Who Will Be the Next Gloria Steinem?

It is an accepted fact that Gloria Steinem has been the face of women's issues since the 1970s. But, Steinem turns 78 this month and we need another leader (or leaders) for upcoming generations. As this New York Times article points out, Steinem has remained at the forefront because her "combination of conviction, wit, smarts and grace under fire doesn’t come along every day." In addition, the women's movement is such a fragmented thing that it would have difficulty functioning with a singular figurehead. True as this may be, wouldn't we be well served with a group of strong leaders to counteract all the anti-woman rhetoric permeating the political and cultural realms today?     

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. 

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!

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!"

Lessons Learned from Oprah, the Epitome of the Self-Made Woman

Anyone paying the slightest attention knows that the final episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" has now aired. Love her or loathe her, Oprah's incredible success story and the earth-shaking power of her influence, remains undeniable. Her final show (like all the ones before it) left us with some pretty valuable advice and maybe more importantly, a major vacancy in the television landscape left by a powerful female. Here's hoping another worthy woman will step up to fill her shoes. Have you had any "aha moments" watching Oprah over the years?

Remembering Geraldine Ferraro

We've just lost another boundary-breaking woman: the first U.S. female vice presidential candidate, Geraldine Ferraro. She died on Saturday after a 12-year struggle with blood cancer. After Ferraro came onto the national political scene in the 1980s, things would never be the same again. For women with aspirations to gain entry into one of the ultimate men's clubs, Ferraro was living proof that it could actually be done. Her courage and spirit were undoubtedly sources of great inspiration to every woman who has since followed her path.

RIP Elizabeth Taylor

News of Liz Taylor's death is all over the web today. Much has been said about the screen icon, but I will say only that she lived a life famously full of trouble and triumph, but through it all, she remained a truly fascinating and vital woman. She will surely be missed.

Lindsay and Lexie: A Couple of Smart Women Doing Important Work

I recently came across the blog Beauty Redefined, and enjoyed it so much that I added it to the links list. The issues discussed there are often on my mind and very close to my heart. Beauty Redefined is the work of Lindsay and Lexie Kite, 25-year-old identical twins and PhD students at the University of Utah. Their mission is to help people recognize and reject harmful messages about their bodies through honest discussion of body image, media influence, and women's potential. I look forward to keeping up with their progress!

Just Kids Is Just Wonderful

Pioneering musician/writer/visual artist/poet/photographer Patti Smith deservedly won the 2010 National Book Award for her engrossing work, Just Kids. Even if you're not a Patti Smith fan (or even if you've never heard of her) this is a very rewarding book in many ways. She constructs such a lovingly detailed picture of New York City in the 1960s and 70s that you wish you could step into a time machine to be part of it. While living there, she seemed to have crossed paths with every literary and artistic luminary of the day and her anecdotes of those encounters alone are worth the read. Beyond the social and cultural milieu that provides the backdrop, the heart of the story is her relationship with best friend and partner-in-crime, photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. The two meet when they are "just kids" and their connection is instant, complicated, endearing, and enduring over a lifetime.

Uber-Smart Song From Lily Allen

I realize that Lily Allen's "The Fear" is not a new song. But, that doesn't make it any less worthy of a listen. She co-wrote this scathing little gem and hits all the right notes. Unfortunately, it's a pretty dead-on commentary on a growing segment of women (and men) in society. Download it for a musical tutorial on how not to act:

I want to be rich and I want lots of money

I don't care about clever, I don't care about funny

I want loads of clothes and f*ckloads of diamonds

I heard people die while they are trying to find them

And I'll take my clothes off and it will be shameless

'Cause everyone knows that's how you get famous

I'll look at the sun and I'll look in the mirror

I'm on the right track, yeah I'm on to a winner

[Chorus]

I don't know what's right and what's real anymore

I don't know how I'm meant to feel anymore

When do you think it will all become clear?

'Cause I'm being taken over by the fear

Life's about film stars and less about mothers

It's all about fast cars and cussing each other

But it doesn't matter 'cause I'm packing plastic

And that's what makes my life so f*cking fantastic

And I am a weapon of massive consumption

And it's not my fault, it's how I'm programmed to function

I'll look at the sun and I'll look in the mirror

I'm on the right track, yeah we're on to a winner

[Repeat chorus]

Forget about guns and forget ammunition

'Cause I'm killing them all on my own little mission

Now I'm not a saint, but I'm not a sinner

Now everything's cool as long as I'm getting thinner

[Repeat chorus]

Is Pelosi the Most Powerful Woman in US History?

Chris McGreal poses this question in an article from The Guardian. McGreal details the shift in perception of Nancy Pelosi from "political gift" to the Republicans to possibly the best Speaker for a century. Interesting read...