Feminism Across the Generations: A Community Conversation

Last night, the Women’s Summit hosted a community conversation at the new UNC Charlotte Center City Building. The conversation was hosted by Activist in Residence, writer and editor, Jennifer Baumgardner and featured a distinguished panel.

The idea behind last night’s event was to bring together women and men of all ages to talk about feminism, what it means to them, and how they view the role and work of feminism. Not everyone in the room was a self-described feminist and there were more than a few reluctant or unintentional feminists. There were even a few new converts, I think. In that regard, I kind of felt like we were hosting a revival. (Now there’s an idea….)

Our conversation was wide-ranging and covered much ground. Panel and audience members were asked questions such as “Tell us about  your ‘feminist click’ or the incident or incidents that made you realize you needed to do work around women’s issues?” and “How do you define feminism?”

A couple of things struck me during the evening:

• The definition of feminism is broadening and becoming increasingly inclusive. In fact, maybe there isn’t one definition of feminism… maybe feminism can be defined by each one of us.  Maybe that is the point of feminism.
• Feminism is about every person deserving “respect, dignity and equal access.”
• Feminism isn’t just for women – it’s for everyone.
• Feminism is about having choices to live your lives according to your talents and your interests.
• People experience live according to intersections of gender, race and socio-economic status.

One of my favorite questions came from a Queen’s University student who said that her friends didn’t understand what being a feminist meant – her friends thought that one couldn’t be a feminist and chose to be a stay at home mom. Her question was “Can feminism be softened?” and the resounding response was “yes.” One panelist voiced her thought that “Motherhood IS activism.” It’s all about having the choice to be who you are, to live in accordance with who you are.

We were also challenged not to be complacent and to expect others to speak on our behalf, particularly in government. Mention was made about recent legislation in the State of North Carolina that will significantly impact women and we were vehemently implored to take more notice of what is going on in the political arena, particularly given the dearth of women in elected office at all levels.

We talked about how feminism benefits men; how it can free men from binding stereotypes that aren’t really reflective who they really are.

If you attended last night’s Community Conversation, what are your thoughts and responses? We’d love to hear from you.

And what do you think about organizing a feminist revival??? I’m kind of intrigued by the idea.

 

Domestic Violence in the Workplace

Yesterday’s shooting of Zoua “Vivian” Xiong, by her husband Por Ye Lor at a Lowes Improvement Store in Concord, North Carolina serves as a devastating reminder that domestic violence can, and frequently does, occur in the workplace.

According to Johnny Lee, Director of Peace@Work, between 1977 and 1991, 75% of the women killed on the job (non-robbery related) were murdered by an intimate partner.

As seen in recent cases, including the mass shooting at the Pinelake Rehab Center in Carthage, NC (2009), intimate partners are not the only victims of a domestic violence attack: eight people, including staff and patients of at the Pinelake Rehab Center were killed and three others wounded.

What can companies do to protect their employees and their customers? According to Lee, implementing a domestic violence policy can help keep employees safe, reduce risk and increase employee satisfaction and retention.

Charlotte Employees, we want to know: Does your employer have a Domestic Violence Policy in place?

Gender Pay Gap Narrows Slightly

By Lisa Yarrow

Median Earnings for Women up 2% to $0.79 for Every Dollar Earned by Men in Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Despite modest gains over the past for years, the wage gap for women persists, according to a recent report of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Women’s Summit. Since 2007, we have seen an increase of about 2 points in the ratio of women’s to men’s earnings. This means that on average, women in Charlotte-Mecklenburg are now earning $0.79 for every $1.00 earned by a man for similar work requiring similar education and skills.

The report also highlights a startling trend: The wage gap increases with the level of educational attainment. Women in Charlotte-Mecklenburg who have less than a high school diploma (or equivalent) earn roughly 82% of what a man with a similar educational background earn. Yet women who have a graduate or professional degree earn only 62%. While it seems shocking that women with advanced degrees earn proportionately less than women with less than a high school education, research suggests a number of reasons for this disparity including educational attainment, career choice,  segregation of industries by gender and discrimination.

All of the news is not bad news, though: There are indications that young women entering the workforce are more rapidly closing the gender pay gap.

This Morning’s Diane Reem Show on WFAE – Authors of “Womenomics” speak

Listen now to the Diane Reem show on WFAE (90.7) and hear Katty Kay, Washington correspondent and anchor for the BBC World News America and Claire Shipman, Senior National Correspondent for ABC News’ “Good Morning America” and a regular on “The Week with George Stephanopoulos,” discuss how some women are saying no to demanding jobs…even in tough economic times.

Have you read “Womenomics?” If so, what did you think?

Domestic Violence March on the Square

The Domestic Violence Advocacy Council of Mecklenburg County is inviting the public to march on the Square in Uptown Charlotte in response to the most recent domestic violence-related homicide in Mecklenuburg County.

Yennifer Karina Fuentes, 31, was found dead on Monday night at about 11 p.m. on Ingleside Drive, off South Boulevard and Archdale Drive, in south Charlotte, Police have arrested her boyfriend, Victor Alfonso Cruz-Garcia, 22, and charged him with the murder.

The march is intended to broaden the public’s awareness that help is available, including programs and services offering safety planning. This is not a memorial.

When: 12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., Thursday, June 4, 2009
Where: On the Square at Trade and Tryon Street, Charlotte,NC

Free parking is available at the Hal Marshall County Services Center, 700 N.Tryon Street, or in the Seventh Street Station parking garage. A free trolley runs the length of Tryon Street every seven minutes.

The is the fourth Mecklenburg County domestic violence-related homicide of 2009. Last year there were a total of 11 people killed at the hands of their intimate partner or due to domestic violence.

The Domestic Violence Advocacy Council organizes awareness marches every Thursday following a death in Mecklenburg County in which domestic violence is believed to have played a role. The council includes: victim advocates, child advocates, housing advocates, mental health professionals, police, prosecutors, courts, substance abuse providers education professionals, medical professionals, batterers’ intervention programs, shelters, animal control, legislators, colleges, local companies, local churches, survivors, and interested community members.

For more information on the effects of domestic violence in our community, call Mecklenburg County’s Community Support Services Women’s Commission at 704-336-3210 or the Shelter for Battered Women’s 24-hour hotline at 704-332-2513. For move information on the Domestic Violence Advocacy Council, visit the web site: http://dvac.charmeck.org.

For more information on this march, please contact Mike Sexton at 704-432-1568, email: Michael.Sexton@mecklenburgcounty.gov.

A Woman at the Table

On Tuesday, April 28, 2009, the Political Action Team of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Women’s Summit presented A Woman at the Table: A Better Feast for All, the first in a series of events examining the impact of the recent economic downturn on area women. The event was designed as a call to action for women to take their seat at the table and get involved the public policy debate.

Keynote Speaker Victoria Budson of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government kicked off the day, providing the theoretical basis for the importance of including women in the decisionmaking process. Her examples from US and abroad outlined both the economic and operational benefits of including women in the board room and as elected officials around the world.

Ms. Budson was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Nancy Gutierrez, dean of the college of arts and sciences at UNCC. Dr. Jennifer Troyer from UNCC’s department of economics, Jenn Frye of Democracy NC, and community activist Maxine Eaves explained how they became activists and took their place at the table.

At the end of the day, the lens was turned to the participants who were asked “What is your issue?” Table groups then brainstormed ways for individual women to get involved in addressing their issue. Each woman was charged with a single action to take “in the next two weeks.”

Co-chairs Dr. Becka Tait and Mary Klenz were pleased with the enthusiam of the participants and can’t wait to hear from participants about their action plans.

Michele Miller Houck

Welcome to the official blog of The Charlotte Mecklenburg Women’s Summit

Thank you for reading the official blog of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Women’s Summit! We hope you will use this blog to share information with other women and to help us build our network and expand our work so that we can truly work together to improve the lives of women and girls in Charlotte-Mecklenburg!