A project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is putting Afghanistan’s traditional rug industry back into the hands of Afghan weavers. This project, based in Kabul, aims to grow Afghanistan’s economy and empower women. The nine-million-dollar project, run by Rob Leahy in South Carolina, acts as the ‘middle man’ between Afghan […]
The Employment Rate for Women Just Surpassed its Previous Peak in 2013
The Bureau of Labor Statistics for November 2014 show more job growth in the past 11 months than in any previous calendar year since the 1990s.
Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership Still Needs Improvements in Human and Workers Rights
Legislators and activists are still concerned about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a proposed regional free trade agreement that addresses a broad range of issues and is currently being negotiated between the United States and 11 Pacific Rim nations.
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REPORT: Working Single Mothers Are Disproportionately Likely to Live in Poverty
The Working Poor Families Project’s policy brief “Low-Income Working Mothers and State Policy: Investing for a Better Future” [PDF] found that out of 7.1 million families headed by women, 4.1 million lived in poverty, encompassing 8.5 million children.
Senate Cuts Food Stamps For 850,000 Households
850,000 households across the country – encompassing 1.7 million people – are now set to lose around $90 a month in food stamp benefits because of the US Senate vote last night on the 2014 Farm Bill.
Minnesota Lawmakers Introduce Women’s Economic Security Act
Last week, Minnesota lawmakers introduced an expansive legislative package — dubbed the “Women’s Economic Security Act of 2014″ — to address a wide range of issues affecting women working outside of the home, including mandated paid sick leave, increased minimum wage and expanded access to childcare.
Senate Democratic Women Speak Out In Support of Raising the Minimum Wage
“Full time work should not be rewarded with full time poverty. Hardworking men and women who are busting their tails in full-time jobs should have a chance to support themselves and their families and build a little economic security. It is time for Congress to act and raise the minimum wage.”
Janet Yellen Closer to Becoming Fed Chief
The Senate Banking Committee voted 14-8 to approve the nomination of Janet Yellen to head the Federal Reserve.
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Cancellation of Sequestration Would Lead to 1.6 Million New Jobs
According to a new analysis released by The Congressional Budget Office, a full cancellation of the sequester by August 1 would allow for the creation of up to 1.6 million jobs. It has been predicted that sequestration will lead to the loss of up to 700,000 jobs as well.
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Senate Passes Student Loan Reform Bill
On Wednesday, the Senate passed legislation to lower interest rates on student loans 81-18. If the bill is passed in the House, it will reach President Obama, who has expressed his support of the legislation and urged Congress to also tackle the rising cost of tuition and the existing $1 trillion in student debt.
In Jackson, A “Solidarity Economy” Might Make Room for the Rest of Us
Lumumba has championed what’s known as a “Solidarity Economy,” in which wider economic participation and increased skepticism about “big money” in the economy are key parts of a community’s economic philosophy.
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50th Anniversary of Equal Pay Act
Fifty years ago today, in 1963, President John F. Kennedy, Jr. signed into law the Equal Pay Act, banning gender-based wage discrimination in the workplace. Yet on the anniversary of the historical legislation, women continue to face substantial pay inequity in the workforce.
HERvotes Takes On the Jobs Crisis
This post originally appeared on the Ms. Blog Our first #HERvotes blog carnival was so successful, we’re doing it again! On August 25-26, to mark the anniversaries of the passage of the 19th amendment and the March on Washington, Ms. joined with 21 women’s organizations to collectively publish 77 blog posts with a single harmonious […]
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HERvotes: President’s Job Plan Benefits Women
By Ellie Smeal, Feminist Majority Foundation The president’s job plan would have a positive impact on women’s jobs, woman-owned small businesses and small- to medium-sized non-profits. It also includes payroll tax savings for some 78 million employed women and an extension of unemployment insurance for those out of work, who include some 2.6 million unemployed […]
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HERvotes: Women Must Be a Part of Our Recovery
By Linda Hallman, AAUW Getting America back to work is of paramount importance. As the president and Congress argue over the best way to jump start a slowing recovery and stagnant unemployment figures, they must hear this: Job creation and economic opportunity are critical issues for women. Many struggle with economic insecurity and wage […]
Republican House Leaders Launch New War on Women
Republicans propose massive cuts in programs that benefit women as they propose increases in Defense spending of $8.1 billion. The House begins consideration of the Continuing Resolution (CR) for funding FY 2011 without which the government will shut down on March 4. Republicans would eliminate Title X domestic family planning programs with a massive cut […]
Hard Times = Hard Choices
A new report from the Guttmacher Institute gives useful empirical backing for what most people already know: Bad economic times like the present significantly affect individual’s and couple’s reproductive decisions. (In fact, the only people who don’t seem to grasp this intuitively are rightwing Republicans
