Women For Hire is working on a major initiative to support the advancement of women in senior retail management leadership roles throughout the country. This is a unique opportunity to share your voice in an important dialogue to identify best practices for recruiting, retaining and advancing women in retail leadership roles, along with the chance to interview for exceptional management positions.
Specifically, we're looking for women with high volume and/or large scale management and/or operations experience in:
*Retail
*Hospitality/Hotel
*Restaurant/Food Services
*Manufacturing
*Publishing
*Or other high profile fields
Have you held a role as a senior district or regional manager, director or VP in a high volume/large scale operation? Have you managed business in excess of $5 million and/or led large teams of associates?
Target markets: Atlanta, Dallas, Kansas City, San Antonio and Seattle
If this is you or someone you know--and you're interested in contributing to the advancement of women in retail leadership and learning about a fast-track opportunity with a global leader--please contact Women For Hire today for details on our client's ambitious program.
Please send resume and a short description of your current employment and/or career goals to leadership@womenforhire.com. Indicate RETAIL LEADERSHIP in the subject line, along with one of the 5 cities listed above. We will reply to all qualified and relevant responses.
If you know talented women who qualify for this opportunity based on the criteria indicated here, please forward this email to them.
Thank you for your time.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Another first for a black American
Here's the story of a woman on a stormy journey, but with amazing determination: America's first black woman rabbi.
Finally, the Magical World of Disney Is About to Include an African American Princess
Thanks to the Women's Media Center for this one.
by Rachell Arteaga
Granted, it’s a fairy tale—the furthest thing from reality. But a wide audience of little girls is likely to take Tiana, the new Disney character, to heart. The author asks how likely is it that the mainstream company can produce an effective role model for them.
June 15, 2009
When I first heard that Disney was releasing an animated film starring a black princess this November, I was excited, yet skeptical. Disney has attempted to fulfill its diversity quota in animation before with films like Aladdin, Mulan, and Pocahontas. While these films achieved their box office busting goals and won the hearts of many little girls and boys, some would argue that they still left much to be desired in terms of racial, cultural and gender representation. The Disney production machine has remained relatively unchanged—can Tiana be any more authentic?
Tiana stars in the soon-to-be Disney classic The Princess and the Frog. A remarkable moment for American children’s media, she has come into an environment where Dora the Explorer, a pre-school animated series featuring a Latina, has become a national heroine for toddlers and their families–despite or because of her brown skin and magical Spanish words. Arguably, mainstream white audiences are ready for Tiana thanks to the long road paved by Dora and other animated favorites such as the bilingual twins Maya and Miguel and Little Bill, based on Bill Cosby’s book series.
Despite these gains an international study (International Central Institute for Youth and Educational Television, Germany) shows that still the “ratio of male to female characters in animation programmes … is as disparate as 87 percent male to 13 percent female” and that “72 percent of all main characters in children’s television are Caucasian,” with these proportions holding true in film and other forms of media. Headed by Maya Götz, along with scholars from more than a dozen countries around the world, the study posits that for children to really be engaged in any program, including animation, it is not unreasonable to expect that viewers be able to identify with the characters along the basic lines of gender and ethnicity. The Princess and the Frog has, thus, garnered a storm of media attention in its attempt to address this need—and boost Disney’s marketability across varying demographics.
Ultimately, however, the underlying issue here is not whether Disney will get this “right” by creating an accurate portrayal of a black princess. After all, we are talking about fairy tale here, which never have realistic depictions of anything, especially race and gender. Still, nuances are important, and, with Disney we have a homogeneous mainstream giant with white male directors and producers trying to construct a character based on a cultural and ethnic experience that is not their own.
It is admirable that, according to The New York Times, Disney has consulted with selected theater owners, the NAACP and Oprah Winfrey. And at least Tiana’s voice belongs to Tony Award-winning African American singer and actress, Anika Noni Rose. Nonetheless, as blogger Stephanie Daniels puts it, you have to be “wary of the thought of white folks writing about black folks and presenting it to black children.” What needs to be addressed is the lack of women of color in positions of authority—a need that the Götz study shows is spread throughout mainstream children’s media—who can conceive of strong female characters of color based on personal experiences within their culture and communities. Given this deficiency in its creative and executive positions, it should be of no surprise that Disney is struggling here. Until we can fill the director’s chairs, the production houses, and the writers’ rooms with these women, we cannot expect accurate portrayals or truly powerful role models for girls of color.
Disney will, predictably, do its mega media marketing magic and inundate malls, billboards and after-school TV ad slots with toys and other commercial images of Tiana leading up to the movie’s release. And there is no doubt that many little girls of color will be drawn to Tiana. As Women’s Media Center President Carol Jenkins aptly noted during a CBS news segment, this is an incredible validation for little girls of color who are for the most part invisible. My hope, however, is that Tiana’s mainstream appearance—controversy and all—will pave the way for all children’s media companies to not only continue embracing animated female protagonists of color, but to value the work of women of color, who have the license and authority to create authentic and imaginative characters for our children, our communities and beyond.
* ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rachell Arteaga is administrative coordinator for the Women’s Media Center. Before she joined the WMC, first as a volunteer, she worked on cultural and academic projects at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, CUNY—such as “assessment and Valuation of Puerto Rican, Chicano, Latino and Hispanic-Caribbean Art,” the first symposium of its kind. While earning her BA in media studies at Hunter, she interned at Sesame Workshop and the Jim Henson Company. She currently works weekends at the Paley Center for Media as an engineer for Recreating Radio Sound, helping children discover the rich history of “old-Time” radio while they re-enact a radio play.
by Rachell Arteaga
Granted, it’s a fairy tale—the furthest thing from reality. But a wide audience of little girls is likely to take Tiana, the new Disney character, to heart. The author asks how likely is it that the mainstream company can produce an effective role model for them.
June 15, 2009
When I first heard that Disney was releasing an animated film starring a black princess this November, I was excited, yet skeptical. Disney has attempted to fulfill its diversity quota in animation before with films like Aladdin, Mulan, and Pocahontas. While these films achieved their box office busting goals and won the hearts of many little girls and boys, some would argue that they still left much to be desired in terms of racial, cultural and gender representation. The Disney production machine has remained relatively unchanged—can Tiana be any more authentic?
Tiana stars in the soon-to-be Disney classic The Princess and the Frog. A remarkable moment for American children’s media, she has come into an environment where Dora the Explorer, a pre-school animated series featuring a Latina, has become a national heroine for toddlers and their families–despite or because of her brown skin and magical Spanish words. Arguably, mainstream white audiences are ready for Tiana thanks to the long road paved by Dora and other animated favorites such as the bilingual twins Maya and Miguel and Little Bill, based on Bill Cosby’s book series.
Despite these gains an international study (International Central Institute for Youth and Educational Television, Germany) shows that still the “ratio of male to female characters in animation programmes … is as disparate as 87 percent male to 13 percent female” and that “72 percent of all main characters in children’s television are Caucasian,” with these proportions holding true in film and other forms of media. Headed by Maya Götz, along with scholars from more than a dozen countries around the world, the study posits that for children to really be engaged in any program, including animation, it is not unreasonable to expect that viewers be able to identify with the characters along the basic lines of gender and ethnicity. The Princess and the Frog has, thus, garnered a storm of media attention in its attempt to address this need—and boost Disney’s marketability across varying demographics.
Ultimately, however, the underlying issue here is not whether Disney will get this “right” by creating an accurate portrayal of a black princess. After all, we are talking about fairy tale here, which never have realistic depictions of anything, especially race and gender. Still, nuances are important, and, with Disney we have a homogeneous mainstream giant with white male directors and producers trying to construct a character based on a cultural and ethnic experience that is not their own.
It is admirable that, according to The New York Times, Disney has consulted with selected theater owners, the NAACP and Oprah Winfrey. And at least Tiana’s voice belongs to Tony Award-winning African American singer and actress, Anika Noni Rose. Nonetheless, as blogger Stephanie Daniels puts it, you have to be “wary of the thought of white folks writing about black folks and presenting it to black children.” What needs to be addressed is the lack of women of color in positions of authority—a need that the Götz study shows is spread throughout mainstream children’s media—who can conceive of strong female characters of color based on personal experiences within their culture and communities. Given this deficiency in its creative and executive positions, it should be of no surprise that Disney is struggling here. Until we can fill the director’s chairs, the production houses, and the writers’ rooms with these women, we cannot expect accurate portrayals or truly powerful role models for girls of color.
Disney will, predictably, do its mega media marketing magic and inundate malls, billboards and after-school TV ad slots with toys and other commercial images of Tiana leading up to the movie’s release. And there is no doubt that many little girls of color will be drawn to Tiana. As Women’s Media Center President Carol Jenkins aptly noted during a CBS news segment, this is an incredible validation for little girls of color who are for the most part invisible. My hope, however, is that Tiana’s mainstream appearance—controversy and all—will pave the way for all children’s media companies to not only continue embracing animated female protagonists of color, but to value the work of women of color, who have the license and authority to create authentic and imaginative characters for our children, our communities and beyond.
* ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rachell Arteaga is administrative coordinator for the Women’s Media Center. Before she joined the WMC, first as a volunteer, she worked on cultural and academic projects at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, CUNY—such as “assessment and Valuation of Puerto Rican, Chicano, Latino and Hispanic-Caribbean Art,” the first symposium of its kind. While earning her BA in media studies at Hunter, she interned at Sesame Workshop and the Jim Henson Company. She currently works weekends at the Paley Center for Media as an engineer for Recreating Radio Sound, helping children discover the rich history of “old-Time” radio while they re-enact a radio play.
Sunday, June 07, 2009
New Catalyst Research Reveals Workplace Barriers for LGBT Employees
LGBT employees report unique experiences of exclusion and echo similar workplace hurdles to women
TORONTO (June 3, 2009) — Even in Canada, a country with legislated human rights protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, LGBT employees face workplace barriers that limit career advancement and, therefore, restrict potential contributions to organizational success, according to Catalyst’s third report on building LGBT-inclusive workplaces, Building LGBT-Inclusive Workplaces: Engaging Organizations and Individuals in Change. The new study finds that a lack of awareness, which may cause other employees to rely on stereotypes, can lead to a hostile work environment for LGBT employees including discriminatory behaviors such as inappropriate humor or derogatory language; exclusion from important relationships and advancement opportunities; and a lack of role models.
The study suggests that since some LGBT employees are “invisible” and choose not to disclose or come out, organizations may not fully understand the benefits, needs, and challenges of these employees. It also points out that when LGBT employees spend less effort managing disclosure and can focus on their work, both organizations and employees benefit.
“Leaders who understand the bottom-line benefits of diversity should be eager to implement LGBT-inclusion programs,” said Deborah Gillis, Vice President, North America , Catalyst. “LGBT-inclusive workplaces can increase employee engagement by allowing employees to be authentic and spend less time self-editing. That reduces costs by decreasing turnover. It can also potentially increase revenue by encouraging LGBT employees to help the organization tap new markets and enhance customer loyalty.”
According to the study, concerted efforts by organizations to create LGBT-inclusive workplaces, such as diversity training, employee networks, and mentoring programs, help to raise awareness and dispel myths, resulting in better workplace relationships, improved perceptions about workplace fairness, and increased career satisfaction and organizational commitment for LGBT employees.
Through its LGBT series, Catalyst extends its focus on gender diversity to include LGBT employees—recognizing that women may identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. This Catalyst study offers new insights about specific challenges facing LGBT women. While few differences were based on gender, LGBT women did report “less friendly workplaces” than LGBT men:
* 76 percent of LGBT women versus 85 percent of all others reported that their manager was comfortable interacting with them.
* 70 percent of LGBT women reported that their manager evaluated performance fairly versus 80 percent of LGBT men and 77 percent of non-LGBT women and men.
* On average, LGBT women are “out” to 50 percent of their workgroup versus LGBT men out to 72 percent of their workgroup.
The study reports that LGBT employees working in organizations with effective and inclusive diversity practices indicated better workplace relationships and greater organizational commitment and career satisfaction (linked to greater productivity) than LGBT employees at organizations without them. To help organizations become more inclusive and increase their brand as an “employer of choice,” Catalyst offers a number of recommendations, including:
* Increase awareness—identify and tackle organizational issues related to LGBT employees company-wide.
* Implement diversity training to help dispel LGBT myths/stereotypes.
* Help LGBT employees find mentors and employee groups.
* Make consistent and inclusive communications a core goal.
Scotiabank is the Contributing Sponsor of Building LGBT-Inclusive Workplaces: Engaging Organizations and Individuals in Change.
For more information on building LGBT-inclusive workplaces, please go to: www.catalyst.org. For media inquiries, please contact: Susan Nierenberg , 646-388-7744, snierenberg@catalyst.org; Serena Fong , 646-388-7757, sfong@catalyst.org; or Jeff Barth , 646-388-7725, jbarth@catalyst.org.
ABOUT CATALYST
Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit membership organization working globally with businesses and the professions to build inclusive workplaces and expand opportunities for women and business. With offices in the United States , Canada , and Europe , and more than 400 preeminent corporations as members, Catalyst is the trusted resource for research, information, and advice about women at work. Catalyst annually honors exemplary organizational initiatives that promote women’s advancement with the Catalyst Award.
TORONTO (June 3, 2009) — Even in Canada, a country with legislated human rights protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, LGBT employees face workplace barriers that limit career advancement and, therefore, restrict potential contributions to organizational success, according to Catalyst’s third report on building LGBT-inclusive workplaces, Building LGBT-Inclusive Workplaces: Engaging Organizations and Individuals in Change. The new study finds that a lack of awareness, which may cause other employees to rely on stereotypes, can lead to a hostile work environment for LGBT employees including discriminatory behaviors such as inappropriate humor or derogatory language; exclusion from important relationships and advancement opportunities; and a lack of role models.
The study suggests that since some LGBT employees are “invisible” and choose not to disclose or come out, organizations may not fully understand the benefits, needs, and challenges of these employees. It also points out that when LGBT employees spend less effort managing disclosure and can focus on their work, both organizations and employees benefit.
“Leaders who understand the bottom-line benefits of diversity should be eager to implement LGBT-inclusion programs,” said Deborah Gillis, Vice President, North America , Catalyst. “LGBT-inclusive workplaces can increase employee engagement by allowing employees to be authentic and spend less time self-editing. That reduces costs by decreasing turnover. It can also potentially increase revenue by encouraging LGBT employees to help the organization tap new markets and enhance customer loyalty.”
According to the study, concerted efforts by organizations to create LGBT-inclusive workplaces, such as diversity training, employee networks, and mentoring programs, help to raise awareness and dispel myths, resulting in better workplace relationships, improved perceptions about workplace fairness, and increased career satisfaction and organizational commitment for LGBT employees.
Through its LGBT series, Catalyst extends its focus on gender diversity to include LGBT employees—recognizing that women may identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. This Catalyst study offers new insights about specific challenges facing LGBT women. While few differences were based on gender, LGBT women did report “less friendly workplaces” than LGBT men:
* 76 percent of LGBT women versus 85 percent of all others reported that their manager was comfortable interacting with them.
* 70 percent of LGBT women reported that their manager evaluated performance fairly versus 80 percent of LGBT men and 77 percent of non-LGBT women and men.
* On average, LGBT women are “out” to 50 percent of their workgroup versus LGBT men out to 72 percent of their workgroup.
The study reports that LGBT employees working in organizations with effective and inclusive diversity practices indicated better workplace relationships and greater organizational commitment and career satisfaction (linked to greater productivity) than LGBT employees at organizations without them. To help organizations become more inclusive and increase their brand as an “employer of choice,” Catalyst offers a number of recommendations, including:
* Increase awareness—identify and tackle organizational issues related to LGBT employees company-wide.
* Implement diversity training to help dispel LGBT myths/stereotypes.
* Help LGBT employees find mentors and employee groups.
* Make consistent and inclusive communications a core goal.
Scotiabank is the Contributing Sponsor of Building LGBT-Inclusive Workplaces: Engaging Organizations and Individuals in Change.
For more information on building LGBT-inclusive workplaces, please go to: www.catalyst.org. For media inquiries, please contact: Susan Nierenberg , 646-388-7744, snierenberg@catalyst.org; Serena Fong , 646-388-7757, sfong@catalyst.org; or Jeff Barth , 646-388-7725, jbarth@catalyst.org.
ABOUT CATALYST
Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit membership organization working globally with businesses and the professions to build inclusive workplaces and expand opportunities for women and business. With offices in the United States , Canada , and Europe , and more than 400 preeminent corporations as members, Catalyst is the trusted resource for research, information, and advice about women at work. Catalyst annually honors exemplary organizational initiatives that promote women’s advancement with the Catalyst Award.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Poll Finds Women Immigrants Confront Many Barriers
NEW AMERICA MEDIA RELEASES HISTORIC POLL DETAILING DEMOGRAPHICS, CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES OF WOMEN IMMIGRANTS TO THE UNITED STATES
WASHINGTON—New America Media (NAM) today released an historic poll on woman immigrants to America, research that documents their demographics, reasons for immigrating and incredible will to overcome obstacles to build a new life for themselves and their families.
The poll, conducted by Bendixen & Associates, was released today at a forum discussion and news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
It found that women immigrants face formidable barriers. Many woman immigrants—Latin Americans (79%), Vietnamese (73%), Korean (70%), and Chinese (63%)—acknowledge speaking little or no English, while confronting anti-immigrant discrimination, lack of healthcare and low-paying employment well below the status of the professional work most did in their home countries.
“The poll establishes that in the latter part of the 20th century women immigrated to America in ever-growing numbers, and are now on the move as much as men, but often face vastly different circumstances and challenges,” said Sandy Close, NAM’s Executive Director. “Women are migrating not as lone individuals but as members, even heads, of families, determined to keep family bonds intact even as they travel great distances and adapt to new cultures. This journey has activated women.”
For instance, the poll found that as many women settled in America, they also radically altered their roles in their private lives. Almost one-third report having assumed head-of-household responsibilities or sharing equally with their husbands the decision-making on everything from household finances to family planning. Moreover, the poll found that the overwhelming majority—Latin American (81%), Chinese (71%), Vietnamese (68%), African (66%) and Arabic (53%)—said they had become more assertive at home and in public after moving to America.
“Women immigrants reveal that they came to America not in search of streets paved with gold – making money was surprisingly low on their list of priorities – but because they saw the US as a place to build better futures for their children, and to make permanent homes for their families,” Ms. Close said. “At a time when more than one-third of US families are single-parent households, 90 percent of women immigrants are raising children in intact marriages.”
US Representative Michael Honda (D-CA) applauded New America Media for highlighting the stories and needs of immigrant women.
“Many in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities face tremendous challenges accessing important services, from healthcare to education to housing,” said Representative Honda, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). “Women at the head of immigrant families often bear the brunt of disparities that our communities face. I look forward to working with my congressional colleagues to address these concerns.”
The poll also found that:
* 82% of Latin American women found discrimination against immigrants to be a major problem for their family, compared to 17% for women from African or Arab countries, and only 13% for those from China. Still, 90% of the Latin American women said they want to become US citizens.
* 40% of immigrant women from Latin America and significant percentages from other regions do not have health insurance. A clear majority of women immigrants without health insurance are unaware of public health programs that could help their children receive medical assistance.
* A majority of immigrant women from China, Korea, the Philippines, India, Africa and Arab countries describe their last job in their home country as “professional.” The study reveals that a substantial percentage of them have not found comparable employment in the United States. Their current jobs in America include working as a hotel maid, restaurant waitress, factory technician, house cleaner and textile worker. These results, and others, indicate that women may well be putting devotion to the well-being of their families ahead of personal job status and pride in choosing to immigrate.
* When asked to name the biggest challenge they faced as women immigrants in the United States, the majority did not cite economic difficulties. Rather, "helping my children achieve success" and "being able to hold my family together" were the top answers—underscoring the importance of family in understanding the motivations and aspirations of this new wave of women immigrants.
The poll results reminded Representative Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) of the challenges her family encountered during their transition to America.
“I found it striking that the data from this historic poll parallels my mother’s own experience in bringing me and my brothers to the United States from Japan in the mid 1950’s—her desire to build better futures for us; her early low-paying, no benefits jobs; her determination to keep the family together as head-of-household,” said Representative Hirono, a member of CAPAC’s executive board. “This survey shows a real need for key decision makers, on all levels of government and in the private sector, to support public policy that improves the quality of life for these women and their families.”
At the panel discussion and news conference, participants said the research data will be instrumental in helping the members of the public and support organizations understand not only the plight of women immigrants, but how government policy can improve the quality of life for them and their families.
“The study clearly indicates that women immigrants in the United States have not only become important contributors to the economic and social condition of their families in the United States but that they also have become catalysts in their assimilation to American culture and in the decision-making process about U.S. citizenship,” said Sergio Bendixen, who conducted the poll.
Further, Olga Vives, Executive Vice President for the National Organization for Women, said, “This is important information to have as we engage our country in meaningful discussions around comprehensive immigration reform, which must address the issues affecting immigrant women and their children.”
The poll of 1,102 respondents has a margin of error of 3 percent and was funded in part by grants to New America Media from Atlantic Philanthropies, Carnegie Corp., Ford Foundation and the Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Fund. NAM also received a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to assist with distribution of the poll results.
“We are grateful to our supporters who made this research possible,” Ms. Close said. “We believe this data can have a tremendous impact by improving our understanding of immigrant women and their families. This can help make a better America.”
About NAM
New America Media is the country's first and largest national collaboration and advocate for more than 2500 ethnic news organizations. Over 51 million ethnic adults connect to each other, to home countries and to America through 3000+ ethnic media, the fastest growing sector of American journalism. Founded by the nonprofit Pacific News Service in 1996, NAM is headquartered in California with offices in New York and Washington D.C. NAM also partners with journalism schools to grow local associations of ethnic media around the nation. Our 2009 National Ethnic Media EXPO & Awards will honor excellence in ethnic media journalism, forge collective strategies to strengthen the sector, expand its role in risk communications, and improve government communications with its audiences.
Visit NAM's homepage for news and updates on our programs here.
WASHINGTON—New America Media (NAM) today released an historic poll on woman immigrants to America, research that documents their demographics, reasons for immigrating and incredible will to overcome obstacles to build a new life for themselves and their families.
The poll, conducted by Bendixen & Associates, was released today at a forum discussion and news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
It found that women immigrants face formidable barriers. Many woman immigrants—Latin Americans (79%), Vietnamese (73%), Korean (70%), and Chinese (63%)—acknowledge speaking little or no English, while confronting anti-immigrant discrimination, lack of healthcare and low-paying employment well below the status of the professional work most did in their home countries.
“The poll establishes that in the latter part of the 20th century women immigrated to America in ever-growing numbers, and are now on the move as much as men, but often face vastly different circumstances and challenges,” said Sandy Close, NAM’s Executive Director. “Women are migrating not as lone individuals but as members, even heads, of families, determined to keep family bonds intact even as they travel great distances and adapt to new cultures. This journey has activated women.”
For instance, the poll found that as many women settled in America, they also radically altered their roles in their private lives. Almost one-third report having assumed head-of-household responsibilities or sharing equally with their husbands the decision-making on everything from household finances to family planning. Moreover, the poll found that the overwhelming majority—Latin American (81%), Chinese (71%), Vietnamese (68%), African (66%) and Arabic (53%)—said they had become more assertive at home and in public after moving to America.
“Women immigrants reveal that they came to America not in search of streets paved with gold – making money was surprisingly low on their list of priorities – but because they saw the US as a place to build better futures for their children, and to make permanent homes for their families,” Ms. Close said. “At a time when more than one-third of US families are single-parent households, 90 percent of women immigrants are raising children in intact marriages.”
US Representative Michael Honda (D-CA) applauded New America Media for highlighting the stories and needs of immigrant women.
“Many in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities face tremendous challenges accessing important services, from healthcare to education to housing,” said Representative Honda, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). “Women at the head of immigrant families often bear the brunt of disparities that our communities face. I look forward to working with my congressional colleagues to address these concerns.”
The poll also found that:
* 82% of Latin American women found discrimination against immigrants to be a major problem for their family, compared to 17% for women from African or Arab countries, and only 13% for those from China. Still, 90% of the Latin American women said they want to become US citizens.
* 40% of immigrant women from Latin America and significant percentages from other regions do not have health insurance. A clear majority of women immigrants without health insurance are unaware of public health programs that could help their children receive medical assistance.
* A majority of immigrant women from China, Korea, the Philippines, India, Africa and Arab countries describe their last job in their home country as “professional.” The study reveals that a substantial percentage of them have not found comparable employment in the United States. Their current jobs in America include working as a hotel maid, restaurant waitress, factory technician, house cleaner and textile worker. These results, and others, indicate that women may well be putting devotion to the well-being of their families ahead of personal job status and pride in choosing to immigrate.
* When asked to name the biggest challenge they faced as women immigrants in the United States, the majority did not cite economic difficulties. Rather, "helping my children achieve success" and "being able to hold my family together" were the top answers—underscoring the importance of family in understanding the motivations and aspirations of this new wave of women immigrants.
The poll results reminded Representative Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) of the challenges her family encountered during their transition to America.
“I found it striking that the data from this historic poll parallels my mother’s own experience in bringing me and my brothers to the United States from Japan in the mid 1950’s—her desire to build better futures for us; her early low-paying, no benefits jobs; her determination to keep the family together as head-of-household,” said Representative Hirono, a member of CAPAC’s executive board. “This survey shows a real need for key decision makers, on all levels of government and in the private sector, to support public policy that improves the quality of life for these women and their families.”
At the panel discussion and news conference, participants said the research data will be instrumental in helping the members of the public and support organizations understand not only the plight of women immigrants, but how government policy can improve the quality of life for them and their families.
“The study clearly indicates that women immigrants in the United States have not only become important contributors to the economic and social condition of their families in the United States but that they also have become catalysts in their assimilation to American culture and in the decision-making process about U.S. citizenship,” said Sergio Bendixen, who conducted the poll.
Further, Olga Vives, Executive Vice President for the National Organization for Women, said, “This is important information to have as we engage our country in meaningful discussions around comprehensive immigration reform, which must address the issues affecting immigrant women and their children.”
The poll of 1,102 respondents has a margin of error of 3 percent and was funded in part by grants to New America Media from Atlantic Philanthropies, Carnegie Corp., Ford Foundation and the Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Fund. NAM also received a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to assist with distribution of the poll results.
“We are grateful to our supporters who made this research possible,” Ms. Close said. “We believe this data can have a tremendous impact by improving our understanding of immigrant women and their families. This can help make a better America.”
About NAM
New America Media is the country's first and largest national collaboration and advocate for more than 2500 ethnic news organizations. Over 51 million ethnic adults connect to each other, to home countries and to America through 3000+ ethnic media, the fastest growing sector of American journalism. Founded by the nonprofit Pacific News Service in 1996, NAM is headquartered in California with offices in New York and Washington D.C. NAM also partners with journalism schools to grow local associations of ethnic media around the nation. Our 2009 National Ethnic Media EXPO & Awards will honor excellence in ethnic media journalism, forge collective strategies to strengthen the sector, expand its role in risk communications, and improve government communications with its audiences.
Visit NAM's homepage for news and updates on our programs here.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Fooled Again
With a feeling of YES I posted an article on our home page signaling that women had finally closed the pay gap with men--in government jobs. And now, much to my dismay, I must report that the picture is not so rosy, but it's same old, same old, with women stuck in lower paying non government sector jobs, and even in those jobs are outearned by comparable men.
Men Outearn Women in Almost All Occupations
A new analysis released by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) today on Equal Pay Day shows that men out-earn women in nearly every occupation for which data are available.
Of the more than 500 occupational categories for which sufficient data are provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in only 5 occupations do women earn the same or more than men.
Men earn more than women even in jobs that are most common among women, such as
- Administrative assistants: women earn only 83.4 cents for a man's dollar
- Elementary and middle school teachers: women earn 87.6 cents for a man's dollar
- Registered nurses: women earn 87.4 cents for a man's dollar
Men and women still tend to be concentrated in very different jobs, with the most common jobs among women paying less than the most common jobs held by men. For example, the highest paying of the ten most common occupations for women, 'Registered Nurses,' pays $1,011 in median weekly earnings, whereas the highest paying of men's top ten most common jobs is 'Managers, all other,' which pays $1,359 per week. The lowest paying of the most common jobs for women is 'Cashier' at $349 per week, whereas the lowest paying most common job for men is 'Cook' at $404 per week.
Ariane Hegewisch, Study Director at the Institute for Women's Policy Research, says, "Women tend to be in the minority of workers in the occupations with the highest earnings. We need to ensure that women are fully informed about the earnings potential of an occupation before they choose their careers."
The analysis uses data from the Bureau of Labor statistics from 2008.
IWPR Director of Research Dr. Barbara Gault notes, "The data paint a clear picture of a workforce that remains strongly divided on the basis of sex -- with women landing in the worst jobs our labor market has to offer, and earning less than men even in the exact same jobs. Our economy can only thrive when opportunities are equally available regardless of gender or race."
To view the Fact Sheet, see www.iwpr.org/pdf/C350a.pdf
The Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women, promote public dialogue, and strengthen families, communities, and societies. The Institute works with policymakers, scholars, and public interest groups to design, execute, and disseminate research that illuminates economic and social policy issues affecting women and their families, and to build a network of individuals and organizations that conduct and use women-oriented policy research. IWPR's work is supported by foundation grants, government grants and contracts, donations from individuals, and contributions from organizations and corporations. IWPR is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization that also works in affiliation with the women's studies and public policy programs at The George Washington University.
| Institute for Women's Policy Research Elisabeth Crum Communications and Outreach Coordinator email: crum@iwpr.org |
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Catalyst Honors 4 Initiatives with 2009 Awards
Baxter, CH2M HILL, Gibbons, and KPMG Initiatives Honored With the 2009 Catalyst Award
Award celebrates innovative initiatives that advance women and business
NEW YORK – The 2009 Catalyst Award was presented on March 31 to Baxter International Inc., CH2M HILL, Gibbons P.C., and KPMG LLP for their ground-breaking initiatives that advance women in the workplace. The award, given during the Catalyst Awards Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria and sponsored by DuPont and Shell Oil Company, attracted approximately 100 CEOs of major corporations and firms, and nearly 1500 senior executives and industry leaders from over 200 U.S. and global companies.
“This year’s award-winning initiatives represent the business success that bringing women into leadership can deliver across industries and geographies,” said Ilene H. Lang, President and CEO of Catalyst. “No matter where we look, whether in New York or Asia Pacific, from engineering to pharmaceuticals, we find achievement through inclusion of women.”
Irene Rosenfeld, Chairman and CEO of Kraft Foods Inc., and one of the 15 Fortune 500 women CEOs, chaired the Catalyst Awards Dinner. “As a consumer business, it’s essential that our workforce – and especially our leaders – reflect the diversity of our consumer base. Kraft Foods applauds the 2009 Catalyst Award winners for demonstrating that significant gains can be made when organizations set their mind to increasing diversity."
Baxter International Inc.’s Asia Pacific initiative, Building Talent Edge reached its 2010 target of a 50/50 gender balance across management-level and critical positions two years ahead of schedule. "Gender diversity is not just a social issue but one that addresses a core challenge for all organizations: talent," said Gerald Lema, Corporate Vice President and President, Asia Pacific of Baxter International Inc. "Extensive research and our own experience demonstrate that organizations that allow the best talent to enter, develop, move up and contribute do better. Organizations that move quickly to remove the barriers and become more inclusive overall will be the winners."
CH2M HILL’s Constructing Pathways for Women Through Inclusion initiative provides a model for leveraging women employees to achieve business success and accelerate women's advancement. Lee A. McIntire, President and CEO of CH2M HILL remarked, “We are so proud that our initiative is the first in the engineering and construction industry to win the Catalyst Award – and even more proud of what this means for our industry overall, which has a genuine desire to improve diversity within its ranks.”
Gibbons P.C.’s The Women’s Initiative: Driving Success Through Diversity Investment, is critical to the firm’s branding in the marketplace and generated more than six percent of its annual revenue in 2007. Patrick C. Dunican, Jr., Chairman and Managing Director of Gibbons P.C. said, "Our Women's Initiative has proven to be a win-win-win proposition. Our women attorneys constantly develop their professional skills, leadership abilities, and business networks – all of which clearly benefit clients and positively impact the firm's bottom line."
KPMG LLP’s Great Place to Build a Career initiative uses diversity and inclusion as a driver for change resulting in a culture of career growth, mentoring, and accountability that focuses on a talented pool of diverse individuals. Timothy P. Flynn, Chairman of KPMG LLP commented, “We are honored by Catalyst’s recognition. This initiative, which ensures that all of our professionals, especially women and people of color, are provided the support and opportunities to make the most of their talents and experiences at every stage of their career, has become embedded into our culture. The talent and professionalism of our people is critical to our long term business success and this initiative has helped us expand and develop our high quality professional work force.”
For complete descriptions of past and present Catalyst Award-winning initiatives and the Catalyst Awards Conference, please visit www.catalyst.org.
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