHERST, Mass.--Students at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) at Amherst organized to show that bigots and sexists are not welcome as speakers on campus.
On April 30, the UMass Republican Club sponsored a talk by Dr. Mike Adams titled "I Had an Abortion: The Hypocrisy of Roe v. Wade." Adams is a conservative Christian columnist who opposes abortion rights and gay marriage. A biography proudly describes him as "a vocal critic of the diversity movement in academia."
Although the Republican Club billed the event as "an opportunity to engage in dialogue over Roe v. Wade and abortion in the United States," the aim of the talk was to promote right-wing lies about abortion.
A group of students, including members of the International Socialist Organization, attended the event to make sure their opposition to Adams' right-wing lies was heard. As a result, roughly half of the audience in attendance was there to actively demonstrate their disdain for this self-styled conservative "intellectual."
Two students who voiced their objections during Adams' speech were forcibly removed from the premises by police officers at Adams' request--even as he sanctimoniously and insincerely lectured the audience about the right of free speech. Adams also cut the question-and-answer session short, after evading questions from pro-choice students and disregarding the issues they raised.
The event closed with students shouting for "Free abortion on demand!"--and Adams silent on the issues at hand.
Fabulously Feminist News
Health Insurers May Stop Charging Women More Than Men
By Jacob Goldstein
Women tend to pay higher premiums than men for health insurance. Insurers have argued this is because women tend to have higher health costs, particularly during the child-bearing years.
But as the feds scrutinize health care, that disparity has come under the spotlight; earlier this week, Massachusetts Dem John Kerry introduced a bill that would prohibit insurers from charging women more than men.
And testifying in the Senate yesterday, Karen Ignani, the president of the big trade group for health insurers, said she doesn’t think gender should factor into women’s rates when buying individual policies, the WSJ’s Washwire reports.
According to the New York Times, Kerry told Ignani that the “disparity between women and men in the individual insurance market is just plain wrong, and it has to change.” Ignani agreed the disparities “should be eliminated.”
This is the latest turn in the industry’s effort to play ball in Washington. The strategy seems to be this: Make concessions — like this one — but push hard against the proposal, popular among many Democrats, to introduce a government-backed insurance plan to compete against private plans.
From the Wall Street Journel
By Jacob Goldstein
Women tend to pay higher premiums than men for health insurance. Insurers have argued this is because women tend to have higher health costs, particularly during the child-bearing years.
But as the feds scrutinize health care, that disparity has come under the spotlight; earlier this week, Massachusetts Dem John Kerry introduced a bill that would prohibit insurers from charging women more than men.
And testifying in the Senate yesterday, Karen Ignani, the president of the big trade group for health insurers, said she doesn’t think gender should factor into women’s rates when buying individual policies, the WSJ’s Washwire reports.
According to the New York Times, Kerry told Ignani that the “disparity between women and men in the individual insurance market is just plain wrong, and it has to change.” Ignani agreed the disparities “should be eliminated.”
This is the latest turn in the industry’s effort to play ball in Washington. The strategy seems to be this: Make concessions — like this one — but push hard against the proposal, popular among many Democrats, to introduce a government-backed insurance plan to compete against private plans.
From the Wall Street Journel
In Honor of Mother's Day: Human Rights for Mothers
The International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) represents an unprecedented commitment by the U.S. government to address and ultimately end violence against women and girls globally. It would for the first time create a comprehensive approach by the United States to fight violence against women and girls internationally.
Specifically, the I-VAWA directs the U.S. government to create a comprehensive, 5-year strategy to reduce violence in 10-20 diverse countries that have severe levels of violence against women and girls. To achieve this goal, the bill supports programs that have been proven to reduce violence and makes ending violence against women and girls a U.S. diplomatic priority. Importantly, the bill also expands U.S. support and capacity for overseas nongovernmental organizations - particularly women?s nongovernmental organizations - working to end violence against women and girls in their own countries.
Senators Kerry and Lugar are the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the committee charged with legislation pertaining to US foreign policy. Through their leadership positions, Senators Kerry and Lugar can lead I-VAWA through the legislative process and make ending violence against women and girls a priority for this Congress. AIUSA is also supporting a "Mother's Day card action" targeting Senator Kerry and Lugar. If you would like more info, please go to: www.amnestyusa.org/mothersday
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Fabulously Feminist Women's Studies Programs
Ms Magazine/NWSA 2009 Guide to Women's Studies
Whether looking for a degree, a career or just some great courses, here's the place to learn about this burgeoning field. Search the complete listings to find out about degrees, classes, courses, and institutions by state, type, or region. Find additional data such as contact information, and graduate work requirements, for those instutions that are current NWSA members.
Whether looking for a degree, a career or just some great courses, here's the place to learn about this burgeoning field. Search the complete listings to find out about degrees, classes, courses, and institutions by state, type, or region. Find additional data such as contact information, and graduate work requirements, for those instutions that are current NWSA members.
Fabulously Feminist News
DC Council Votes to Recognize Same Sex Marriages Performed in Other States
The Washington, DC Council voted in a 12 to 1 vote yesterday to recognize same sex marriages performed in other states. The council voted unanimously for the measure in a preliminary vote in April. Mayor Adrian Fenty is expected to sign the measure.
Former DC Mayor and Councilmember Marion Barry, who supports same sex domestic partnership and marriage rights, but cast the sole vote against the bill, said after the vote that "All hell is going to break lose….We may have a civil war. The black community is just adamant against this," reported the Washington Post. An emotional debate took place at the council meeting prior to the vote. At one point, Councilmember David Catania, who is openly gay, said "this issue is whether or not our colleagues, on a personal level, view me and Jim Graham as your equals….if we are permitted the same rights and responsibilities and obligations as our colleagues. So this is personal. This is acknowledging our families as much as we acknowledge yours," according to the Washington Post.
Congress has jurisdiction over DC's laws and has 30 days after the measure is signed to reject the measure. In order to block the legislation, a joint resolution against the legislation must be passed by Congress and this resolution must be approved by the president, according to the Washington Times. If Congress does not take action, the measure will become law. In a statement, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said “I do not believe that a serious attempt to overturn the Council bill will be made or would be successful."
Media Resources: Feminist Daily Newswire 4/8/09; Washington Times 5/6/09; Eleanor Holmes Norton Statement 5/5/09; Washington Post 5/6/09
********************
Same Sex Marriage Bill Passes in Maine Senate
The Maine state House voted yesterday in favor of a bill that would allow same sex couples to marry in the state in a 89 to 58 vote. The state Senate voted in favor of the bill last week in a 20 to 15 vote. The Boston Globe reported that the bill will be voted on once more in both the House and the Senate before being sent to Governor John Baldacci.
According to the Associated Press, it is unclear whether Governor Baldacci will sign the bill if it is passed by the legislature. A recent poll showed 47.3 percent of Maine residents support the same sex marriage bill and that 49.5 percent oppose the legislation, reported the Associated Press.
Thousands gathered for a Judiciary Committee hearing on the bill in April and, according to the Bangor Daily News, the crowd gave a standing ovation to the bill's sponsor, state Senator Dennis Damon.
If the legislation is approved, Maine would be the fifth state to permit same sex marriage in the United States after Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, and Vermont. Similar legislation is currently under consideration in New York and New Hampshire.
Media Resources: Feminist Daily Newswire 5/1/09, 4/30/09; Associated Press 4/22/09, 4/22/09; Bangor Daily News 4/22/09; Boston Globe 5/5/09
********************
Potential Voting Fraud Concern for Afghan Women
As Afghanistan approaches their August presidential election, the potential for voter fraud that infringes on women's rights is gaining visibility. Women have been registering to vote in suspiciously high levels in regions of the country where women rarely travel. In a press conference, Dr. Sima Samar, chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission explained that "men are just bringing the names of a woman and getting registration cards on their behalf and that is why I can say there is a possibility of fraud," Reuters reported.
Samar further explained "Two issues are of concern for me. First is that the right of the woman to cast her vote will not be given to her, and the second is that it's possible that there will be serious fraud in the election by this method," reported the Associated Press.
Kai Eide, the United Nations special envoy to Afghanistan, told Reuters that "Of course we are worried about the irregularities [in registration], but...there is still a possibility to correct much of this on polling day....We know that during the last election there was rather serious fraud at that level on polling day and immediately afterwards, and that is what the system we are trying to put in place now is intended to minimize."
Media Resources: Associated Press 5/4/09; Reuters 5/3/09
The Washington, DC Council voted in a 12 to 1 vote yesterday to recognize same sex marriages performed in other states. The council voted unanimously for the measure in a preliminary vote in April. Mayor Adrian Fenty is expected to sign the measure.
Former DC Mayor and Councilmember Marion Barry, who supports same sex domestic partnership and marriage rights, but cast the sole vote against the bill, said after the vote that "All hell is going to break lose….We may have a civil war. The black community is just adamant against this," reported the Washington Post. An emotional debate took place at the council meeting prior to the vote. At one point, Councilmember David Catania, who is openly gay, said "this issue is whether or not our colleagues, on a personal level, view me and Jim Graham as your equals….if we are permitted the same rights and responsibilities and obligations as our colleagues. So this is personal. This is acknowledging our families as much as we acknowledge yours," according to the Washington Post.
Congress has jurisdiction over DC's laws and has 30 days after the measure is signed to reject the measure. In order to block the legislation, a joint resolution against the legislation must be passed by Congress and this resolution must be approved by the president, according to the Washington Times. If Congress does not take action, the measure will become law. In a statement, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said “I do not believe that a serious attempt to overturn the Council bill will be made or would be successful."
Media Resources: Feminist Daily Newswire 4/8/09; Washington Times 5/6/09; Eleanor Holmes Norton Statement 5/5/09; Washington Post 5/6/09
********************
Same Sex Marriage Bill Passes in Maine Senate
The Maine state House voted yesterday in favor of a bill that would allow same sex couples to marry in the state in a 89 to 58 vote. The state Senate voted in favor of the bill last week in a 20 to 15 vote. The Boston Globe reported that the bill will be voted on once more in both the House and the Senate before being sent to Governor John Baldacci.
According to the Associated Press, it is unclear whether Governor Baldacci will sign the bill if it is passed by the legislature. A recent poll showed 47.3 percent of Maine residents support the same sex marriage bill and that 49.5 percent oppose the legislation, reported the Associated Press.
Thousands gathered for a Judiciary Committee hearing on the bill in April and, according to the Bangor Daily News, the crowd gave a standing ovation to the bill's sponsor, state Senator Dennis Damon.
If the legislation is approved, Maine would be the fifth state to permit same sex marriage in the United States after Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, and Vermont. Similar legislation is currently under consideration in New York and New Hampshire.
Media Resources: Feminist Daily Newswire 5/1/09, 4/30/09; Associated Press 4/22/09, 4/22/09; Bangor Daily News 4/22/09; Boston Globe 5/5/09
********************
Potential Voting Fraud Concern for Afghan Women
As Afghanistan approaches their August presidential election, the potential for voter fraud that infringes on women's rights is gaining visibility. Women have been registering to vote in suspiciously high levels in regions of the country where women rarely travel. In a press conference, Dr. Sima Samar, chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission explained that "men are just bringing the names of a woman and getting registration cards on their behalf and that is why I can say there is a possibility of fraud," Reuters reported.
Samar further explained "Two issues are of concern for me. First is that the right of the woman to cast her vote will not be given to her, and the second is that it's possible that there will be serious fraud in the election by this method," reported the Associated Press.
Kai Eide, the United Nations special envoy to Afghanistan, told Reuters that "Of course we are worried about the irregularities [in registration], but...there is still a possibility to correct much of this on polling day....We know that during the last election there was rather serious fraud at that level on polling day and immediately afterwards, and that is what the system we are trying to put in place now is intended to minimize."
Media Resources: Associated Press 5/4/09; Reuters 5/3/09
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