About.com

Where Will Women Be 5 Years From Now?

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 23:49:05 +0000

What a difference 5 years makes.

When I stepped in as the About.com Women's Issues Guide in October 2007, the 2008 election was still over a year away, the U.S. had never had a viable female candidate for president, and the Republicans had never had a female VP on their presidential ticket.

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Name This Downton Abbey Star - Why Powerful Women Don't Need Hair, Makeup on This Successful Series

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:09:04 +0000

How can this be? A hit TV series and pop culture phenomenon in which half the female cast wear little if any makeup and sport hair so bad it's worse than 80s hair? Can we say O'Brien? Can you believe that the actress who plays her is pictured above? (O'Brien, we hardly knew ye.) But it's a credit to Siobhan Finneran that looks don't matter on Downton Abbey -- only acting chops.

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Did You Know That? Facts About History of Women in Congress

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:03:54 +0000

_{Photo of Democratic women of the House © Mark Wilson/Getty Images}

Like many, I'm excited about the 113th Congress because of the inclusion of so many women and because of its diversity and its many firsts. However, we ought to be mindful of the overall history of women in Congress and get better acquainted with those progressive women whose trailblazing efforts nearly a century ago broke the glass ceiling at the federal level.

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Panetta, Dempsey Announce Lifting of Ban with Personal Stories of Women's Service

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:05:10 +0000

There's always a great deal of hoopla at those press events surrounding the signing of new policies and legislation in Washington. Sometimes when you scan the faces of those involved, the smiles are fixed and the cheer reads false -- but it's a politically expedient move and so mote it be.

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On the 40th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, A Nation Remains Divided

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 02:08:29 +0000

Anniversaries usually prompt reflection and celebration. But most anniversaries aren't as controversial as Roe v. Wade. A Supreme Court decision that was supposed to settle the issue of abortion once and for all continues to divide the country. Today as we observe the 40th anniversary of the legalization of abortion, the event is shadowed by widespread protests planned throughout the week.

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Will 2013 Be a Groundbreaking Year for Women?

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:35:46 +0000

How are things shaping up for women in 2013? Are the headlines from the first two weeks of the new year any indication of what's to come?

Three stories that have topped the list: a new Congress chock-full of women -- more than ever before, particularly in a Senate that's now 20% female; a changing Cabinet where the notable women who have chosen to step down are being replaced by white males -- appointments President Obama is being criticized for; and a departing Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, whose ill health has been the cause of much speculation.

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What Happened in Steubenville, Ohio Football Rape Case Goes Global Via Anonymous and Social Media

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:07:04 +0000

Back in December when the New York Times published an in-depth look at a stomach-churning case of alleged gang rape and sexual abuse of an unconscious 16-year old girl involving members of a small town's much-revered high school football team -- and how photos and videos of the assault were disseminated through social media and Twitter -- the matter of the Steubenville, Ohio assault was far from an open-and-shut case despite ample video, visual evidence, and plenty of witnesses.

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Claiming To Be a Religion-Based Corporation, Hobby Lobby Fights Contraception Under Obamacare

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:16:18 +0000

What exactly is a religion-based corporation? Can a for-profit private company claim the religious beliefs of its founder and CEO to avoid certain mandates under the law -- mandates every corporation is expected to follow? Would you need to know what the company did to form an opinion?

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New Year, New Confidence - Robyn Hatcher on Speaking with Power and Passion

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 19:57:24 +0000

Every conference has one -- the workshop that outshines all others because it's chock full of concrete take-homes, practical advice, and real-world applications. The best of these workshops involves audience participation and a chance for a willing victim to step up and try a few of the presenter's tips and tricks so that the rest of us can see that they really work.

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More Hype than Truth to 2012 as the Year of the Woman

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 21:01:36 +0000

If I had a dime for every year that some pundit, op-ed columnist, advertiser or thought leader pronounced as "The Year of " female this or that, I'd have $5.10.

Okay, granted, I just gave up my age and named an amount that isn't all that impressive, but you get the drift.

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