Friday, October 29, 2010

Shero Quoted

"Shawty, I ain't gotta look in your face to know who I am." - Mayor Evelyn Winn Dixon on self-esteem, from last weekend's domestic violence awareness conference.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

GOTV: The YWTF Voter’s Guide

We hope to see you on Saturday at our Policy Forum 2010. Bring your coffee, learn about the issues, and hear what other women have to say about the midterm elections. Stacey Chavis, former Director of the White House Project, will be on hand to discuss the importance of women voting. Meet us at the Toco Hills Library at 2:00 pm. The event is free. RSPVs are encouraged, so please send a message to us at ywtfatlanta@gmail.com. Before we see you, please educate yourselves with the amazing information our national Younger Women's Task Force chapter has assembled for you:

With congress poised to make decisions on critical issues like unemployment, equal pay, health care, and family economic security, this midterm is an election is an important one for women. This year more women then ever filed to run for Senate (36) and fourteen won the primaries. Yet, while women have typically been more likely to register and to vote then men, polls suggest that women are less enthusiastic about casting their ballot in this midterm election. According to CNN, only 23% of women described themselves as “extremely enthusiastic” about voting, compared to 38% of men. Women’s votes have the power to influence important legislation. We encourage you to become and enthusiastic voter, learn about your candidates, and vote on Tuesday.

Need to do some last minute research before you vote? We’ve compiled voters guides for each one of our chapter cities. Don’t fret, if you don’t live in one of the cities where we have a chapter, we’ve got you covered too. Check out the additional resources at the end of the post.

Atlanta:
Sample ballot from Creative Loafing.

League of Women Voters, 2010 Georgia Voter Guide:
The League of Women Voters also has a form where you can put in your address to see who is on your ballot or download the pdf version.   You can also find out more about the five Constitutional Amendments and one state-wide referendum question,

Equality Georgia:
See where candidates stand on Marriage Equality, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and other LGBT issues.


Additional Resources:
theballot.org
Just click on your State to see a list of voter guides.

Project Vote Smart
A wealth of information!

The League of Women Voters
Find your own City/Sate LWV chapter to find out about polling places, candidates, and ballot measures.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Upcoming Events

We appreciate you reading our blog, following us on Twitter, and being our fan on Facebook, but we would much rather connect with you face-to-face. On MTV's Cribs, they'll tell you the bedroom is where the magic happens, but in the magic that propels your career, your development, your life? That happens when you start pounding the pavement and shaking hands with the people that will help shape your future.

The Younger Women's Task Force - Atlanta Metro Chapter
(YWTF-ATL) 
 cordially  invites you to join us: 


Meet and Greet Wine Tasting  Social
Thursday, October 28, 2010
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
 5486 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd
Dunwoody, GA
 
  

This event will be a great way to meet and learn about each other! Anyone interested may attend; however,  RSVP Strongly Encouraged to ensure seating.  Send RSVP to ywtfatlanta@ywtf.org  by Thursday, October 28, 2010 COB.
What better way to relax after work and make new friends?!
Bring business cards.




Policy Forum 
2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Toco Hills Library
 1282 McConnell Drive
Decatur, GA
 
  





Anyone interested may attend; however,  RSVP Strongly Encouraged to ensure seating.  Send RSVP to ywtfatlanta@ywtf.org  by Friday, October 29, 2010 COB.
Bring your cup of coffee, learn about the candidates, and talk with other women about the issues.

FAQs about the A.S.C.E.N.D. Conference

You've probably heard us talk a lot about the A.S.C.E.N.D. Conference, and that's because we are so excited about it. I've taken the liberty of answering some FAQs you've had about the day. Enjoy!

What does A.S.C.E.N.D. Stand for?
It stands for Act, Speak, Create, Empower, Network, and Develop. You can expect all of these at the event.

What am I going to learn about?
We are so glad you asked! You'll learn how to take on leadership roles and find your voice. You'll learn how to empower yourself to act. You'll learn about the importance of networking. You'll learn about career advancement. You'll learn about entrepreneurship. You'll learn about work/life balance. You'll learn about taking on political leadership roles. You'll learn about community organizing and how to advocate for issues that matter the most to you. Bring a notepad and pen, because you'll be overflowing with knowledge by the time this is over! There's also free WiFi for those of you that want to bring your lappy.

Who is going to be speaking?
Georgia State Representative Alisha Thomas Morgan is coming to talk about leadership. Rep. Morgan has been active in politics since she was 23, and she also has a new book No Apologies: Powerful Lessons in Life, Love & Politics. Rep. Morgan will also be signing this new book, so if you don't have one, we recommend you pick one up. For a sneak peek of Rep. Morgan's speech, check out our blog.
http://ywtfatlanta.blogspot.com/2010/10/alisha-thomas-morgan-wakes-you-up.html

We're also thrilled to have Business Educator Deborah Shane, who travels the country speaking about women's empowerment. Deborah Shane also chatted with us about why it's such a crucial time for women's empowerment: http://ywtfatlanta.blogspot.com/2010/10/interview-with-deborah-shane.html

Can I participate in any of the events?
Yes! This is going to be a very interactive conference. We're going to have round table discussions with even more speakers, so you can ask questions and tailor the experience to the areas you want to learn most about. The floor plan also encourages you to connect with the other smart, professional women in attendance, and we will be launching our new Younger Women's Network immediately after the conference.

How's parking at 103 West?
Luckily, 103 West is ahead of the curve with parking in Atlanta, and they have a lot. There's no need to be anxious about parking. Hallelujah!

Where can I get tickets?
Online, you can get them here: http://ascendyoungerwomen.eventbrite.com/
It is possible to register on the day of, but registering in advance ensures quicker entry into the conference with more time for you to network.

Who's sponsoring the event?
The Younger Women's Task Force, Crave Atlanta, Women Intelligently Networking (WIN), Little Pink Book, and Atlanta Media Services are joining together to put on this empowering event.

How can I help spread the word?
Wow, thank you for asking! There are a few ways to share the message. You can tweet about it using our hashtag #ascend. You can post on your Facebook and let other women know you've purchased tickets. Some of our attendees have written about the conference in their interoffice newsletters. You can reach out to women in your classes, and you can also help us hit the streets with flyers or postcards. If you'd like to get involved on the promotions committee, email Lauren Zink at lauren.ywtf@gmail.com.

We hope we answered your questions. To get a sneak peek of what we'll be talking about at the A.S.C.E.N.D. Conference, straight from Deborah Shane and Alisha Thomas Morgan, listen to this month's podcast

Treasure Your Chest

Until recently, I was lucky enough to never really exposed to cancer in my life. To me, cancer was something grandfathers had - not younger women. But now one of my close friends is battling a rare type of cancer that we never saw coming, and I'm wondering how I was so naive about it before. She's had to close her business to battle it, not to mention how the financial side is crippling. During a time when she should be focusing on kicking cancer's a**, she has to fight with the insurance company too. The chemotherapy is making her so sick that she's spending evenings in the emergency room. She's undergone surgeries, she's losing weight, and she can't stop throwing up. She can't even leave the house for fear that someone with a cold will infect her already weakened immune system.

Cancer is unpredictable, and it can feel impossibly hard to fight. When it sneaks up on your life, it can make you feel truly helpless, but when it comes to cancer, knowledge really is power. It's on us to educate ourselves. We don't want the people we love dealing with this alone. We don't want anyone dealing with this alone.

All younger women have heard that your risk for breast cancer (or cancer of any type) is lower if you exercise and refrain from smoking, but there are a few things about breast cancer that may come as a surprise. According to the American Cancer Society:
  • White women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than are African-American women. HOWEVER
  • African-American women are more likely to die of this cancer. 
  • Many studies have looked for a link between certain diet and breast cancer risk, but so far the results have been conflicting. Some studies have indicated that diet may play a role, while others found no evidence that diet influences breast cancer risk. 
  • Studies have found that women using oral contraceptives (birth control pills) have a slightly greater risk of breast cancer than women who have never used them. This risk seems to decline back to normal over time once the pills are stopped. 
  • The use of alcohol is clearly linked to an increased risk of developing breast cancer. The risk increases with the amount of alcohol consumed. 
Until we find a cure, education is my way of fighting back. What's yours? For more information about breast cancer, visit Be Bright Pink.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Statistically Speaking

Lindsay Pollak shares her story "How Millennial Women Are Shaping Our Future" on Huffington Post today. We've pulled out some highlights from her research:

Millennials on Goals:
  • 96 percent of Millennial women worldwide list being independent as their most important life goal and define success as being able to shape their own futures.
  • More than half (58 percent) of women surveyed do not have a definite plan to achieve their long-term goals.
  • Sixty percent of women worldwide cite "ups and downs in the economy" as the biggest obstacle to achieving work-related goals.
Millennials on Mentoring:
  • Ninety-four percent of women worldwide said that the best mentors are people with whom they can trade advice.
  •  77 percent of Millennial women say that mentors can be people your own age.
  • 89 percent agree that they can have more than one mentor.
Is this in-line with your beliefs on goals and mentoring?

Shero Quoted

Author Margaret Atwood, on reading Jane Austen: "Bad habit, leading girls to believe that any man who's mean to them is really nice inside..."

Your Voice: Money-Saving Tip #1 - Kitchen

When I first moved in with my boyfriend (who is now my husband) at age 18, I was working a full-time receptionist job making minimum wage ($6.50/hour) while taking a full load of classes. Because there was no way I could take on an extra job with all my obligations, I knew I had to be extremely tight with my earnings just to make ends meet.

I started researching and educating myself on how to save money by Googling just that.

Much to my disappointment, I was already doing almost everything these blogs and advice-centered websites offered.

I decided at that point, if it wasn’t on Google, I would have to come up with my own ways that go beyond, for example, only using the dishwasher once it’s full.

So, frugal readers out there, I am attempting to condense some of the lessons I’ve learned about being domestically economical over the last 4 years into a series of blog entries, all for you! This is meant for anyone wanting to save a little bit or a lot of money. These tips will range from being fairly simple to pretty extreme. As you read, remember that saving money is the main objective; this may require you to think outside of the box and take a little extra time out of your day to follow through.

Let's start in the kitchen:

Paper towels? Who needs them?

You would be amazed at how much we reach for paper towels on a daily basis. Have a spill? Need a napkin? Need to clean your counter or wipe down your mirror? How about dry your hands? Okay, so you see my point:

A two-person household can easily use around 2 rolls of paper towels per week. That’s around $4.30 (if these rolls are bought 1 per pack), which is $17.20 per month.

Instead, invest a set of cloth napkins and dishtowels. Dishtowels do not have to be expensive (I often by mine from Ikea for $0.49/each here http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10100909 ). These can be used for wiping down, drying hands, drying dishes (pretty much everything a paper towel does). For cleaning purposes, cut up old t-shirts, use old missed-matched socks, and even old towels to get the job done.

Total savings per year (before cloth napkins and dish towels are bought): $206.40

*Savings vary from household to household*

--
Emily Tabouring is studying speech pathology at San Francisco State University. For more from this younger woman, please visit her blog.

Monday, October 25, 2010

The Suit Debate

Last week we received the following question: "My friend Sarah went to an interview yesterday in gray trousers, a sleeveless silk top, and black cardi; I can't fathom going into an interview in anything less than my best suit...Should I tell her my opinion?"

Most people will tell you that it depends on the industry in which you're interviewing. What's right for a financial planning firm may be wrong for an interactive agency. But does wearing a suit ever work against you? Here's what Virginia Tech's Career Services Office has to say on the matter.

Where do you stand on the issue? Do you believe nothing suits you like a suit?

Friday, October 22, 2010

ASCEND Younger Women Leadership Conference

YWTF National Launches New Blog

We are happy to announce that YWTF National Launches New Blog, lead by Shannon Lynberg, YWTF National Director
Go to http://ywtfblog.wordpress.com/ to read about younger women's issues.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

It's More Than Just Shock TV: Starting a Conversation About Domestic Violence

The female detective burst through the door to discover Mia standing with a knife sticking out of her chest. “She attacked me!” he lied, ready with his defense in hand. Mia looked frantically around the room, her mind cycling through confusion, shock, and fear, before she collapsed onto the floor. “Call 911!” the detective instructed the neighbor, who had stumbled upon the horrific scene. Blood gushed out of Mia’s chest as the detective applied pressure to the wound. “Call 911!” she repeated, but the neighbor was paralyzed by the sight of Mia’s bright red blood streaming, flowing like water onto the floor, through the detective’s fingers, down Mia’s neck and out of her mouth, staining Mia's teeth red. It took less than a minute for Mia to bleed out – before anyone had called for help and with three people in the room, including the man Mia was supposed to trust most - her husband.

It was the most graphic murder I have ever seen on television. Even now, hours later, it’s still playing in my mind, keeping me from falling asleep. Mia had previously left her husband because of the domestic abuse. She was placed in a women’s shelter for safety, where Mia lamented she felt like the one in prison. Angered by the shelter’s rules, scared of starting a new life without a degree or work experience, ashamed by the situation, and hopeful that things would get better, Mia dropped the charges and returned home to her husband. As punishment for not staying quiet about the abuse, he stabbed her in the chest with a kitchen knife.

One of the reasons Law & Order SVU continues to be such a successful show is that it’s not afraid to tackle the real issues that face younger women. It encourages us to create a dialogue, to do our own research, and to really think about what’s happening in this world, despite the fact that we might have turned on the television in search of a distraction. And research is exactly what the show prompted me to do. Did you know that an estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year?* And according to U.S. Department of Justice, females 20-24 are at the greatest risk.

Domestic violence does not only affect heterosexual relationships. If you are in an abusive relationship of any kind, call a domestic violence hotline to talk to a trained professional ready to help. In Atlanta, the Women's Resource Center to Stop Domestic Violence has a 24-hour domestic and dating violence hotline: 404-688-9436. Younger Women’s Task Force is committed to helping with the movement to stop domestic violence. Representatives from our chapter will be at Sisters Empowerment Network’s 2010 Domestic Violence Awareness Conference. For more information about how you can help fight against domestic violence, consider joining YWTF-Atlanta’s Violence Against Women Special Interest Group. Email our program director Karen Moore at Karen.ywtf@gmail.com to get involved.

*Costs of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States. 2003. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Centers for Injury Prevention and Control. Atlanta, GA.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Wake Up and Lead


The ever-inspiring Georgia State Representative Alisha Thomas Morgan took time out from running for re-election and promoting her new book No Apologies: Powerful Lessons in Life, Love & Politics to remind younger women to empower themselves, shake off the fear and get moving.

You’ve been serving in the Georgia government since you were 23. What does leadership mean to you?

Leadership is moving first, asking for permission later. It's seeing an issue and doing something about it. It's being a voice for those who lack one. It is filling a void. It is the willingness to speak truth to power. It is what many of us are called to do but refuse to do, out of fear or the unwillingness to take ourselves out of our comfort zones.

Taking yourself out of your comfort zone can be very intimidating. What makes you feel brave?

What makes me brave is my upbringing. It's really in me; it's who I am. I also grew in the NAACP, which developed me early on as a young leader. Having the audacity and the fearlessness to say the things that have to be said and do what needs to be done make me brave, as well as the heaviness that I feel when I don't do or say what's necessary.

Not standing up for yourself and what you believe in, that's something that we have all battled with. What advice do you have for younger women struggling to find their voice?


Follow your passion! Do the thing that wakes you up in the morning. Know that there's a place for you, and if you haven't found it, create it. Know and understand that your voice is needed, which comes with great responsibility. Don't wait for a certain time to use your voice and talents. There are those things that we believe we need in order to do the work we've been called to do - the degrees on the wall, the life partner and the 2.5 kids, and etc. - but when you've been called to do something, do it now!

The Younger Women's Task Force looks forward to hearing more from Alisha on November 13 at the A.S.C.E.N.D. Leadership Conference for Younger Women.

Women Making a Difference

Good job to groups of high schools girls that go make-up less for Operation Beautiful.

Lindsay Avner promotes awareness about cancer, and we suddenly have a craving for a bright pink cupcake.

These women give a big Eff you to body haters in their blog about “life in the fat lane.”

Sunday, October 17, 2010

My grown up Xmas List

Back in August, I was appalled to see big boxes of holiday decorations sitting on the floor of the Cumberland Mall. Too early, I say! But if your mother is starting to ask you what stuffed in your stocking when you come home for whichever holiday you call your own, World of Good can be a great place to start. According to World of Good's website: "Your Fair Trade purchases give women artisans the opportunity to earn a sustainable livelihood, gain financial independence, and a voice in their community. On WorldofGood.com by eBay, you can shop for products like chocolate and coffee that are Fair Trade certified by Fair Trade USA as well as artisanal products from other Fair Trade partners." You can search by occasion, recipient, the personality and interests of the receiver, and the cause you want your gifts to support.

I've taken the liberty of making a quick list treasures; you are more than welcome to pass along this info to Santa.

1. You can never have too many scarves.
2. The perfect water bottle to bring to yoga.
3. Charmed, I'm sure.
4. I can't pretend like I didn't want to share this.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Monday, October 11, 2010

An Interview with Deborah Shane



Deborah Shane of TrainWithShane.com sat down with us to discuss empowerment and the state of women in our country.

You travel the country giving talks on women’s empowerment. Why do you think teaching women about empowerment is so important right now?

What’s so significant and important about the status of women NOW is that women represent a majority, and sub block that has tremendous power and potential to really change things.

Women:
* Are 52% of the full-time workforce
* Are 60% of college students
* Control 66% of global consumer spending
* Control 51% of the nation's private wealth

This trend will continue to grow, and women will continue to be in positions of personal, professional and community leadership. Women need to develop more initiative, self confidence and belief in the value of who they are and what they can do, and step up and step out to do it.


What does empowerment mean to you?

Empowerment to me means using all my inherent skills, qualities and intangibles, plus learning new ones to mentor, develop and help people navigate these times and become the best at who they are and what they do. Empowerment is a tool we use for autonomy, independence and freedom. It allows us to do for ourselves what we need to be doing.


What makes you feel empowered?
Kindness, humor, creativity, people, learning, helping others, fitness, fun, animals, the arts, music, family, and friends.


Deborah Shane will be speaking at the upcoming A.S.C.E.N.D. Conference on November 13th at 103 west in Atlanta. For more information about Deborah Shane and her company Train with Shane, visit her online.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Looking for some good reading?

We wrangled up a few very readable blog posts about women's news.

Jezebel’s take on Congressional Candidate and Younger Woman Krystal Ball & her scandalous sexy photos. Sometimes people use the word sexy liberally, turns out.

Who should you be following on Twitter? Forbes has a few suggestions. Don't have a Twitter account? Don't worry, we're following all of these women for you, and we will RT them too.

Woman stands on train tracks to protest abusive behavior. Spoiler alert: Don't be afraid to click on it; nobody died.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Inform Yourself About Domestic Violence

Carry Smith and Terica Scott tackle domestic violence against younger women on the latest podcast.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Women's Suffrage and Our Rights Now

My favorite blogger SouthernDaisy over at Skirt wrote a fabulous post about women's empowerment and leadership. Thanks, Skirt!

What does empowerment mean to you? Comment below.