Sorry I haven't posted in a while...things tend to get crazy busy and then I have no energy left at the end of the day to get online at the library. Anyway, saw an interested little story in Yahoo! News about the pay gap between men and women:

It is ironic that the Pennsylvania primary is being held on Equal Pay Day. That's the day in April every year when women's earnings finally catch up with what men made by December 31 of the previous year. The pay gap is still a stubborn problem, with women who work full time, year-round making 77 cents to a man's dollar. And, women are losing ground when it comes to how long it takes to pull even with men - a decade ago Equal Pay Day was April 11.

"Talk to Women for A Change" by Martha Burk

Ironic, indeed. Ironic that I didn't hear a thing about it.

This quote on Equal Pay Day from the Business and Professional Women network shows the difference in race:

Equal Pay Day is held annually in April to signify the point into a year that a woman must work to earn what a man made the previous year. According to the 2006 Census Bureau, women on average earn 77 cents for every dollar paid to their male counterparts. For women of color, the wage gap worsens: African American women make 66 cents, Latinas make 55 cents and Asian American women make 80 cents.

Now, there have been studies that show that part of the reason women are lacking in pay is because they don't negotiate, and this can lead to a gap of hundreds of thousands of dollars over one person's career! DEFINITELY negotiate!!! But that doesn't make up for the increasing pay gap between women and men. Just another way to work towards equality!

Wait honey, I need to sign this contract first...

Just wow on this one. An article by NEWSLIVE.com.au states that apparently in an independent state of Australia, women should sign a contract before having sex. Huh? What? Why is this? Ohhh, read on...

An Independent state MP has suggested women should sign a contract before having sex in order to prevent men being subject to false rape allegations, News Limited has reported.

In a response to proposed laws making it an offence to continue a sex act with a person who changes their mind about consent, South Australian MP Ann Bressington suggested to Parliament men should carry a sex contract to prevent being accused of rape.

Are you f'ing KIDDING me??? As if it's not hard enough for women to come forward about being raped, now they have to sign a contract before sex because people think they're lying??!

Ann Brennington states, “This Bill makes men guilty until proven innocent and they will have no defence.” Okay then, Ann, what are you doing to protect innocent women from being raped??? I agree that people who "cry rape" have absolutely no excuse and are ruining the judicial system for those who actually are violated, and yes, this needs to end somehow...but you're putting ALL of the blame and fault on the woman and that's just not right. Worse than that, you're making it even harder for someone who truly WAS raped to come forward about it. Remember, peeps, 1 in 4 women are raped and only 16% of these rapes get reported - check out possible reasons why women don't report rape in this undeniably real and honest blog post.

Women are already:
- Subjected to painful rape kits
- Further harassment by the rapist and their supporters
- Mocking by strangers and trusted ones alike
- "Questions" that are more like accusations by police and others

...and by the time it's all over, they find out the police don't believe them. Cause we needed another reason to worry.

The ONE good thing about this is that it's somewhat two-fold...men without a signed contract could be charged with sexual assault. But considering the amount of cases that actually get anywhere now...well, let's not hold our breath on that one.

Board up!

A workforce-related article to start your day:

Fox Business: Many Women Aspire to For-Profit Board Membership

Many women executives who currently serve on non-profit boards of directors actively aspire to serve on for-profit boards -- where women currently are dramatically underrepresented -- according to a survey released today by the Simmons School of Management (http://www.simmons.edu/som) in Boston.

But survey authors say that the growing number of organizations who want more women board members need to change their traditional search procedures. And women who aspire to board membership need to develop a concrete plan to be recruited...

Women comprise 51 percent of the U.S. managerial work force, but less than 15 percent of board membership of large, publicly traded U.S. corporations -- despite research by Catalyst research and advisory organization showing that Fortune 500 firms with more women board members outperform those with very few women, on such measures as return on equity and return on sales.

Go for it, ladies!