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Picture Credits: Dow Jones & Company and Jonathan Becker

May 4, 2009 Posted by ej | Career, Fashion, Leadership, People, Politics, Shopping | Business, Business School, Career, Fashion, Harvard MBA, Leadership, Politics, Shopping, Women | Leave a Comment

Afghan Women Protest New Law That Regulates Marital Sex, Ability to Work Outside the Home & Their Freedom to “Dress Up”

Afghan women are fighting back! More specifically, many of them have been participating in protests against a recently enacted law that regulates their home life.

Their goal is to have Parliament repeal a new law that imposes restrictions on women and permits – among other things – marital rape.

Update: According to Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, “The law will be revised.” In an interview with Fareed Zakaria on CNN’s GPS, he states, “This law was signed without knowledge of the articles in it.” >:| Click here to see video of the interview.

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Women critical of new restrictions applying to Shiites demonstrated Wednesday in Kabul.

Women critical of new restrictions applying to Shiites demonstrate in Kabul.

Afghan Women Protest New Law on Home Life

Dexter Filkins, The New York Times

KABUL, Afghanistan — The young women stepped off the bus and moved toward the protest march just beginning on the other side of the street when they were spotted by a mob of men.

“Get out of here, you whores!” the men shouted. “Get out!”

The women scattered as the men moved in.

“We want our rights!” one of the women shouted, turning to face them. “We want equality!”

The women ran to the bus and dived inside as it rumbled away, with the men smashing the taillights and banging on the sides.

“Whores!”

But the march continued anyway. About 300 Afghan women, facing an angry throng three times larger than their own, walked the streets of the capital on Wednesday to demand that Parliament repeal a new law that introduces a range of Taliban-like restrictions on women, and permits, among other things, marital rape.

It was an extraordinary scene. Women are mostly illiterate in this impoverished country, and they do not, generally speaking, enjoy anything near the freedom accorded to men. But there they were, most of them young, many in jeans, defying a threatening crowd and calling out slogans heavy with meaning.

With the Afghan police keeping the mob at bay, the women walked two miles to Parliament, where they delivered a petition calling for the law’s repeal.

“Whenever a man wants sex, we cannot refuse,” said Fatima Husseini, 26, one of the marchers. “It means a woman is a kind of property, to be used by the man in any way that he wants.”

The law, approved by both houses of Parliament and signed by President Hamid Karzai, applies to the Shiite minority only. Women here and governments and rights groups abroad have protested three parts of the law especially.

One provision makes it illegal for a woman to resist her husband’s sexual advances. A second provision requires a husband’s permission for a woman to work outside the home or go to school. And a third makes it illegal for a woman to refuse to “make herself up” or “dress up” if that is what her husband wants. More . . .

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Picture Credit: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images for The New York Times

April 19, 2009 Posted by ej | Global, Leadership, Politics, Protests & Boycotts | Business, Disparity, International, Leadership, Politics, Women | Leave a Comment

Iran Sentences US Reporter (and former Miss North Dakota) to 8 Years in Prison for Espionage

Initially arrested for buying wine in Iran, Roxana Saberi, a US reporter (and former Miss North Dakota) has been sentenced to 8 years in prison in Iran for espionage. The United States calls the charges “baseless.”

BREAKING NEWS Mon. 5. 11.09 (Click on the blue links below for more info):

According to CNN.com: “Iran to Free U.S. Journalist, Father Says”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Additional report from the BBC: Iran “to release” Reporter Saberi

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Iran Sentences US Reporter to 8 Years in Prison

VOANews

An American-Iranian journalist detained in Iran has been sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of spying for the United States.

A lawyer for journalist Roxana Saberi told news agencies about the court’s decision Saturday, and said he will appeal the verdict.

The 31-year-old dual American-Iranian citizen, who had been working in Iran for several news outlets, was arrested in late January for working in the country without valid press credentials.

But earlier this month, Iranian authorities announced espionage charges against her, saying Saberi used journalism as a cover to pass classified information to U.S. intelligence services.

The United States has rejected the espionage charges as “baseless.” Source

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Learn more about Roxana Saberi and her case here:

Profile: Roxana Saberi

BBC News

When the journalist Roxana Saberi was first arrested in Iran, her family was told it was for buying a bottle of wine – an act banned under the country’s Islamic law.

That was in January 2009. Iranian prosecutors then accused her of working as a journalist without a valid press card, before on 8 April she was finally accused of spying for the US.

Between January and March, Ms Saberi was only able to contact her family in the US twice, according to the human rights group Amnesty International.

She told them she was not being physically harmed but was finding life difficult in Evin prison, near Tehran.

Diverse heritage

Ms Saberi, 31, was born in the US and grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, the daughter of Reza Saberi, who was born in Iran, and his wife Akiko, who is from Japan.

In 1997 she was chosen as Miss North Dakota and was among the top 10 finalists in Miss America 1998.

When she received her Miss North Dakota title, Ms Saberi said that her aim was to encourage other people to appreciate cultural differences – an ambition that eventually led her into a career in journalism.

She graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, with degrees in mass communication and French.

Ms Saberi also holds a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Northwestern University in Chicago and another master’s degree in international relations from Cambridge University in the UK.

She is currently working on yet another masters degree in Iranian studies.

Ms Saberi moved to Iran six years ago and worked as a freelance journalist for various news organisations, including the BBC, before her press credentials were revoked.

Her father said she had been determined to go to Iran, although he had expressed his concerns.

Mr Saberi said that despite losing her press status, his daughter had stayed on to finish a book on Iran and to study. He said she had planned to return to the US later this year.

Shock arrest

But then came her arrest. More . . .

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Angela Burt-Murray, Essence

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April 18, 2009 Posted by ej | Journalism, Newspapers, People, Politics | Business, Journalism, Leadership, Newspapers, Politics, Women | Leave a Comment

First Lady Michelle Obama & Mom: On Raising Smart, Confident Kids, Strong Marriages and Future Plans

From our friends at Essence.

A Mother’s Love: First Lady and Mom Cover Essence

In their first interview together, First Lady Michelle Obama and her mother, Marian Robinson, sit down in the White House to speak exclusively to ESSENCE Editor-in-Chief Angela Burt-Murray about retaining their family values, what it takes to raise good kids, and being role models for the Black community. Read on for excerpts from the interview.

Mrs. Michelle Obama on what being First Lady means to her:
“It’s an honor and a privilege when you walk into the White House-at least I automatically felt a level of obligation. This is a big responsibility, a wonderful platform and I just want to make sure I take every advantage to serve as a role model, to provide good messages, to be a supportive mate to the President and to make sure that my girls are solid.”

Mrs. Marian Robinson on seeing her daughter step into this historic role:
“Well, to me, it’s overwhelming. I never doubted that she could do this. She is doing it with such grace and dignity. So I am just proud. I just hope she does what she wants to do. [Chuckles] Because the things that she wants to do are very important. They mean a lot to her.”

Mrs. Michelle Obama on finding balance:
“Unlike most women, I have a lot of resources: I have my mother living with me. The White House has a staff of people who are there to make my life easy. I don’t have a full-time job, although I work very hard in the role of First Lady. But I have a lot of resources. So I have been able to achieve the balance because I have the support I need.”

Mrs. Robinson on what her late husband, Fraser Robinson III, would say about this moment:
“You would not be able to shut him up! He would not be able to stand this. He would be beaming until you would just want him to stop talking. He bragged about Michelle and her brother, Craig, before they had even done anything. He always encouraged them, and when he talked about Craig and Michelle, you could just see a smile on his face whether it was there or not. He just enjoyed these two people.” More . . .

View the Digital Version of this Article

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Picture Credit: Timothy White and Stockland Martel

April 16, 2009 Posted by ej | Career, Leadership, Parenting, People, Politics, The First Lady, Work-Life Balance | Business, Leadership, Michelle Obama, Obama, Parenting, Politics, Women, Work-Life Balance | Leave a Comment

Success Magazine May 2009: The Women’s Issue!

success-magazine-cover-may-20091 The May 2009 issue of Success Magazine is The Women’s Issue!

Okay, so maybe it’s not officially a women’s issue >:), but it’s pretty close and we don’t mind!!

In it you will find several inspiring articles that profile very successful women entrepreneurs, athletes, activists and more.

For example, the cover story tells the story of Suze Orman and how she turned adversity into success. Did you know that before she applied to become a broker at Merrill Lynch she worked as a waitress for seven years and earned on average $400 per month? She just wanted to own a restaurant, but when a broker lost all her money . . . the rest is history!

In addition, there is the article entitled “Women of Influence” that profiles Maya Angelou, Indra Nooyi, Maria Shriver, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Melinda Gates.

AND there is a profile of one of our favorites Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx.

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Here’s more info on what you can find in this issue: suze-orman-cover-story-inside-picture

Success from the Ground Up: The Story of Money Maven Suze Orman, by Erin Casey

A crushing loss in the stock market propelled Suze Orman to become one of America’s favorite financial advisers.

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Women of Influence by Erin Casey

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Maya Angelou, Melinda Gates, Indra Nooyi and Maria Shriver have empowered and inspired us. They have led causes and corporations and created opportunities for many. See how they are changing your world.

View the Digital Version of this Article

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Enterprising Women by Joanne Eglash

Women run almost half of all privately held businesses – and they’re quietly gaining an edge on the competition by using innate talents and skills. What do they do differently?

View the Digital Version of this Article

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Back on Track by Mary Vinnedge

A humiliating and very public firing taught Deborah Norville valuable life lessons and helped shape her outlook. Read how she pulled herself out of the doldrums and how she encourages others.

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Paving the Way by Don Yaeger

Billie Jean King continues to push the envelope to improve tennis and create opportunities for everyone.

More . . .

Twitter Frenzy (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart)

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April 13, 2009 Posted by ej | Education, Leadership, Magazines, Money & Investing, People, Politics, Sports, Women & Sports | Business, Career, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Money, Politics, Sports, Women | Leave a Comment

High-Powered and Low-Key: Obama Adviser Valerie Jarrett

A Profile of Obama Adviser, Valerie Jarrett. See below for additional articles on her.

High-Powered and Low Key

Washington Observes the Influence of Obama Adviser Valerie Jarrett

Michael A. Fletcher, The Washington Post

The nation’s mayors felt left out in the weeks after President Obama’s election. He had met with the governors, but not them. Then, to their surprise, he picked a non-mayor to head his new office of urban affairs. The unhappiness only grew as the president’s economic stimulus package promised to funnel billions of dollars directly into the coffers of states, leaving mayors wondering about their role.

As the frustration mounted, some began grumbling about their White House contact, Valerie Jarrett. “They were starting to get the sense, starting to comment that maybe Valerie Jarrett isn’t the person to bring their concerns to the highest level of the White House,” said Michael Strautmanis, Jarrett’s chief of staff.

They soon learned otherwise.

Before long, Jarrett hosted a forum for more than 80 mayors in the White House East Room, where she moderated a discussion with five Cabinet secretaries who explained how the stimulus plan would help cities. The event last month was capped by remarks from both the vice president and the president. Spotting a once-skeptical mayor after the session, Strautmanis could not resist flicking a little jab. “What do you think of Valerie Jarrett now?” he asked.

Jarrett, 52, serves as senior adviser to the president, and she oversees the Office of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs. She is the principal contact for groups wanting to reach the White House, a stated focus of an administration that prides itself on transparency and outreach to an unprecedented array of grass-roots organizations. Jarrett and her staff have organized meetings and events that bring 450 people a week to the White House. She also recommends and interviews people for top jobs in the administration, is a daily presence in the president’s senior staff meetings, and is someone Obama often calls on for a reality check.

But Jarrett’s array of titles and duties fail to convey the breadth of her influence, which is rooted in a long relationship built on a foundation of trust with the Obamas. More . . .

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Jon Stewart Reports on “Twitter Frenzy”

While trying to figure out how and what to “tweet”, we came across this hilarious segment from “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”.

Click on the link below to see the Daily Show’s segment on “Twitter Frenzy.” In it, Correspondent Samantha Bee examines why Twitter has become such a big deal among legislators and the media elite . . . >:)

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March 20, 2009 Posted by ej | Entertainment, Gadgets, People, Politics, Technology | Business, Gadgets, Leadership, Politics, Technology, Twitter, Women | 1 Comment

Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman Runs for Governor of California

Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman is running for Governor of California.

The latest edition of Fortune features her on the cover and asks the question “Can Meg Whitman Save California?”. (Click the picture of Meg Whitman to be taken directly to the Fortune Magazine article.)

She was interviewed by Patricia Sellers, Editor-at-Large who provides her thoughts on the interview below.

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Behind Meg Whitman’s Bid to Save California

Patricia Sellers, Editor-at-Large, Fortune

Yes, former eBay (EBAY) CEO Meg Whitman is vying for her next big gig–governor of California–Ronald Reagan-style. She’s got a Western look and a simple message: creating jobs, cutting government spending, and improving education. “The three-bucket theory,” Whitman calls it, contending that corporate employees and voters as well need clear, memorable messaging from leaders of any kind.

The horse on the cover, Brandy, isn’t Whitman’s, but she does ride in Telluride, Colorado, where she and her neurosurgeon husband, Griff, have a vacation home. During our cover shoot in Half Moon Bay, California, Brandy was so spirited that the candidate had to show off her riding chops to keep the horse from throwing her or running away.

The story, which you can read by clicking here, is a Fortune exclusive. I spent three days with Whitman during her first week on the campaign trail. Indeed, she’s a political novice, and she left eBay with real problems in her wake. But don’t discount this onetime star of the Fortune Most Powerful Women list, who ranked No. 1 in 2004 and 2005. Whitman has quite a lineup of business honchos supporting her and helping her raise money. This 2010 California governor race, by the way, is due to be the most expensive gubernatorial race in history. Whitman told me that she might spend $50 million of her own money on her campaign.

So who are these business bigwwigs backing Whitman? I had room in the story to mention only a few: Yahoo (YHOO) CEO Carol Bartz, Cisco (CSCO) CEO John Chambers, Sun Microsystems (JAVA) chairman Scott McNealy, Activision Blizzard chief Bobby Kotick, Morgan Stanley (MS) technology analyst Mary Meeker, and Marc Andreessen, Netscape’s founder who now chairs Ning. More . . .

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Picture Credit: Fortune

March 19, 2009 Posted by ej | Leadership, Magazines, People, Politics, Technology | Business, Harvard MBA, Leadership, Magazines, Politics, Technology, Women | Leave a Comment

Meg Whitman Prepared to Spend $50 Million to Win Governor’s Race

From our friends over at The Women on the Web

Meg Whitman May Spend $50 Million of Own Money on Gov’s Race

The Staff at wowOwow.com

Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman has officially thrown her hat into the ring for the Republican primary for California governor in June 2010. And it may cost her.

At an estimated $150-$200 million, the road to Sacramento could be the most expensive governor’s race in history, according to an interview with Whitman that appears in the current Fortune, and Whitman admits she’s willing to kick in $50 million of her own dough to win. “It’s conceivable!” she told Fortune. Former governor Jerry Brown, who’s running in the Democratic primary responded: “I would not underestimate her,” he says. “Fifty million? That’s a lot!”

Whitman, who was once a McCain campaign advisor, is a fiscal conservative who’s aiming to cut the California workforce by at least 10% and cut the budget by $15 billion. She claims she can create two million new jobs in California in four years. Socially speaking, she’s pro-choice, and anti-gay marriage, but supports civil unions, she says. More . . .

Click here to read “Women Entrepreneurs Get Global Helping Hand” (The Wall Street Journal )

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Picture Credit: Associated Press, wowOwow.com

March 19, 2009 Posted by ej | Leadership, People, Politics, Technology | Business, Harvard MBA, Politics, Technology, Women | Leave a Comment

“10,000 Women”: Educating Female Entrepreneurs in Developing Nations

Goldman Sachs has a new initiative called 10,000 Women . This initiative aims to provide business and management education to 10,000 women primarily in developing and emerging nations.

In this article, Dina Habib Powell of Goldman Sachs points out that there are encouraging signs that the world is ready to invest in women and discusses the why’s behind the development of 10,000 Women.

dina-habib-powell-goldman-sachs By Dina Habib Powell
Special to CNN

Editor’s note: Dina Habib Powell, global head of corporate engagement at Goldman Sachs, served as U.S. assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs from 2005 to 2007.

NEW YORK (CNN) — As we mark International Women’s Month in March, it is encouraging to see that the movement to recognize the vital role that women play in families, nations and economies has been building for more than a decade and that developments in the past few years have shown that real progress has begun to take hold.

On the heels of International Women’s Day, President Obama said Monday, “we will not sow the seeds for a brighter future or reap the benefits of the change we need without the full and active participation of women around the world.”

He also recently announced the creation of a new position, ambassador-at-large for global women’s Issues, at the State Department.

To fill this critical role, the president nominated Melanne Verveer, a widely respected women’s advocate and former top aide to then first lady Hillary Clinton.

Verveer was a founder of Vital Voices Global Partnership, an organization committed to empowering women and recently co-chaired by Secretary Clinton and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.

There has also been very recent progress on Capitol Hill. Last month, the U.S. Senate created a Foreign Relations subcommittee that will focus on the global status of women, led by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California. More . . .

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Picture Credit: Goldman Sachs

March 16, 2009 Posted by ej | Education, Entrepreneurship, Global, Leadership, Organizations | Business, Economy, Education, Politics, Wall Street | Leave a Comment

Obama Announces White House Council For Women And Girls

Phillip Elliott, The Huffington Post

“WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama invoked his grandmother, single mother and two young daughters on Wednesday in creating a White House panel to advise him on issues facing women and girls.

Obama, standing with prominent members of his administration and with his wife sitting nearby, signed an executive order creating an across-the-government council designed to help Cabinet agencies and departments collaborate on ways to make sure women were provided opportunities offered to men.

“I sign this order not just as a president, but as a son, a grandson, a husband and a father because, growing up, I saw my mother put herself through school and follow her passion for helping others,” Obama said. “But I also saw how she struggled to raise me and my sister on her own, worrying about how she’d pay the bills and educate herself and provide for us.”

He said he signed the order to honor all the women who came before him, such as his grandmother who was a bank vice president but was denied promotions because of her gender. He said the fight for gender equality is far from over.

“So now it’s up to us to carry that work forward, to ensure that our daughters and granddaughters have no limits on their dreams, no obstacles to their achievements _ and that they have opportunities their mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers never dreamed of,” Obama said. “That’s the purpose of this council; those are the priorities of my presidency.”

He also said his own experiences with the women in his life reflect the challenges of all women.

“I’ve seen Michelle, the rock of the Obama family, juggling work and parenting with more skill and grace than anybody that I know,” Obama said. “But I also saw how it tore at her at times, how sometimes when she was with the girls she was worrying about work, and when she was at work she was worrying about the girls. It’s a feeling that I share every day.”

Obama cited statistic to back up his case: Women earn just 78 cents for every dollar men make; 1 in 4 women still experiences domestic violence; women are 49 percent of the work force but only 3 percent of Fortune 500 chiefs.” More . . .

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March 14, 2009 Posted by ej | Politics, Work-Life Balance | Girls, Obama, Politics, Women | Leave a Comment

Margaret A. Hamburg Tapped to Head FDA

Margaret A. Hamburg has been selected by the Obama Administration to head the Food and Drug Administration.

Rob Stein and Lyndsey Layton, Washington Post

“The Obama administration has tapped Margaret A. Hamburg, a physician and former New York City health commissioner with an interest in bioterrorism, to run the struggling Food and Drug Administration, according to people familiar with the choice.

Joshua Sharfstein, Baltimore’s health commissioner, will serve as Hamburg’s chief deputy, according to these sources. Sharfstein won national attention when he took on the drug industry and petitioned the FDA in 2007 to restrict the use of over-the-counter cough and cold medications for young children.

The White House would not confirm the selections yesterday. Hamburg, 53, could not be reached for comment; Sharfstein, 39, declined to talk to a reporter.

The pair, both outsiders, would take on an agency in crisis. Shaken by a series of alarming failures, the FDA desperately needs an infusion of strong leadership, money, technology and personnel — and perhaps a major restructuring, say former officials, members of Congress, watchdog groups and various government reports.” More . . .