Today, a partnership of two feminists takes over blogging duties for NOW NY, writing on topics of importance, we hope, and interest, we expect, for women of most ages, races, orientations and professions. Even if a comment or article is specific to one group, it will still hold, if it is posted here, a kernel of interest, wisdom or humor for readers who are not members of that group.
To begin, we offer a definition of the word “feminist.” Why? Because it seems that these days that simple, lovely word is loaded with implications of an inflexible, impossibly demanding, man-eating witch, a word that people use as a dismissive epithet to be flung when losing an argument or feeling the status quo particularly threatened. We advocate for the nicely provocative and precise definition of a feminist as a person who acts to empower women. For an interesting discussion of the word as it relates to the development of feminist technology (itself defined as “those tools plus knowledge that enhance women’s ability to develop, expand, and express their capacities”), please read the introduction, written by Professor Linda L. Layne of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, to Feminist Technology (published by University of Chicago Press just this year). Then, read the book or the chapters that grab you (e.g., the one on home pregnancy tests, tampons, breast pumps or menstrual suppressing birth control pills). And then, blog about it here, or at ttp://www.press.uillinois.edu/wordpress/?cat=78.
In most posts to follow here, unless we are consumed by an event that is so galling or a dilemma so acute that we must dedicate the entire space to it, we will include posts about economics, romance and/or family (because sometimes they don’t go hand in hand), the law and more. We will comment on issues of local, national or international relevance. If all of politics is local, and if we are all sisters, then the stoning of a woman in Afghanistan is as relevant to us as the suffering of a friend or the signing of a new law in Albany or Washington.
So, on to the money, honey: Social Security in peril means women in peril. The following arrived recently from the NOW Mother Ship in the form of an email message:
"Millions of women will be pushed into poverty and out of the middle class if preliminary recommendations for cutting Social Security benefits made by the National Commission for Fiscal Responsibility and Reform are adopted," NOW President Terry O'Neill says. “Co-chairs Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles have come up with a proposal that would move Social Security toward being a welfare program, rather than the guaranteed income security program it is designed to be," O'Neill says. "That's the opposite of what's needed. In fact, benefits need to be improved--not cut--for women. At a time when so many working families are struggling, the co-chairs' proposal is terrible policy. I hope we can count on the president to reject it out of hand."
The Fiscal Commission Co-Chairs' Proposal suggests increasing the payroll tax to capture 90 percent of wages by 2050. O'Neill says: "We should just scrap the cap on taxable income entirely right now, and increase benefits for all. That would ensure Social Security solvency far into the 21st century and provide for an economically secure retirement for all workers."
"Increasing the retirement age--even though it is gradual--is one of their worst ideas, O'Neill continued. "Millions of women and men who work at physically demanding jobs cannot work into their late 60's. For them, extending the retirement age will amount to a deep and cruel benefit cut."
"Strengthening everyone's income security should be a primary goal of this administration and of the new Congress. This past election was a clear demonstration that people are hurting because of the recession's effect on employment, housing values, and savings. Undermining Social Security is absolutely the wrong way to go," O'Neill said.
NOW calls upon President Obama to reject the Co-Chairs' Proposal and commit his administration to strengthening Social Security by scrapping the cap and increasing benefits for the hard-working people of this country.
It may seem complicated or arcane, but it’s not. Particularly for women, for whom social security nearly always represents the greatest portion of their retirement savings. Consider that women who work part time or leave the job market entirely to care for families cannot accumulate the retirement wealth that they might have had they remained in the job market full time. Also consider that social security is another area where the fact that women are paid less than men for the same (or better) work has significant negative and lasting effects. Social security is calculated on how much a person makes; so if we make less on the job, we make less in retirement. For more, go to:
http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5996/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=78609. Then, contact your elected representatives, discuss with your friends, speak up, speak out.
Often, we will post what we call “Women’s Wisdom.” This will be a snippet of advice, submitted by our readers. The criterion is one: it must be the best piece of advice you have ever gotten from a woman. We will not use your name; we will, however, credit your profession and, if you agree, provide your age.
Our inaugural piece of advice comes from a mother, domestic worker and returning student, who had a son while she was in high school, finished high school and took two plus decades to raise her son before returning to her education. She attributes the proffered piece of advice to her own mother, who told her not to spend her life making others happy at the expense of her own happiness. Sounds easy, does it not? Think about it for a moment, and you’ll realize that it’s harder than we realize, especially if we have been inculcated with the notion, culturally or by family, that it is better to value self-sacrifice than self.
Please let us know how we’re doing. Send us your thoughts, reactions and requests; they will be addressed as we have time and posted here, if they are relevant and respectful.
We close with an unadorned request that you keep in your thoughts, hearts, prayers, dreams or whatever medium you may use to find and give spiritual comfort the hundreds of murdered women of Ciudad Juarez whom justice has yet to serve. Check out: http://www.now.org/issues/global/juarez/femicide.html or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_homicides_in_Ciudad_Ju%C3%A1rez.
Peace to women everywhere.
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