Women of Note
On The Occasion of Her Death - What the Medal of Freedom Means to Me: Madeleine Albright
"When President Obama presented Madeleine Albright with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, he praised her remarkable achievements: As the first woman to serve as America’s top diplomat, Madeleine’s courage and toughness helped bring peace to the Balkans and paved the way for progress in some of the most unstable corners of the world. And as an immigrant herself -- the granddaughter of Holocaust victims who fled her native Czechoslovakia as a child -- Madeleine brought a unique perspective to the job. This is one of my favorite stories. Once, at a naturalization ceremony, an Ethiopian man came up to her and said, 'Only in America can a refugee meet the Secretary of State.' And she replied, 'Only in America can a refugee become the Secretary of State.' Thanks to former Reporter/Writer Alain L. Sanders who suggested and wrote a piece for Time Magazine a number of years ago on Albright's famous pins and their meaning. more »
Arizona Ranks High on States With Offensive Place Names Eyed For Change
“Regardless of the naming history, such monikers have no place in a diverse society that values the contributions of all individuals and groups and Greenlee County is supportive of name changes that reflect this shared respect,” Rapier said in an email. The word has not always been considered offensive. Shannon O’Loughlin, CEO and attorney for the Association on American Indian Affairs, said in an email that the word comes from the Algonquian language, where it means “woman,” and she said a similar word in the Mohawk language means “vagina,” but that it gained a negative connotation over time. “The term has been used in derogatory ways by colonizers until today, as a sexualized stereotype of a Native American woman,” said O’Loughlin, who is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation. Coupled with the violence against – and trafficking of – Native American women and girls in the United States, the s-word is not appropriate to honor and acknowledge the sacrifices that Native Peoples have made to protect the honor of the United States,” her email said. more »
Congressional Weekly Legislative Update March 14, 2022, Bills Introduced and Passed: Benefits of Gender Diversity in Boards of Directors & Other Senior Management Positions, Disparate Impact of Climate Change on Women
"The sense of the House of Representatives that corporations should commit to utilizing the benefits of gender diversity in boards of directors and other senior management positions; A bill to exclude a basic allowance for housing from income for purposes of eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); A bill to address the disparate impact of climate change on women and support the efforts of women globally to address climate change; resolution recognizing Girl Scouts of the United States of America on its 110th birthday and celebrating its legacy of providing girls with a safe, inclusive space while supporting the next generation of women leaders; A bill to support stillbirth prevention and research; Budget - On Wednesday, the House Budget Committee will hold a hearing, “Ensuring Women Can Thrive in a Post-Pandemic Economy.”
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National Archives Virtual Daytime Programs in March; Celebrating Women’s History Month
One example of the programs available: Book Talk – Female Genius: Eliza Harriot and George Washington at the Dawn of the Constitution, Tuesday, March 8, at 1 p.m. ET; Register in advance; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel; Mary Sarah Bilder looks to the 1780s — the age of the Constitution — to investigate the rise of a radical new idea in the English-speaking world: female genius. English-born Eliza Harriot Barons O’Connor delivered a University of Pennsylvania lecture attended by George Washington as he and other Constitutional Convention delegates gathered in Philadelphia. As the first such public female lecturer, her courageous performance likely inspired the gender-neutral language of the Constitution. more »