Independent Women's Forum - Stacy Chin

Podcast Alert

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:36:00 EDT

IWF Junior Fellow Anna Thiergartner and Allison Kasic discuss IWF's 2008-2009 College Essay Contest.

Podcast Alert: STEM fields

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:57:00 EDT

Allison Kasic and Amy Watson discuss discrimination in higher education and the push to apply Title IX to increase the number of female faculty members in STEM fields.

Podcast Alert: Paycheck Fairness Act

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:04:00 EDT

Allison Kasic and Amy Watson discuss the Paycheck Fairness Act and discrimination in the workplace.

LISTEN HERE!

Podast Alert

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:30:00 EDT

New IWF podcast with Amy Watson and Allison Kasic on gas prices and the push for increased domestic drilling.

LISTEN HERE!

Global Warming Alarmism

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:23:00 EDT

Today there are millions of children starving and dying of AIDS. Yet some suggest that the greatest moral imperative of our time is attempting to reduce carbon emissions to, theoretically, reduce global temperatures by a fraction of a degree. As IWF president Michelle D. Bernard argued in the following op-ed which appeared Sunday in The Washington Examiner, we need to get our priorities straight and not embrace legislation based on global warming alarmism.

Read the article here.

DC Gun Ban Lifted

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:29:00 EDT

In a recent Townhall op-ed, Allison Kasic writes, "Citizens in the District of Columbia had plenty of reason to celebrate over July 4th weekend. In addition to our nation's birthday, countless barbeques, and a fabulous fireworks display, citizens of D.C. could finally enjoy their rights as set forth in the Bill of Rights. All citizens of D.C. should rejoice at their new found freedom. But for women especially, guns are the ultimate equalizer in self-defense."

READ THE ARTICLE HERE.

This is America: Racism in America

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:58:00 EDT

On April 4, 2008, Michelle D. Bernard joined This is America with Dennis Wholey for a discussion on racism in honor of the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s death and Obama's speech on race.

Watch Online Now!

Title IX turned 36 this week

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:37:00 EDT

Monday, June 23rd, marked the 36th anniversary of Title IX, the federal law that bans sex discrimination in schools that receive federal funding. Many, including feminists and left-wing politicians, applauded this historical date. But Allison Kasic, director of the R. Gaull Silberman Center for Collegiate Studies at the Independent Women's Forum, in an op-ed in today's Christian Science Monitor, believes you should take a closer look at the legacy of Title IX. Allison examines the unintended negative consequences the legislation has had on men and on gender equality in general.

Read the article here.

Podcast Alert

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:54:00 EDT

Allison Kasic and Carrie Lukas discuss rising gas prices. Is the government's "helping" really hurting American consumers?

To listen, click here.

To subscribe to IWF podcasts on Itunes, click here.

A Postmodern American Campus

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:08:00 EDT

Sarah writes in today's article on Campus Report Online:

[Postmodern culture] is a combination of the increasingly popular anti-Iraq, anti-Bush, anti-U.S. politics of today and the philosophy of postmodernists like Derrida and Foucault, who became popular in the U.S. in the late 70s and early 80s. The postmodern student says that we all have our own versions of reality, so no one version is any better than any other; no one person (and no one nation) is in a position to judge or force a policy onto another.

The postmodernist concept ‘it's all relative' was a philosophy championed by many activists because it proclaimed that power (especially that of the West) was oppressive.

Read the article here.

Title IX Strikes Again

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:22:00 EDT

Allison Kasic had an op-ed on yesterday's National Review about the latest casualty of Title IX affecting ASU athletes.

Read the op-ed here.

Sour Grapes?

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:47:00 EDT

Despite claims made by Clinton's campaign of sexism, Hillary Clinton has a lot to be proud of. However, as Michelle D. Bernard points out in an op-ed today, "Senator Clinton should take pride in what she has accomplished. Equally important, though, her campaign should accept responsibility for its failings. A combination of her mistakes on strategy and Obama's gifts, not discrimination, doomed her candidacy."

Read the op-ed here.

The Foundation Diversity and Transparency Act

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:23:00 EDT

In Friday's Wall Street Journal, IWF Chairman Heather Higgins examines the Foundation Diversity and Transparency Act. The legislation out of California is an enormous threat to private philanthropy. It would require California foundations with $250 million in assets to report the composition by ethnicity and gender orientation of their boards and staffs, the boards and staffs of the charities they support, and the degree to which they are run by or support certain minorities.

Read the article here.

"Modern-day slavery" in Saudi Arabia

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:50:00 EDT

The treatment of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia has been compared to "modern-day slavery." The lack of public outcry is sending a bad message to the Saudi government that abuse and discriminatation against migrant workers can continue with impunity for perpetrators.

Associate Director for Foreign Policy and International Women's Issues Halima Karzai writes an op-ed uncovering the abuses suffered by migrant workers under their Saudi employers.

Read the article here.

Will the 2008 Farm Bill really help Americans?

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:28:00 EDT

IWF Visiting Fellow Sabrina Schaeffer has written an op-ed uncovering the drawbacks to the 2008 Farm Bill, What the 2008 Farm Bill Means for American Families. Sabrina says:

Slumping housing prices and ballooning gas and food prices have led many families to put the brakes on spending. Now Congress is set to make things worse for the American consumer by passing a $300 billion Farm Bill that will increase the cost of living for families and further burden taxpayers.

The 2002 Farm Bill was set to expire last October, but after a failure to compromise, Congress extended the bill. Now with the Memorial Day recess looming, Congress is working to pass a new Farm Bill so they can return to their districts, pockets overflowing with goodies for special interests.

Read the complete op-ed.

Title IX Invades Academia

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Mon, 19 May 2008 14:45:00 EDT

In a paper released today, "Studying Women and Science: Why Women's Lower Rate of Participation Rate in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Courses Isn't a Problem for the Government to Solve," Carrie Lukas argues that this application of Title IX would be unnecessary and an inappropriate use of government power. This paper explores claims that discrimination is the primary cause of men's and women's different participation rates and details the many other factors-such as differences in aptitudes, temperament, and interest-that likely contribute to this outcome.

IWF's Allison Kasic also wrote a piece that was published last week on Townhall.com which warns about the potential consequences of expanding Title IX in the academic arena.

Who pays the price for health mandates in DC?

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:50:00 EDT

In March, the D.C. government adopted the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act, a law that forces employers to provide paid sick leave.

Most people naturally respond to this news by cheering the D.C. government: after all, who doesn't recognize the need for workers to take time off due to illness?

As IWF's vice president for policy and economics, Carrie Lukas writes: "The problem with this reaction, however, is that it focuses solely on the recipients of the new benefit without considering the other side of the ledger: those who bear the costs and suffer from the mandate's unintended consequences."

Read the article here.

Podcast Alert

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:18:00 EDT

Listen to the IWF podcast with Allison Kasic and Carrie Lukas here.

Obamamania

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Wed, 07 May 2008 11:51:00 EDT

In an op-ed today on Townhall.com, Allison Kasic writes:

Obamamania has been largely driven by the Senator's appealing personae and inspiring rhetoric. But for this upswing in interest in politics to have real meaning it can't just be a cult of personality.

It's crucial that young voters focus on the many pressing issues of concern to them and future generations.

Take Social Security, for example. In 2017 Social Security will start to pay our more money in benefits than it collects in taxes, and by the time, today's college students retire, the program will be able to pay only 74% of promised benefits. Unless reform happens soon, young voters will face massive tax hikes, massive benefit cuts, or some combination of the two.

Read the article here.

What role should "women's issues" play in the 2008 elections?

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:15:00 EDT

The Independent Women's Forum is pleased to announce the winners of the 2007-2008 IWF College Essay Contest. IWF received hundreds of essays for this year's contest. Full-time, female undergraduate students were asked to submit an essay no longer than 750 words, answering the question: What role should "women's issues" play in the 2008 elections and how do you define women's issues?

The awards include: First Place Award - $5,000, Second Place Award - $2,000, Third Place Award - $1,000, and Ten Honorable Mentions - $250

The winners are:

1^st Place Cassidy Bugos, Christendom College

2^nd Place Lauren Migliore, Kalamazoo College

3^rd Place Sara Elizabeth Walter, Lafayette College

Congratulations to all of the winners!

View the Honorable Mentions here.

Big Government Band-Aids

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Fri, 02 May 2008 10:53:00 EDT

Allison Kasic and Carrie Lukas encourage policymakers to consider policies that will spur economic growth and job creation, rather than focusing on big government band-aids.

Listen to the podcast.

Equal Pay Day No More

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:03:00 EDT

Listen to Allison Kasic and Carrie Lukas discuss the social relevance of Equal Pay Day here.

Happy Earth Day!

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:23:00 EDT

In honor of Earth Day, Dr. Richard North, co-author of Scared to Death From BSE to Global Warming: Why Scares Are Costing Us the Earth, joined The Thom Hartmann Show for a discussion on how political forces have driven global warming debates and the devastating fiscal repercussions.

Listen to the radio interview here.

Is Equal Pay Day Still Relevant?

info@iwf.org (Stacy Chin) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:22:00 EDT

IWF's Carrie Lukas describes why Equal Pay Day has lost its relevance in today's Baltimore Examiner.

Political experts have just begun to analyze why Sen. Hillary Clinton, considered a shoo-in for her party's nomination just a few months ago, lags behind Sen. Barack Obama in the Democratic primaries. Surely one factor has been that compared with the fresh-faced Illinois senator, Clinton seems like an anachronism. She may as well be wearing horn-rimmed glasses and bell bottoms as she attempts to rally the sisterhood to join her in the cause of electing the first female president.

The problem for Clinton is that most women today don't think in terms of gender solidarity. Women take for granted our access to education and job opportunities. The steady march of women into positions of political power reassures most that, regardless of the fate of her candidacy, it's only a matter of time before we have a woman in the Oval Office.