Women's Philanthropy--Women's Issues

Older Adults and Social Media Pew Internet & American Life Project Madden, Mary

September 15, 2010   The following reports have been posted to PubHub: Older Adults and Social Media Pew Internet & American Life Project Madden, Mary Presents survey findings on the growing use of social networking sites among Americans age 50 and older, as well as their other online activities, and considers possible factors behind the trend. Compares trends by age group and broadband access. Published: August 2010 Funder(s): Pew Charitable Trusts Subject(s): Aging; Science/Technology; Science/Technology, Internet

allAfrica.com: Africa: Sixty Women Researchers Recognised

allAfrica.com: Africa: Sixty Women Researchers Recognised.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201008230981.html

NIH cannot fund embryonic stem cell research, judge rules

NIH cannot fund embryonic stem cell research, judge rules.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/23/AR2010082303448.html?wpisrc=nl_headline

Realizing Health Reform's Potential: Women and the Affordable Care Act of 2010

August 23, 2010   The following reports have been posted to PubHub: Realizing Health Reform's Potential: Women and the Affordable Care Act of 2010 Commonwealth Fund Collins, Sara R.; Michelle M. Doty; Sheila D. Rustgi Outlines the 2010 healthcare reform provisions that will benefit women, including subsidized and improved coverage and bans on lifetime caps, rescissions, and rating on gender. Analyzes how each will address women's growing exposure to healthcare costs. Published: July 2010 Funder(s): Commonwealth Fund Subject(s): Women; Health; Health, Health Insurance/Coverage Foundation Center • 79 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003 • (212) 620-4230

Status of Women and Girls in Minnesota

August 11, 2010   The following reports have been posted to PubHub: Status of Women and Girls in Minnesota University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute's Center on Women and Public Policy Examines trends in women and girls' well-being, including economic justice, safety and security, health and reproductive rights, and leadership. Analyzes wage and education gaps, access to childcare and affordable housing, and the recession's impact. Published: June 2010 Funder(s): Women's Foundation of Minnesota Subject(s): Women; Social Science; Social Science, Workforce/Labor Issues  Foundation Center • 79 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003 • (212) 620-4230

Childlessness Up Among All Women; Down Among Women With Advanced Degrees

July 14, 2010   The following reports have been posted to PubHub: Childlessness Up Among All Women; Down Among Women With Advanced Degrees Pew Research Center Livingston, Gretchen; D'Vera Cohn Analyzes trends in the percentage of women ages 40-44 who have not borne children by education, race/ethnicity, and marital status, as well as contributing factors, including improved job opportunities for women and contraceptive methods. Published: June 2010 Funder(s): Pew Charitable Trusts Subject(s): Women; Social Science; Social Science, Population/Demographic Studies

Latino Attitudes About Women and Society

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/07/latino_attitudes.html

Latinos accept and welcome the rising status of women in American life and report many of the same needs as others in terms of balancing work and family life.

SOURCE: AP/Tracy Wilcox

By John Halpin, Ruy Teixeira | July 9, 2010

Download this memo (pdf)

The Center for American Progress, in conjunction with A Woman’s Nation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and TIME magazine, conducted a landmark study in the summer of 2009 into public attitudes about women, society, and the workplace. Women are approaching the historic milestone of constituting half of the workforce, and the study sought to determine how Americans felt about a range of changes in the nature of modern family life and work.

The study found striking consistency in men and women’s attitudes about many formerly contentious issues of gender relations and the working status of women. The study overall found strong majorities of men and women agreeing that the rise of women in the workforce is a positive development for society—a belief that crossed partisan, ideological, racial and ethnic, and even generational lines.

The survey of 3,413 adults, conducted by Abt SRBI, included an oversample of Latinos, allowing us to dive somewhat deeper into the beliefs of this important and growing group, and to compare their attitudes with those of the population at large. This survey was not designed as a comprehensive examination of Latino attitudes and subgroups, but the results provide interesting and useful attitudinal trends that will be worth pursuing in more detail in future studies.

It is important to note upfront that Latino attitudes were basically in line with those of other groups on nearly every indicator in the survey. Some minor differences did emerge in terms of the intensity of these beliefs and the degree of consensus about an issue. But, as was found with the overall population, Latinos accept and welcome the rising status of women in American life and report many of the same needs as others in terms of balancing work and family life.

Some of the more interesting findings that emerged from our analysis include:

Latino attitudes about the rise of women in the workforce are as positive as any group in America

We asked Americans to evaluate the fact that women today constitute about one-half of all workers compared to 40 years ago when women made up one-third of all workers. More than three-quarters of Americans (77 percent) overall viewed this development positively, with less than one-fifth (19 percent) viewing this change negatively. Positive views about the rise of women in the economy cut across nearly every demographic and ideological group. But Latinos were among the most favorable groups in the survey, with 87 percent of Latino women and 82 percent of Latino men viewing this change positively—7 to 10 points higher than men and women overall (Figure 1).

Latinos are more focused on having a fulfilling a job and are much more likely to want their daughters to have an interesting career

Latinos express a strong desire for better and more fulfilling job opportunities in life. The rank ordering of life goals is roughly similar between Latinos and the overall population, but larger percentages of Latino men and women rate “having a fulfilling job” as a very important life goal (Figure 2).

When asked to rank order a series of three possible life outcomes for their daughters, Latino men and women were also far more likely to rank “an interesting career” first in their list of desires for their daughters compared to the population at large. Forty-two percent of Latino women and 32 percent of Latino men ranked an interesting career as the top goal for their daughters compared to 23 percent of women and 17 percent of men overall (Figure 3). Latino men and women were consequently far less likely to rank “a happy marriage and children” as the top life goals for their daughters. Majorities of men and women overall ranked marriage and children first on the list compared to only 35 percent of Latino women and 44 percent of Latino men (Figure 3).

Majorities of Latinos favor a traditional family structure, but they are less concerned than other groups about children growing up without a stay-at-home parent

Fifty-five percent of Latino men and women agree that it is better for a family if the father works outside the home and the mother takes care of children, a trend fairly consistent with the population at large. But Latino men, and Latino women in particular, express far less concern than the overall population about the negative consequences of children growing up in a household without a stay-at-home parent. Less than half of Latino women (49 percent) say the demise of the percentage of children growing up with a parent at home is a negative development for society compared to 61 percent of women overall (Figure 4).

Latinos are more likely than others to look to one another in their relationships for financial support and household decision making

Latino men, perhaps reflecting the overall status of Latinos in the workforce, are twice as likely as men overall to say that it is very important to them for their romantic partners to provide financial support—32 percent versus 15 percent, respectively. Forty-one percent of Latino women report similar sentiments compared to 30 percent of women overall (Figure 5).

Latino men report much higher rates of primary responsibility for child care than men overall but much greater difficulty getting time off for work to care for their children

When asked to identify who is mostly responsible for taking care of their children, 13 percent of men overall report that they themselves are mostly responsible for child care. The self-reported figure among Latino men is 32 percent—more than double the overall number. Interestingly, Latino women and women overall are much more consistent with one another in terms of self-reported behavior about child rearing. It is debatable whether this reflects actual or perceived differences on the home front, but the perception among Latino men about their role in child care clearly extends to the workplace, as well. Thirty-six percent of men overall reported having difficulty getting time off from work to care for kids compared to 51 percent of Latino men (Figure 6). And both Latino men and women report much higher rates of having difficulty taking time off to care for an elderly parent compared to the population at large.

Latinos hold more progressive attitudes than the population at large in terms of the role of women in politics

Larger percentages of Latino men and women, compared to men and women overall, agree that the contemporary women’s movement considers the needs of men and families in addition to those of women. Three quarters of Latino men agree with this notion compared to less than 6 in 10 men overall. More Latino men and women also agree— by roughly a 10-point margin when compared to the overall population—that there would be fewer problems in the world if women had a more equal position in government and business (Figure 7).

Latinos are among the strongest proponents of new policies to improve work-life balance

Latinos express some of the highest levels of support for changes to governmental and business policies to better equip people to handle the burdens of modern life—from increased workplace flexibility to paid family and medical leave to increased child care support (Figure 8).

Conclusion

More extensive research would be needed to fully understand the range of opinions among Latino subgroups, but we can say with some confidence that Latinos express consensus and common perspectives—among themselves and in relation to the overall population—about the expanded role of women in society and the economy. Both Latino men and women welcome the increased participation of women in business and public life, particularly among parents thinking about the future careers of their own daughters. And they understand the need for greater cooperation and stronger public policies to help negotiate the difficulties of modern family life.

Download this memo (pdf)

John Halpin and Ruy Teixeira are both Senior Fellows at American Progress

Nearly 2.5 Million Nonelderly California Women Uninsured at Some Time During 2007

June 28, 2010   The following reports have been posted to PubHub: Nearly 2.5 Million Nonelderly California Women Uninsured at Some Time During 2007 UCLA Center for Health Policy Wyn, Roberta; Erin Peckham Analyzes the insurance status of women ages 18-64 in 2007 and variations by age group, race/ethnicity, family income, family structure, education, and county. Highlights how the lack of coverage compounds the financial difficulties of low-income women. Published: June 2010 Funder(s): California Wellness Foundation Subject(s): Women; Health; Health, Health Insurance/Coverage Foundation Center • 79 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003 • (212) 620-4230

THE WOMEN'S RESEARCH AND EDUCATION INSTITUTE

SOURCE:  http://www.wrei.org

 

WREI's Mission

Since 1977, Members of Congress have looked to the Women's Research & Education Institute for nonpartisan information and policy analysis on women's equity issues. Over the years, WREI's reputation as a source of reliable data and clear thinking about the status of American women has traveled far beyond the nation's Capitol.

WREI's mission is to identify issues affecting women and their roles in the family, workplace, and public arena, and to inform and help shape the public policy debate on these issues.

Today WREI is a respected resource not only for federal legislators and administrators, but also for state and local government officials, women's advocates, corporate policy makers, the media, teachers and students, and a myriad of other individuals and organizations throughout the United States and in many foreign countries.

• WREI urges researchers to consider the public policy implications of their work;
• WREI fosters the exchange of ideas and expertise between researchers and policymakers;
• WREI promotes the informed scrutiny of policies regarding their effect on women, and encourages the development of policy options that recognize the circumstances of today's women and their families.

Projects

WREI puts vital information on key issues affecting women into the hands of policy-makers in the form of reports and facts sheets that are prepared by WREI staff or outside scholars. Family leave policies in the U.S. and abroad, housing, access to health care, women's employment, and women in the military are some of the issues and projects currently on WREI's research agenda.

Through our current issues and projects, WREI provides timely conferences, symposia, and briefings that bring researchers and policy-makers, women's advocates, and interested others together to learn and share their knowledge.

WREI's sources are among the nation's best, and include research and policy centers throughout the country where scholars are conducting cutting-edge research on a host of issues concerning women.

	Congressional Fellowships on Women and Public Policy WREI identifies and trains new leaders through its Congressional Fellowship program, which is open to graduate students with strong academic skills and a proven commitment to equity for women. Established in 1980, this program enhances the research capacity of Congressional offices, especially with respect to legislation's implications for women, and has given scores of promising women hands-on experience in the federal legislative process.
	The American Woman Series WREI produces The American Woman, a series of comprehensive reports on the current status of women in the U.S. Published every other year, The American Woman draws together and analyzes the most up-to-date data available about progress and setbacks for women in virtually every aspect of their lives. The American Woman attracts extensive media attention and has been widely praised; "highly recommended" by Library Journal.
	Women in the Military Since 1989, WREI has monitored the status of women in the U.S. armed forces and produces a biennial report and holds biennial conferences to examine the roles and responsibilities of females in all uniformed professions, including firefighting, policing, and peacekeeping.
	Connecting the Dots... Women, Religion, and Public Policy Women leaders in religious institutions joins feminists in public policy and academe to discuss issues issues affecting women's equality.
	Crossing Borders WREI began Crossing Borders in 2002 to examine the effects of US immigration law and policy on women in America, especially in issues of citizenship and refugee status. The research revealed that females dominate many of the legal and illegal categories of immigration. Analyzing the past and present of US immigration, Crossing Borders seeks new ways of defining citizenship and the policy surrounding it.
	Women Writing Africa A project of the Feminist Press of the City University of New York, Women Writing Africa is a literary venture producing a series of regional anthologies of African women's writing. A landmark project of cultural reclamation, this project brings the voices of African women to readers around the globe. WREI is the base for Washington promotion and programs in the Women Writing Africa project.
	Women's Health Women's health and policies to improve it have been a focus of WREI's work for a quarter-century. Among recent health reports are Improving the Health of Midlife Women: Policy Options for the 21st Century (2001) and Women's Health I

The American Woman

 WREI produces The American Woman, a series of books about the status of women in the United States. Published every other year, The American Woman draws together and analyzes the most up-to-date statistics available about virtually every aspect of women’s lives.

There have been nine published editions of The American Woman. Editions six through nine are available for purchase.

Our latest edition, released in 2006, is The American Woman on the Web: A Statistical Portrait. It comprises statistical information about the status of women, on such topics as education, health, employment, earnings and benefits, and economic security.

 Editions:

The American Woman 1987-88: A Status Report

The American Woman 1988-89: A Status Report

The American Woman 1990-91: A Status Report

The American Woman 1992-1993: A Status Report - Women in Politics

The American Woman 1994-95: A Status Report - Women and Health

The American Woman 1996-1997: Where We Stand - Women and Work

The American Woman 1999-2000: Century of Change - What's Next?

The American Woman 2001-2002: Getting to the Top

The American Woman 2003-2004: Daughters of a Revolution - Young Women Today

 PRAISE FOR THE AMERICAN WOMAN

I've looked high and low for a good textbook to use for the class I will teach on "Women & Politics" in the fall at Samford University. I was thrilled when I came across this book . . . I have found that the best way to get such students to start questioning some of their ingrained gender role stereotypes is to slap them upside the proverbial head with statistics on women in U.S. society. This book is chock full of powerful statistics that tell no lies about what it means to be a woman in U.S. society, and also how one's racial identity affects one's experience of womanhood. . . In sum, other professors out there—this is a perfect book to assign for college students with no prior exposure to women's studies." — Lisa Sharlach's review on Amazon.com (Birmingham, AL)

“The American Woman is a landmark achievement.”—Betty Friedan.

"The American Woman is an important record of the journey of women politically and socially. In its blend of data, anecdote, and narrative analysis lies the power of its message. This is a wonderful book for thoughtful people who want to understand the condition of their mothers and the future of their daughters." —Lieutenant General Claudia J. Kennedy, U.S. Army (retired)

"The American Woman celebrates the remarkable leadership achievements by women. . . . It also suggests practical ways to reduce and finally remove the barriers that remain to women's full and fair participation in all aspects of American life." —Edward M. Kennedy, U.S. senator from Massachusetts

“By looking beyond today’s political trappings and popular assumptions, The American Woman delivers a rich and detailed portrait, serving as a key to the past, a map of the present, and a blueprint for our future.”—U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe.

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Study finds earnings disparity for women following community college education

SOURCE:  http://www.physorg.com/news191174706.html

April 22, 2010

(PhysOrg.com) -- Women who receive postsecondary career and technical education are still being short-changed in their career earnings when compared with male counterparts, according to a study released online today by the Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk (JESPAR). Researchers with the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS) at Iowa State University found that women who completed community college associate degrees earn far less in business, marketing and information technology (IT) careers than men who did not complete their degrees.

The six-year longitudinal study of nearly 1,800 Iowa community college students investigated the relationship between student characteristics -- gender, race/ethnicity, program of study and degree completion -- and their earnings outcomes in the business, marketing and IT fields.

"The interesting thing to me was that even when women complete associate degrees, their earnings are still much less than male students who do not complete degrees. That at least suggests a gender disparity may still exist," said lead author Jonathan Compton, a former ELPS doctoral research associate who is now a research analyst in Iowa State's records and registration department.

Disparity may be artificially inflated

Compton acknowledges that the gender disparity may be artificially inflated because the earnings figures do not consider part-time vs. full-time employment and previous literature has reported that a higher percentage of women turn to part-time employment while raising young children.

The results of this study are based on research led by Frankie Santos Laanan, an ELPS associate professor; and Soko Starobin, an ELPS assistant professor. Since 2004, the Office of Community College Research and Policy in ELPS has collaborated with the Iowa Department of Education, Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation to develop the methodology to examine the economic benefits of Iowa's community college students who enrolled in career and technical education.

The new Iowa State study is one of 12 published in JESPAR highlighting research on youth in poverty for "Pathways to Postsecondary Success," a five-year study funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that aims to advance research and provide tools to improve educational opportunities for poor youth not on track to earn a higher education credential.

Among the study's business sample, women with associate degrees made $27,377 on average in 2007 -- five years after graduation -- while men without a degree earned $37,745. Among marketing students, women with an associate degree earned an average of $28,211, while men with no degree earned $35,354.

In IT careers, women who earned associate degrees made 52.1 percent more in 2007 than they did in 2003 -- compared with a 41.5 increase for men with degrees. Yet men without degrees still earned an average of $39,888 in 2007, while women with associate degrees earned just $35,103. And in the first year after graduating with an associate degree, women earned an average of $23,076 -- nearly $7,000 less than men without degrees.

"I think with IT, it's a very complicated career cluster because of certification," said Laanan, who is a leading researcher on community college outcomes. "And one of the limitations of the study is we don't have course level data. We know they [subjects] complete certificates and degrees. Certificates mean something in an IT field. But it's possible in some career clusters that students may need a specific class or course in that area, and not the certificate or degree."

The study uses Iowa Department of Education data for information on student enrollment, student characteristics and degree completion in 2001-02. Iowa Workforce Development unemployment insurance wage data provided information on quarterly wages following departure from community college. Students who transferred or continued enrollment in four-year institutions were removed from the sample. The three career clusters were strategically chosen because they are popular among community college students nationally.

No statistically significant racial disparity

The study's results did not show statistically significant differences in average earnings when comparing race. The researchers suggest that may be a result of having such a small number of ethnic minorities in the Iowa sample.

They were also surprised to learn that few students actually complete degrees in these career areas -- with just under 22 percent earning associate degrees in the study's sample.

"I think community college students are very pragmatic," Compton said. "They get enough courses to get a job and they're satisfied that now it's time to go, saying, 'I've got this job opportunity and now I need to go off to work.' They may not be thinking about the associate degree over the long-term."
The study further confirms that low income students -- those who were recipients of PELL grants -- show large increases in wages when participating in career and technical education programs.

"The PELL aspect is important for this study because it's a proxy for the economically disadvantaged," Laanan said. "In terms of how community colleges serve disadvantaged populations as measured by economics, these findings support that role and how they contribute to human capital development, as reflected by earnings."

ELPS researchers are working on a future study assessing earnings in other career clusters.

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