Viva la Feminista

  Listen & Subscribe at Anchor | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts Show notes: Gloria Feldt  joins The Feminist Agenda to discuss her latest book, Intentioning: Sex, Power, Pandemics, and How Women Will Take The Lead for (Everyone's) Good . Gloria is a  New York Times  best-selling author, speaker, commentator and feminist leader who has gained national recognition as a social and political advocate of women's rights. In 2013, she co-founded Take The Lead , a nonprofit initiative with a goal to propel women to leadership parity by 2025. She is a former CEO and president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, directing the organization from 1996 to 2005. She has been featured in  The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, Time , NBC,  Fast Company, Vanity Fair ,  and much more.  Download the Intentioning workbook Ways to support The Feminist Agenda podcast: Archer & Olive : Use code "feminista10" to save 10% ...

Image by Erik Kastner on Flickr When Yvonne Brill died in 2013, her New York Times obituary famously led with her culinary skills. Her beef Stroganoff masked her innovative work on a propulsion system to help keep communications satellites from slipping out of their orbits. The feminist internet clapped back until the NYTimes edited the dish out. Last week Brenda Barnes, former CEO of Sara Lee, died. The Chicago Sun-Times framed her professional accomplishments along with her title of "Perfect Mom." Fortune called her a hero to working moms.       I remember reading about her stepping down to attend to her children during their teen years and then later her ramping back up. For a bit, I quite obsessed about Barnes. Why wouldn't I be? In Barnes returned to full-time employment in 2004 I was still a rookie mom with big career aspirations. Anytime I have big dreams, I scour the world for role models to study as if to find clues as to how I can replicate t...

I've been mentally obsessing over the story of a teenage woman being hit on at a Spokane Starbucks since it went viral a few days ago. The virality of the story seems simple enough - a 34-year-old guy thinks it is ok to ask out a supposed 16-year-old - the internet seems to think otherwise. He gets labeled gross old dude and we feel better about ourselves for being outraged. I also think the outrage is amplified because many of us are on edge because Donald Trump, a man with a long list of sexual assault accusations, will become the next President of the USA. While his actions clearly did not offend the large group of women who did vote for Trump, the majority of women who did not vote for him ARE PISSED. And if we cannot keep a man who likes to brag about grabbing women by the genitals out of the White House, we can at least be pissed as hell when we see men acting as if women, of any age, are available just because men want them to be. But what many people, including some...

Welcome to a newish feature here! I get far more pitches to review books than I have the ability to read & review. That is where "Book Buzz" comes in. This is where I will post about books that I think look worthy of not only me reviewing, but maybe, just maybe you picking up before I give the thumbs up. I've done this a few times, but finally have a name for it! Yay! Let's get to our first official "Book Buzz," shall we? Because of Sex: One Law, Ten Cases and Fifty Years That Changed American Women’s Lives at Work by Gillian Thomas takes readers through ten landmark sex discrimination cases that helped dismantle a “Mad Men” world where women could only hope to play supporting roles, where bosses’ leers and propositions were as much a part of the air women breathed as cigarette smoke, and where pregnancy meant getting a pink slip. Readers will meet Ida Phillips, denied an assembly line job because she had a preschool-age child; Kim Rawlinson, who f...

In case you weren't able to attend Women Employed's "Beyond Balance" conversation, I Storified it. Enjoy! [ View the story "@WomenEmployed's #BeyondBalance Panel" on Storify ]

Research shows that since 2002, there has been an increase in the number of hotels in Long Beach, CA from 37 to 44 while its workforce has decreased from 2,575 to 2,370, drastically increasing hotel workloads.  UNITE HERE Local 1 surveyed 18 out of the approximately 29 members of the Hotels Monaco’s housekeeping department in June and July 2015, including 14 women who identified as housekeepers. All workers who responded reported experiencing pain at work (responding affirmatively to the question “do you ever experience pain at work?”) 78% of respondents reported taking pain relievers, citing examples such as Tylenol or Advil. 72% reported having woken up during the night in pain. [ link ] Actions have taken place at Hotel Monaco in the past and earlier today there was more action. In an effort to address these issues, community and clergy will accompany Long Beach hotel workers in a program and candlelight march celebrating Housekeeper’s Global Week of Action i...

Nearly three hundred bad feminists gathered at the Chicago Temple on December 10 to hear New York Times best-selling author Roxane Gay discuss issues around feminism, inequality, and the struggles that 21 st century women still face at an event hosted by Women Employed. Gay’s commentary and criticisms on Wednesday were in line with those found in her recent book Bad Feminist —incisive and insightful, covering a broad range of topics with her signature quick-witted sense of humor. Some highlights from the evening: On the wage gap: “Women have compromised enough! 77 cents is a compromise. Pay me a dollar, you asshole!” On burning out in social services and activism: “Self-care is a priority. You must decide how much self care you need. If you burn out, then you’re not doing anything. If you’re not here, you can’t do any good in the world.” On not always having an opinion: “Sometimes it’s Tuesday and I’m thinking about macaroni and cheese.”  On privilege: “Sayi...

VLF welcomes Lauren Miller's guest post about a recent viewing of "Anita: Speaking Truth to Power."Lauren is a Chicago-based womanist impassioned about all things related to holistic wellness for marginalized women. As Engagement Coordinator at Women Employed , she energizes young professional women online, and offline, to promote practices and policies that support real change for America’s working women. “I was raised to do what is right. And can now explain to my students, first hand, that despite the high cost which may be involved, it is worth having the truth emerge,” asserts Anita Hill in 1991 to a crowd of familiar faces in Oklahoma. This moment, and the power of those words, were experienced yet again to a sold-out crowd of professionally diverse women of all ages during an event hosted by Women Employed on August 5th. The eyes of Chicagoland’s foremost women lawyers, political leaders, and advocates of Women Employed were transfixed on the screen displa...

Viva la Feminista welcomes, Ambar Mentor-Truppa as a guest blogger today! Ambar is a Chicago-based feminist and public relations executive committed to cultivating the next generation of women leaders. As a board member and chair of Women Employed’s Advocacy Council, Ambar mobilizes young professional women to advocate on behalf of all working women and families.  “I lived through the Mad Men era!” That’s what author and trailblazing journalist Lynn Povich told the crowd gathered for a panel discussion co-hosted by Women Employed on February 13th. The audience listened attentively as Povich continued, sharing the story of how she and her female colleagues confronted the blatant sexism at Newsweek in the 60s. When they were told that “women don’t write at Newsweek,” the women not only didn’t accept it; they fought against it. In 1970, Povich and 45 other women sued the magazine for sex discrimination. “We loved Newsweek—we just wanted Newsweek to be better,” Povich explain...

Anyone who has ever eaten out knows that you should tip your server. But most of us most likely do not know WHY we need to leave a fair tip. For the record, I usually tip around 20%. The closest I have been to being a restaurant server was my summer at Santa's Village putting french fries and pizza puffs on people's trays. I did not wait tables to make my way through college. Why? Cause I knew I would totally and utterly suck at it. Thus, I tip as generously as I can, especially when very much earned, because I admire anyone who can remember my order, check on me and all that jazz that makes a meal out a happy event. I was shocked to learn, a few years ago, that because servers work for tips, their minimum wage is $2.13 . What the WHAT?! And that hasn't changed in 22 years. I did know that most of them do not have access to paid sick days . Which of course means people who serve you lunch have to decide to go to work sick (possibly making you sick) or staying home and los...

Viva la Feminista is happy to participate in today's Office Hours event with broadcast pro, Soledad O'Brien at 2pm ET/11am PT. This is your chance to ask Soledad a question about your career! She'll be sharing her own career advice.  And you can watch it all right here at Viva la Feminista. I thought this would fit right in with our Summer of Feminista theme!  So what are you going to ask? About Soledad O'Brien, Award Winning Journalist, Documentarian, News Anchor and Producer Soledad O'Brien is an award winning journalist, documentarian, news anchor and producer. O’Brien was the originator of “Black in America” and “Latino in America”. In June she launched Starfish Media Group, a multiplatform media production and distribution company, dedicated to uncovering and producing empowering stories that take a challenging look at the often divisive issues of race, class, wealth, poverty and opportunity through personal stories. Starfish Media Group continues to pr...

  Earlier this month Latino USA reported that "in 2000, about 1400 Latino ranchers and farmers sued the US Department of Agriculture for denying them loans based on their ethnicity." Women, like Rosemary Love , were discriminated against on the basis of sex. While the USDA has announced a claim process, Latino and women farmers are not a class action, thus they must file a claim in order to obtain financial compensation in the form of cash or loan forgiveness.  Details as to how to file a claim can be found on the USDA's website . The DEADLINE has been extended to May 1, 2013.  Photo credit: Colorlines

Woohoo! It's another post about stuff I've written for other blogs. First up is a piece I did for Gapers Block last month on the Chicago Bandits and the grand opening of their stadium: Opening night for the Chicago Bandits , Chicago's professional softball team, was a pitchers' duel between Bandit Monica Abbott and the USSSA Pride 's Danielle Lawrie. After a picture perfect first inning, an errant throw by Abbott in the second led to the Pride getting on base. Thankfully she was saved by a clinic-worthy cutoff throw to home to keep the game scoreless. The duel resumed and continued until the bottom of the seventh, when the Bandits skillfully moved Megan Wiggins, who led off the inning, around the bases, capped off with Caitlin Lever's shot to right field to bring Wiggins home. The crowd erupted in a roar to signal the end of the game. [read the rest at Gapers Block ] Second is a bit of an op-ed I write for Gapers Block about the Chicago Red Stars ...

Today is Blog for Equal Pay Day!  This post isn't meant to be lazy, but I realized that the idea I had for today I already did over at Girl w/Pen . Yes, I've finally gotten to the point in my writing where I have forgotten what I've written about. It took a web search to remind me. Oh, so pathetic...but back to today's post.... One reason why I am passionate about piquing girls' interest in science and engineering as a career path is the money. Even in this recession, starting salaries for computer-related and engineering careers are on the rise. They are also usually higher than any other field. This can be quite a carrot for sticking out a second semester of Calculus or even organic chemistry. But I also tell my students that there is a wage gap for scientists and engineers. Back in 1999, the National Science Foundation found that the wage gap for engineers was only 13 cents . Not bad. Overall for science, engineering and math, it looks like the wage gap in...

Today's Women's History Tidbit: 1900: Effa Manley is born in Philadelphia. From 1935 to 1948 she will run the Newark Eagles, a Negro Leagues baseball team, which she co-owns with her husband.* She is the first woman to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.** This was originally posted on the AWEARNESS blog.  At least that's what Quansa Thompson is trying to claim. She's a smart cookie exotic dancer from Washington, DC who is suing her former "employer" for not paying her and her fellow dancers a wage. I put employer in quotes in this context because the owner of the club claims that "he treats dancers as if they were patrons, charging them $20 admission, then letting them keep whatever they earn without any additional fees." No matter what your stance is on strippers or exotic dancers, I hope that you agree that they are working. They are providing entertainment that draws people in to pay real money to enter an establishment and ...

Originally posted at Girl w/Pen It seems like every other story in the past month had a science grrl at its core. Some were good, some not so much. I honestly couldn’t make up my mind on which story to write about, so I’ll write a little about all of them: Elinor Ostrom is the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Economics . The best part of her story? That her high school advisor told her that she couldn’t take trigonometry because she was a girl. It’s been quite some time, but if that advisor is still alive, I hope they give her a call to apologize. Otherwise, girls take note. My high school advisor was horrible my freshman year, so I switched. If you don’t feel supported, find someone else to talk to! Ostrom topped off what has been a banner year of women winning the Nobel. We had the first time two women won a Nobel together (in medicine). The advisor-former graduate student pairing makes my heart a flutter. Now that’s Sisterhood NOT Interrupted! In addition, Ada Yonath won in...

Women Employed , a fab Chicago organization,  is doing a 24 hour Twitter campaign called “Women Tweeting Women” on Wednesday, October 7, 2009. The idea is to post information about inspiring women throughout the day. On Twitter please use the hashtag #wtw09 when tweeting about the inspiring women in your life. This should be a lot of fun!! Even thou I don't quite have a "I'm a feminist ask me how" button on, other women just seem to know and I get asked questions about career development. One nifty aspect of Women Employed is their Career Coach . Now I love my job, but I know I need to up my ante soon. For me that means finally getting my butt in gear to start a PhD program. But a few years ago I had no idea where I was headed. Luckily I have a great mentor in my boss, so she was a world of help. But I also know that many of us have dreams and aspirations that isn't the same as our day jobs. So why not try Career Coach to get started on your plans? I don...

This post is for the Fem2.0 " What is work? " blog carnival. I've never stopped to think of what work means to me. It's just one of those words that you take for granted. But as I stop to ponder my relationship with the word, it's amazing. As a Latina of Mexican heritage, work is not a four-letter word. Lazy is. Despite the stereotype of Mexicans & our siestas, we work hard. In fact I didn't know what a siesta really meant until I got to Spanish class in 7th grade. A siesta in my household meant taking five minutes for some iced tea. I haven't studied our relationship with work to know if Latin@s are taught to work hard to fight against the stereotype or we just work hard naturally. Pollo - huevo. Either way, it was drilled in me early on that we work hard for what we have. And that continues to this day. I know that I am privileged in a way that sometimes overshadows my very humble lower income background. I have a bachelors and a masters degree. I a...

In 2001 the Bush Administration attempted to kill the Department of Labor's Women's Bureau. This underappreciated arm of the government mission is "To improve the status of wage-earning women, improve their working conditions, increase their efficiency, and advance their opportunities for profitable employment." While I have to fully admit that the Women's Bureau , even under a very tight budget, has been pretty good to my place of employment during the past administration*, I have been awaiting a change in the White House with the hope that the WB would be allowed to fully do what they are meant to do. I've received word from friends that current NOW President Kim Gandy 's is being thrown about for Director of the Women's Bureau! If I'm correct, this position can't be filled until we get Hilda Solis confirmed . After Kim's term is over at NOW (sometime in August, I believe) she would be a wonderful person to lead the WB. I've worked w...

From the new First Lady's webpage: When people ask Michelle Obama to describe herself, she doesn't hesitate. First and foremost, she is Malia and Sasha's mom. But before she was a mother — or a wife, lawyer, or public servant — she was Fraser and Marian Robinson's daughter. This introduction for the First Lady's biography has continued the discussion on whether or not Michelle Obama downplays her achievements as a working woman. She is quite accomplished on her own as witnessed by a press release by Leadership Greater Chicago and Crane's Chicago: He was known as “Michelle’s husband — that guy who’s a state senator,” recalled Mr. Goolsbee, the only one of the three to make it to Monday’s event. I know pointing that line out and me adding that my husband knows people who knew Michelle when she was THE OBAMA in town, will just add fuel to the "she's downplaying her role" fire. But is she really downplaying her role? No, she's not. Michelle is a ...