Women's Equality Day: In Praise of Radical Women. [Louisville Courier-Journal] Women's Equality Day on August 26 is celebrated as a commemoration of the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. While most of us now take this right for granted, in its day, women's suffrage was a controversial issue and those who fought for it were considered radicals.

Women's Council Celebrates 86th Anniversary of Women's Right to Vote. [Kansas City infoZine] The Missouri Women's Council recently commemorated the 86th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote on Aug. 26, 1920. Jefferson City, Mo. - infoZine - To recognize the event nationally, many groups are celebrating Women's Equality Day on Aug. 26, 2006. Currently, about 53 percent of registered voters in Missouri are women. "It is appropriate that we recognize the efforts and sacrifices of Lecretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton."

'Bag Lady' Fears Fret About Half of Women. [MarketWatch] Even though more women earned incomes topping $100,000 in the last decade, most women said they don't feel financially secure and about half are worried they could become a "bag lady". About 90% of women surveyed said they feel somewhat or not at all financially secure, and almost half of the women said they fear losing it all and becoming a "bag lady," according to the survey of 1,925 women.

Allianz Study: 90% of Women Feel Financially Insecure. [Bizjournals.com] Allianz Life Insurance of North America released the results of a new study of consumer behavior and attitudes. The study found that despite gains in education and earnings in recent years, 90% of women feel somewhat or not at all financially secure. Allianz said it conducted the survey of 1,925 women and 1,258 men so that financial advisers could better understand their clients.

Family Cares Taking Women Away from Male-Dominated Fields. [India eNews.com] Women are turning away from entering male-dominated fields due to their concerns about balancing career and family. A 1990 study looked at 137 female high school seniors who aspired to male-dominated jobs.  Seven years later, the study found that 83% of those women had changed their occupational aspirations to female-dominated fields or neutral jobs.

Women in Tech Focus of State-Hosted Forum. [Bizjournals.com] State economic development officials and a technology networking group are holding a fall forum geared to supporting the efforts of women to grow high-tech businesses in Maryland.

Don't Marry Career Women? Not So Fast! [CBS News] Forbes.com pulled down an article by its executive news editor about career women after it provoked a heated response from bloggers, and reposted the story with a "rebuttal" from a female reporter in their Silicon Valley bureau. The article by Michael Noer contains reasons for men not to marry "career women."

Guy Talk Hits Career Women Where It Hurts. [Times Online, UK] The argument that working women make lousy wives was given a new lease of life last week by Forbes, prompting a slew of furious protests from women readers. Michael Noer’s article was a particularly brutal and highly selective way of summarising recent research, which has revived the long-tarnished concept of the “happy housewife”. To many readers it was infuriating that a respected magazine that features female leaders of industry and finance on its covers could publish such “retro-nonsense.

Forbes Yanks Articles Over Marrying-Career-Women Flap. [CNET News.com] Forbes deleted two articles from its Web site, one of which was titled "Don't marry career women." The article, written by Forbes.com executive editor Michael Noer, included excerpts from a series of social science papers and reported that long work hours for women consistently increase the odds of a divorce but similar jumps in men's work hours often don't.

The Truth About Men, Women and Work. [Daily Mail – UK] American journalist Michael Noer has landed himself in a spot of bother with an article sensitively entitled, Don't Marry Career Women. For reasons contained in that story, if one partner gives up work, it’s usually the wife. Maybe it also explains Mr Noer’s statistic that women’s work hours ‘consistently increase divorce, whereas increases in men’s work hours often have no statistical effect’. Women, it seems, are prepared to absorb the stress caused by their partners’ workaholism; few men are willing to return the favour.

Women Suing CU Get Boost. [Houston Chronicle] Sixteen women's and civil rights groups filed court papers Friday bolstering an effort to revive a lawsuit by two women who said they were sexually assaulted by University of Colorado football players or recruits. The organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP, asked the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn's dismissal of the suit.

Three Fired Female Executives of Wright Foundation File Lawsuit. [KVOA.com] The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has been hit with a wrongful-termination lawsuit by three recently fired female executives. All were told by foundation Chief Executive Phil Allsopp that their positions had been eliminated. The lawsuit alleges the three women were fired in retaliation for questioning foundation irregularities, including allegations of questionable bidding procedures.

BMC's Lori Cook Named One of 50 Most Powerful Women. [Finanzen.net, Germany] Lori Cook, BMC Software's vice president of worldwide professional services, channels and alliances, has been recognized by CMP Media's VARBusiness magazine as one of the 50 most powerful women in the technology channel business.

American to Become First Female Space Tourist. [Jerusalem Post, Israel] Russia's space agency announced that US entrepreneur Anousheh Ansari will fly to the international space station next month, becoming the first woman to make a paid voyage to the station. Ansari, born in Iran, is a co-founder of the Texas-based company Telecom Technologies Inc.

Goshen Names Volunteer First Female Chief in State. [Eyewitness News] Massachusetts has its first female fire chief. Selectmen in the Hampshire County town of Goshen named Susan Labrie to the top fire post. The 42-year-old firefighter has been a volunteer on the force for the past 17 years. Labrie says gender doesn't make a difference. Of being the first female chief in the state, she called that an "added bonus."

Female Firefighter City's Fire Marshal. [Lufkin Daily News] Lee Fran Skelton outscored the boys Friday and made Lufkin history in becoming the first female fire marshal of the Lufkin Fire Department. "It still hasn't sunk in yet," she chuckled. "I'm still in shock." Out of seven fire captains who took the department's fire marshal exam last week, Skelton earned the top score.

Thirty Years of Female Firefighters. [ic Huddersfield.co.uk] The record books show that 30 years ago today 25-year-old Mary Langdon made history by joining East Sussex Fire Brigade and becoming Britain's first female firefighter. But that pales by comparison with the United States where the first known woman firefighter was African-American Molly Williams. She was a slave of a member of the Oceanus Engine Company No 11 in New York City.

1st Female Thunderbird to Take to Indy's Skies. [Indianapolis Star] The first female Thunderbird says she never gets nervous when she's flying, whether it's at an air show or on a combat mission over Kosovo, Serbia or the Middle East. "When things start to get a little intense, your training kicks in," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Nicole Malachowski.

Top Ranking Female Air Force Officer Speaks Out! [WOWK] Men and even kids were in the audience Friday at the 130th Airlift Wing in Charleston as one of the highest ranking female officers in the Air National Guard spoke on women's success. Major General Larita Aragon flew in to help celebrate Women's History Month. She was an easy choice, standing as the perfect role model to many Air Force women.

Abuse of Women GIs: Good Men Must Check Bad Ones. [Christian Science Monitor] In January 2006, Army Specialist Suzanne Swift went absent without leave from her unit rather than return to Iraq. She claimed to have suffered repeated sexual harassment and abuse, and blamed a chain of command whose members variously refused to stop it, participated in it, and accused her of bringing it on herself. She was arrested on June 11.

1 of 5 Women at Citadel Report Assaults. [Charleston.net] Nearly one woman in five attending The Citadel last spring reported being sexually assaulted since enrolling at the school. Reports of sexual assault and harassment were higher among both female and male Citadel cadets than among cadets and midshipmen at the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy and West Point who took a similar survey in 2004.

Military Rrecruiters Raping Female Enlistees. [AlterNet] According to a CBS news story, based on a 6-month AP investigation, "more than 100 young women who expressed interest in joining the military in the past year were preyed upon sexually by their recruiters. Women were raped on recruiting office couches, assaulted in government cars and groped en route to entrance exams."

Female Veterans Battle With Stress Syndrome. [Boston Globe] Post-traumatic stress disorder brings on flashbacks, numbness, rage and anxiety, and leaves many at odds with their old lives, families, and jobs. How women are affected after combat is only starting to be learned. This is the first war in which so many women have been so exposed to hostile fire, working a wider-than-ever array of jobs, for long deployments.

Female Troops and Combat Fatigue. [Strategy Page] Nearly 140,000 female American troops have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since September 11, 2001. More so than men, the women served in non-combat jobs. But women still faced a lot of the same stress that men did. However, when they returned, it was found that women did not suffer from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) to the same degree as men.

Female Soldiers Reflect on Women’s History. [HappyNews.com] At a ceremony to honor women and note the many trials and successes females have had both in civilian life and the military, Col. Pamela Stahl talked about many milestones women have made throughout history, many marked in legal annals. From gaining the right to execute a family member's estate to gaining admittance into Virginia Military Institute, women have proved their mettle in many male-dominated fields.

High Springs Woman Was in First Group of Female Marines. [High Springs Heralds] When June Daisy Whitehurst joined the Women Marine Corps, the group was so new that the uniform was a simple, dark-blue armband with white letters that read, US Marine Corps. Now living in High Springs, June, one of the first 80 women Marines on active duty, eventually received a uniform, a designer skirt and jacket, which she wore proudly, even in the summer temperatures in Atlanta, Ga. The year was 1943 and June and other women were slowly changing history by joining a faction of the military.

Women Return From War With Different Problems, Less Support. [Grand Forks Herald] Female veterans face ailments and traumas of other sorts: More than 400 military women working in Iraq, Afghanistan and the region have reported they were victims of sexual assault from 2003 through May. More female soldiers report mental health concerns than their male comrade. Roughly 40% have musculoskeletal problems likely are linked to lugging too-heavy and ill-fitted equipment.

Bakersfield’s First Female Police Officer Dies at 94. [KGET 17] The community is mourning the loss of Bakersfield’s first female cop, Mary Dodge. Dodge was set on becoming a teacher until the summer of 1941 when she read an article in the paper saying the city council voted to hire a woman for the Bakersfield Police Department. Mary pursued the opportunity and ended up scoring 100% on the entrance exam, ranking number one. She was then hired July 3,1941and began working in juvenile crimes and crimes related to women.

Female Halibut Captain Navigates Through A Sea of Preconceptions. [Inside Bay Area] Still struggling to get a solid foothold in the charter business, Capt. Mereidi Liebner regularly finds herself still doing the chores of deckhands — cleaning windows with a squeegee, wiping down countertops and hauling fresh bait from the freezer. Though often mistaken for a deckhand in this community dominated by male captains, Liebner said she finds only motivation in being among the small minority of female skippers. She says it pushes her to work harder.

Discrimination Driving Women of Color from Top Law Firms. [Black America Web] Women of color frequently experience subtle forms of discrimination, prompting them to leave some of the nation’s best law firms. Examples include a white male partner looking past a black lawyer, assuming she is clerical staff, a Native American attorney being asked where she keeps her tomahawk and an Asian attorney referred to as a "dragon lady" when she asserts herself.

Law Firms Shunt Minority Women to Dead-End Jobs. [Seattle Post Intelligencer] 81% of minority women quit private law firms within 5 years because they get shunted into dead-end jobs and aren't welcomed the way other new employees are. Black, Asian, Latino and American Indian women routinely miss out on the best law firm assignments and have the toughest time advancing their legal careers, says the ABA's report, "Visible Invisibility, Women of Color in Law Firms."

Documents Say Brothels Used Immigrant Women. [Houston Chronicle] Brothels in the Austin area and Oklahoma City that used immigrant women and catered mostly to undocumented workers were part of a multistate prostitution ring that federal agents have partially broken up. Women from Mexico and Central and South American countries worked in the prostitution houses and in some cases reported being held against their will.

Border Patrol Looks for Female Left Behind. [Arizona Daily Star] Border Patrol agents were searching for a woman in the desert near Casino Del Sol on Tuesday afternoon after she was left behind by a group of illegal entrants. Agents on foot and in helicopters were called to search for the woman about 2:30 p.m. after a man in her party told workers in the area to call for help, said Jesus Rodriguez, a spokesman for the U.S. Border Patrol's Tucson Sector. The man had stayed behind with the woman after she began to slow down. The rest of the party continued without them, Rodriguez said.

India Emigre Named First Female CEO of PepsiCo. [San Jose Mercury News] In a move that epitomizes Indo-Americans' rise in corporate America, PepsiCo announced that an executive born, raised and educated in India will become the new chief executive. Indra Nooyi, 50 will take the reins of PepsiCo, a multinational company with brands that include Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Tropicana and Quaker Foods.

African-American Women Step Up in Business World. [USA Today] Thousands of African-American women are starting businesses in a trend that's tipping the balance of economic power in the black community. As women take entrepreneurship's lead, marketers from banks to tech companies are tapping black women as a new source of revenue.

Concern Deepens Over Female Molesters. [United Press International] A sexual relationship between a 41-year-old Michigan woman and a teenage boy is helping bring the problem of female molesters to public attention. Over the last two years, women in New Jersey, Florida and Georgia have faced similar charges or were convicted of crimes related to sexual molestation of children.

Allen Reaches Out to Female Fan Base. [News-Leader.com] New Missouri State football coach Terry Allen is all about expanding the fan base of his program. Thus his idea for the first Missouri State Women's Football Clinic, held Wednesday night at the Forsythe Athletics Center. Sixty women met the coaching staff and heard Allen and his assistants explain different aspects of the game.

Women Achieve a Dream, One Drop of Sweat at a Time. [The Herald] What sport is all about: not watching someone else score some points, but going out and challenging yourself.  4,000 women did just that in the annual Danskin Triathlon. Triathlons combine swimming, bicycling and running. On early Sunday morning, just after the sun rose, my son and I watched the first women jump into Lake Washington for a half-mile swim.

Venus, Serena Most Popular Female Athletes. [ESPN] Venus and Serena Williams top the list of most popular female sports stars, and Michelle Kwan made the top 10 despite dropping out of the Winter Olympics. Kwan remains the most popular figure skater and is the sixth-most popular female sports star, according to the latest Harris Poll.

For Women, It's Nearly Ex Games. [Los Angeles Times] Da Silva and Friday aren't the only women who have had their sports cut from the X Games in recent years. When the games debuted in 1995, six of 29 events were specifically designed for women and another, the Eco Challenge, paired a man and woman. Of this year's 16 events, there are only two — skateboard vert and skateboard street — for women.

Female IndyCar Racer 'Undaunted by Male-Dominate Scene'. [Kwik Fit Insurance, UK] A female IndyCar racer has dismissed any notions that she should be treated differently. Sarah Fisher, who has been signed as a driver for Dreyer and Reinbold Racing, is moving back to IndyCar racing after a stint in NASCAR. Ms Fisher is widely held to have had a remarkable career. She became one the two women to race at the same event for the first time, in the 2000 Indianapolis 500.

Wie Trails by Five Shots at Women's British Open Golf. [Bloomberg] Michelle Wie, chasing her breakthrough professional golf win, bogeyed the first three holes at the Women's British Open today and trailed the leaders by five shots after opening with a 2-over-par round of 74.

Birthplace of Women’s Suffrage Figurehead Goes Up for Sale. [Boston Herald] The birthplace of Susan B. Anthony was to go on the auction block, despite the effort of local residents to buy it. Lorraine Robinson, the chairman of a nonprofit group that was trying to find a buyer, told The Berkshire Eagle of Pittsfield that she had contacted schools, philanthropists and even celebrities to help in the effort to turn the house into a museum.

A Name, A Grave for Abandoned Female Fetus. [Boston Globe] The name ``Frances Hope" has been chosen. A cemetery plot has been donated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. A white sleeper and a sweater have been set aside to dress the body before burial. Tomorrow morning, at St. Patrick's cemetery in Watertown, the abandoned female fetus whose body was discovered at Brighton High School will be buried. Nobody has come forward to claim the body since June 1, when Brighton High janitor Kevin Mojave made the discovery in the girls' bathroom.

Healthier Food on the Way for Poor Women, Children. [San Jose Mercury News] The federal government today proposed the most sweeping changes in WIC food baskets for poor women and children since the social program's start in 1974. While the changes are not expected to take effect until next year, they could have a profound impact on nutrition for the 8 million Americans -- including 1.3 million Californians -- who use the program each year.

Conservatives Press Government to Axe Status of Women. [Canada.com] Several pro-Conservative Internet blogs have signed onto a campaign to eliminate Status of Women Canada, a Trudeau-era federal agency that promotes women's equality and advancement. The campaign was kickstarted by REAL Women of Canada, one of Canada's most vocal organizations of social conservatives.

Female Casualty Leaves Questions. [Boston Globe] Captain Nichola Goddard was the first female soldier to die while participating in battle. Besides her husband, parents, and two sisters, she left behind an ambivalent nation. Canadians said they view Goddard's death as the downside of gains in gender equality that have led to full integration of the military.

Province’s First Female Sheriff. [Portage Daily Graphic] Manitoba Justice has written a new page in its history book by promoting the province’s only female sheriff. Erin Stoughton, 48, was handed her stripes and new uniform to accommodate her new position. “This is a day of historical significance,” said Norman Tchir, director and chief sheriff of Manitoba Sheriffs’ Service. “This is the first female promotion to the rank of sheriff in the sheriffs’ service.”

HIV Women Say Canada Fails Them. [London Free Press, Canada] This nation scored a near-failing average grade of D-minus in a report card on its HIV strategy for women and girls issued by a coalition of women's advocacy groups. "It's shocking that a country so rich in resources should score so poorly in all strategic areas that would make a profound difference to fighting this epidemic in Canada," coalition co-founder Louise Binder said.

Female Judges Make for 'Happier Courts,' Chief Justice Says. [Ottawa Citizen, Canada] Female judges make for 'happier courts,' chief justice says. Courtrooms need women's perspective, McLachlin says, and the cakes are nice, too.

Declining Number of Female Councillors a 'Matter of Concern'. [Regina Leader-Post, Canada] The only woman on Regina city council says she has yet to make a final decision about seeking re-election, when the municipal elections are held this fall.

Rise in Female Breadwinners a Lasting Trend. [Ottawa Citizen, Canada] In the last decade, the number of wives who are the primary breadwinners has risen steadily and, since 1967, the proportion has nearly tripled. Four decades ago, 11% of wives made more than their husbands, rising to 19% throughout most of the 1980s. During the recession of the early 1990s, it jumped to 25%, mainly because men in high-wage and manufacturing jobs saw periods of unemployment.

Female Circumcision Opponent Fears Retaliation If Deported. [Globe and Mail, Canada] A Kenyan woman says she fears she could be killed or forced to undergo female circumcision if she is returned to her home country. Canadian Immigration officials have ordered Zeddy Chebett, 46, to be deported after learning she hadn't applied to enter Canada through proper channels. But Ms. Chebett, a health-care worker in Edmonton, says proponents of female circumcision in Kenya will be eager to retaliate against her for her outspoken views against the practice.

Canada Downs France in Women's Friendly. [TSN.ca, Canada] Canada scored in the 42nd minute to upset France in a women's international friendly Saturday evening. The Canadians used the match as a tune-up for the six-team CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup, which will crown the CONCACAF champion, and also qualify two nations to the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China.

Varieties of Imperial Decline Symptoms in Mexico. [Dissident Voice] When people wonder at the femicide scandal in Ciudad Juarez where hundreds of low-income women have been murdered with impunity, they should perhaps consider that it is not some bizarre aberration but a deliberate component of the Mexican oligarchy's strategy of social control. Still, the current electoral standoff offers some hope of an end to rule by Fox's incompetent, sinister cronies.

Border Crimes Top Priority. [Houston Chronicle] I read with interest the Chronicle's July 28 editorial on violence against women in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua, Mexico. Violence along the U.S.-Mexico border is of great concern to me and to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and our nine consulates in Mexico. I am deeply troubled by the brutal murders of women in Ciudad Juarez.

Suspect in Border Slayings of Women Arrested. [Newsweek] A Mexican man suspected of taking part in the rape and killing of several young women in the border city of Ciudad Juarez has been arrested in Denver, Colorado. U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza called the arrest of Edgar Alvarez Cruz for immigration violations "a major break" in the investigations into the sexually motivated murders of over 100 young women in Ciudad Juarez, between 1993 and 2003.