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 Grantee Partner testifies about the unique challenges formerly incarcerated women in D.C. face.  The same Grantee Partner — Our Place DC — also discusses how the female condom could empower women.  And tax holidays for back-t0-school shopping are coming up in Maryland and Virginia.

— Earlier this week, Ashley McSwain, the executive director of Our Place DC — a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner — testified before a House subcommittee at a hearing called “Federal D.C. Code Felons: Unique Challenges in Prison and at Home.”  Our Place DC helps formerly and currently incarcerated women return home from prison.  Click here to watch a webcast of the hearing.

— Our Place DC was also featured in a WAMU story about the efforts to hand out 500,000 female condoms in D.C. by the end of the year. In the story, Ashley McSwain talks about why the female condom gives women more control over their sex lives.

— Shoppers in Maryland and Virginia will be getting a tax break — just in time for back-to-school shopping.  From August 8-14 in Maryland, clothing under $100 will be tax exempt.  And August 6-8 will be a sales tax holiday on some school supplies and clothing in Virginia.  Click here for more details.

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

Posted on by Mariah Craven

Money Woman_emdotIn today’s rundown: Women, along with everyone else, are confused by their finances.  |  Medicine may not be enough in the battle to fight HIV and AIDS.  |  A stalking victim comes to D.C. to push for tougher anti-stalking laws.

— A growing number of American women control the finances of their households, but many are not confident in their fiscal management abilities, according to a new study out this week. But as Jezebel.com points out, we’re not the only ones confused by finances.

— The news of a vaginal gel to prevent the transmission of HIV was hailed as a breakthrough when it was announced at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna last week.  But some argue that creating a medical solution to the spread of the virus isn’t enough.  They say it’s just as critical to find solutions to the social issues that surround HIV.  Click here for details.

— ESPN sportscaster Erin Andrews was in D.C. this week to support the Simplifying the Ambiguous Law, Keeping Everyone Reliably Safe (STALKERS) Act of 2010.  The purpose of the bill is to strengthen current federal anti-stalking laws.  Andrews was stalked by a man who followed her across three states and filmed her through the peephole of her hotel room doors.  Click here to read more about the proposed legislation.

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

Posted on by Mariah Craven

Female_condom_packIn today’s rundown: D.C. increases distribution efforts for the female condom.  The number of local children living in poverty is well above the national average.  Elementary schools that serve impoverished students in Fairfax County will be given extra funds for more teachers and summer classes.

— Local community groups are stepping up efforts to introduce D.C. residents to the female condom.  They’re handing out 500,000 condoms — and giving lessons on how to use them — on the street, in churches, at salons and in restaurants.  D.C., which has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the country, is one of the few places where the condom can be bought in drug stores.  Click here for details.

— D.C.’s poverty rate among children is well above the national average, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.  The report says that 41 percent of D.C. kids live in families where no parent has full-time or year-round employment.  That’s 14 points higher than the national average.  Click here for a copy of the report, “Kids Count Data Book.”

— The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has grudgingly agreed to commit an extra $1.3 million to the neediest public school students, according to The Washington Post. The money will pay for additional teachers and instructional time at 11 elementary schools that serve impoverished children.

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

Posted on by Mariah Craven

DefeatPovertyDC LogoIn today’s rundown: Your chance to attend a D.C. community forum with the leading candidates for mayor and city council chair this week.  |  Filling the gap for Virginia’s uninsured children.  |  One reason the unemployment rate in one local ward is at about 30 percent.

— On Thursday, Defeat Poverty DC is hosting a community forum where moderators will question the leading candidates for D.C. mayor and D.C. council chair.  The program will be from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the UDC Auditorium, Building 46E, 4200 Connecticut Ave., NW.  To attend, RSVP to dcforumrsvp@gmail.com.  Defeat Poverty DC is a coalition of residents and organizations — including The Women’s Foundation — that are putting economic opportunity on the 2010 political agenda.

— With about nine percent of Virginia’s children uninsured, local health care workers are helping out, offering free screenings, physicals and immunizations. They’re also encouraging uninsured families to find out if they qualify for programs like Project Connect, Virginia’s Child Health Insurance program.  Click here for more.

— Employment in D.C. is improving — the jobless rate fell about half-a-point to 10 percent last month.  But in Ward 8, unemployment remains high — at an estimated 30 percent.  As WAMU reports, the disproportionately high numbers could be related to “returning citizens.”

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending July 23, 2010)

Posted on by Mariah Craven

The latest news, analysis and opinion on the state of low-income women and their families from Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity. This week: A D.C. woman who couldn’t afford her electric bill got help ahead of last weekend’s heat wave. Why cutting preschool funding will hurt low-income, single, working mothers.

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, a national foundation-led initiative, is excited to collaborate with the Women’s Foundation to bring you the latest news and analysis on women and poverty. Spotlight is the go-to site for news and ideas about fighting poverty.

Here’s this week’s news:

· The Washington Post reports that an elderly, low-income woman had her power restored by the D.C. Department of the Environment’s Energy Office after some needy children who lived in her apartment rent free for nearly three years abandoned her with a $1,200 electric bill.

· The Associated Press discusses the challenges facing Christina Pooley, one of many foster children each year who turns 18 and is then evicted from his or her group home more prepared for a life on the street than in an apartment.

·Single mother Nadeah Rasheed tells the New York Times that she fears that she will return to homelessness since she does not earn enough to cover her family’s living expenses and the housing subsidies that she has been receiving from New York City since 2008 are about to expire.

· The St. Louis Post-Dispatch covers the latest set of budget proposals that will cause many districts to cut preschool funding for all but special-needs children, a move that will surely hurt low-income, single working mothers.

· The Trauma Recovery Center has helped hundreds of patients from impoverished neighborhoods deal with trauma, one of whom is Lenora McCall, who now cares for her six grandchildren after her daughter was killed, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

To learn more about Spotlight visit www.spotlightonpoverty.org

To sign up for our weekly updates with the latest news, opinion and research from around the country, click here.

The Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity team

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

Posted on by Mariah Craven

girls inc logoIn today’s rundown: A Grantee Partner talks about empowering girls on DCTV.  |  It’s going to get “oppressively hot” this weekend.  |  The Living Wage Rate for the District remains unchanged.

— Girls, Inc. of the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area, a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner, is featured in DCTV’s “School’s Out – Self Worth” video.  In the video (at the five minute mark), Program Director Jamila White discusses how Girls, Inc. empowers girls to be “strong, smart and bold.”

— It’s hot.  And it’s going to get even hotter.  This weekend, it’s expected to feel like 105 – 110 degrees in the metro area.  Earlier this month, DCist compiled a list of local cooling centers that had been opened to help residents stay safe.

— The District has announced that the Living Wage Rate for 2010 will remain at $12.50 per hour, the same as last year’s Living Wage Rate.  Click here for more details.

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

Posted on by Mariah Craven

Nicky Goren Headshot2 SmallIn today’s rundown: The Women’s Foundation’s president talks about the issues women-headed families face.  And President Obama calls for the passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act.

— Women’s Foundation President Nicky Goren is featured in the “3-minute interview” in today’s Washington Examiner. In it, she talks about some of the issues single women-headed families face and what we can do to help.

— President Obama is calling for Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.  He says it’s a common sense bill that will ensure women get paid as well as men.  Click here for more.

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

Posted on by Mariah Craven

Medical symbol [credit cogdogblog]In today’s rundown: A one-day, no-cost medical clinic for D.C. residents.  |  A breakthrough vaginal gel could help decrease a woman’s risk of becoming infected with HIV.  |  The Senate will take another go at extended unemployment benefits.  |  A look at the rising number of girls in the juvenile justice system.

— A one-day free medical clinic will open up in D.C. next month for Washingtonians who can’t afford the health care they need.  The no-cost clinic will be open on August 4th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.  Click here for more details.

— A vaginal gel can significantly cut a woman’s risk of becoming infected with the AIDS virus, according to research that will be presented today at the 18th International AIDS Conference in Vienna.  The gel, which was tested in South Africa, contains the antiretroviral drug tenofovir.  In the study, it reduced the risk of HIV infection by 39 percent in a group of women who used it for three-quarters of their sexual encounters.  According to The Washington Post, women who used it more consistently experienced 54 percent fewer infections.

— Senate Democrats are taking another shot today at a bill that would extend the deadline to file for unemployment benefits through the end of November.  Senate Republicans have blocked a vote several times over budget deficit concerns.  Click here for more.

— About.com’s Women Issues blog takes a look at “a vulnerable population” — girls who are in the juvenile justice system.  With an increasing number of girls entering the juvenile justice system, the blog explores what they’re being arrested for and why incarceration may not be the most effective way to help them.

Photo credit: CogDogBlog via Creative Commons

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

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: Why poverty and education should go hand-in-hand this election season.  And President Obama again calls on the Senate to extend unemployment insurance.

— Schools and education are two of the main topics being addressed by D.C. mayoral candidates this year.  According to Judith Sandalow, executive director of Children’s Law Center, voters who care about education reform should also ask the candidates what they plan to do about the District’s high poverty rate.  Children’s Law Center and The Women’s Foundation are both members of Defeat Poverty DC, a coalition of organizations and individuals who are using the 2010 election season to bring greater focus on the damaging effects of poverty.

— Earlier today, President Obama had a message for Republicans who have been blocking a Senate measure that would extend unemployment benefits to Americans who have experienced long-term joblessness.  The president encouraged the passage of the extension, which has the support of only two GOP senators.  Click here for the latest.

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

Posted on by Mariah Craven

pink-hard-hat2In today’s rundown: We revisit men and their tenuous hold on American domination. We wonder what will happen to women who are being affected by the “mancession.” And another multi-billion dollar commitment to philanthropy.

— Jezebel.com asks if “the  mancession will harm ‘macho’ career women” — women employed in industries that have been traditionally dominated by men (like construction).  Jobs in these industries have been among the hardest hit during the economic downturn.

— And the Today Show wonders if this is really “the end of men,” debating about an article in Atlantic Monthly about the growing of achievements of American women as a whole.  The Women’s Foundation Program Officer, Gwen Rubinstein, wrote about this very topic last month on the blog.

— Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has joined a growing group of wealthy Americans who have pledged to give away large amounts of their fortunes.  Yesterday, Allen announced that “he planned to give more than half of his estimated $13.5 billion fortune to philanthropy,” according to the New York Times.

So… what do you think about today’s topics?  Is there really a “mancession” going on and will women who are impacted have a harder time recovering?  What does the phrase “the end of men” even mean?  How will these major commitments to philanthropy change the nonprofit world?  Was a pink hard hat the wrong image to use in today’s post?  Weigh in here, on Facebook or on Twitter.  We’d love to hear from you!