Risks Posed to Sex Workers

    Unlike many other high risk jobs, the sex trade is one of the few that has historically been predominantly female. It also presents the one of the most significant risks to life and health of any high risk job because the employees are more often the victims rather than the responders, and because of the illegal nature of the trade in most places. This operation outside the law means that crimes against female sex workers often go unreported and without investigation, and even if they are they are often swept under the rug or neglected, making sex workers easily victimized. They are at risk of abduction, murder, extortion, assault, lack of health care, and the modern equivalent of slavery. These risks are increased even more for immigrant sex workers, who face language barriers and other types of discrimination as well.
     In areas where the sex trade has been legalized or at least has some legislation protecting sex workers, this risk is decreased, although nowhere near eliminated. In these locations, female workers are able to exercise more power in negotiations, and have the ability to rely on police protection. In her article Condom use, power and HIV/AIDS risk: sex-workers bargain for survival in Hillbrow/Joubert Park/Berea, Johannesburg, Janet Maia Wojcicki discusses the necessity of this power of negotiation in eliminating the image of female sex workers as victims, and destroying the binary of men having power and women being powerless in the sex trade. This binary is an extreme version of the idea of women being second class citizens, and contributes significantly to the image of women as victims. Eliminating this stigma would benefit women as a whole, and empowering women where they are the most powerless would enable women in all sectors to exercise more authority and experience less discrimination.
-Conor Cappe

Women in Traditionally Male High Risk Industries

     Despite years of advancement for equal opportunities and rights for women, many high risk industries in the US and other developed countries remain predominantly male. Logging, fishing, construction, mining, and other occupations have yet to see the influx of female workers that other sectors of industry and manufacturing have. It is part of the psychology of exclusion of women from high risk situations that has resulted from thousands of years of men doing the majority of high risk work. Many of these occupations are also plagued with the issues similar to police and fire departments, and have a reputation of being boys clubs, with most of the female employees experiencing some kind of harassment and discrimination.
    These standards are slowly changing, however. In the construction industry more and more women are being employed, brought on in part by the recession and reduction in availability of more white-collar jobs. One major project in the mid-west, a bridge spanning the Mississippi River, recently reached the one-million man hours mark. Of those million, only five percent were logged by female employees (http://www.stlamerican.com/business/business_briefs/article_ef608672-3372-11e2-b66d-0019bb2963f4.html). While a small number, that five percent is much more than it would have been even five years ago. In a local example, many female construction workers have been working on projects around campus.
-Conor Cappe

Issues Facing Female Emergency Responders

    In the United States there are currently no laws or regulations preventing women from being firefighters, police, or paramedics. In fact, most of these organizations are actively seeking to recruit women to meet diversity standards, and fire departments in particular are trying to draw female members. While the police and EMS services have in general become steadily more integrated, fire departments remain predominantly male. In many regions of the US, female firefighters make up less than five-percent of their organizations. This article written in the UK newspaper The Guardian  (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/apr/16/issues-female-firefighters) cite similar issues in European fire departments too.

     What causes this continued gender segregation? Some point out that the word fireman implies that it is a male only job, and many girls and young women grow up assuming that the job isn't for them. Another obstacle is the high physical standards set for firefighters. However most women who are set on being firefighters are able to meet them, but many drop out after only a short time on the department. The root issues of these drop outs repeatedly prove to be problems with sexual harassment, the lack of separate facilities and accommodations (which aren't invested in because of the low number of female firefighters, creating a Catch-22 situation), and being sidelined from high risk jobs on the department.

-Conor Cappe

Integration of Women into the US Military

President Truman at the signing of the Women's Armed Services  Integration Act

        Prior to the Women's Armed Services Integration Act in 1948, the role of women in the branches of the US armed services occurred only during war time, with the notable exception of nurses. Women had served as nurses in every American war, but their roles outside of the hospital were limited. During World War I, women were recruited by the armed forces in large numbers to meet the shortage of man power. They served mostly in administrative positions, such as quartermasters, stenographers, translators, as well as their traditional role as nurses.World War II saw a similar large scale recruitment of women, and many were captured and killed during the war, primarily nurses serving near the front lines and in major hospitals. During this period, the military still discriminated against African-Americans, and women of color experienced two sets of limitations to advancement and selection for assignments.
        In 1948, President Truman signed the Women's Armed Services Integration Act, which allowed women to be regular members of the branches as well as be members of the reserves. This eliminated the practice of creating special women's components during war that would be disbanded at the end of the conflict. While a significant step in the direction of women's equality the Act still restricted women from combat roles, allowed them to be discharged without specific reason, limited promotions, and set a cap for recruitment numbers.

-Conor Cappe

Women Sue the Pentagon for Combat Roles

      Women have never been allowed to serve in positions that the military has designated combat roles, such as Marine and Army Infantry, combat pilots, and artillery and armored units. It was only the in the early 1990's that they were allowed in "combat support" roles and were officially allowed in combat zones, and it was only within the last two years they were allowed to serve on submarines. Now four veteran servicewomen are suing the Pentagon for the right to be allowed into combat units. The case is centered around the idea that because advancement to the highest ranks of the military often requires that a candidate spend time in a combat unit, women are experiencing significant discrimination in opportunities for promotion to high level policy making positions.

      Opponents to the idea site problems such as the military's policy of different physical standards for women, the changes it could cause to the group dynamic of combat units, and the issues of men and women serving in close proximity in situations where privacy and accommodations are absent. The four women and their supporters are arguing that due to the dynamic nature of the battle zones the US is currently in women are already serving combat roles and are already at equal risk as men, as well as citing the success of other countries who have integrated their combat branches, such as Israel, Australia, and Sweden.  Regardless of the outcome, the case will play a huge role in determining the future of women in the armed forces.

-Conor Cappe (Image from http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/four-female-service-members-sue-over-pentagons-combat-exclusion-policy/2012/11/27/460cf994-38da-11e2-83f9-fb7ac9b29fad_story.html)

1825 - The United Tailoresses of New York

In 1858, the first union for women only was formed. They referred to themselves as the United Tailoresses of New York. This photograph was taken at a sit-down strike, organized by the United Tailoresses of New York, at Woolworth's in New York City's Union Square, with sign demanding a forty-hour week. The organization of this union plays a major role in the forming the identity of a woman in the workplace. Despite the social constraints place on them at the time, these women did their best to stand up for themselves for the sake of their union being noticed. Protesting against unfair wages and deplorable conditions, the Tailoresses brought to light the truth about the textile and clothing industry. This act of bravery in the face of overwhelming opposition would inspire working women for decades to come.
-Alan Daniel

1917 – Women Win the Right to Vote

On August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was finally ratified, empowering all American women and declaring for the first time that they, like men, deserve all the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, including the right to vote. It took activists and reformers nearly 100 years to win that right, and the campaign was not easy. The video I posted explains a horrific night three years prior to the ratification of the 19^th Amendment. As Woodrow Wilson took office in January of 1917 demonstrators took up positions outside the white house holding round the clock vigils demanding the vote for women. They aimed to humiliate the president and expose the hipocracy of making the world safe for democracy when there was none at home. In reply to these actions 33 innocent women were convicted of “obstructing sidewalk” and were taken into custody. The warden ordered his forty prison guards armed with clubs to teach the suffragists a lesson they would never forget. For weeks, they were subjected to the cruelty of their guards, bent on teaching them the harsh lesson ordered by the President – choking, beating, grabbing, slamming, and kicking them into submission.

-Alan Daniel

1978 – The Pregnancy Discrimination Act

In 1978 Congress amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to enact the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). This act was passed to reverse the Supreme Court's decision in General Electric Company v. Gilbert (1976) in which the Supreme Court held that Title VII's prohibition against "sex" discrimination does not include a ban on pregnancy-based discrimination. The video I posted to go along with this entry perfectly explains what the PDA is/does. The woman states in the video that the Pregnancy Discrimination Act prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth and related health conditions. If an employer refuses to hire or promote a woman just because she's pregnant, that woman can sue in court to protect her rights. Employers with more than 15 employees are required to treat women who are affected by pregnancy or related conditions the same way they treat other employees with temporary disabilities. The PDA not only prohibits facially discriminatory policies that limit or preclude women from performing specific jobs simply because they are fertile or pregnant but also prohibits actions by employers that result in disparate treatment or impact toward women because of their ability to become pregnant. I find this act to be an important achievement, in the desire for equal rights in the workplace, because it helps the ever present problem of intersectionality. Now women who are bearing children or are planning on bearing children can feel protected against unfair discrimination due to their condition. All women in the workforce are always protected by the PDA by virtue of their ability to become pregnant, and they are not required to do anything to qualify for its protection.
-Alan Daniel

1966 – National Organization for Women

The National Organization for Women (NOW) is currently the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States. NOW has 500,000 contributing members and 550 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Since its founding in 1966, NOW's goal has been to take action to bring about equality for all women. NOW seeks to end sexual discrimination, especially in the workplace, by means of legislative lobbying, litigation, and public demonstrations. According to the official NOW website, NOW works to eliminate discrimination and harassment in the workplace, schools, the justice system, and all other sectors of society; secure abortion, birth control and reproductive rights for all women; end all forms of violence against women; eradicate racism, sexism and homophobia; and promote equality and justice in our society. I found it important to include the National Organization for Women in the visual gallery because it serves as a good symbol of the vast progression of women in society as well as the workplace. To think that in 1825 the first all-woman union was formed and now there is an organization of women that is 500,000 strong. Seeing this gives me hope for the future and reassures me that there will be continued female progression in our society.
-Alan Daniel

2009 – Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is the most recent passed piece of legislation passed that directly assists women in the workplace. If unfamiliar with this act, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was the first bill Barack Obama signed into law upon becoming president in January of 2009. Basically, the law amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to state that the 180-day statute of limitations regarding a pay discrimination lawsuit resets with each new discriminatory paycheck, giving people more time to realize they’re being discriminated against, get a lawyer, and file a lawsuit. Lilly Ledbetter was a production supervisor at a Goodyear tire plant in Alabama for almost two decades. In 1998, after discovering she had been making significantly less than her male counterparts, Ledbetter filed an equal pay discrimination lawsuit. She filled it under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which states that employers with 15 employees or more may not discriminate on the basis of “race, color, religion, sex or national origin.” Unfortunately, Title VII also set the time limit to file suit at 180 days, and Lilly was six months away from retirement, so her lawsuit’s chances were doubtful. She filed anyway and it went all the way to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court voted 5-4 that Ledbetter was not entitled to compensation because she filed her claim more than 180 days after receiving her first discriminatory paycheck and she lost more than $200,000 in wages and benefits during her career due to gender discrimination. Because of this and because of Obama’s involvement women now have a law-abiding way to demand the wages they deserve as well as protect themselves from wage discrimination.

-Alan Daniel

Lecture: Women Inspire other Women to Pursue Careers in Business and Finance

The above video is a lecture from the University of Richmond. It is fairly long, running a bit over an hour, but it is quite inspiring. The reason I felt this video aught to be shared, is because it demonstrates a very serious effort to reach out and capture the imagination of the next generation of progressive women. Unlike the studies and news articles which I posted previously, this is a recording of real effort being made by women, to inspire and instruct younger women about how to get ahead in the financial industry. And isn't this the heart of progress? Older generations pass on their knowledge to a young generation of women hungry for success, and eager to open the doors which have been locked shut on them. There is a very real sense that lectures like these are a step in the right direction!

By: Andrew Napolitano; Editor

Top 25 Women in Finance

Following up on one of my previous posts, and sticking to the topic of women in business, here is a list published in 'The American Banker' of the top (perhaps lesser known) women in the financial industry.

Most of the women shown are top level executives in top tier financial institutions. 

Link:

Top 25 Women in Finance

By: Andrew Napolitano; Editor

Cracks in the Glass Ceiling: Female CEO's making more than male counterparts

This is a very thought provoking short news report. Worth the watch. New study finds that the top 16 female CEO's in America are earning far more than their male counterparts. While this fact does not do anything to change the situation for the vast majority of women who are payed roughly seventy cents for every dollar a man earns, it begs the question: 'how?".
How have these sixteen women managed to break the glass ceiling, and how can they use their influence to help their fellow women?

By: Andrew Napolitano; Editor

Top 50 Women in Business

Following my last post, regarding the rising popularity of Business majors among women at universities, Fortune Magazine recently published a list of the 50 most powerful women in business.
In a world where women are payed less money for the same job than their male counterparts, it is encouraging to see some progress being made in such an influential area of occupation.
As a Finance major I would be curious to know what headway women might be making in the financial sector of the work force.

Link:
50 Most Powerful Women in Business

By: Andrew Napolitano; Editor

Emerging Trend: #1 Major for Women in College is Business

A new study published in Forbes magazine suggests a lot is changing for women in college. More and more women are eager to pursue careers in some very white collar, formerly male dominated professions. According to the study, Business majors such as Management, Marketing, and Finance ranked #1 as the most popular group of majors for young women in college.
More encouraging, the second rankes most popular Majors fell in to the fields of medical science and health care. But will this shifting trend in academic pursuits be enough to chip away at the glass ceiling imposed by centuries of male career occupation? Time will tell.

Link:
Study in Forbes Magazine finds Business most popular Major for women

by: Andrew Napolitano; Editor

Paycheck Fairness Act Video

This is a short clip from the American Civil Liberties Union featuring Lilly Ledbetter, an outspoken supporter of equal pay in the workplace.

"It's 2012"

This inspiring quote by Lilly Ledbetter is at the center of the most hotly contested feminist argument. Currently women make 70 cents on every dollar their male counterparts make. This means, women are being payed less for doing the same job. Lilly is appealing to the commonsense in our nature. Enough is enough. This kind of inequality can not stand.

Lilly Ledbetter on the Colbert Report

Watch on Hulu

Lilly Ledbetter discusses Equal Pay for Equal Work and her Supreme Court case with Stephen Colbert on the Colbert Report.