Women's eNews (https://womensenews.org/author/jennifer-thurston/)
As Veterans Day approaches, Jennifer Thurston looks back at famous mothers who have lost their sons to war and their wide range of reactions to official efforts at consolation. Today, more mothers will be losing their daughters as well as sons.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One of the earliest women to bring awareness to the disease and its surgical treatment was the writer Fanny Burney. She underwent a mastectomy in September 1830 and lived to write about it.
The president of the group that certifies companies as friendly to female contractors is pleased with this year’s roster and sees further gains in an Obama review of federal contracting policy and the massive stimulus package.
1781: Elizabeth Freeman wins her freedom in a Massachusetts court case.
Lilly Ledbetter lost her Supreme Court battle for fair pay. Now retired and a widow, her battle shifted to her Social Security office, which lost her February check. Her story shows how workers who suffer wage bias can feel the sting in retirement.
(WOMENSENEWS)–Barriers for women were broken in U.S. politics and hints of reform emerged in unlikely places this year. At the same time, women felt the impact of a global recession and faced a backlash in the battle to secure equal rights. Here are the Women’s eNews top stories for women of 2008:CheersThe presidential campaign added new cracks to the ceiling of the world’s most powerful political office. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York became the first female presidential front-runner before losing the Democratic primary to Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, whose victory signals the restoration of a more woman-friendly administration to the White House. Clinton gained 18 million votes and ultimately made it easier for a woman to run for the highest offices.
(WOMENSENEWS)–CheersNamibia has reached 30 percent female representation in the national assembly, a target set in 1997 to be met by 2005 by the South African Development Community, the Windhoek New Era reported May 5. Tanzania, South Africa and Mozambique have previously met the goals.Patricia Mulasikwanda, Zambia’s gender affairs minister, commended Namibia for meeting the targets, saying the four countries that have achieved the goal should inspire the other 10 nations, including her own, that have not.South Africa’s public services minister, Geraldine Moleketi, announced that her government would also reach a target of filling 50 percent of senior management positions in the public sector with women by 2009, the Tshwane BuaNews reported May 6.More News to Cheer This Week:Canada awarded honorary citizenship to Burmese Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi May 6, calling on her release from house arrest, Agence France-Presse reported. Canada’s foreign minister said Suu Kyi “personifies the struggle to bring freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law” to the nation, struggling with the aftermath of last week’s cyclone. Relief agencies predict the cyclone’s death toll will rise over 100,000.Hazel Jones, an 84-year-old World War II veteran from Dover, N.H., was awarded five medals last week including the Women’s Army Corps Service Medal. Jones received the medals after arrangements by Rep. Carol Shea Porter, who has made it a special priority to work with the military to issue veterans’ medals even if they are years past due, according to her office.
“Math Doesn’t Suck” by TV’s Danica McKellar is selling copies, getting media attention and talking to girls about decimals and digits. Jennifer Thurston has some misgivings about the book’s style, but likes the basic “do the math” message.
(WOMENSENEWS)–Significant efforts were made during 2007 to advance women’s rights and to reduce health disparities and violence. Some of those efforts, however, fell far short: the U.S. abortion rights movement suffered a major defeat by the Bush appointees to the Supreme Court. Here are the Women’s eNews top news stories for women during 2007:CheersTaking over as chief of the World Health Organization on Jan. 4, Margaret Chan made the annual deaths of 529,000 women from pregnancy-related causes an international priority. By the end of October, the global health community had mustered donations over $1.4 billion for the effort.
NPR’s Anne Garrels was the voice of Iraq during the 2003 invasion and her reports from the war zone have been a highlight of the network’s coverage. Now she sees only bad options in Iraq but intends to cover the country as long as possible.