Glued to the television in 2008, I remember many of my female friends and I holding our collective breath as we watched with fascination the rise of female contenders for the United States presidential ticket. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s magnetic appeal first captured my imagination as a teenager in the 90’s when I watched her speak [...]

The U.S. ranks 40th in the world for women’s political empowerment and we’re losing ground. Fortieth. This ranking, based on 2010 data, is a comparative measure of the gap between men and women in political decision-making at the highest levels. (Here is the entire report.) Not 1st. Not 12th. Not 19th. Not 32nd. And, that’s [...]

We always hear that having more women in office is some version of “good.”  But what does that mean, exactly?  And where’s the data?  Stephenie Foster, a long time supporter and guest contributor to Fem2.0, lays out the specifics regarding democratic governance, critical mass, and constituent service: The political empowerment of women is one of [...]

Two weeks ago, I attended a presentation by Gary Johnson, the former Governor of New Mexico and a candidate for the Republican nomination for President.  This lecture was part of a series I had to attend for my graduate school program in Global Security Studies, and the speech and Q&A afterwards focused on issues like [...]

Interviewing is one of the most important aspects of professional development. Without a successful interview, it is not only hard to land a job, but it is also difficult to advance your career. As a college student I am not used to talking about my accomplishments. While I had received tips on interviewing, prior to [...]

The Catholic Church and I have had a bit of a contentious relationship, to say the least. From its longtime suppression of women’s rights to its absurd defense of the Pope’s infallibility, well, it’s hardly the institution I look to for the be all and end all in moral direction. That said, there are things [...]

Veterans Day is a time to celebrate the men and women who have worn this nation’s uniform and to honor their service. When the nation called and asked, “Who among you will step forward and defend the Constitution? Who will leave your families, your home in order to protect what we hold most dear?” it [...]

The world population recently hit 7 billion. Funny story: when I was in Swaziland, King Mswati III gave a speech at the UN Population Fund Ceremony and lauded on how great it was that we were developing at such a phenomenal speed, and how he couldn’t wait until we reached 10 billion to celebrate again. [...]

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was first written in 1923 by Alice Paul.  It took 49 years to be passed out of Congress.  However it failed to be ratified by the required 38 states to become a part of the United States constitution.  Right now, three-fourths of Americans believe the ERA is part of the [...]

In 2007, Margaret “Margi” Vanderhye won the election for State Delegate in Virginia’s 34th district.  Two years later, she lost to Republican challenger Barbara Comstock.  The margin of victory was just 422 votes. In 2011, Margi decided not to challenge Comstock for her old seat back.  Instead, she encouraged long-time community leader Pamela Danner to run. Pamela [...]