Author: Mariah Craven

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: A law requiring girls in Virginia to get the HPV vaccine could be repealed.  And a revival may be in the works for D.C.’s school voucher program.

— Virginia’s House of Delegates voted to approve legislation that would eliminate the Commonwealth’s requirement that sixth-grade girls get the vaccine that protects against the STD that can cause cervical cancer. The House voted to repeal the law 61-33.  The bill will move to the Senate, which has killed previous attempts to repeal the mandate.  The vaccine protects against human papilloma virus, or HPV.  Click here for details.

— D.C.’s school voucher program may be revived.  WAMU reports that some federal legislators are working on bills that would reauthorize the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which gives public funds to children from low-income families so that they can attend private and parochial schools.  The program began in 2004, but in 2009 Congress did not renew funding for it.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: Cracking down on trafficking in Virginia. | A detailed look at affordable housing in the District. | Major improvements at a local high school that was once called the lowest-achieving in Virginia.

— “Virginia’s General assembly is taking steps to crack down on” child sex trafficking, reports WTOP.com. Fairfax Del. Tim Hugo is introducing legislation that will increase the penalty for predators caught for sex trafficking.

— What does the affordable housing crisis look like in D.C.? Bread for the City takes a look at some of the facts.

— The Washington Post takes a look at the turn-around being made at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria.  Once called the “persistently lowest-achieving” public high school in Virginia, T.C. Williams has made significant changes and received $6 million from the Obama Administration.


The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: Women immigrants in Northern Virginia are ready to share their stories. | A call to put poverty on the national agenda. | And a new study finds women are underrepresented in films.

— A newsletter being distributed in Northern Virginia is helping Latina immigrants share their stories with one another and their American neighbors. Amanecer “is being printed in English and Spanish at the headquarters of Tenants and Workers United, a group that represents low-income residents in Northern Virginia” reports The Washington Post.

— “Put poverty on the agenda,” writes Katrina Vanden Heuvel in The Nation. The call to action is backed by startling statistics, including the fact that a “record 47 million people now live below the poverty line — $22,400 for a family of four — and a stunning 1 in 3 Americans are living at less than twice that threshold.”

— A new study commissioned by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media found that “the film industry is still stuck on portraying females as eye candy and that women continue to be depicted in negative images and stereotypes.”  Click here for details.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: A look at chronic homelessness in DC and overall homelessness in Maryland. | An unexpected slide down the socioeconomic ladder for some middle class Americans. | A call for more federal HIV/AIDS funding. | A profile of friendship among women in Congress.

— A nonprofit has credited the District with helping to decrease chronic homelessness, reports WAMU.  During the height of the recession, the number of chronic homeless fell by 12 percent in D.C.

— At the same time, the overall number of homeless in Maryland jumped nearly 30%, reports The Washington Examiner.

— Today’s Washington Post profiles several middle class families who found themselves struggling to pay for basic necessities.  The article takes a look at why some people are sliding down the socioeconomic ladder.

— President Obama isn’t doing enough when it comes to HIV/AIDS funding, writes AIDS activist Gregg Gonsalves in The Washington Post.

— The New York Times takes a look at the relationships Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has with other women in Congress, particularly with the women who were in the congresswoman’s hospital room when she opened her eye after being shot in Tucson last weekend.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: A look at Casa de Maryland’s winter program for immigrants. | The finances of stay-at-home moms who get divorced. | Making 2011 the Year of Giving. | And “painful” budget cuts for Montgomery County.

— Grantee Partner Casa de Maryland is featured in The Washington Post for their “Winter Semester,” which teaches skills to immigrants.  The three month program focuses on marketable skills like child care, tailoring, plumbing, English and computer literacy.

— The Institute for Women’s Policy Research — another Grantee Partner — is cited in a New Republic article on “the opt out problem.” The article takes a look at the “looming economic disaster for stay-at-home moms who get divorced.”

— “Make 2011 the Year of Giving,” writes David M. Bradt, Jr. in Capital Business. Bradt notes the juxtaposition between the growing wealth in our region and the increasing number of residents who are unemployed and/or living in poverty.

— Montgomery County’s executive is warning that upcoming budget cuts “will be painful,” reports WAMU. The county’s budget deficit is at $300 million and is expected to go higher.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: It’s National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. | D.C. is once again providing free dental dams to the public. | And one opinion on teen pregnancy, poverty and prevention.

— Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.  Our Grantee Partner Polaris Project has comprehensive coverage and information about modern day slavery.  Follow them on Twitter @Polaris_Project for more.

— Dental dams are back in the District’s Department of Health, reports Amanda Hess at TBD.com. Dental dams are thin squares of latex that can be used in safe sex practices.  The D.C. government had been providing them for free until they ran out about a year ago.  “The DC Center, the District’s LGBT community center, is now advertising a new stock of dental dams, along with sexual health information for lesbian and bisexual women.”

— The Washington Post‘s Colbert I. King weighs in with his opinion on teen pregnancy and poverty in D.C.  In the column, he calls for a focus on pregnancy prevention programs.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

World_Aids_Day_RibbonIn today’s rundown: Virginia is set to close enrollment in a program that helps low-income residents with HIV buy medication. | A northern Virginia homeless shelter is pressured by a zoning proposal. | The Executive Director of FAIR Fund is profiled ahead of National Human Trafficking Day.

— New enrollment into the Virginia Department of Health’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program is being closed.  The program provides medication to low-income residents with HIV.  There are some exceptions, WTOP.com reports. Pregnant women and children 18-years-old and younger will still be able to enroll.

— A northern Virginia homeless shelter is feeling pressure on all sides.  The Lamb Center in Fairfax City has seen its clientele nearly double over the past five years, but says the city is tightening zoning codes in a way that will make it difficult for the daytime shelter to move to a bigger location.  The Washington Post has the details.

— In my holiday-induced haze, I missed last week’s Washington Examiner profile of Andrea Powell, executive director of FAIR Fund, a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner.  FAIR Fund works to combat human trafficking.  Tomorrow is National Human Trafficking Day.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

After a holiday hiatus, your headline hungry daily rundowner is back and ready to bring you the most important women and girls’ news in 2011.  In today’s rundown: The posse that goes to college together. | Tax season volunteer opportunities. | Recognition for those who advance human rights in northern Virginia.

The DC EITC Campaign is accepting volunteers for the tax season.  This campaign to raise awareness for the Earned Income Tax Credit provides free tax preparation services and financial support to low-income DC residents.  Click here for details and to sign up.

A “posse” of local high school students has received full-tuition college scholarships.  The Posse Foundation gave 62 students more than $8 million in scholarships.  Groups of 10 students (a posse) will go to top colleges together.  NBC Washington has the details.

The Fairfax County Human Rights Commission is now accepting nominations for its 33rd Annual Human Rights Awards. The awards recognize businesses, nonprofits and individuals who advanced human rights in Fairfax County last year.  Submissions are due by February 28th. (via WAMU)

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: The expanding income gap in D.C. | Economic insecurity may be affecting a majority of Americans. | And tea time provides valuable lessons for local teen girls.

— Washington, DC is one of the national leaders in income growth, reports The New York Times. But the economic boom is leaving a gaping disparity in income with “unemployment for residents with only a high school diploma more than” doubling to 19 percent, the highest in 30 years.  The article cites information from the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner.

— “For most Americans, economic insecurity seems to be the rule rather than the exception,” according to Philanthropy News Digest. The information comes from a new report that takes a look at how economic insecurity affects the well-being of Americans.

— The Washington Post reports on the High Tea Society, a group that teaches teen girls in D.C. responsibility, finance and cultural awareness.  The girls in the program hope to start a tea catering company.

My 5 Favorite Empowering Videos of 2010

Posted on by Mariah Craven

This time last year, Washington Area Women’s Foundation was promoting “Be That Woman,” an animated video that illustrated the work we do.  That short video showed why it’s important to invest in women and demonstrated the power of images and sound.  Since then, I’ve been keeping an eye out for other videos that show the impact that women and girls have on our society.  In no particular order, here’s a look at some of my favorites from 2010:

“In Your Face With Mark Lewis and Friends” was created by the Name It Change It campaign, a project created to fight sexism in the media against women political candidates.  “In Your Face…” takes a tongue-in-cheek look at how the media treats women who are running for office.  Many of the ridiculous sounding statements in this video clip were actually said or written by journalists.  This video contains some adult language.

Lorraine Fells spoke at The Women’s Foundation’s 2010 Leadership Luncheon.  While it may seem self-serving to put one of our own videos in this list, I’m doing it without reservation because Lorraine’s bravery and dedication to her community never cease to amaze me.  She boldly got on stage in front of 1,100 people and frankly talked about overcoming addiction, losing her daughters, and how Goodwill of Greater Washington helped her turn her life around.

“Who’s Your Feminist Pop Culture Icon?” SPARK Summit asked that question and got answers that were both conventional and surprising.  That might be the only question in which answers can include “Wonder Woman,” “Lady Gaga,” and “Christie Love.”

“The Girl Effect: The Clock is Ticking” is a follow-up to 2008’s “The Girl Effect” video.  “The Clock is Ticking” is an urgent push to help lift girls out of poverty.  This video focuses on helping 12-year-old girls internationally; but what struck me was the fact that, except for early marriage, all of the barriers faced by girls in other countries are faced by girls in the D.C. metro region, too.

Honorable video mentions also go to: “The Power of Madonna” episode of Glee and Willow Smith’s “I Whip My Hair.”

Are there any videos that moved you this year?  And I’d love to know — who’s your feminist pop culture icon??