Many of the links in these articles are dead... and perhaps someday, I'll clean them up. For now, though, these are strictly "archival" copies of the articles which I wrote during my tenure as the Women's Issues Guide for About.com.
02/14/00 - V-Day: Until the Violence Stops
V-Day’s mission is simple. It demands that the violence must end. It proclaims Valentine’s Day as V-Day until the violence stops. Founded by the award winning author of "The Vagina Monologues," The V-Day Fund has donated more than a million dollars to grassroots organizations that fight violence worldwide.
02/12/01 - Watching Congress
How Congress works, why it's important to pay attention to their actions, and tips on keeping track of what your legislators are doing for - and to - women.
02/07/01 - Praying For Help
Forget about 'singing for your supper' - if you need help in America, George W. Bush wants you to pray for it. Your Guide takes a look at Bush's Faith-Based Initiative, the players, their goals, and the potential conflicts with the First Amendment.
01/18/01 - The Real Wage Gap Myth
Feminists have been talking about the wage gap for years. You know, the one where women make only about three-quarters of what men make. Now many men (and some women) are insisting that the wage gap is a myth. Are they right?
01/16/00 - Nightmare on Constitution Avenue
As Senate hearings begin on John Ashcroft's nomination to the post of Attorney General, a wide-ranging coalition of women's and civil rights advocacy groups are marshalling their forces to oppose his confirmation. Why are these people so upset?
01/04/01 - Moderate Smoke and Mirrors
President-elect Bush is being credited for choosing some moderates for his cabinet, but closer inspection shows it's all smoke and mirrors. Meanwhile, in the agencies with the largest potential impact on women's rights, Justice, Labor, and Health and Human Services, the nominees are each conservative in ways which specifically threaten programs and policies which have helped women.
12/15/00 - Bipartisan Bingo
A game in the spirit of national unity. Take a bipartisan approach, and you, too, can win with the spin!
12/07/00 - Lame Duck Power Play: Anticipating a Bush Presidency
In what may be a foretaste of a Bush Presidency, some Congressional Republicans are talking tough on an overdue budget agreement with President Clinton. The implication: We'll hold out until Bush takes office.
11/24/00 - Spinning the Recount: Bush Gaffes
Not content to let the Gore team have the field of "PR gaffes" all to itself, the Bush team has stepped up to the plate with a few gaffes of their own: Paid demonstrations, questioning patriotism puts the Bush team in the lead for bad PR in the recount drama.
11/20/00 - Spinning the Recount: Gore Gaffes
Gore had a great case for a manual recount of those punch card ballots. So why didn't he make it? Your Guide offers her analysis of the Gore campaign's PR gaffes in the Florida recount.
11/08/00 - Women Gain in Senate, Governorships
Women pick up Senate seats, and add two Governor's Mansions in the 2000 Elections.
11/01/00 - Election Issues: Final Take
A last look at the issues that matter to women in the Presidential campaign, and a few opinions on the issues that matter most to your Guide: The Supreme Court, education, the environment, health care, and Social Security.
10/27/00 - Ungagging the World
House and Senate members reached an agreement over international family planning funding this week, striking the prohibitive language known as the Global Gag Rule, and increasing family planning funding for the first time since 1995.
09/28/00 - VAWA Passed By House
The House of Representatives finally passed the bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. But hurdles remain: In the Senate, the bill may not get consideration as a stand-alone measure. And men's rights groups continue to criticize the bill as sexist.
09/21/00 - Gems from the Forum: Personal Safety
The Women's Issues Forum members share their tips and advice about personal safety. While most of them aren't "professionals," many of them learned their lessons from the most demanding teacher of all - life.
09/06/00 - "The Informant" on Corporate Sexism
Ever wonder what goes on in those all-male corporate boardrooms? A new book by Kurt Eichenwald offers a peek, and it's not pretty. Top executives on tape, discussing the women that work for them in excruciatingly offensive sexual detail.
08/23/00 - Olympic Women
Even though I've never been much of a sports fan, I think Olympic women are awesome! Here's a few firsts and facts to whet your appetite for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
07/29/00 - Sex, Porn and Feminists
Are feminists against pornography? A look at why there are no simple answers to such a simple question.
07/19/00 - Women Who Ought To Be Famous
We're looking for a few good women. They're not in the history books. Why? And what can we do about it?
07/10/00 - Election Issue Focus: Supreme Court
A look at why the composition of the Supreme Court could be the "sleeper
issue" of the election, with special emphasis on recent states' rights
decisions limiting the scope of federal civil rights laws, from your guide.
06/28/00 - Supreme Court Upholds "Bubble" Law
In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court upheld the right of states to impose certain restrictions on constitutionally-protected speech outside of medical facilities, including abortion clinics.
06/28/00 - Supreme Court Srikes Down Abortion Ban
In a closely-divided ruling, the Supreme Court struck down Nebraska's ban on "partial-birth" abortions in a 5-4 decision. Justice Stephen Breyer, writing for the majority, said that the law results in an "undue burden upon a woman's right to make an abortion decision."
06/19/00 - Assault on Women
Your guide offers a few thoughts on the women sexually assaulted in New York's Central Park while many nearby police officers did nothing.
06/12/00 - Beijing+5: Final Wrap
The June, 2000 review of the Platform For Action produced at the Fourth World Conference on Women looked at progress, remaining obstacles, and set some new targets.
06/01/00 - Beijing+5: Final Wrap
Five years after The Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, a Special Session of the General Assembly will be held in New York on 5-9 June 2000. The mandate of Beijing+5 is to review the progress made in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action and to consider further actions and initiatives.
05/23/00 - Domestic Violence Down, VAWA Up For Vote
A 21% decline in domestic violence against women shows that the programs funded by the 1994 Violence Against Women Act work. So, why is it so hard to get those program's funding reauthorized?
05/15/00 - Supreme Court Strikes Down Rape Law
The Supremes have spoken. Women do not have a civil right not to be raped. Upholding the decision of the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, the Court ruled 5-4 that Subtitle C of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 unconstitutionally infringed on state's rights.
05/12/00 - Mothers' War
For the most part, Mother's Day celebrations honor the gentle nurturing spirit that is a central part of motherhood. But there more to motherhood than nurturing. Mothers are warriors, too. They fight for the future of their families and our species, and no enemy will find a more implacable foe when either of those are threatened.
05/03/00 - Blinded by Hate
The recent shooting spree in Pittsburgh by an immigration lawyer seems to underscore the need to address hate in America more effectively. Is hate crime legislation the answer?
04/26/00 - Unreasonable Suspicion
ACLU challenge to mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients in Michigan will go forward. Being poor isn't a crime, yet.
04/20/00 - Women's Social (in)Security
Women need to pay attention to Social Security reform, because - boring or not - it will affect the rest of your life.
04/12/00 - The Big "T"
Testosterone rules? A look at the latest incarnation of the old "biology is destiny" argument, and why I'm not buying it
04/05/00 - What Is It With These Guys??
Sexual harassment charges in the Army. Again. This time, the victim is the top ranking woman, Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy.
03/28/00 - People Will Talk
DateRape.org. The new site that has people talking about date rape.
03/10/00 - Common Ground: Teen Pregnancy
Examining a small piece of common ground in the abortion debate - where "pro-life" and "pro-choice" don't matter.
02/18/00 - Abuse, Murder and Morality
A 62 year old-battered woman is executed in Texas for killing her abuser. So much for "compassionate conservativism."
02/04/00 - The "Four Front" on Women's Issues
A review of the four Presidental front-runners' positions on women's issues.
01/28/00 - Freedom From Rape
Do women have a "civil right" not to be raped? Not according to the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
01/21/00 - Inside Affirmative Action
Affirmative action: What it is, what it isn't, and why we still need it.
01/14/00 - The "F" Word
Fat. The little word that carries a big stick -- and beats us up with it.
01/07/00 - Charitable Choice Redux
The "charitable choice" provision is included in a new bill to provide help for low-income or unemployed non-custodial fathers.
12/24/99 - Charitable Choice is Often Neither
A little known provision in the1996 Welfare Reform Law lets religious organizations use federal tax dollars to impose their beliefs on welfare recipients.
12/17/99 - Watching Congress
Following legislation through Congress isn't fun, but it's important.
12/10/99 - What Is a Women's Issue?
My personal definition of a "Women's Issue" and an overview of some of the topics that this site will address.