Smart Women
Life Pursuits Beyond Husbands and Handbags
Thursday, March 15, 2012
No Women's Sports? That Was a Reality 40 Years Ago
Until 1972, U.S. schools weren't required to support, financially and otherwise, any women's sports teams. That seems like a pretty strange concept at this point. Can you imagine not having the opportunity to participate in any athletic activity other than cheerleading if you were so inclined? Things began to change after Title IX legislation was passed 40 years ago, guaranteeing gender equality in education programs receiving federal funding. Read the story of Missy Parks, who grew up during this transitional time in our nation's educational system. Parks went on to a successful athletic career and started a company called Title Nine because of the significance of that legislation in her life.
Labels:
Real Smart Women,
Social Status
Monday, March 12, 2012
Thought-Provoking Comments On the Sexualization of Girls
The sexualization of girls of all ages is nowhere near new. We all know this. But just knowing it, accepting it as fact, is not enough! We need to read more insightful (and at times frightful) commentaries like this one from The Guardian. The stories shared by these four British women could have been written by almost any woman, almost anywhere in the world. And that's precisely what makes it so important. This column comes on the heels of the report that the French government has called for a ban on beauty contests for young girls after outrage over a 10-year-old in French Vogue. I firmly believe that beauty pageants are just one of the many, many ways we perpetuate this terrible trend of stealing childhood innocence from our girls. We need to pay attention to our words and our actions about and toward little girls. Think about what you're praising them for because that will be the source of their worth. Use words and behaviors that reinforce concepts aside from their appearance. It all starts with being mindful of how we construct the world around our girls and how we portray girls to our boys. That is just as crucial! So, please, read and discuss...here, with each other, with your girls and boys. Friday, March 9, 2012
Completely Visible Baby Bump
What do you think of nude pregnancy photos? Beautiful? In bad taste? A celebration of womanhood? Or just another form of objectification? One thing is for certain, her comment that she "will croak" if her daughter asks her "for a pair of Nikes instead of Christian Louboutins" is not exactly progressive...A Pair of Pantyhose and a Dream = A Billion Dollars
It's amazing to see a woman on the cover of the Forbes "Billionaires" issue! Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, has such an inspiring story to tell. Watch this video and get motivated to follow your own dream!
Labels:
Real Smart Women,
Smart Women At Work
Thursday, March 8, 2012
A Lady Gaga Parody in Honor of International Women's Day
To help you celebrate the day, watch this brilliant parody video entitled "Bad Romance: Women's Suffrage!"
Happy International Women's Day 2012!
March 8th is International Women's Day and the theme for 2012 is "Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures." This should and could be a theme for every day of the year. Each year the United Nations also declares an overall theme, and this year's theme is "Empower Rural Women--End Hunger and Poverty." Click here for more information, plus a listing of events and celebrations happening all over the globe!
Labels:
Personal is Political
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