May 12, 2015
CAWP NEWS & NOTES
A newsletter to keep you informed about all things women and politics from the Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers University.

What a Senator wants for her birthday: More women running

Having packed more leadership into a lifetime than most, New Jersey's Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg wants her legacy to be "a whole generation of troublemakers" following her footsteps into New Jersey politics. Weinberg, elected to the State Senate in 2005 after 14 years in the Assembly, recently celebrated her 80th birthday, as reported by Politicker NJ, by inviting friends to contribute to an endowed Legacy Fund in her name at CAWP. The fund will support CAWP's efforts to engage and inspire more women to participate in politics. We are, of course, honored and grateful to be entrusted with carrying forward Senator Weinberg's mission of promoting women's leadership. 

Thinking of running? Master public speaking first!


 Is public speaking one of your biggest fears? You're not alone! Seventy-five percent of women report that they have anxiety about giving speeches or presentations.  That's why CAWP is offering an interactive Ready to Run® workshop on Tuesday June 23 from 9 am to noon, focusing on effective public speaking and presentation skills, including practice tips and specific strategies for dealing with speech anxiety. The presenter is Rutgers adjunct professor Karla Jackson-Brewer, who teaches and provides personal coaching in public speaking. Get the details and sign up today!
Running on both sides of the aisle
With Hillary Clinton and Carly Fiorina now in the race, women are running for president in both major parties for the first time in history.  CAWP has joined the Barbara Lee Family Foundation to create  Presidential Gender Watch 2016 , a nonpartisan project to track, analyze and illuminate gender dynamics in election 2016. The website already features  a lively analysis from both scholars and political practitioners , with much more to come. Visit the website, follow PGW on Facebook and Twitter,  and sign up for updates as the election season swings into high gear.  

Susie Wilson: Still running

 

CAWP's longtime friend Susie Wilson has published a memoir, Still Running, which, according to Amazon,  offers stories from a life that has included a theater career, a reporting position at Life magazine, and friendship and world travels with Ethel and Bobby Kennedy. Wilson ultimately led the fight to create the statewide comprehensive sexuality education policy in New Jersey and helped implement it in the public schools as head of a national sexuality education organization based at Rutgers. It is also the story of one of Wilson's other passions, running; she began at 50 years old and went on to complete the New York City Marathon at 67. Wilson started one of CAWP's first Legacy Funds, which supports the Center's NEW Leadership® program for college women.  

Women turning right

The National Journal profiles Empowered Women, a new non-profit organization seeking to change the image of conservatism and attract more young women to the cause.

 

Women forging ahead

The BBC reports that the number of women in the British Parliament has risen by 1/3 in the wake of last week's elections, to an impressive 29 percent. If a rise of similar magnitude happened in the U.S., we'd be at 138 women in Congress, or 26 percent - still behind our British sisters and far from full representation, but a whole lot better than the current 19.4 percent.

 

Women lagging behind

New York Magazine's Daily Intelligencer says that nearly ¾ of the top campaign donors for the 2014 midterm elections were men.  Citing a report from The Sunlight Foundation and the Center for Responsive Politics, the story provides the context: a long history of women being less visible among mega-donors.

 

Woman portraying woman

Huff Post Politics  reveals that Natalie Portman will play Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (aka Notorious RBG) in an upcoming film. Long before her Supreme Court days, Ginsburg was combating discrimination on the basis of sex, taking up what proved to be landmark cases. 

 

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Center for American Women and Politics
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