Sac Women

The Business of Gender

2009-06-11T19:44:54Z

The business of gender: women are still rare sights in the boardroom despite studies linking female executives to higher profits. Very interesting article by Peter Griffith, Vice Chair of Ernst & Young. Read in its entirety here. Question: Wouldn't utilizing all of our brain power, regardless of the sex of the brain, make this country dynamite again?? Gillian Parrillo SacWomen

Many Women Are Forgoing Health Care

2009-05-13T13:54:10Z

Read more reasons that women need better healthcare. Gillian Parrillo SacWomen.com

Want More Bang For Your Buck?

2009-05-03T18:22:19Z

Gillian Parrillo SacWomen

Our Biggest Scourge - Swine Flu?

2009-04-30T15:03:35Z

The deadly contagion is spreading, striking down young and old, well-heeled and downtrodden, sophisticates and illiterates. Last year alone, the affliction killed thousands in Mexico and even more in the United States. Not swine flu. Gun violence. While federal and state authorities are preoccupied with preventing a swine flu pandemic from overwhelming the United States, the epidemic of gun violence rages on, unabated and little noted.

Read the whole article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Gillian Parrillo SacWomen.com

Today I Made What A Man Made in 2008

2009-04-28T20:26:27Z

Today is Fair Pay Day. Today, as an average woman, I will finally earn what an average man made in 2008. Took me almost 4 more months to get even. That's because I make 78 cents for every $1 a man makes. But at least I am Caucasian, if I were African American I would only earn 69 cents and, even worse, if I were Hispanic, I would only earn 59 cents. Are things improving. No. For example: In 2006, women physicians earned 72% of their male counterparts. Women in sales were at 64%. Women in construction at 86%. Women in computer and mathematical occupations at 85%. While we applaud President Obama for signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, this law simply reinstates rights we had previously before a shocking Supreme Court decision. We cannot continue this discrimination against women. Especially when women are often the sole providers in many households. Equal pay for equal work. What's so shocking about that? What's so frightening about that? What's so hard about that? Ladies (and gentlemen). Let's all stand up and make it happen. We can start by demanding the passage of the The Paycheck Fairness Act, It would deter wage discrimination by closing loopholes in the Equal Pay Act and barring retaliation against workers who disclose their wages. The bill also allows women to receive the same remedies for sex-based pay discrimination that are currently available to those subject to discrimination based on race and national origin. Now, I need to go back to work. My earnings for 2009 are just beginning. And I am already 4 months behind! Reminds me of the guinea pig on that wheel! OK, no wheel. I just learned those are really bad for guinea pigs...maybe worse than pay discrimination for women??? Gillian Parrillo SacWomen.com

Women Leaders Rule - Let Them!

2009-04-26T15:31:41Z

I met Mu Sochua, an elected member of the Cambodian parliament and a tireless advocate for women's rights and the victims of injustice, when I visited Cambodia in February with a delegation of women led by World Pulse. Mu Sochua was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work against sex trafficking of women in Cambodia and neighboring Thailand. Vital Voices honored Mu Sochua with the 2005 Human Rights Global Leadership Award for her efforts to stem the tide of human trafficking. She is a remarkable woman. When we met, we were a small group of women who had come to visit the country and learn of the powerful (and tireless) work of women. Mu Sochua shared very personally and directly with us her struggles in Cambodia. She brought her delightful daughter (the youngest of three) who was soon to head to college in the United States. Mu Sochua came across as a smart, elegant and courageous fighter against corruption and deceit, and a bold leader in the fight to protect and improve the lives of Cambodian women. Word came last on Friday night from Beth Klein, one of my fellow travellers on the World Pulse trip, that Mu Sochua had filed a defamation suit against the Cambodian prime minister and expected to be arrested soon and thrown into the general population of a Cambodian jail. Unfortunately, I know the drill, because this is not the first time that I have received news that a strong woman opposition politician is under attack by a government that fears true opposition. In late December, I received a similar call about another courageous leader, Birtukan Mideksa, from Ethiopia. She has been held in solitary confinement on trumped up charges for 4 months. The drill begins again, all too soon. I go to the World Pulse website and post an urgent action alert. I go to all of the websites that care about global women and post, or, if there is already a post (hurray!!), I comment. I update, update, update. This time, the news of Mu Sochua is getting much more traction than we were able to generate for Birtukan. While some of the US politicians did sign petitions of support, and others sent representatiion to local events, for the most part the US mainstream media has ignored the plight of this 35 year old brilliant woman leader. Thankfully, Mu Sochua has many well-connected allies in the US. It will be much harder for the Cambodia government to jail her and for the story to virtually disappear, as has been the case with Mideksa. As a mother, I struggle with the decisions that these women must make to stand up for the rights of all women while sacrificing their own families. I asked Beth during our call if she could think of one outcome for women politicians around the world who stood up for what was right where the result was favorable. I am sure there are some, but all we could think of at that moment were Benazir Bhutto, Aung San Suu Kyi, Birtukan Mideksa. All won national elections but the government in power disputed the results, never let them serve in their elected roles or removed them soon after coming to power, using made up charges to persecute these amazingly brave women. But, even worse, there is a very damaging tidal wave effect that engulfs their families - motherless children caught in a political tsunami. It's a sacrifice I don't know if I could make but I salute these women for doing what so many of us could not. And I especially put my arms around those brave children who will grow up knowing of the courage of their mothers but missing so much of their mother's loving touch. We must stop this brutality. We cannot let acts like this discourage other women from working for leadership positions in their countries' political structure. We must shout from the rooftops until the world notices what is happening and is forced by the overwhelming evidence of discrimination to say enough is enough. We are with you Mu Sochu, Birtukan Mideksa, Aung San Suu Kyi. Gillian Parrillo SacWomen.com

Tivo Her Minor Thing on Friday, April 24th

2009-04-21T19:25:33Z

How exciting. A movie filmed in Sacramento - no, a great movie filmed in Sacramento, written and produced by people from Sacramento and you can watch it on the Women's Entertainment Channel on Friday. Check your local listings and set the Tivo. I love this movie. It's funny and cute and you can pick out lots of Sacramento landmarks. Want to read more about the movie, Her Minor Thing. Here's what Wikipedia has to say. Or check out the trailer. Don't miss it! Gillian Parrillo SacWomen.com

A Message From Barack

2009-04-07T01:32:37Z

Gillian -- Thanks in no small part to your incredible work and dedication, we have taken another step towards creating jobs and rebuilding our struggling economy. Last week, the budget I submitted to Congress passed both the House and the Senate and it embraces our most fundamental priorities: an energy plan that will end our dependence on foreign oil and spur a new clean energy economy; an education system that will give our children the tools to compete in the economy of the 21st century; and health care reform that finally confronts the back-breaking costs plaguing families, businesses and government alike. Thousands of you signed pledges of support, knocked on doors, made phone calls, and talked to your friends and neighbors about this budget and the investments it makes in our long-term prosperity. You showed Washington that ordinary citizens are demanding change and are willing to work for it. Our work on the budget isn't finished -- Congress still has to agree on a final version. But your efforts have sent a message that Washington can't ignore. I'll be counting on you even more in the coming weeks and months. The budget Congress passes will be a critical blueprint for the changes we'll bring about. But that's when the real work begins -- the work that will bring health care to every American, transform our economy to run on clean energy, provide our children with the best education in the world, and bring about a new era of prosperity. Thank you for everything you've done, President Barack Obama

This is what grassroots organizing looks like! Gillian Parrillo SacWomen.com

Pray The Devil Back To Hell

2009-04-04T14:24:53Z

More and more, sisters are doing it for themselves! Look for this movie in a theater near you soon. Gillian Parrillo SacWomen.com

Vegetarians Can Save The World

2009-04-03T15:11:19Z

From Kathy Freston, The Huffington Post

Sometimes, solutions to the world's biggest problems are right in front of us. The following statistics are eye-opening, to say the least. If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would save: ● 100 billion gallons of water, enough to supply all the homes in New England for almost 4 months; ● 1.5 billion pounds of crops otherwise fed to livestock, enough to feed the state of New Mexico for more than a year; ● 70 million gallons of gas -- enough to fuel all the cars of Canada and Mexico combined with plenty to spare; ● 3 million acres of land, an area more than twice the size of Delaware; ● 33 tons of antibiotics. If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would prevent: ● Greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1.2 million tons of CO2, as much as produced by all of France; ● 3 million tons of soil erosion and $70 million in resulting economic damages; ● 4.5 million tons of animal excrement; ● Almost 7 tons of ammonia emissions, a major air pollutant. My favorite statistic is this: According to Environmental Defense, if every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetarian foods instead, the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than half a million cars off of U.S. roads. See how easy it is to make an impact?

Gillian Parrillo SacWomen.com

Special Offer For SacWomen Readers

2009-03-30T14:28:24Z

SacWomen readers get $2 off. Gillian Parrillo SacWomen.com

Check Out Ladies Who Launch

2009-03-19T18:07:59Z

Ladies Who Launch has a Sacramento chapter and some very interesting, affordable and timely seminars coming up. They also have some prime spots on their website for effective and affordable advertising for your business. Check it out. Gillian Parrillo SacWomen.com

Iron Jawed Angels - Free Showing

2009-03-19T02:48:48Z

California Legislative Women’s Caucus Invites You to a Special Viewing of Iron Jawed Angels Wednesday, March 25, 2009 Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Film begins at 7:00 p.m. Crest Theatre 1013 K Street, Sacramento Free admission Must be 18 or older for admission. RSVP to Cody Naylor: (916) 319-2438 or Cody.Naylor@asm.ca.gov Iron Jawed Angels recounts a key chapter in U.S. history: the struggle of suffragists who fought for the passage of the 19th Amendment. The film shows how defiant activists Alice Paul and Lucy Burns broke from the mainstream women’s rights movement, daring to push the boundaries of political protest to secure women’s voting rights in 1920. Iron Jawed Angels is an HBO film starring Hillary Swank, Frances O’Connor, Angelica Houston and Patrick Dempsey. You should definitely go to this. You will be amazed and forever grateful to your female ancestors for what they did to get us the vote. And you will always, always, always vote every chance you get when you see how much getting us the vote cost them. Gillian Parrillo SacWomen.com

Why Voter ID Bills Are Bad For Women

2009-03-17T15:15:07Z

Of all Americans without a license: •Women are more than twice as likely as men not to have a drivers’ license. •One of every five senior women does not have a license. •Over 70% are women. [Source: US Census Bureau Detailed Tables. “Sex by Age Total Population.” July 24, 2006. Federal Highway Administration. “Licensed drivers, by State, sex, and age group.” July 24, 2006] •There is ample anecdotal evidence that suggest factors like name changes related to marriage and divorce make it less likely a woman will have a current name and address on a photo ID that matches the name and address on the voter list. Have Republicans found another way to wage war on women by keeping them away from the polls? Gillian Parrillo SacWomen

Ambassador at Large for Global Women's Issues Unprecedented Nomination

2009-03-11T21:36:10Z

Melanne Verveer has been named as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. This is an unprecedented step in elevating the importance of global women's issues to the forefront. Melanne Verveer is Co-Founder, Chair and Co-CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international nonprofit that invests in emerging women leaders - pioneers of economic, political and social progress in their countries. Prior to founding Vital Voices, Verveer served as Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady in the Clinton Administration and was chief assistant to then First Lady Hillary Clinton in her international activities. Verveer also took the lead in establishing the President's Interagency Council on Women, which serves as a model for governments to address issues of concern to women. Previously, Verveer served as Executive Vice President of People for the American Way, a civil rights and constitutional liberties organization where she played a key role in the passage of several landmark civil rights bills. She was Coordinator for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs for the U.S. Catholic Conference, Field Manager of Common Cause and worked in the U.S. House and Senate as Legislative Director and Special Assistant respectively. Verveer is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Women's Foreign Policy Group, the Washington Institute on Foreign Affairs and Women In International Security. Hat tip to Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun Times Gillian Parrillo SacWomen.com