Happy National Women’s Health Week from the Whitehouse Council on Women and Girls

Weekly Women’s Update: Happy National Women’s Health Week!

Greetings All –

This week is National Women’s Health Week, an opportunity for all women to prioritize their health well-being by scheduling annual screening and exams. Due to the Affordable Care Act, more than 20.4 million women with private health insurance have received preventive health services at no additional cost.

Valerie Jarrett, the Chair of the Council on Women and Girls, addresses the Violence Against Women Act in a timely and important blog post.

On Monday, President Obama delivered the commencement address at Barnard College. Barnard is one of the famous “Seven Sisters” — liberal arts colleges founded to offer first class education to women before many elite institutions admitted women.

Thank you for taking the time to watch, read, and share this material.

Very Best Wishes,
The Council on Women and Girls

President Obama at Barnard College

Monday was a wonderful day, not just for the promising young women graduating from Barnard College, but for the recognition of women’s accomplishments everywhere, and all of the people who are committed to their success. Read more about the President’s visit here.

Please find (and feel free to share) the following:

A White House blog post on the event;
Full video of the President’s remarks; and
A transcript of the President’s remarks.

President Barack Obama sits with Barnard College President Debora Spar, left, and Chairwoman Jolyne Caruso-Fitzgerald before he delivers a commencement address for Barnard College graduates at Columbia University in New York, May 14, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Update on the Violence Against Women Act

The Violence Against Women Act puts women’s safety above partisan politics. Last month, Democratic and Republican Senators came together to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. The bill they approved would address the high rates of domestic violence committed against Native American women, ensure that LGBT victims have access to services, and make college campuses safer places to live and study. Through its bipartisan vote, the Senate not only acted to preserve the original bill — they improved it, protecting even more women from violence and abuse.

However, the bill passed in the House of Representatives leaves out the important new protections found in the Senate bill, exposing more students, Native Americans, and LGBT Americans to the threat of violence. To learn more about the Violence Against Women Act, read this blog post by Valerie Jarrett, the Chair of the Council on Women and Girls.

National Women’s Health Week

This week is National Women’s Health Week, an opportunity for all women to prioritize their health well-being by scheduling annual screening and exams. President Obama’s health reform law requires that new health insurance plans cover preventative services such as memmograms, pap smears, and well-woman visits with no co-pay or deductible. Learn more about the law here.

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The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111

May 14 2012

White House Women’s Update: Happy Mother’s Day!

Saturday, May 12, 2012

White House Women’s Update: Happy Mother’s Day!

Friends –

Happy Mother’s Day to you and yours!

Yesterday, the President released a presidential proclamation to celebrate the special role mothers play as cornerstones of our families and our communities, and on Thursday, First Lady, Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden hosted a Mother’s Day Tea for military families in the East Room of the White House and we hosted a Twitter Chat with the leadership of MomsRising.org, Mocha Moms, and Mamiverse – who were joined by their children and parents.

Additionally, please take a moment to read a new post by Lynn Rosenthal, the first-ever White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, and Senior Policy Director for Immigration, Felicia Escobar on the risk of Rolling Back Protections for Domestic Violence Victims.

We hope that you took a moment to watch the President’s interview with ABC News on Wednesday, where he said that, “I think same sex couples should be able to get married.” He made it clear that he believes that it’s wrong to prevent couples who are in loving, committed relationships from getting married.

Happy Mother’s Day and thank you for all that you do!

The White House Council on Women & Girls

Joining Forces Honors Military Moms

First Lady Michelle Obama greets guests during a Mother’s Day Tea in the East Room of the White House, May 10, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert)

In honor of yesterday, Military Spouse Appreciation Day, and in support of military families celebrating Mother’s Day, this Sunday, May 13, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden hosted a Joining Forces Mother’s Day event at the White House for three generations of military families – military mothers, as well as their mothers and their children. Click here to watch coverage of the event.

Rolling Back Protections for Domestic Violence Victims

Since 1994, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) has been an essential tool in helping to protect victims of domestic and sexual violence. While seeking to improve criminal justice and community-based responses to victims of abuse, VAWA ultimately changed the landscape for those previously left to suffer in silence. Read and share this important piece by White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, Lynn Rosenthal and Senior Policy Director for Immigration, Felicia Escobar on the risk of Rolling Back Protections for Domestic Violence Victims.

My First Job: Valerie Jarrett

Summer Jobs+ is a call to action for businesses, non-profits, and government to work together to provide pathways to employment for young people in the summer of 2012. It’s about helping people find their first jobs.

Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President, and Chair of the Council on Women and Girls, says her first job taught her about working with people who are under enormous amounts of stress, the importance of paying attention to details and something that virtually every worker deals with each day–showing up to work on time. Check it out here.

President Obama Supports Same-Sex Marriage

On Wednesday, during an interview with ABC News, President Obama said, “I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.” It’s no secret the President has gone through some soul-searching on this issue. In the end, the President said, he believes it’s important to “treat others the way you would want to be treated.”We need to recognize that people are going to have differing views on marriage and those views, even if we disagree strongly, should be respected.

West Wing Week: 5/11/12 or “Teach Your Parents How to Tweet”

This week, the President traveled to Virginia and New York to urge Congress not to let interest rates double on student loans and to introduce a to-do list for Congress. He also hosted the University of Kentucky Wildcats, the Fermi Science award winners, and this year’s Gershwin Award Winners. Watch the episode here.

The President’s Weekly Address

After signing an agreement that details our future relationship with Afghanistan, President Obama explains that we must now focus on the type of nation our troops return home to, and calls on Congress to take the money we are no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the other half to rebuild America. Check out the President’s weekly address here.

Stay Connected


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The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111

Apr 13 2012

NESC Weekly Update April 13, 2012

Dear New England Steering Committee,

Happy Opening Day! We hope you all had a great week. With Santorum officially out of the race (and Gingrich showing no actual signs of even trying) the general election campaign is in full gear. As conservative groups and Super PAC’s continue to unleash attacks on President Obama, specifically in swing states, through overly negative advertising, we continue to focus on raising money to fund our grassroots campaign.

We are asking everyone on the NESC to reaffirm your commitment to re-electing President Obama. We cannot run the same campaign from 2008- we need to double back to every supporter and ask for their contribution to fund our movement. Talk to your friends and neighbors who did not vote for President Obama in 2008 and engage in these tough conversations today. We need your help moving the needle in support of our President!

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/75008.html

Let us know if you would like to be involved in any of our upcoming events or have ideas for events that you would like to help organize. Also, please email us at newenglandfinance@barackobama.com to get set up with a personalized fundraising link to send to your networks.

Watch this:
Campaign Video: Memories to last a lifetime

Talking Points

President Obama’s Buffett Rule

Biden Speaks on Buffett Rule

Romney Waffles on Ledbetter

Romney Should Release Tax Returns

Go Sox!

Kathy, Justin, Ryan and Rachel

Apr 3 2012

April Highlights in US Women’s History

Historic Events

April 2, 1931 – 17-year-old Jackie Mitchell, the second woman to play baseball in the all-male minor leagues, pitches an exhibition game against NY Yankees and strikes out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. The next day, the Baseball Commissioner voided her contract, claiming baseball was too strenuous for women. The ban was not overturned until 1992.
April 5, 1911 – 100,000 to 500,000 people march in New York City to attend the funeral of 7 unidentified people who died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire in late March.
April 7, 1805 – Sacagawea begins helping the Lewis and Clark Expedition as an interpreter.
April 7, 1987 - Opening of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, the first museum devoted to women artists.
April 9, 1939 – Marian Anderson sings an Easter Sunday concert for more than 75,000 at Lincoln Memorial.
April 13, 1933 – Ruth Bryan Owens is the first woman to represent the U.S. as a foreign minister when she is appointed as envoy to Denmark.
April 19, 1977 – 15 women in the House of Representatives form the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues.
April 22, – Earth Day -honor Rachel Carson today, a woman who changed America and greatly influenced the environmental movement.
April 26, 1777 – American Revolution heroine Sybil Ludington, 16 years old, rides 40 miles by horseback in the middle of the night to gather the American militia to fight against the British invasion.
April 28, 1993 – First “Take Our Daughters to Work” day, sponsored by the Ms. Foundation; in 2003 it became “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work” day.

April Birthdays
April 1, 1911-(1998) Augusta Braxton Baker — African- American librarian and storyteller renowned for her contributions to children’s literature by including African-American history and culture
April 3, 1898-(1997) Katherine Esau – Ukrainian refugee whose scientific discoveries are documented in the classic Plant Anatomy (1953)
April 3, 1899 (1979) Katherine Ordway – Philanthropist, Established the Goodhill Foundation (1954) granting over 64 million dollars to save natural land in Minnesota, Kansas, and South Dakota
April 4, 1928 – Maya Angelou, author, poet, civil rights activist, actress; composed and read her poem at President Clinton’s inauguration in 1993.
April 5, 1908 (1989) Bette Davis – Renowned movie star whose career spanned “Of Human Bondage”(1934) to “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane”(1962)
April 5, 1949 (1986) Judith Resnik – Second American woman in space in 1984, who perished in Challenger explosion
April 7, 1890 (1998) Marjory Douglas – Environmentalist, suffragist, women’s rights activist, championed Indian culture and the need for preserving the Everglades
April 7, 1891 (1978) Martha Eliot – Life-long child health advocate who worked for dependent and disabled children through Social Security Act (1935)
April 7, 1944 (2002) – Julia Miller Phillips, film producer; first woman to win a Best Picture Academy Award (1973, “The Sting”) as a producer; also produced “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Taxi Driver”
April 8, 1892 (1979) Mary Pickford – Most successful actress of the silent screen from 1898 to 1927; created with 5 others the United Artists production company
April 9, 1887 (1953) – Florence Price, first African American woman symphony composer
April 9, 1936 (1988) Valerie Solanas – Feminist provocateur, wrote “Scum Manifesto”(1967) translated in many languages , shot Andy Warhol in 1968
April 10, 1882 (1965) – Frances Perkins, first woman cabinet member, Secretary of Labor in 1933; key contributor to the Social Security Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act
April 10, 1903 (1987) – Clare Booth Luce, playwright, Congresswoman (R-CT), Ambassador to Italy (1953-1956)
April 10, 1926 (1995) Johnnie Tillmon – Director of the National Welfare Rights Organization from 1962 to 1972
April 10, 1930 – Delores Huerta, Chicana activist; co-founder United Farm Workers union
April 11, 1910 (1997) Annie Wauneka – Navajo leader, elected to Navajo Tribal Council in 1951, served 27 years, lead the campaign to eradicate TB on reservations, Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient (1963)
April 12, 1903 (1987) Justine Polier – First woman in New York Workmen’s Compensation Division, appointed as a judge in Domestic Relations Court (1935) and served for 38 years
April 12, 1883 (1976) Imogen Cunningham – Acclaimed photographer, especially noted for portraits
April 12, 1909 (2001) – Eudora Welty, writer, won Pulitzer prize for Fiction in 1973; winner of Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Literature, and the French Legion d’Honeur
April 12, 1915 (1984) Soia Mentschikoff –Russian émigré (1917) became first woman partner in a Wall Street firm (1945). .
April 13, 1919 (c.1995) Madalyn O’Hair –Atheist who championed and won the case opposing prayer in school, which the Supreme Court found unconstitutional (1962), she along with 2 others were kidnapped and murdered
April 13, 1892 (1990) Clara M. Beyer – Worked with Frances Perkins on Social Security Act(1935) and worked to abolish child labor and for minimum and maximum hour scales
April 14, 1866 (1936) – Anne Sullivan Macy, famous teacher of Helen Keller who was blind, deaf, and mute; the two worked and traveled together throughout Macy’s lifetime.
April 15, 1896 (1980) May Edward Chinn – First African American doctor in Harlem(1936) who worked with George Papanicolaon to develop the Pap smear
April 16, 1971 (1995) Selena – Popularized the Tejano sound of Mexican music with her siblings in the 1990s, fatally shot by manager in 1995
April 17, 1913 (1997) Dorothy Fosdick – International relations official, worked to develop the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall plan for international relief.
April 18, 1898 (1990) Ruth Bunzel – Anthropologist who studied women’s art and respected the culture of Pueblos in 1924. She learned the Zuno language , and pottery skills, how to grind corn and make ceremonial food
April 19, 1917 (2007) Irene Kirkaldy – July, 1944, defied bus driver in Virginia who demanded she give up her seat (in the back of the bus), and was jailed. Thurgood Marshall won her case in the Supreme Court (6 to 1) received Freedom Medal from President Clinton
April 20, 1890 (1983) Carmelita Hinton – Founder of Putney School in Vermont( 1935), a co-ed boarding school. lived and worked at Hull House, had commitment to John Dewey’s education goals and to environment and internationalism and to arts and crafts
April 20, 1895 (1986) Mary Pukul – Descendant of native Hawaiian high priestesses, she researched ancient history, collected stories and oral histories, translator at the Bishop Museum
April 22, 1891 (1979) Laura Gilpin – Photographed and worked with Navajo people 35 years to complete a record of rural American, pioneered auto chromes which won acclaim for still-lives and portraits in the platinum printing process from 1911 to 1914
April 25, 1917 (1996) – Ella Fitzgerald, “First Lady of Song”, internationally renowned jazz singer, winner of 13 Grammy Awards
April 26, 1888 (1981) Anita Loos – Screenwriter, novelist, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1925)
April 26, 1907 (1991) Julia Godman Ruuttila – CIO recruiter, (1935), raised community support and welfare benefits and birth control so men could maintain solidarity. Continued to be union publicist, protested Vietnam War, retired at ago 80, plagued with asthma, ulcers, arthritis and angina, still often walked in picket lines
April 27, 1906 (1993) Alice Dunnigan – First African/American accredited to cover the US Congress in June 1947 and first journalist of color to travel with President Truman on his train trip. She had to pay for her own ticket. In 1961 Johnson appointed her to the staff of the President’s Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity
April 27, 1927 (2006) – Coretta Scott King, civil rights, human rights, and peace April 29, 1913 (1999) Margaret Owings – California artist of wild life and founder of Friends of the Sea Otters in 1968; also she helped the Environmental Defense F Fund.
April 30, 1909 (1990) Eve Arden – She acted in many theater and movie roles; most famous for teacher Connie Brooks on radio and TV from 1952 to 1956 in “Our Miss Brooks”
April 30, 1939 – Ellen Zwilich, first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Music (1983)

Please feel free to use this information in any of your newsletters or forward it to colleagues or other interested parties. A year-round women’s history calendar is available on our website www.nwhp.org in the News and Events category. Also, please send corrections and additions to nwhp@nwhp.org

Honor a Special Teacher
In recognition of this year’s theme, Women’s Education - Women’s Empowerment, we are inviting you to honor a teacher who has been important in your life by making a special donation https://encryp2.net/nwhp/donate/donate.php o the NWHP. The teacher will receive a card acknowledging your gift and will be included in our 2012 Teachers Hall of Fame, which is soon to be accessed on our homepage www.nwhp. In addition to including the teachers name and contact information, please also email a one-sentence tribute about this special teacher to nwhp@nwhp.org. Click here https://encryp2.net/nwhp/donate/donate.php or click on Donation on our homepage www.nwhp.org.

National Women’s History Project
3440 Airway Dr Ste F
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
http://www.nwhp.org
(707) 636-2888
nwhp@nwhp.org

Apr 2 2012

18th Annual National Issues Conference to be held in Washington, DC on April 27th and 28th at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center with Special Guest President Obama!

A newly updated agenda featuring speakers including Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Cecile Richards, Nancy Keenan, Jim Messina, Jen O’Malley Dillon, and David Simas can found at this link for more information - which will be updated regularly in the coming days. If you know you are … Continue reading →

Mar 23 2012

Political Update

Virginia Is For Lovers, Not Culture Warriors: Obama Surges In The Commonwealth
Talking Points Memo // Tom Kludt
President Barack Obama’s 2008 triumph in Virginia was widely attributed to a well-orchestrated campaign that mobilized large swaths of voters, even in reliably conservative areas. Four years later, it’s growing support among women that’s giving the president momentum in the Commonwealth — and according to some observers, he can thank the Republican party’s revival of the culture wars for powering his re-election bid there. The president’s 2008 victory in Virginia followed the same electoral blueprint as the 2005 gubernatorial win by current United States Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA). Obama, like Kaine, won both Loudoun and Prince William counties — two erstwhile GOP strongholds in northern Virginia with large concentrations of wealth — due to unusually high turnout by exurban and minority voters in the suburban Washington, D.C. communities.

Obamacare: The reckoning
Washington Post // Charles Krauthammer
Obamacare dominated the 2010 midterms, driving its Democratic authors to a historic electoral shellacking. But since then, the issue has slipped quietly underground. Now it’s back, summoned to the national stage by the confluence of three disparate events: the release of new Congressional Budget Office cost estimates, the approach of Supreme Court hearings on the law’s constitutionality and the issuance of a compulsory contraception mandate. Cost: Obamacare was carefully constructed to manipulate the standard 10-year cost projections of the CBO. Because benefits would not fully kick in for four years, President Obama could trumpet 10-year gross costs of less than $1 trillion — $938 billion to be exact.

It’s Not About the Law, Stupid
Slate // Dahlia Lithwick
Forget precedent. Ignore Scalia’s musings. Next week’s health care argument before the Supreme Court is all about optics, politics, and public opinion.
Next week the Supreme Court will hear arguments over the Affordable Care Act, what many people know as Obamacare. The mainstream opinion is that this is unquestionably the most important case of this term. That opinion is no doubt supported by the attention it will receive—six hours of argument over three days. But amid all the throat-clearing, odds-making, and curtain-raising that surrounds next week’s health care case, it seems worth noting what is in dispute and what’s not. So let’s start by setting forth two uncontroversial propositions.

U.S. Inches Toward Goal of Energy Independence
New York Times // Clifford Krauss and Eric Lipton
MIDLAND, Tex. — The desolate stretch of West Texas desert known as the Permian Basin is still the lonely domain of scurrying roadrunners by day and howling coyotes by night. But the roar of scores of new oil rigs and the distinctive acrid fumes of drilling equipment are unmistakable signs that crude is gushing again. And not just here. Across the country, the oil and gas industry is vastly increasing production, reversing two decades of decline. Using new technology and spurred by rising oil prices since the mid-2000s, the industry is extracting millions of barrels more a week, from the deepest waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the prairies of North Dakota.

Doing the right thing
JPost // Mel Levine
American voters will have a choice in November between two visions for our country. While we engage in this debate about who is best suited to lead our nation, we must remember that we live in a global community where we rise and fall together. Our leaders have a responsibility to do what is right, not for tomorrow’s headlines, but for what will best bring long-term stability across the globe. The Middle East, a region too often defined by its volatility, is best served by US leadership that chooses action over rhetoric, substance over frailty and responsibility over blame. Our country’s commitment to Israel’s security stems from shared values of liberty, democracy and the freedom we here cherish so deeply. History has shown time and again that the United States has stood with Israel – under Democratic and Republican presidents – and under President Barack Obama, our unbreakable bond has not faltered. Amid the tumultuous conditions in the region, the president has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel to ensure its Jewish, democratic state is protected.

The Affordable Care Act: Making a difference for African-Americans
The Grio // Valerie Jarrett
It has been two years since President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, and already, the new law is improving the lives of African-Americans. Since March 2009, more than 2.4 million African-American seniors with Medicare have received free preventive services such as diabetes screenings. About 410,000 more African- American young adults who would otherwise be uninsured gained coverage due to the law. In addition, 5.5 million African-Americans with private health insurance now have coverage for preventive services without paying an extra penny at their doctor’s office.

Biden shows what Romney lacks
Baltimore Sun // Jule Witcover
As the Republicanscontinue to fret over Mitt Romney‘s authenticity or lack thereof, the Democratsunleashed their version in Ohio the other day by sending Vice President Joe Bidento a United Auto Workers hall in Toledo. Talk about sending coals to Newcastle. As Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrichand even Ron Paulstruggle to establish themselves as the non-Romney before Republican audiences in the primary and caucus states, Mr. Biden just by being himself demonstrates what Mr. Romney desperately lacks. The native from coal-country Scrantonin northeastern Pennsylvania drew wild cheers from the Toledo autoworkers by reminding them that the Obama administration had saved their jobs by backing the auto industry bailout of late 2008 begun under President George W. Bush. The $770-billion loan gamble to General Motorsand Chryslerwas conspicuously opposed by Mr. Romney at the time.

Romney’s Day to Relish Is Marred by Aide’s Gaffe
New York Times // Jeff Zeleny and Jim Rutenberg
WASHINGTON — Mitt Romneysought to use the coveted endorsement of Jeb Bush on Wednesday to amplify his call for Republicans to rally behind his candidacy and get on with the mission of ousting President Obama. As Mr. Romney savored a decisive victory in the Illinois primary on Tuesday over Rick Santorum, he learned that Mr. Bush — whose family name and appeal to both conservatives and moderates makes him as much an embodiment of the Republican establishment as anyone — was declaring his support and urging Republican voters to follow him.

Will Romney be the GOP’s Dukakis?
Los Angeles Times // Doyle McManus
There’s an old saying in Republican politics: Massachusetts produces only two exports — lobsters and liberals — and neither one travels well. That’s what GOPstrategists said in 1988 when then-Gov. Michael S. Dukakis was the Democratic presidential nominee, and in 2004, when Sen. John F. Kerry ran and lost. But this year, they’re glumly pondering whether that cranky old rule also applies to their own purported front-runner, former Gov. Mitt Romney.

Mar 23 2012

NESC Weekly Update

March 23, 2012

Dear New England Steering Committee,

We hope everyone had a great week! New England has an exciting upcoming week with events with President Obama in both Maine and Vermont. A huge thank you to all our host committee members and supporters who worked so hard to make these events such a success; in both dollars raised and in engaging new supporters. We are proud that your enthusiasm and support will allow literally thousands of supporters to see President Obama on March 30th

In addition to the events in Maine and Vermont, we will be holding a private concert with Yo Yo Ma in Newton, Massachusetts. There are a few seats left, see below for details!

Yo-Yo MA Concert - March 28, 2012
Newton, MA
https://my.barackobama.com/march28yoyomaconcert
Tickets: $10,000 (Host)/$2,500
Contact Ryan Fleury at rfleury@barackobama.comfor more information

Have a great weekend,

Kathy, Justin, Ryan and Rachel

Mar 22 2012

Save the Date: 18th Annual National Women’s Issues Conference, Friday, April 27th and Saturday, April 28th in Washington, DC

Join MA Women for Obama in DC for the 18th annual National Women’s Issues Conference DC on April 27 & 28 with special guest President Obama.

IN 2010 almost 50 women from the Boston area went to DC to spend 2 days learning and listening to and discussing issues of importance to women; this year President Obama will be speaking to us, in addition to the many other special guests to be announced in the coming days. In 2012 many of the issues most important to women are at the forefront of this election. Let’s get our group down to DC for 2 days of learning, listening and training in how to translate our thoughts into votes. Please send me an inquiry for more information mkarmel@womenforchange.org

To Attend you may RSVP HERE

Mar 16 2012

White House Women and Girls Update: Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day

The White House Friday, March 16, 2012

White House Women and Girls Update: Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day

Friends -

Last Thursday we celebrated International Women’s Day, an opportunity for us to recognize the incredible achievements, passions, and dreams of women and girls across the world, and reflect on the road ahead.

To mark the occasion,

First Lady Michelle Obama addressed the International Women of Courage Awards at the Department of State;
Valerie Jarrett, Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls and Senior Advisor to President Obama, spoke to Oxfam’s Sister Ambassadors at the International Women’s Day Summit in Washington, D.C., and at the Women in the World Summit in New York City;
Heather Higginbottom, the Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget writes about the President’s proposals to protect and build on the progress we’ve made when it comes to the advancement of women; and
Acting Deputy Secretary Rebecca Blank highlights the Administration’s gender equality efforts in her remarks abroad.

This month we are also celebrating March Madness! Check out the President’s picks for the 2012 NCAA women’s basketball tournament. Have you picked your bracket yet?

Thank you for your hard work and commitment to women and girls everywhere! We hope your Women’s History Month festivities are going well! Please let us know and we look forward to hearing from you.

Best Wishes,

The White House Council on Women and Girls

First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks at the International Women of Courage Awards ceremony at the State Department in Washington, D.C., March 8, 2012. (Official White House photo by Sonya N. Hebert)

Highlights from the Blog

The International Women of Courage Awards: Hallie Schneir on First Lady Michelle Obama’s remarks at the International Women of Courage Awards ceremony at the State Department.

NCAA women’s basketball tournament: Check out President Obama’s picks for the 2012 NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

Happy 101st Anniversary of International Women’s Day! Tina Tchen speaks to her experience at the International Courage Awards ceremony.

Sister Ambassadors: Valerie Jarrett on working with Oxfam to fight hunger around the world.

Happy International Women’s Day!Heather Higginbottom on the President’s FY 2013 Budget, and how it supports women.

Inclusive development: USAID’s new Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy.

Let’s stop counting:Women at the Treasury Department.

Gender equality: Acting Deputy Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank highlights Administration’s gender equality efforts on trip to Switzerland.

Upcoming Opportunities

Meet the members of the Equal Pay Task Force. If you have any questions about their efforts, submit your questions here.

See an opportunity for change? Let America know by going to We The People and starting your own petition. We welcome your voice.

Interested in public service? Apply to the White House Internship Program.

Women Working to Do Good

Feeding the body and mind. This week, HelloGiggles is highlighting the work of Shayla Price, and her advocacy work based around child hunger and scholarships for students.

The Presidential News of the Week

West Wing Week: This week’s episode features President Obama speaking about energy and job creation in Maryland, pressing for support of advanced manufacturing, hosting Prime Minister Cameron for an Official State Visit, and the President’s trip to an NCAA game.

In his weekly address, the President speaks from a factory in Virginia about how companies are creating more jobs in the United States, making better products than ever before, and how many are developing new technologies that are reducing our dependence on foreign oil and saving families money at the pump.

Stay Connected

For more information about ways to get involved, visit the Council on Women and Girls’ blog, and follow Jon Carson, Director of the Office of Public Engagement, on Twitter @JonCarson44.


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Mar 10 2012

First Lady in Boston

The ICA events yesterday were terrific. Hats off to the wonderful host

committee who worked so diligently to make this happen. The panel discussion

was impassioned and informative, and the First Lady made an amazing

speech. I say – Michelle in 2016!!

Mar 4 2012

March 4 Newsletter MA WFO

Dear Friends,

Tickets to the March 9 events with First Lady Michelle Obama are selling briskly -If you are planning to attend but haven’t yet signed up please do so today.

Friday, March 9, 2012

3:30 PM Reception, Panel, &
the First Lady Michelle Obama
5:15 Dinner event and Photo

Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston

200 Northern Avenue, Boston

RSVP for the reception HERE
RSVP for the dinner HERE

ALSO THIS WEEK
Super Tuesday March 6 – VOTE to show your support for the President
Help GOTV in MA – info can be found HERE

Women’s Rights at Risk - some Sunday reading
A brief history of the struggle for birth control in America can be found HERE - one woman’s personal history of the legal battle HERE - and Sandra Fluke, the 2012 face of the continuing battle receives a call of thanks and encouragement from President Obama – you go girl!

Please forward this email to any of your friends or colleagues who may
be interested in attending, and please check the events page on the blog to see the other wonderful events in the works. And remember, even if you can’t attend an event, your donationis still needed to help the good guys win.

Best Regards,

Marianne Karmel

Director
Massachusetts Women for Obama
MKarmel@womenforchange.org
www.newomenforchange.org

Feb 26 2012

MA Women for Obama update letter

Dear Friends,

Two things:

1 – I don’t know if you follow Bill Maher but if you love satiric political comedy you won’t want to miss his recent online standup show “CrazyStupidPolitics” which can be found HERE

And in case you haven’t heard – he just donated a cool million to Bill Burton’s Super Pac “Priorities USA Action“, the only Super Pac supporting the re-election of President Obama.

2 – Most of us can’t afford to donate a million dollars, but some of us can stretch to donate to the Obama Campaign, and attending a great event makes it much less painful. Which brings me to the upcoming reception and dinner events in Boston with First Lady Michelle Obama.

Tickets to the March 9 events are selling briskly – I wouldn’t be surprised if we sell out by the middle of the week. If you are planning to attend but haven’t yet signed up I urge you to do it now.

The details are below -
RSVP for the reception HERE
RSVP for the dinner HERE

Reception & Issues Panel
Panel featuring Stephanie Schriock (EMILY’S LIST),
Nancy Keenan (NARAL), and
Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas (National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health).
The panel will be followed by remarks from the First Lady.

Friday, March 9, 2012
3:30 PM Reception
4:45 PM Panel Expected to Begin
Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston
200 Northern Avenue, Boston

Reception Tickets are $500 per person and may be purchased online HERE
Contact Ryan Fleury rfleury@barackobama.com for more information

Dinner with First Lady Michelle Obama (includes photo opportunity)
Friday, March 9, 2012
5:15 PM Cocktail Reception
Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston
200 Northern Avenue, Boston

Dinner Tickets are $5,000 per person and may be purchased online HERE
Contact Justin Brennan jbrennan@barackobama.com for more information

Best Regards,

Marianne Karmel

Director
Massachusetts Women for Obama

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Join MA Women for Obama in DC for the 18th annual National Women’s Issues Conference DC on April 27 & 28 with special guest President Obama.

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Follow “~ New England Women for Change ~ Women for Obama ~”