Contributed by Annamarya

On Wednesday, The Huffington Post published 8 Jobs in Which Women Earn MORE than Men – a self-explanatory  photo essay based off the June 2010 “Highlights of Women’s Earnings in 2009” report by Bureau of Labor Statistics. Just by the title only, there’s some cause for rejoice – finally, there are positions, albeit eight, where women are compensated justly for their experience and education. But, upon reviewing the HuffPo piece and reading the report, that exulting is short-lived – as author Sarah Yin points out, while surprised there are occupations where women earn more, the study doesn’t “indicate any earth-shattering progress in the gender wage gap debate.” Women still gross significantly less than men – on average, a woman’s weekly paycheck only reflects 80.2 percent of a man’s in full-time jobs (unexpectedly, a woman in a part-time position, on average, brings in 103.2 percent of a man’s weekly salary.  Not sure if this trend is necessarily a victory, but it’s a start). On top of that, in 2009, women paid hourly only made $11.76 on average, as opposed to men, who made $13.76 (Side note: according to this report, the standard error has changed slightly since 1979, when women made $9.97 an hour and men, $15.56, bringing the $5.59 difference down to $2).

In lieu of this, we suppose the eight jobs listed by HuffPo below do present a small triumph for working women everywhere – although, as Yin notes (and we concur) the report is lacking in its gender breakdown figures for a good chunk of the listed professions. Still, there’s a problem with this wage gap that HuffPo failed to address – while women make more than men in lower-paying industries, the median standard error is a great deal closer than in higher-paying businesses. For example, men in management, professional and related occupations saw an average of $1248 a week, whereas women only saw $907. That’s a $341 difference ($341!). Compare that to the mere $20 difference between female and male teacher assistants, and that small triumph seems more like a huge slap in the face.

Honestly, this deep-seeded chauvinist gender wage gap is baffling. Maybe one day a worker’s salary will be based on experience and education and not what they have going on down there. Maybe.

Eight Jobs Where Women Make More Than Men – By HuffPo
Science Technicians – Life, Physical and Social Science – Average weekly earnings: Women: $740 / Men: $723
Bakers – Average weekly earnings: Women: $466 / Men: $448
Preschool and Kindergarten Teachers – Average weekly earnings: Both sexes: $612 / Women: $614
Dietitians and nutritionists – Average weekly earnings: Women: $770 / Men: $759
Clerks: Information, record, order, interviewer – Average weekly earnings: Women: $681 / Both sexes: $679
Miscellaneous Personal Appearance Workers – Average weekly earnings: Women: $434 / Both sexes: $422
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants, Bartender Helpers – Average weekly earnings:  Women: $400 / Men: $360
Teacher Assistants – Average weekly earnings: Women: $474 / Men: $454

Online blogger, writer and the first candidate to have an online presence when running for Pepper Pike City Council in Ohio, Jill Miller Zimon discusses the rewards and challenges she finds in new media. As a woman in politics, Jill faced discrimination on the job but also learned how to overcome obstacles.  However, while she acknowledges the glacial pace at which women are gaining elective office, she does not believe that quotas are the way to go.

Age? 47

Job? I am a freelance writer and a Pepper Pike City Council Member

Lives in: Cleveland, OH

You were elected last November to Pepper Pike City Council and were the first ever candidate to the post to have an online presence. How was this useful to your campaign?

Well, first of all, I did it (the online presence) because I love online communicating. I consider it to be a launching pad for communication with many constituencies with whom I might not cross paths if not for the online presence.  So, I am very comfortable with it.  It was incredibly useful, in my opinion.  First, it helped me reach people outside of my city who just love seeing a woman, or a new non-politician type run for office. Second, the online tool for donations was used with great frequency and that was a boon.  It’s so simple and it’s immediate and people really seemed to like that (as did I).  Third, I loved being able to see my trajectory – going from house to house, involving my kids as the photographers and videographers and then posting the material online and getting feedback. I was able to use email, Twitter, listservs and Facebook to rally people to act.  I think the website for my campaign was fairly static due to the amount of work related to the campaign that I did by myself. But we did do a lot of photos and I tried to send emails once or twice a week, especially as the campaign came to an end. People really loved the communication and engagement.  It’s something that’s really never been seen in my community.

My city is small and we have a larger than normal number of folks over 65, with nearly two-thirds over 45 – not exactly the demographics most associated with vibrant online lives! But I have been determined to make a dent in that and I do believe that my campaign having an online presence helped greatly to get the word out that I was not the average candidate.

What are the biggest rewards for women in new media? What do you think are some of the biggest challenges?

This is a subjective question but I believe that the flexibility of new media is a benefit to women because there are so many ways for material to be published or put out to an audience. The lines of communication are such that we can do it all remotely and so this can benefit people in more remote locations or otherwise tethered somewhere geographically.  It also allows employers to go beyond traditional locales for the best talent. The biggest challenges would be to understand that no matter how many bells and whistles we give Internet-based media, it is not the same as interacting with someone and it is, for the most part, one-dimensional.  If you misunderstand that, you can really get into trouble as you communicate with readers, colleagues or potential employers.

As a woman in politics, what was the biggest surprise upon taking office?

That behind the audience chairs, where I’d been sitting for months and facing City Council, there is a wall with photos of all the previous mayors.  And they are all men.  And I thought, they need a woman up there.

But of course that’s not a huge surprise. I think the biggest surprise has been the extent to which residents really can dig into a position and advocate – and I can’t really do that, not for any one constituency. I may bring those voices to the table, but when I make a decision, I have to make one for the entire city’s interest.  This is a huge difference between being and not being an elected official in a community.

What made you decide to seek political office, in the middle of a recession and do you think that as a country we are heading in the right direction?

I sought office because I’d had success with dealing with the City previously.  Also, since I’ve done a lot of writing and presenting on the topic of women and leadership and women and politics, I felt that I was in a position in my life to be able to try and walk the walk, not only encourage others.

Are we heading in the right direction as a country? (more…)

Did you know that if Europeans forfeited ice cream for one year or Americans forfeited pet care for three months we would be able to put every single child in school? That means 75 million children who are out of school would be able to receive an education.

This is something Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan is focused on achieving with the organization ‘1Goal’ whose mission is to put every child on the planet in primary school  by 2015. She has also launched and supported several initiatives in education and learning including Madrasati” (“My School”), a public-private initiative aimed at refurbishing 500 of Jordan’s public schools over a five year period. In this online interview with Diane Sawyer, Queen Rania discusses the importance of education in order for young girls to have successful futures as independent strong leaders and describes it as “a lifeline that gives children an opportunity to climb out of poverty.”

She also speaks about her website that addresses stereotypes around Arabs and how social media allows people to connect on a personal level in order break down these misconceptions or cultural barriers. As one of the first (if not the first) members of the Royal family to join Twitter, she explains how she has been able to make friends and connect with people around the world that would not have been otherwise been possible With nearly 850,000 followers on Twitter and more than 22,000 subscribers to her Youtube channel, Rania describes social media as “A way for me to give people a window into my life [and] a great way for me to look into their lives and learn a lot.”

Click Here for The Video Interview

A Republican who believes in a woman’s right to choose, Jennifer Stockman is the first female President of the Board of the Guggenheim Foundation and Chair of the Republican Majority for Choice, the largest pro-choice and pro-stem advocacy group within the GOP. Recently recognized as one of Women’s eNews 21 Leaders for the 21st century, In this online interview with The Daily Femme, Jennifer talks about women’s leadership positions and shares with us her views on the place of moderate Republicans, the new Healthcare bill and women’s issues concerning reproductive rights. She also tells us why she finds Hillary Clinton inspiring but not Nancy Pelosi or Sarah Palin for that matter.

As your career has grown from being one of the few female managers at IBM in Washington D.C. in the late 1970s to becoming the first female President of the Board of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, how has working in a man’s world changed over the years? Do you think that women in positions of power such as yours must still adopt a certain behavior or language in order to fit in?I think it depends on the industry that you are talking about. My most recent experiences (2002-2008) have been in politics as co-Chair of the Republican Majority for Choice, and now as President of the Board of Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation; which have many differences as far as acceptable professional behavior. Although both organizations are non-profits, there are always similar degrees of professionalism expected in every field. Republican politics is still very male-dominated, a kind of old boys network, and not likely to change anytime soon.  The rare exception has been Sarah Palin, whom I am not a fan of and whose social views are opposite from my own.  And I certainly don’t believe she has the qualifications or credentials to run for president.  That not withstanding, women on all sides of the aisle at the very least need to appreciate that she is breaking new ground for women in Republican politics. After all, she is the first Republican woman to run as VP on the Presidential ticket. Many of us are just extremely disappointed that she isn’t a woman with more experience and knowledge of history or just plain…knowledge.  Plus, she’s a quitter who didn’t last even one term as Alaska’s Governor.  So, not quite the perfect role model for our daughters, but still it is a very positive development that a woman has achieved such a high political profile.

I thought it was historic when Senator Elizabeth Dole became the first Republican female to run for President in 2000, which was the main reason why I became involved, and decided to run her campaign in Connecticut. Both Dole and Palin’s professional paths will indeed make it easier for women in the future to run for high elected office, and I’m confident that in our lifetime, or certainly in my children’s lifetime, we will have an outstanding Republican female President, who is a charismatic leader, has a wealth and breadth of experience, is an historian, scholar, diplomat and it goes without saying also respects a woman’s right to choose. And I must add, that if the world had more female leaders, there would be less conflict and war (but that’s another interview)!

The world of art, however, is a very different story.  While the majority of trustees on the Guggenheim board are male, I have seen the number of women grow during my tenure. There are many executive roles and leadership positions filled by women in our Institution including our Deputy Director and Chief Curator, Nancy Spector; General Counsel, Sarah Austrian, and many others. Additionally, the art world is unique among other fields, and probably has almost an equal number of female art dealers (aka gallerists) to male; many brilliant women are museum directors, CEOs and chief curators, and we’re seeing female artists almost make as much as their male colleagues when they sell work, which is often an indicator of equality. The art world is certainly more gender blind than the Republican world of politics, but that is really only in recent times.  A major difference between these two worlds is that you don’t have to play golf and eat red meat in the art world… making it much easier for a non-golf playing vegetarian like me!

Do you think that women artists are well represented in the collections of your institution and what improvements or changes would you like to see in this respect?

I think it is wrong, and actually a disservice to women, to have a ‘quota’ that says we want to specifically increase the number of female artists in our collection. Women have similar talents and abilities as men, which are necessary to succeed including creativity, focus, persistence and hard work. In my own collection, I have many examples of female artists but I did not choose them because they were women but rather because they produced outstanding examples in the field of contemporary art today.  And the Guggenheim had recent outstanding exhibitions by female artists, including Louise Bourgeois, Catherine Opie and Julie Mehrutu.

I can’t help but think about this year’s Whitney Biennial, which featured more female artists than male without being a feminist show.  Instead it showcased women as artists instead of focusing on their gender.

Thank you for bringing that to my attention, as I didn’t realize that there were more women represented at the art fair… and I certainly don’t think that was deliberate. Women have made such impressive progress because they are as well educated, trained and empowered to be their own advocates as their male colleagues. My two daughters, who are young adults today, have grown up in a gender-blind and color-blind world. They don’t even register differences between the sexes or of persons of color. I’m afraid this will change as they experience the professional world where people from older generations don’t perceive the world as they do.   But this is progress nonetheless.

You were the Co-chair of the Republican Majority for Choice, a pro-choice and pro-stem cell advocacy group.  Can you share with us some of the challenges that your group faces, as the Republican Party moves more and more to the right?

You’re 100% right. The GOP is moving further to the right and this is RMC’s greatest challenge. As Obama’s popularity continues to drop, more pollsters believe that 2010 is going to be the Republican year to win back Congressional seats, maybe even take back the House.  Many extreme right Republicans, who are vehemently anti-choice, will be elected as a result, because the majority of the GOP and Independent electorate will be voting against Obamacare and Government bailouts — and will vote for ANY Republican running, without truly understanding or even concerned about their social positions. This could be another turning point in the composition of the GOP leadership, and I fear it won’t be good news for the pro-choice community.

Additionally, we all witnessed the abortion issue being used as a political football in the health care debate among Democrats, who have shown their true colors — when the going gets tough they won’t defend or support a woman’s right to choose either.  The only way women will stay safe and maintain control of their personal freedoms are to elect pro-choice Democrats AND pro- choice Republicans.  We need to be represented well on both sides of the aisles in order to deal with the challenges and threats to Roe v Wade likely to come our way.

Politically speaking would you call the moderate pro-choice Republican an “endangered species,” and do you think you still have a place in the Republican Party as it has evolved since the election of Barack Obama?

Republicans vote on economic issues and a strong national defense, and with the exception of the extreme right minority, don’t really give high priority to a woman’s right to choose.  In fact, through polling we know that the majority of Republicans are actually pro-choice even though they’re not comfortable with that nomenclature. There is such a stigma with the term “pro-choice”; to many it means pro-abortion.  But when you ask individuals about their views on  ‘personal choice and responsibility’, and unless they have strong religious beliefs, they admit to wanting their daughter to have a choice of a legal abortion especially if she were raped, underage or incapable for whatever reason of having and raising a healthy child.  In a perfect world, we all want children to be born and raised to be happy and productive citizens.  But sadly, we don’t live in a perfect world, nor should Government be the judge of other people’s personal lives; thus abortion must continue to be an option. The extremists are trying to take away that option; they are only care about this issue and will only vote for anti-choice candidates endorsed by the Right to Life.  The majority of Republicans, who are mostly moderate, vote on the economy, foreign policy, health care, education, and so forth, and unfortunately don’t pay much attention to a candidates positions on social issues. There in lies the Republican problem — they basically don’t care about our issues, and from observing the health care debate, we can’t trust the Democrats either.  We’re on our own girls!

As a long time supporter of a woman’s right to choose, what are your thoughts on the new heath-care reform legislation?

I think it is an abomination and irresponsible.  Was that clear enough!! (more…)

While Abby’s job and education look pretty darn good on paper, it’s the stories she shares about witnessing death and poverty in Uganda and finding out her first love passed away that make Abby’s life compelling and truly unique. Find out what life changes made her realize that what lies on a business card isn’t so important.

Age? 25

Places you have lived? Boston (MA), South Hadley (MA), Westchester (NY), Washington DC,

Places you would like to live? Washington DC or New York City

What do you do? I work for the United States Congress and I am doing a Master’s in Global Security at John Hopkins University

What brought you to DC and a career in politics?

Actually, I didn’t know that I would. Politics was my college major, but I thought I would go into human rights advocacy work. I received a fellowship with Emily’s List, which raises money for Pro-Choice women to run for office so after three months of campaign training they send me out to work on a campaign in Minnesota. A lot of my friends from the program went to DC and I wanted to experience a different city from New York. DC is a great place to come if you don’t know that many people because it is such a strong networking town and people are very friendly. I found it easier to settle in and develop a strong political network.

How much of your graduate work relates to your current job?

Not a lot because my job involves junior policy work for a senator and while I have learned a lot, it is not where my real interests lie.  My graduate work is in foreign policy and human rights advocacy; that’s what I am interested in. This degree will help me achieve a career switch when I am ready.

Being interested in foreign policy, are you planning on traveling a lot for your work or do you want to stay in New York and DC?

I am interested in post-conflict countries particularly in Africa, but I haven’t been very happy traveling abroad and really love being in the US. I would like to do government advocacy for say The Red Cross, working on behalf of the people who are located in conflict zones or Third World countries, but living there just wasn’t for me. I think we all need to come to terms with what makes us happy and for me it wasn’t worth living somewhere I did not like just to learn something. I always thought I would travel and do the Peace Corps so it was a hard thing for me to acknowledge.

Can you talk about some of the places you visited that were challenging and made you realize you weren’t prepared to live there?

I was in Uganda traveling with a friend who grew up in Liberia in a refugee camp so he was a lot more comfortable than I was. It was a great way to challenge myself, but the volunteer work I have done in inner cities school in the US was completely different from life in a slum in Uganda, where poverty is at an astronomical level. The hardest part was when I had to take a group of the thirty sickest kids to the hospital. We were going to help them get to the hospital and fill out the paper work. When I came back the next day they informed me that the list was not ready yet and upon asking if more children had become sick, I was informed that one of the girls had died during the night and they wanted me to see her. They took me to a little hut and asked me to hold her to see how warm she was. It was very unexpected and while I knew I would see poverty, it was shocking to sit there in this hut holding a dead child for probably the longest five minutes of my life. When I got back to the office, I didn’t tell anyone about it because (more…)