Women in the News

• Des Moines Women of Influence 2009
• State banks money for child care
• I’m Running for Secretary of Agriculture …
• Women's studies program protests budget cuts
• Summitt earns 1,000th coaching win
• Election 2008: Women in Iowa's GOP get a call to reshape party
• The Scandal of Military Rape
• Women Gaining Political Power
• Local lawmaker just misses Nigerian violence
• Clinton places focus on women during confirmation
• Iowa Bids Farewell to Pioneering Female Legislator
• Studies link maternity leave with fewer C-sections and increased breastfeeding
• Supreme Court Decision Protects Remedies for Gender Discrimination in Public Schools
• Johanna Sigurdardottir, a lesbian, former flight attendant and current social affairs minister, will serve as Iceland's interim prime minister until new elections are held later this year, the AP reported Jan. 28. Iceland's government collapsed on Monday when the entire cabinet resigned over the country's economic crisis. Sigurdardottir is known for allocating generous public funding toward assisting the elderly, people with disabilities and victims of domestic violence. Sigurdardottir is the world's first openly gay prime minister.
• The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act became the first bill signed into law by Obama on Jan. 29, USA Today reported. The law reverses a Supreme Court ruling that plaintiffs must file wage bias claims within 180 days of the first discriminatory paycheck. First lady Michelle Obama honored Ledbetter at a reception in the State Dining Room, the Chicago Sun Times reported. "It was a top and critical priority for women of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, older women, younger women, women with disabilities and their families," Michelle Obama said.
• As Layoffs Surge, Women May Pass Men in Job Force
• Conference speaker brings tools to share with other women