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

In today’s rundown: The number of young parents who need housing in DC is on the rise.  Plus, Gloria Steinem talks about the women’s movement and what she learned after turning 60.

— An increasing number of parents under the age of 24 in DC are in need of housing, reports The Washington Post. The DC Alliance of Youth Advocates released a study today that surveyed about 500 people between the ages of 12 and 24 who did not have stable housing arrangements.  About half of those surveyed had children.  According to the executive director of Covenant House, a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner, most of the study participants had to leave more stable homes for economic reasons.

— As part of the TEDxWomen’s conference last week, Gloria Steinem sat down to talk about women’s progress and aging well.  You can watch her short interview by clicking here.

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

In today’s rundown: Last chance to apply for a giving circle grant.  Ensuring that women are part of the strategy to battle AIDS.  New unemployment numbers. And “disgusting” remarks from a presidential candidate about children who live in poverty.

— Funding proposals for the Rainmakers Giving Circle are due on Monday at 5pm!  The giving circle’s mission is to improve the lives of girls and young women in the Washington region.  Please click here for more details.

— Yesterday was World AIDS Day and Women’s Enews wants to ensure that women are included in plans to fight HIV and AIDS.  Serra Sippel writes that a recent speech by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “sidelined women and reproductive health.”

— GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich recently said some things about children, poverty, crime and work ethic that The Washington Post‘s Jonathan Capehart generously describes as “disgusting.”

— New numbers out today show that the nationwide unemployment rate dropped to 8.6 percent last month.  DCentric points out, however, that the unemployment rate remained stable for blacks and Hispanics.

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

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In today’s rundown: A new video contest is giving girls across the country a chance to participate in problem solving.  Plus, a new report takes a look at the impact of poverty on young families.

— To show that girls play vital roles in our country as thought leaders and problem solvers, the Women’s Media Center is holding a Girls’ State of the Union video contest.  Girls between the ages of 14 and 22 are invited to create and submit a video.  In January, the winner will be flown to Washington, DC to present her report to the National Press Club.  The deadline to submit is December 5th!  Click here to find out how to submit.

— The younger the children and parents are in a household, the more likely the family is to be poor, according to a new report. “Two Generations in Poverty: U.S. Status and Trends Among Parents and Children” “outlines the disproportionate effects of poverty on young children, young parents, and children and parents in single-mother families.”

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

In today’s rundown: Nearly half of Americans don’t have economic security, according to a new report.  Guidelines on eating ethically are coming out in DC this week.  And almost half of men surveyed say they’d like to be stay-at-home husbands if their wives out earned them.

— Nearly half of Americans are living without economic security, according to a new report from Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW), a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner.  According to the report, “43 percent of all households and 62 percent of African American households and 66 of Hispanic households have incomes that fail to reach economic security.”

— On Thursday, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United will release the National Diners’ Guide 2012.  The guide will help diners locate restaurants that treat their employees ethically.  Restaurant Opportunities Centers DC is a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner.

— The majority of men are OK with women earning more money, according to a new study. Men’s Health and Spike TV found that 73 percent of men don’t have a problem dating a woman who out earns them; 45 percent of men say they wouldn’t mind staying at home if their spouses were the main breadwinners.

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

In today’s rundown: Honoring the most influential businesswomen in the region.  A new study finds the best pathways to the middle class.  And why women veterans rock.

— Later today 25 women, including Women’s Foundation President Nicky Goren, will be honored by the Washington Business Journal.  Each year the Business Journal holds the Women Who Mean Business Awards to recognize “influential, powerful and trailblazing women.”  Congratulations to Nicky and all of the other honorees!

— Georgetown University has released a new report that examines the best education and labor pathways into the middle class.  Career Clusters: Forecasting Demand for High School Through College Jobs, 2008 – 2018, found that “decent jobs” still exist for those who have high school diplomas, but no higher education; however, there are not enough of those jobs to go around.  The report also confirms that women need a postsecondary education to earn the same wages as men with high school diplomas.

The Washington Informer details an event held last week to honor women veterans.  The Informer says that women are the fastest growing group of veterans in the country.

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

In today’s rundown: Female science pioneers from Maryland are being honored in a new exhibit at the Women’s Heritage Center.  And how the growing income gap is changing the face of neighborhoods nationwide.

— More than 100 Maryland women are being recognized in an exhibit opening at the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center in Baltimore, reports the Gazette. The exhibit will feature pioneers in science, including one Prince George’s County woman who works at NASA and joined an expedition to Antarctica in the 1970s.

— Middle class neighborhoods are shrinking as the income gap grows, reports The New York Times. Nationwide, rising income inequality is keeping families “in neighborhoods that are mostly low-income or mostly affluent.”

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

In today’s rundown: Local gang members force underage girls into prostitution.  The gender pay gap and its impact on l0w-wage workers.  And has there been an uptick in violence among young female students?

— Federal investigators say that local members of the MS-13 gang are “branching” out into forcing underage girls into prostitution.  A Washington Post article details the story of a 12-year-old girl who ran away from home and says that she was forced by an MS-13 member to have sex for money.  In recent months, three gang members and associates in Northern Virginia have been convicted of federal prostitution charges involving juveniles.

— A Washington Area Women’s Foundation staff member weighs in on a new report on the gender pay gap and low-wage workers.

— There’s a rise in violent incidents involving females students, according to The Washington Post. Experts cited in the article — which includes details about a number of local incidents — say that “changing views of femininity” have contributed to an uptick in violent acts by women, against women.  But Washington City Paper isn’t so convinced that this is a trend.  In an online response to the Post article, the City Paper says that there are several issues at play and “shoehorning” them into one “trend” sensationalizes some very serious topics.

Equal Pay Now! New Report Raises Concerns About Gender Pay Gap & Low-Wage Workers

gao-watchdog-icon-bigEarlier this month I attended a press conference on the new Government Accountability Office watchdog report Gender Pay Differences: Progress Made but Women Remain Overrepresented among Low-Wage Workers. Unfortunately, the disparity in the wage-gap continues to be very alarming.

In 2000, a similar report found that less-educated women earned 81 cents for every dollar men earned.  By 2010, the pay gap shrunk by five cents to 86 cents per dollar.  Unfortunately, that small feat is not enough; there’s still more work to do.  In the current report, women were overrepresented among low-wage workers.  While women made up 49 percent of the total workforce in 2010, women accounted for 59 percent of the low-wage workforce.

The GAO researchers surveyed 14 industries and analyzed 15 occupations.  They discovered that even within the same industries and occupations where women had more experience and education, women are still undervalued and underpaid. This can be discouraging to say the least.  I commend Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, the former chair of the Joint Economic Committee for requesting this report in 2010.   The Congresswoman’s position on this and other women’s issues around equality give so many of us hope.

However, when I hear startling statistics like these, I cannot help but to reflect on my own personal experience.  While growing up, I remember hearing how important and valuable education was to securing a decent future for me and my family.  Hearing those words evoked both the passion and desire for me to strive.  However, having secured a college degree and currently working on two master’s degrees, I can’t help but to wonder will I (we) ever catch up?  Will we ever be armed with the right amount of education and experience to be able to fairly and equally compete?  Should young girls and women continue on the path to prosperity chasing the false hope of prosperity with looming statistics like these dancing alongside our journey?

I realize these questions are heavy and could take literally an act of Congress to get answered.  But as a single mother and the head of my household, I can’t help but to seek answers to these questions as those answers impact the decisions I make for my family every day.

In the meantime and until those questions are answered, I will continue to arm myself with what motivates and inspires me – “be the best woman I can be,” which includes a very promising vision of me and all women being treated equally and fairly in every aspect of our lives.

Latricia Allen is the grants manager at Washington Area Women’s Foundation.

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

In today’s rundown: The new poverty measurement finds Latinos to be the poorest group in the U.S.  It’s going to cost an additional $5 to feed your family at Thanksgiving this year.  And discounted broadband services for low income families starting next summer.

— The new supplemental poverty measure released by the U.S. Census Bureau earlier this week finds that Latinos are the poorest group of Americans, according to DCentric. The new measure puts the nationwide Latino poverty rate at 28 percent.  The official measurement finds that African Americans have the highest poverty rate in the country.

— The cost of Thanksgiving dinner is on the rise, reports the Virginia Farm Bureau.  This year, feeding a group of 10 adults turkey, side dishes and dessert will cost $48.03.  That’s nearly $5 more than last year, reports WAMU.

— A free health education text messaging service aimed at medically under-served women is reaching a number of goals, according to the White House Council on Women and Girls’ blog. Text4Baby sends three text messages per week to subscribers with information on doctor’s visits, immunization and Medicaid.

— Cable companies around the country will begin offering discounted services to families with an annual income of $29,055 or less, reports DCentric. Cutting costs will make having the internet more affordable to low income residents.

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

In today’s rundown: A new measurement method reveals that more Americans are living in poverty than we previously thought.  The majority of girls in grades 7 through 12 face sexual harassment at school.  And we’re ready to Give to the Max!

— A new way of measuring poverty is giving us a more accurate look at who is poor in America.  The new measure found that the poverty rate was 16 percent last year, reports NPR. It won’t be replacing the current method for measuring poverty, but it takes into account factors like government benefits, taxes and location.

— A new study shows widespread sexual harassment in schools across the country, according to The New York Times. 56 percent of girls and 40 percent of boys in grades 7 through 12 reported being the targets of “unwelcome sexual behavior.”

— Washington Area Women’s Foundation will be one of many organizations participating in Give to the Max Day tomorrow.  This 24 hour fundraising event will bring together nonprofits and residents who are passionate about changing the Washington region for the better.  We hope that you join us in making a difference!