The National Women's Alliance is calling on the federal and state governments to remove the barriers for women wanting to return to work after caring for children or others.
A new report called Barriers to Women's Employment found that women going back to work do not have the same access to job finding services as unemployed people on welfare.
Report author Marie Coleman says while more women are working now than 60 years ago, many are not eligible for assistance with fees to retrain and also struggle with inflexible work hours and child care.
She says governments are not making enough of an effort to meet the specific needs of those women.
"I would think the political party that went to the next election with a really well-tailored program that would provide for before and after school [care], and school holiday programs, would be greeted with thunderous applause by most Australian working women," she said.
Dedicated to the women who have graced the pages of history, from ancient to modern times.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
National Women's Alliance: Women in the Workplace
Friday, February 5, 2010
Something of Interest
Some interesting articles from a number of sources:
Medieval Women as Master Craftsmen @ Hawkin's Bizzare
5000 Medieval historical Novels @ Medieval News
Macbeth: A True Story @ Medieval News
Tycho Brahe to Be Exhumed by the Copenhagen Post
And some further reading:
* Matthew Carr - Cast Away: Blood & Faith: The Purging of Muslim Spain
* Charles Lachman - The Last Lincolns: The Rise & Fall of a Great American Family
* Susan Wise Bauer - The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade
* Richard Beeman - Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution
* Philip Dray - Capitol Men: The Epic Story of Reconstruction Through the Lives of the First Black Congressmen
Maidenhead Museum: Spitfire Women
Maidenhead Heritage Centre & Museum is uncovering the fascinating story of the many female pilots who ferried aircraft to the RAF in World War Two with a new Research Centre & Exhibition dedicated to the work of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA).
Due to open this summer the Museum is looking for information on pilots and others who worked for the ATA at airfields across the UK during World War II.
ATA pilots, many of whom were women, delivered much needed aircraft from factories to front line squadrons. They were based at 13 Ferry Pools at airfields around the country, including the ATA’s headquarters at White Waltham outside Maidenhead.
“1200 male and female pilots of 28 different nationalities delivered over 309,000 aircraft, an amazing achievement, especially as most ATA pilots had only flown light aircraft before the war,” explained Richard Poad, aviation historian and Chairman of Maidenhead Heritage Centre.
Europe: Cadiz Declaration
European women in charge of ministries and other european political organisms gathered at Cadiz on the occasion of the "European Summit of Women in Power" have produced a joint statement condemning the low participation of women in certain spheres of public life and its absence at high levels of responsibility and decision making.
After their meeting in Cadiz, organized by the Spanish Presidency of the European Union, the EU women ministers and political leaders have signed a joint document which is a statement of principles, objectives and termination of the current reality of the situation of women in public life.
In this paper, already known as the "Declaration of Cadiz", the European leaders have pledged to work to make gender equality a priority on the political agendas of Member States and of the EU and to intensify their efforts to identify and address the obstacles which prevent, impede, or limit the participation of women decision-makers, especially in the fields of politics, economics and knowledge society.
The ministers call on governments, European institutions, academic and scientific, social and economic agents and media to remove the obstacles which prevent the full participation of women in all areas of society and their access and progression in decision-making positions, thus contributing towards a fairer, more equal, more inclusive and successful society. The full text of Cadiz Declaration can be found on page site of the Spanish Presidency of the Union.
It is expected that in 2010 the European Commission will renew its pledge to promote equality, and adopt a gender equality strategy to replace the current road map for equality between women and men.
UN: Aid Needed For Women & Children
The United Nations Children's Fund is appealing for $1.2 billion to provide life saving emergency assistance to millions of children and women in dire need. UNICEF says earthquake-stricken Haiti is only one of 28 countries where children and women lack even the most basic means of survival.
In previous years, the U.N. Children's Fund has classified Haiti as a country 'in crisis.' Since the devastating earthquake struck, UNICEF has increased its efforts to restore shattered lives and protect children and women who are among the most vulnerable victims of this disaster.
While Haiti remains a priority, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Hilde Johnson tells VOA there are many other emergencies that are critical and must be addressed.
Every year, UNICEF responds to some 200 emergencies around the world. These crises are most acutely felt in the 28 countries that figure in the Humanitarian Action Report.The greatest needs are in sub-Saharan Africa, where some 24 million people in the Horn of Africa are being affected by drought, chronic food insecurity and armed
conflict.
UNICEF's three biggest operations are in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Ethiopia. Johnson says more than six million people in Ethiopia are going hungry because of drought and famine. She says children there are at risk of severe and acute malnutrition.
Australia: WRANs Honoured
MARGARET Morton remembers her time in the Royal Australian Navy with great affection. “I loved it,” she said of her stint in the Women’s Royal Australian Navy (WRAN) Service at HMAS Cerebus from 1945-1946.
As an 18-year-old WRAN, her roles included working as an officer’s stewardess, and in the kitchen and serving meals.
The naval jacket she wore as a WRAN is one of a number of items in the Women in Uniform exhibition on display at the Warrnambool RSL.
Mrs Morton, 83, of Warrnambool, said she was pleased the contribution of women to Australia’s armed services was being recognised by the sub branch.
She said she loved the camaraderie of the WRANs at Cerebus and continued to enjoy the company of fellow ex-servicewomen who met at the Warrnambool RSL on the first Monday of every month.
Mrs Morton said she joined the navy to make a contribution to Australia’s effort in the World War II and “just made it in” before the war ended.
While Mrs Morton’s memories of her time in the armed services are happy ones, they contrast sharply with the war experiences of the late Mona Wilton, of Naringal, whose war service medals and citation are also in the exhibition.
Ms Wilton, 28, was killed during World War II when she was serving as a nurse.
The exhibition will be open until September.
Egypt: Divorce Radio
Mahasen Saber spent more than three years in the Egyptian court system trying to divorce her husband. In the lonely and often confusing process, she met many women in similar circumstances who relied on each other for moral support. But their battles didn’t end in court – what followed were stares and whispers.
Four months ago, Ms. Saber started “Divorce Radio,” an Internet-based station that seeks to reverse popular conceptions of divorced women and create a supportive community. Her initiative is part of a broader push in Egypt’s conservative Muslim society to challenge social stigma attached to divorced women.
“Here in Egyptian society, the woman is looked upon at as if she is the one who made a big mistake getting a divorce from her husband. She’s always at fault,” says Saber, whose station is an extension of her popular blog, which has made her something of an icon in Egyptian media. “I want Arab society to respect women who are divorced.”
Awesome Land: Women of Dirt
In the final moments of "Awesome Land: Women of Dirt," two of the professional female cyclists championed by this unabashedly enthusiastic sports documentary go tearing down a winding, bumpy trail in a forest for the sheer pleasure of it. Afterward, in the waning afternoon light, they head to a beach where they disappear beneath a gathering wave because, well, it feels good.
Mountain-biking documentaries are hardly rare, yet rarely do they convey the kind of heightened experience of being alive that the women athletes in "Awesome Land" so clearly feel. Many of the cyclists shown engaging in their extreme sport are past and present champions of women's downhill racing and related competitions in dirt jumping and free riding. But, on film at least, they spend little time talking about their personal victories, preferring to celebrate their inclusion in an activity gradually gaining respect in a male-dominated field.
Austin Women's Club
The Austin Women’s Club building downtown was named to preservation Texas’ annual list of most endangered historic places in the state, officials with the nonprofit group said today.
The building, which was built in 1874 at 710 San Antonio St., suffers from deterioration and antiquated infrastructure,” according to a statement from the group.
“The members of the Austin Woman’s Club, like members of many other civic organizations, struggle to preserve their historic headquarters while continuing their history of serving the community,” Preservation Texas President Susan Lassell said in a statement. “This … structure with its strong ties to Austin’s political and cultural growth merits community support.”