February 2009
Remarks of President Barack Obama on the Lilly Ledbetter
Fair Pay Restoration Act Bill Signing
R
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
President Obama puts science in its rightful place
national Focus
National consultation into the protection of human rights in
Australia
Third Sector in Continuing Discussions with Feds on Economic
Downturn
The Gender Balance; or, whatever
happened to feminism?
Case studies in social innovation
Conscience votes during the
Howard government 1996–2007
The effectiveness of the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act
1984 in eliminating discrimination and promoting gender equality
International Women's Day
Plans in Sydney
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Remarks of President Barack Obama on the Lilly Ledbetter
Fair Pay Restoration Act Bill Signing
THE WHITE HOUSE,
Office of the Press
Secretary, January 29, 2009
 It
is fitting that with the very first bill I sign – the Lilly
Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act – we are upholding one of this
nation’s first principles: that we are all created equal and each
deserve a chance to pursue our own version of happiness.
It is also fitting that we are joined today by the woman after whom
this bill is named – someone Michelle and I have had the privilege
of getting to know for ourselves. Lilly Ledbetter didn’t set out to
be a trailblazer or a household name. She was just a good hard
worker who did her job – and did it well – for nearly two decades
before discovering that for years, she was paid less than her male
colleagues for the very same work. Over the course of her career,
she lost more than $200,000 in salary, and even more in pension and
Social Security benefits – losses she still feels today.
Now, Lilly could have accepted her lot and moved on. She could have
decided that it wasn’t worth the hassle and harassment that would
inevitably come with speaking up for what she deserved. But instead,
she decided that there was a principle at stake, something worth
fighting for. So she set out on a journey that would take more than
ten years, take her all the way to the Supreme Court, and lead to
this bill which will help others get the justice she was denied.
Because while this bill bears her name, Lilly knows this story isn’t
just about her. It’s the story of women across this country still
earning just 78 cents for every dollar men earn – women of color
even less – which means that today, in the year 2009, countless
women are still losing thousands of dollars in salary, income and
retirement savings over the course of a lifetime.
But equal pay is by no means just a women’s issue – it’s a family
issue. It’s about parents who find themselves with less money for
tuition or child care; couples who wind up with less to retire on;
households where, when one breadwinner is paid less than she
deserves, that’s the difference between affording the mortgage – or
not; between keeping the heat on, or paying the doctor’s bills – or
not. And in this economy, when so many folks are already working
harder for less and struggling to get by, the last thing they can
afford is losing part of each month’s paycheck to simple
discrimination.
So in signing this bill today, I intend to send a clear message:
That making our economy work means making sure it works for
everyone. That there are no second class citizens in our workplaces,
and that it’s not just unfair and illegal – but bad for business –
to pay someone less because of their gender, age, race, ethnicity,
religion or disability. And that justice isn’t about some abstract
legal theory, or footnote in a casebook – it’s about how our laws
affect the daily realities of people’s lives: their ability to make
a living and care for their families and achieve their goals.
Ultimately, though, equal pay isn’t just an economic issue for
millions of Americans and their families, it’s a question of who we
are – and whether we’re truly living up to our fundamental ideals.
Whether we’ll do our part, as generations before us, to ensure those
words put to paper more than 200 years ago really mean something –
to breathe new life into them with the more enlightened
understandings of our time.
That is what Lilly Ledbetter challenged us to do. And today, I sign
this bill not just in her honor, but in honor of those who came
before her. Women like my grandmother who worked in a bank all her
life, and even after she hit that glass ceiling, kept getting up and
giving her best every day, without complaint, because she wanted
something better for me and my sister.
And I sign this bill for my daughters, and all those who will come
after us, because I want them to grow up in a nation that values
their contributions, where there are no limits to their dreams and
they have opportunities their mothers and grandmothers never could
have imagined.
In the end, that’s why Lilly stayed the course. She knew it was too
late for her – that this bill wouldn’t undo the years of injustice
she faced or restore the earnings she was denied. But this
grandmother from Alabama kept on fighting, because she was thinking
about the next generation. It’s what we’ve always done in America –
set our sights high for ourselves, but even higher for our children
and grandchildren.
Now it’s up to us to continue this work. This bill is an important
step – a simple fix to ensure fundamental fairness to American
workers – and I want to thank this remarkable and bi-partisan group
of legislators who worked so hard to get it passed. And this is only
the beginning. I know that if we stay focused, as Lilly did – and
keep standing for what’s right, as Lilly did – we will close that
pay gap and ensure that our daughters have the same rights, the same
chances, and the same freedom to pursue their dreams as our sons.
Thank you.
Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov
President Obama puts science in its rightful place
By David Suzuki, Environmentalist and Scientist
Science has taken a beating over the past few years – especially in
the U.S. and Canada. We’ve put up with incessant braying from
climate change deniers who, in the words of Guardian writer George
Monbiot, "ignore an entire canon of science, the statements of the
world’s most eminent scientific institutions, and thousands of
papers published in the foremost scientific journals" just so they
can "pick up a crumb: a crumb which then disintegrates" in their
palms.
George Bush’s administration was so anti-science – blacklisting and
purging scientists and suppressing or altering scientific studies –
that 60 top scientists released a statement in 2004 accusing the
administration of distorting scientific fact "for partisan political
ends".
Science hasn’t fared much better here in Canada. A year ago, an
editorial in the scientific journal Nature criticized our government
for its skepticism about the science of global warming, and for
muzzling federal scientists and closing the office of the national
science adviser.
How refreshing it was, then, to listen to U.S. President Barack
Obama’s inaugural speech on January 20.
"We’ll restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s
wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost," the
president said. "We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil
to fuel our cars and run our factories."
What’s even more refreshing is that President Obama is backing those
words with action. He has appointed top scientists to key positions,
including Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Chu as energy
secretary, leading marine biologist Jane Lubchenco to head up the
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, and Harvard
physicist John Holdren as head of the White House Office of Science
and Technology.
These appointees understand and take seriously the science of
climate change. President Obama also understands the geopolitical
ramifications of policies that help fuel climate change, as he made
clear in his speech when he noted that "each day brings further
evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and
threaten our planet."
It was refreshing also to hear the new president talk about choosing
"hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord" and
about "what free men and women can achieve when imagination is
joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage."
That common purpose and need for courage, as the president knows,
extends beyond U.S. borders. After all, migratory Pacific salmon
don’t recognize the line between our nations, nor do rivers like the
pristine Flathead, which flows from B.C. into Montana and forms the
western boundary of Montana’s Glacier National Park, or threatened
and endangered species like grizzly bears that breed, feed, and roam
across our common border. And the winds that carry pollution and
greenhouse gas emissions don’t get turned back at the border for
endangering citizens on either side.
Here in B.C. where I live, most of the species at risk – from
grizzlies to monarch butterflies – cross back and forth regularly
between the two countries. We can’t hope to protect them without
strong and complementary habitat-protection policies in both
countries. We also need agreement on policies to protect the waters
that flow between our two nations. President Obama said during his
campaign that he opposes industrial development in the headwaters of
the Flathead. "The Flathead River and Glacier National Park are
treasures that should be conserved for future generations," he said
in reaction to a push by the B.C. government for development in the
region, including an open-pit coal mine 40 kilometres from the
Canada-U.S. border.
Climate change is another issue that must be addressed quickly and
effectively by both nations. President Obama has proposed an
economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. Scientists and economists around the world know that
putting a price on carbon emissions, through cap and trade and
carbon taxes, is the best way to bring our emissions under control.
And while a number of Canadian provinces have joined with U.S.
states to implement cap-and-trade programs, our federal government
has yet to act.
It’s great to see a U.S. administration that isn’t afraid of real
progress and change. But, as President Obama noted, it isn’t just up
to the American government to create that change; it’s up to all of
us. And while he was referring to American citizens, we Canadians
must also join to confront the challenges that both our countries,
and indeed, the entire world, face. It’s time to realize that, when
it comes to finding solutions to our common problems, science
matters.
Source:
www.davidsuzuki.org/
national Focus
National consultation into the protection of human rights in
Australia
Submissions are open until 29 May 2009 for the national
consultation into the protection of human rights in Australia,
announced on 10 Dec 2008.
Why Australia Needs Human Rights
Video Competition
To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) on
behalf of the NSW Charter Group is holding a video competition
based on the theme - 'Why Australia needs Human Rights
Protection'.
First prize is $800 while the runner-up will receive a cash
prize of $200.
The competition closes on 16 March 09. For more information and
application form, visit:
http://www.piac.asn.au/news/Competition.html
Contact:
kaki@piac.asn.au
Third Sector in Continuing Discussions with Feds on Economic
Downturn
Third Sector
representatives lead by welfare groups have been assured
of continuing discussions with the Federal Government
and in particular, the Deputy Prime Minister, Julia
Gillard over the impact of the global financial crisis
in Australia.
A meeting in
Sydney last week offered sector leaders the opportunity
to give a frontline perspective on the effects of the
current economic climate and to identify key areas that
need to be examined and addressed.
Acting Prime
Minister Gillard said after the meeting that she wants
to make sure there is a continuing body of discussion so
that what is being learned on the ground by the Not for
Profit sector can come straight to the ears of
government.
ACOSS CEO Clare
Martin says the meeting was able to give genuine
feedback to government especially since the pressures of
18 months ago, which were about rising interests rates,
have changed considerably to the impact of unemployment,
emergency relief and the need for financial counselling.
Martin says the
meting highlighted the increased pressure on welfare and
service organisations with many Not for Profits being
asked for financial advise that they just don’t have any
expertise in.
She says one of
things discussed with Julia Gillard was using the
resources of the banks and people leaving the financial
services industry to assist Not for Profits in providing
this type of advice.
Given that
banks were given such strong support from the Federal
Government in the first days of the collapse of the US
financial markets, Clare Martin says one idea put on the
table was that banks be required to be more sympathetic
to individuals and families now in mortgage stress due
to unemployment.
Martin says the
Deputy Prime Minister has agreed to sit down with the
sector for a discussion every month in the spirit of
‘what can we all do’ to help and resolve these financial
crisis issues.
Source:
Pro Bono Australia
The Gender Balance; or, whatever
happened to feminism?
The Academy of Social Sciences in Australia
has
released its edition of the Academy's journal, Dialogue,
which features the following articles on feminism:
Disappearing Tricks, by Marian Sawer
Poisons and Antidotes: Historicising feminism and equality
in an age of rights competition, by Ann Genovese
The Sexual Revolution as Big Flop: Women’s Liberation lesson
one, by Susan Magarey
Feminism in the Hearts and Minds and Words of Men:
Revisiting men’s cultural remembrance of Australian feminism
in the new millennium, by Margaret Henderson
Paid Maternity Leave: A late delivery? by Deborah Brennan
What Should We Do with Our Girls? Meditation on a recurrent
problem, by Beverley Kingston
To view the edition:
see http://www.assa.edu.au/
Case studies in social innovation
By
David Hetherington / Per Capita
The
employment services sector in Australia is at a critical
juncture. The third contract round of the Job Network
coincides with a commitment by the new Federal Government to
the principles of sound market design. These principles
include the alignment of incentives between providers, users
of services and taxpayers; generation of new sources of
investment; removal of barriers to entry; and transparent
information on service quality.
An important goal of the redesign of this market is to
stimulate greater innovation amongst providers. This
background paper offers an overview of social innovation and
three case studies of successful social innovation projects.
The paper is intended to illustrate the principles of social
innovation for organisations which may be considering an
application to the Innovation Fund, the Federal Government’s
primary policy tool to stimulate innovation in employment
services.
Conscience votes
during the Howard government 1996–2007
Deirdre McKeown and Rob Lundie / Information and
Research Services, Parliamentary Library
During the
Howard government’s time in office five bills attracted a
conscience vote. These bills were: Euthanasia Laws Bill 1996,
Research Involving Embryos Bill 2002, Prohibition of Human
Cloning Bill 2002, Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Repeal of
Ministerial Responsibility for Approval of RU486) Bill 2005 and
Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction and the Regulation
of Human Embryo Research Amendment Bill 2006.
This paper considers aspects of these votes and tracks patterns
that emerged. Aspects considered include the voting patterns of
party leaders, the party vote, the vote of women, the media and
conscience votes and the dilemmas facing members of parliament
in these votes.
A list of conscience votes in the federal parliament from 1950
to 2007 is included in an appendix.
> Read full text
The effectiveness of the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act
1984 in eliminating discrimination and promoting gender
equality
Senate Legal
and Constitutional Affairs Committee
This
report makes a series of recommendations for strengthening
the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, supported by a majority of
members of the committee. It includes a dissenting report by
Liberal senators and additional comments by Senator
Hanson-Young of the Australian Greens.
> Read full text
International Women's Day in Sydney
Arrangements for the IWD march and rally for
International Women's Day in 2009
for the Sydney CBD is well underway. This year,
the CBD will be very busy, because the IWD march and
rally coincides with the Mardi Gras march (but theirs is
in the evening).
International Women's Day provides a fantastic
opportunity for women of all ages to network and become
aware of the services, groups and agencies that exist in
their community. It is also an atmosphere of
positive and powerful feminist energy.
In 2008 community groups, local government and unions
were strong supporters and sponsors of IWD and we seek
to build on this relationship by asking you to ensure
that your group is represented at the march and in the
rally at Hyde Park.
How can you be involved?
1. Donation or Sponsorship
opportunities
There are many expenses associated with the march and
rally in the CBD and you are invited to make a donation
of $200 towards these expenses. If you can afford
to consider a sponsorship for a specific item, we will
be happy to discuss the details with you. All
donations and sponsorships will be acknowledged on the
website.
2.
Admire the banners in the streets of Sydney
Again in 2009, there will be IWD banners in the streets
of the CBD. These banners were sponsored by community
organisations, trade unions and individuals, as well as
major sponsors; YWCA, Office for Women, Women's
Electoral Lobby and Older Women's Network. These
banners will be seen at:
-
Town Hall
-
Macquarie Street
-
Martin Place
-
Park Street
-
Circular Quay
-
Market Street
-
and other locations
3.
Take a stall in Hyde Park
This is a great opportunity to network and to promote
your organisation. You may be looking to attract
volunteers; recruit staff or members, let women know of
the services available or where to seek assistance on
particular matters. The atmosphere is great and
women are looking for information.
4. Be an IWD
champion
Take opportunities to promote IWD to other women's
groups and organisations by encouraging everyone to
participate. Send information about IWD in the
Sydney CBD through your networks.
5. Join the march and rally
Organise a group (friends, community organisation or
union) to march under a banner - or come as an
individual and have a good time.
6. Join the IWD collective
We are all volunteers and we meet weekly on Tuesday
evenings at 6.30pm at Miller's Point. Contact me:
annebarber@bigair.com.au
for more information. There is lots of interesting
work opportunities before the event and there will be
lots of work on the day; being a marshall,
collecting donations, answering queries, setting up
sound equipment, bumping in and out of the stalls,
tidying up Hyde Park afterwards.
IWD is closer than you think .
Time to start planning your activity or promotion.
Please circulate through your networks and encourage
everyone to be involved.
You can get more info about IWD’s aims and objectives by
checking out the website:
http://iwdsydney.wordpress.com
Naturally if you have any further questions, just email
me, or give me a call on 0410.524.523.
Anne Barber,
Sydney IWD Collective,
annebarber@bigair.com.au
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