Friday, June 15, 2012

Women's Views on News

Women's Views on News

Madonna nipple flash causes uproar

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 11:00 AM PDT

Rebecca Rogers
WVoN co-editor 

Not one to shy away from controversy, pop star Madonna has come under fire for flashing her right breast while performing in Istanbul at the weekend.

Currently on her MDNA tour, Madonna exposed herself in front of a crowd of over 55,000 people during a performance at the Turk Telecom Arena.

The 53-year-old has since been branded as 'desperate' and 'too old' in a flurry of headlines, with other using twitter as their platform.

Journalist Piers Morgan asked: "Most embarrassing, cringe-worthy, desperate moment in the history of music?" whilst another user commented: "Isn't Madonna a little too old to be flashing nip on stage? With her kids in the background (as they're performing with her on tour?)"

Others have come out in support.

Hollywood actress, Christina Applegate commented: "Reading twitter this am and there r all these tweets about Madonna and her nipple flash. And we are shocked because…?" continuing "What I'm saying is. Its not like Sarah Palin had a nip slip, its Madonna."

Another user said: "Seriously though, Madonna is 53 not 73. I'm more disgusted by the attitude that female bodies of a certain age shouldn't be seen."

Equally it has to be said that she has not helped herself. During a press tour in January this year, Madonna said: "You don't have to show nipples to be interesting. It doesn't necessarily mean you're cutting edge if you do."

Brooklyn’s ultra-orthodox Jews support accused in child sex offence case

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 09:30 AM PDT

Alex Morgan
WVoN co-editor

Brooklyn's ultra-orthodox Jewish community has come to the defence of Nechemya Weberman,  a therapist accused of sexually abusing a 17-year-old girl who was sent to him for counselling by her parents.

The abuse went on for three years before the girl (then aged 12) told anyone that her spiritual counsellor, aged 53, was molesting her.

The girl has been called a slut and a troublemaker and her family has been threatened by other members of the community which held a fundraising rally for him in May.

The parents asked Weberman in 2007 to counsel their daughter because of concerns about questions she has been asking about the Jewish faith and their view that she was dressing immodestly.

The girl claims that she was forced to perform sex acts during these counselling sessions. Weberman has pleaded not guilty ahead of his trial which starts this month.

Samuel Heilmen, a professor of Jewish studies at Queens College illustrated the closed nature of the community in the Huffington Post when he commented:

"They think that anyone who turns over anyone to the outside authorities is committing a transgression to the community at large."

The family of the victim claims they are being intimidated by some members of the community to dissuade them from testifying at the trial, including her new boyfriend Hershy Deutsch who claims he was offered $500,000 to convince her to withdraw her accusations.

When he refused he was threatened with the loss of his pizza restaurant kosher license and he also claimed that his landlord was under pressure to evict him.

Chinese whispers surround female taikonauts

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT

Chinese whispers surround female taikonauts Jem McCarron
WVoN co-editor

It has taken nearly 50 years, but China is about to put its first woman into space.

The Chinese launch is planned for Saturday 16 June, exactly 49 years after the first woman, Valentina Tereshkova flew on the Soviet Union Vostok-6 mission in 1963.

Despite the fact that, according to the BBC, the Chinese authorities appear to be playing down the relevance of their first female taikonaut (taikong is Chinese for space)  there is significant media buzz about the historic event.

Two highly respected military women with the necessary flight experience have been named as one of the potential three crew members.

The favourite for the role is Major Liu Yang, 34, from Henan Province who was declared a "model" pilot in 2010.

In 2003 she demonstrated her skills when she managed to land her plane after a flock of pigeons nearly destroyed an engine. The ground crew later removed about 20 dead pigeons.

She is also said to have written to her family explaining that she didn’t let them visit during her four years of pilot training because "Baby eagles can never soar under their family’s wing."

Her competition is Captain Wang Yaping, 32, who grew up in eastern Shandong. Captain Yaping reportedly flew rescue missions for seven days and nights following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake and flew seeding missions ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

"Being a pilot gives me the most unique experience and feeling, which is flying in the blue sky,” said Captain Yaping.

Despite their obvious military and practical experience, most of the media coverage has been about the women’s marital status and whether they are mothers.

Headlines such as "Want to be a female taikonaut in China? You better smell good, and no scars", vie with other articles about the need for the women to have good teeth, no coughs and colds or other potential health issues.

However, do a little digging and it appears that this is a case of Chinese whispers. Most of the ‘conditions’ are standard and apply to male and female candidates.

There may be a preference for women who have had a child due to concerns about the potential impact of space travel on female fertility but reports vary as to whether or not the two women are in fact mothers (the BBC says they have one child each).

The condition of marriage is genuine.  According to Zhang Joanqi, former deputy commander of China’s manned space programme married women are preferred as they will be "more mature both mentally and physically".

But being female isn’t all bad. According to a report in The Jakarta Post the female taikonaut will have her own toilet facilities and sound-proofed sleeping quarters, despite the tiny size of the craft at just 15 cubic meters.

"She will also be able to take a sponge bath with more water supply than that for her male counterparts, according to international conventions, and even bring some specially made cosmetics into space," researcher Pang Zhihao from the China Academy of Space Technology told state media.

It is no surprise that the launch of the 55th woman and first Chinese woman into space has raised issues relating to gender, but whilst we expect that from the mass media and internet forums but one would have hoped for more from the Chinese authorities especially with such a PR opportunity regarding equality.

Having read nothing about the marital or parental status of the two male taikonauts, or even seen their names mentioned, it only makes the gender bias and factual confusion of this coverage more stark.

Time for Microsoft to grow up?

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 06:30 AM PDT

Jem McCarron
WVoN co-editor

It’s not often that you hear lyrics like "The words ‘Micro’ and ‘Soft’ don’t apply to my Penis (Vagina)" at a Developers Conference.

But apparently, that’s what Microsoft calls entertainment.

If, like me, you follow the news on women and technology you will know how under represented we are in that industry.

Numerous conferences and committees are convened globally to discuss how to improve the male-female ratio in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

In September 2011 Microsoft announced the DigiGirlz programme "to engage female students in particular on STEM learning, [offering] the opportunity to learn about careers in technology, participate in hands-on computer and technology workshops, and connect with Microsoft employees."

Yet, just nine months later here they have had to apologise to both employees and customers for a dancing display consisting of gyrating "Azure girls" in hotpants likening coding to sex and drugs in a way that could only alienate the women in the room and offend most of the men.

One attendee tweeted "The dancing girls, hokey song, and marketing speak to MS’s Azure announcement at #ndcoslo shows how much they misunderstand their audience”.

Aral Balkan a well-known developer and keynote speaker at the conference apparently heard the song during rehearsals and raised concerns about it.

He suggested they consider adding in ‘(Vagina)’ next to the word ‘Penis’ on the tv screens to better include the women in the audience. How wrong could he have been?

Meg Natraj, one of the female developers at the conference, said later on Twitter: "It became, 'We don't really THINK/care about women, but we have to put this in so that no one can complain that we excluded them," she wrote.

"Being marginalised as an afterthought hurts more than being forgotten. The latter is incompetence; the former is disregard."

Frank Shaw, lead corporate communications for Microsoft later tweeted: “This routine had vulgar language, was inappropriate and was just not ok. We apologize to our customers and partners.”

The apology was overdue, but will Microsoft now start to change its school-boy attitude?

Balkan later said on his blog, "I don't think that they intentionally set out to perpetuate the male gaze or to insult women or to discourage women from our industry. They just didn't think about it."

I suspect he’s right, this attitude appears to be so endemic as to have become the ‘norm’ not simply within Microsoft but also the wider industry.

In September last year a senior executive was accused of making unwanted sexual advances toward a female colleague at a company party.

The same month saw the surprising passing over of Natalie Ayres for the role of Microsoft’s European Managing Director.

And Microsoft, of course, is not alone.

Just last month, computer giant Dell were left red-faced after their conference moderator launched into a misogynistic rant, stating: "The IT business is one of the last frontiers that manages to keep women out. The quota of women to men in your business is sound and healthy."

The technology industry may well be leading the way in IT, but it appears to be seriously lagging in maturity and equality.

Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright urge women to take the lead

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 05:00 AM PDT

Karen Whiteley
WVoN co-editor

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged female activists to play a full role in the democratic process by forging paths to political leadership.

Clinton was speaking on Monday to the delegates of the first Women in Public Service Institute conference, taking place in Wellesley College in Boston. Madeleine Albright, the former US Secretary of State, also addressed the conference.

Clinton told the delegates that she was looking to them to create change and ‘lasting progress’ in their respective countries.

The all-women delegates come from 21 countries, the majority of which are in the process of undergoing profound political and social change. The women were selected for their public service work and for showing potential for leadership and influence.

Many delegates were involved in the Arab Spring uprisings. According to Rangita de Silva-de Alwis, the institute’s director, many delegates from the Middle East and Northern Africa were invited so they could share their stories and learn from each other.

Albright stated that the conference would serve to foster global connections for the delegates, adding:

‘I think what makes this a very important meeting is that the women are going to share their stories and learn from each other and then be part of a support group system.’

Following a question from Naheed Farid, a delegate from Afghanistan and the youngest member of her country’s parliament, as to whether they believed democracy could triumph in Afghanistan after US troops withdraw in 2014, Albright noted:

‘I think it's very important people like you, and others, cannot let things go back,’ adding that ‘democracy is not an event, it's a process.’

Clinton then reinforced how important it is that women play an integral role in that democratic process, saying:

‘As women you have a special stake in the outcome, because we have seen women's rights and opportunities hang in the balance, and we know women's contributions are vital to building democracy and thriving societies.’

Despite urging leadership roles for women, however, Clinton refused to answer questions as to whether she intends to run for president in 2016.

The conference, the outcome of a partnership between the US State Department and  leading women’s colleges in the US, aims to train the women in leadership skills to try to increase female global leadership from 17.5% to 50% by 2050.

Saudi Arabia may have talent, but only the men apparently

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 03:30 AM PDT

Karen Whiteley
WVoN co-editor

An ultra-conservative city in Saudi Arabia has developed its own version of Simon Cowell’s popular Got Talent franchise.

The franchise in the UK was responsible for launching the phenomenon that is Susan Boyle on to an unsuspecting public.

However, Buraydah, in the north of the kingdom, is a centre for Wahhabism – the austere branch of Islam which is dominant in Saudi Arabia – and the talent on offer in its version of the show will reflect the city’s conservative – and sexist – views.

As a result, all contestants on Buraydah’s Got Talent will be male, as female contestants are banned.

Music, singing and dancing are also banned for those taking part. Contestants will instead seek to impress the judges with displays of religious chanting, poetry or sporting feats.

Contestants will perform in an open air arena, before a jury comprising a poet, a television producer and TV presenters.

The show’s content will be in stark contrast not only to the Got Talent franchise shows in the UK and the US, but also to the popular official Middle East spin-off, ‘Arabs Got Talent’, which allows both music and women.

One of the stars of Arabs Got Talent is a female Emirati, Shamma Hamdan, who not only sings but also performs without a headscarf and in trousers. The programme is watched by millions throughout the Middle East.

Weightlifter Natasha Perdue gears up for Olympics

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 02:00 AM PDT

Rebecca Rogers
WVoN co-editor 

Welsh-born Natasha Perdue has been named as one of two women in the team of five weightlifters selected to represent Great Britain in this year's Olympics.

After a disappointing performance at the British trials, Perdue thought she was out of the race for the team. "I thought I wasn't going after that performance" she said.

"It is massive, because you train and train to get to the Olympics and then you have a bad day and think it’s not going to happen and it feels like the end of the world. Then, all of a sudden, you get a call and I am going. I cannot believe it."

The 36-year-old falls in the 69kg weight category and is following a strict training regime of nine sessions a week for her Olympics preparation.

Giving up her day job driving bin lorries in Swansea after more than a decade, Perdue moved to Leeds three years ago to train at the British weightlifting team's headquarters. She now combines training with her job at the refuse department in Leeds City Council.

Perdue is said to be following in her father's footsteps. Previously a karate champion, she made the move over to weightlifting after her dad, Terry Perdue, passed away. He represented Great Britain in the Mexico 1968 and Munich 1972 Olympics, winning 10th place both times.

She thinks he would be proud of her achievements, saying:

"It’s a sad day really, because I am still in Leeds training, that I cannot go to the cemetery and tell him I will be at the Olympics. I would love him to be here, just to see what he would say to me and what he would tell me to do over the next seven weeks.

The following have been picked as members of the Team GB weightlifting group:

Natasha Perdue (36, Swansea) – Women's 69kg

Zoe Smith (18, London) – Women's 58kg

Gareth Evans (26, Holyhead) – Men's 69kg

Peter Kirkbride (24, Hurlford near Kilmarnock) – Men's 94kg

Jack Oliver (21, Bexleyheath) – Men's 77kg

The London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony is July 27.

Search for the ‘hidden’ part time professionals

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 12:30 AM PDT

Julie Tomlin
WVoN co-editor

Can women work part time hours in a senior role and still do as good a job as their full time colleagues?

That's one of the questions that part time recruitment agency Timewise is seeking to answer with its search for the Top 50 part time workers.

Having carried out research for its new report The Part Time Paradox, Timewise discovered that 650,000 people in the UK have part time roles paying salaries of at least £40,000 a year.

But despite the fact that one in ten of all part time workers hold down senior roles such as marketing managers, finance directors and chief executives, part time work is still viewed negatively (see WVoN story).

But perhaps it's not surprising when 72 per cent of people in the UK still think that 'you cannot work a senior career on a part time basis' that those who do often keep the fact from their colleagues.

Despite 90 per cent saying they were up to target and successful in their jobs, 41 per cent of respondents said they felt there was a negative stereotype about working part time and a significant number said that they let fellow employees "assume" that they work full time.

Timewise founder Karen Mattison MBE hopes that by compiling the Top 50 list the profile of part time work will improve and that more and more women will be more up front about it.

Although senior part time jobholders exist, they remain invisible, says Mattison.

“We know that senior part time workers don't like using the words 'part time' because of the negative connotations of the words (low skill, low pay), but this means you end up in a vicious cycle.

“The perception that part time 'can only work' for lower skilled persists, because employers don't see examples that show otherwise. This is what we want to challenge.”

One of the part time workers Timewise has identified so far is Lynn Rattigan who works four days a week as deputy chief operating officer for UK and Ireland at Ernst & Young and spends Wednesdays with her three-year-old twins Lauren and Hannah.

Rattigan has been responsible for developing a flexible working policy and believes it is an option that suits younger employees:

"Our graduates, many of whom are generation Y don't just want great remuneration and a job they can be passionate about: they want both these things, plus flexibility," she says.

"As long as the work is done, to an excellent standard – the pattern of those hours should make no difference. By being open about my working patterns and through building the Ernst & Young Flexible Working policy for our partners, I hope I can build a legacy and blaze a trail for the partners of the future."

Mattison will be selecting the Top 50 from all the part time workers nominated with Steve Varley, Ernst and Young's managing partner for the UK and Ireland and Emma de Vita of Management Today magazine.

"Since I set up Timewise, I actually have met many, many people who are working in top jobs, but in less than five days a week – many of them in some of Britain's leading businesses," says Mattison.

"For some people it's because they have children, others need a day to care for an elderly relative, many are juggling a portfolio career and some just want more time to do the things they love."

Although these people are "achieve amazing things and working at the top of their game" the stereotype of 'part time means low skilled, unreliable' still exists, as does the view that you can't do a senior role part time.

"By celebrating and highlighting the people who are actually doing it, I believe we can break down this stereotype and the stigma that goes with it."

To find out more about nominating a part time professional click on the Timewise website.