A few nights ago, while scrolling my Twitter feed, I noticed a few mentions of a live-streaming play called “8.” Just in time I clicked on a link from one of the actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s tweets and tuned in. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard that this was happening before! A live-streamed event by [...]
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Stepparents: Neither Parent Nor Friend
Recently, I attended the wedding of a friend who was marrying a man with two children from a prior marriage. Like one-third of all marriages in the United States today, this one would form a stepfamily. Before my friend accepted the groom’s proposal, she had asked about my experiences as a stepmother. I’ve played that [...]
What Do You Mean There’s No Paid Maternity Leave?
Women in America are taught to save – for a car, for emergencies, homes, and retirement. What we end up learning the hard way is the need to save for maternity leave. Thinking about having kids one day? Ask about your employer’s maternity leave policy now! It might happen that there isn’t one. I’ve spent [...]
When Talking About Fertility, Try a Little Tenderness
When the New York Times recently asked “Are You as Fertile as You Look?” the question was rhetorical. The reporter suggested womenfolk are ignorant about their declining fertility because they confuse youthful looks with having youthful ovaries. It’s easy to judge women like the ones trotted out for this piece; in their late 30s through mid 40s, they [...]
I Hope I Get Pregnant in Mississippi
Next week, Mississippi residents will get to vote on Proposition 26, the “Personhood Amendment.” This would amend the Mississippi state constitution to include in its definition of “persons” all human beings from the moment of fertilization, cloning or functional equivalent thereof. In Mississippi at least, the question of when does life begin would be answered [...]
A Halloween Gift for You
October is a time of both fun and gore. The buildup to Halloween entails stores brimming with spooky masks, big rubber snakes and spiders (if you happen to fear those things), thousands of calories of chocolate piled into small bags, and oversexualized costumes for children. Some of these are fun; some are not. Either way, [...]
Gen X Women Trending Childless
Last week a friend of mine told me about a report stating 43% of Gen X women do not have children. Knowing how many of my friends in Gen Y are putting off children for various reasons, I don’t find it hard to believe. I understand it may shock many of the Baby Boomer generation, [...]
Only Up From Here, Right?
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending via conference call (thank you, Google Phone), the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) Roundtable on Women & the Economy. The purpose of the Roundtable was to formally present two very significant research studies put together by the IWPR and the Rockefeller Foundation, Women and Men Living [...]
7 Billion and Counting
On October 31st, the world’s population will reach 7 billion. With this historical milestone in sight, UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) has issued a call-to-action to renew our commitment to work for a healthier, more sustainable world. How women and girls become change-agents in their own lives and how we empower them is crucial to [...]
Join Our Next Tweetchat at #nxtgenfem! Marlo Thomas and Passing the Torch of Feminism
The argument remains: Do we, as women, still live in a male-dominated society? Or have we finally achieved a sense of equality? Perhaps this will be a debate that never ends, in a “chicken or egg” cul de sac in which each side can produce convincing and fact-based arguments, but no conclusion is really ever [...]