And we are finally getting it NOW!
Click here for a great video: What AAUW does Be proud!
The gender pay gap won’t close until 2119 at the current rate of change.
AAUW is doing something about it. Take action now!
Empowering women since 1881
March 2022
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(more than) A Few Thoughts from, Beverly
March is Women’s History Month
21 FASCINATING WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH FACTS BY JO YURCABA AND ELIZABETH BERRY FOR WOMAN’S DAY
1. The first Women’s History Day was held in 1909. February 28, 1909, marked the first Woman’s History Day in New York City. It commemorated the one-year anniversary of the garment workers’ strikes when 15,000 women marched through lower Manhattan. From 1909 to 1910, immigrant women who worked in garment factories held a strike to protest their working conditions. Most of them were teen girls who worked 12-hour days. In one factory, Triangle Shirtwaist Company, employees were paid only $15 a week. History.com describes it as a “true sweatshop.” Young women worked in tight conditions at sewing machines, and the factories’ owners didn’t keep the factory up to safety standards. In 1911, the factory burned down, and 145 workers were killed. It pushed lawmakers to finally pass legislation meant to protect factory workers.
- The day became Women’s History Week in 1978. An education task force in Sonoma County, California kicked off Women’s History Week in 1978 on March 8, International Women’s Day, according to the National Women’s History Alliance. They wanted to draw attention to the fact that women’s history wasn’t really included in K-12 school curriculums at the time.
- In 1987, it became Women’s History Month. Women’s organizations, including the National Women’s History Alliance, campaigned yearly to recognize Women’s History Week. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 8 Women’s History Week across the country. By 1986, 14 states had declared the entire month of March Women’s History Month, according to the Alliance. The following year, in March of 1987, activists were successful: They lobbied Congress to declare March Women’s History Month.
- The president declares every March Women’s History Month. Since 1995, every president has issued a proclamation declaring March Women’s History Month, usually with a statement about its importance.
- Every Women’s History Month has a theme. The 2020 theme was “Valiant Women of the Vote” and honored women from the original suffrage movement, as well as women who continued the struggle in the 20th and 21st century, in recognition of the centennial of the 19th Amendment. Due to the pandemic, this theme was extended into 2021 and renamed as: “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced.” The 2022 theme is “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope,” according to the National Women’s History Alliance. This theme not only honors the tireless work of caregivers and frontline workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, but also women of all backgrounds who have provided compassionate healing and hope for the betterment of patients, friends, and family.
- Wyoming Territory was the first place to grant women the right to vote. The Wyoming Territorial legislature gave every woman the right to vote in 1869, according to History.com. They elected the country’s first female governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross, in 1924.
- The 19th amendment didn’t give all women the right to vote. The 19th amendment, which granted women the right to vote, was signed into law on August 26, 1920. But at the time, a number of other laws prohibited Native American women, Black women, Asian American women, and Latinx women from voting, among others. It wasn’t until 1924 that Native women born in the United States were granted citizenship, allowing them to vote, according to PBS. But even after that, Native women and other women of color were prevented from voting by state laws such as poll taxes and literacy tests. It wasn’t until 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law, that discriminatory tactics such as literacy tests were outlawed, and all women could vote.
- Claudette Colvin refused to give up her bus seat 9 months before Rosa Parks did. Rosa Parks’ contributions to the Civil Rights Movement are undeniable. But nine months before she refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white person in Montgomery, Alabama, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin did the same thing on the same bus system. But Colvin isn’t widely recognized for her act. On March 2, 1955, the day she was arrested, she had been learning about Black history at her school. “My head was just too full of black history, you know, the oppression that we went through,” she told NPR in 2009. “It felt like Sojourner Truth was on one side pushing me down, and Harriet Tubman was on the other side of me pushing me down. I couldn’t get up.” She was one of the plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle, the case that ended up overturning bus segregation laws in Montgomery.
- Geraldyn “Jerrie” Cobb was the first woman to pass astronaut testing in 1961. But she wasn’t allowed to travel to space due to her gender. She testified on Capitol Hill in 1962, saying, “We women pilots who want to be part of the research and participation in space exploration are not trying to join a battle of the sexes,” according to the New York Times. “We see, only, a place in our nation’s space future without discrimination. “However, John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, opposed her. He said “it is just a fact” that women don’t do certain things that men do, such as go to war and fly airplanes. “The fact that women are not in this field is a fact of our social order,” he said.
- About 20 years later, Sally Ride was the first woman in space — and the first gay astronaut. Sally Ride became the first woman in space on June 18, 1983, when she flew on the space shuttle Challenger. It wasn’t until her death that her obituary revealed she was gay; it referred to Tam O’Shaughnessy as her “partner of 27 years.”
- Women couldn’t get credit cards on their own until 1974. Until Congress passed the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974, women couldn’t get credit cards in their own name. Often, they had to bring a man along to cosign for them, according to Smithsonian Magazine. Legal work done by late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg laid the foundation for the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, as well as many other basic rights women have today, including the ability to attend state-funded schools, protection from pregnancy discrimination at work, and the ability to serve on juries, according to USA Today.
- Women make up 27 percent of Congress. One-hundred and forty-five women serve in the United States Congress out of 535 total members. Though the number of women representatives continues to rise, it’s important to keep in mind that the United States population is 50.8 percent female, according to Census data.
- Women outnumber men as they get older. Women age 85 and older outnumber men by about 2 to 1, according to Census data from 2019. That’s about 4.2 million women to 2.4 million men in the United States.
- More women are earning college degrees than men. Women are outnumbering men in earning postsecondary degrees. According to 2021 data from the Education Data Initiative, 59% of women continued their education after high school, compared to 50% of men.
- The gender pay gap persists. Despite the ever-growing number of women getting degrees, the gender pay gap has narrowed by less than half a cent per year since the Equal Pay Act was signed in 1963, according to Forbes.com. Women are paid 82 cents for every dollar that a man makes, with that gap widening even more for women of color, according to 2020 data by the National Women’s Law Center.
- Women make up 14 percent of active-duty military members. Women also make up 23% of officers in the Coast Guard. In January 2013, the U.S. government lifted its ban on women serving in combat positions.
- Marie Curie was the first woman to receive two Nobel prizes. Curie was a scientist whose research on radioactivity led her to discover two new elements. She also researched the atom, and her findings have been integral in scientific advancements related to atomic bombs and medicine, according to Scientific American. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, as well as the first person and only woman to win two Nobel Prizes. She won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1903 and the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1911.
- Eleanor Roosevelt held all-woman press conferences. The First Lady held the first press conference for women reporters on March 6, 1933. She would cover issues “of special interest and value to the women of the country,” according to the National Women’s History Museum. Over the next 12 years she held 348 press conferences for women reporters.
- Women make up 57.8 percent of the labor force. And nearly a million women returned to the workforce in 2021, almost double that of men. According to the 19th, 3.3 million of all the jobs added to the economy went to women, while 3.1 million went to men. This, however, should not overlook the jobs women, in particular women of color, lost during the pandemic when responsibilities such as childcare often fell on their shoulders.
- Aretha Franklin was the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Known as the “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. She’s known for her rendition of Otis Redding’s “RESPECT,” and songs of her own like “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” She was also involved in civil rights activism, and performed at President Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009.
- Kamala Harris is the first woman and woman of color vice president. After winning the 2020 presidential election with Joe Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris is making history as the first woman, first Black woman, and first Asian American vice president in U.S. history.
The in addition to celebrating Women’s History Month during the month of March we have Ash Wednesday on the 2nd, Daylight Saving Time Begins on the 13th, Purim Begins on the 16th, St. Patrick’s Day is on the 17th, First day of Spring on the 20th, and Doctors’ Day on the 30th. Our Branch members celebrating birthdays this month are Sue Solomon on the 20th and Celia Spitzer on the 24th. Happy Birthday wishes and may you have a long and healthy life.
THANK YOU to everyone who has assisted and helped to keep our meetings running smoothly. I truly appreciate all the hard work.
May we continue to look forward to Sweet Memories in 2022 by being well, staying safe and staying healthy.
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Please note: All our meetings comply with local rules and the accepted health guidance of Los Angeles and Orange counties for in-person meetings. Your board voted unanimously in November to hold board and general meetings in-person with due respect to members who do not wish to attend in-person. Those members may choose to easily attend and participate in meetings by connecting via phone to another member in attendance and have been doing so successfully.
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Please welcome and support your new officers. Remember that their job is to lead and encourage other members. Please offer to help them when they ask.
Reminder to members: As is written in your directory, the AAUW mail/email list is to be used for AAUW business only. If you wish to share something personal with selected members, please verify with the members first, if they want to be included. Members who find themselves receiving email they do not want should feel free to ask to be removed. We’re all friends here.
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Meeting & Program, Karen, Nancy & Mary Ann
Thursday, March 31
Cerritos Library Skyline Room
Social time at 6:30
Program at 7:00 PM,
Business meeting follows
Norma will have a presentation from Legacy Project students and Assemblywoman Christina Garcia will speak to us.
NOTE CHANGE FROM NORMAL MEETING DATE
> > > > > > >> News Flash << < < < < < <
Cerritos City Council approved our branch request for a candidates forum. It was held at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, March 1, in Council Chambers. A goodly number of citizens showed up. Rebroadcasts will be available on March 8th and 14th. Also available on cerritos.us website .
Face masks required in Cerritos facilities.
Please note: All our meetings comply with local rules and the accepted health guidance of Los Angeles and Orange counties for in-person meetings. Your board voted unanimously in November to hold board and general meetings in-person with due respect to members who do not wish to attend in-person. Those members may choose to easily attend and participate in meetings by connecting via phone to another member in attendance and have been doing so successfully.
Women’s Issues/ Community Service:
We will be collecting food for the Falcon’s Den March 10 -15th. There has been a request for canned soup, tuna, and chicken. Students are also in need of shampoo and conditioner. My address is 3210 Lama Ave. Long Beach 90808.
Gourmet will be meeting again in April. Hooray!
Tech Trek, Celia and Edna
Our branch is in the process of choosing two girls to attend Tech Trek this summer. We are once again working with Fedde, Haskell and Ross middle schools in the ABC school district and with Walker Jr. High in the Anaheim Union district. The seventh-grade math and science teachers at each of those schools have been requested to nominate two rising eighth girls by March 1. Once the nominations are received, AAUW CA Tech Trek will email the application form to each girl and the parent consent form to her parent or guardian. The completed application and required essay will be due back around March 15. After that, the eight girls will be interviewed, each individually at her school, sometime before April 1, by the branch Tech Trek interview committee made up of Edna Ethington, Dorothy Edwards, Marilyn Forsstrom, Tobi Balma and Celia Spitzer. Following the last interview, the committee will choose the two girls to sponsor plus one or two alternates, in case a chosen girl becomes unable to attend. The girls and their families will be told that, if chosen, they will attend in-person Tech Trek at Whittier College, June 19-25. However, if the residential location becomes unavailable, they will be offered the opportunity to attend a virtual Tech Trek if space is available basis. By the time I write the Tech Trek article for the April newsletter, I will be able to tell you who was chosen.
Link to our Tech Trek page for more camper information. Link HERE
AAUW Fund, Esther, Thea
BRAVO!
In December 2021 La Palma Cerritos Branch answered the call to help AAUW achieve the “End of Year Matching Campaign” of $75,000 for the Greatest Needs Fund. Our Branch raised and contributed $1630 toward this effort.
La Palma Cerritos AAUW members contributions supported by our Restaurant fundraisers, your Fund donations within the Branch and also your independent donations through AAUW CA Funds to the Greatest Needs Fund as well as specific Funds and Projects was very successful. Your generosity shows your commitment to AAUW and its commitment to enhancing the lives of women and girls.
Thank you!
You can…
Create Change,
Advance Equity,
Empower Women and Girls,
By helping to raise money for AAUW Fund.
AAUW Fund supports aspiring scholars around the globe – activists in local communities, women at critical stages of their careers and those pursuing professions where women are under-represented. It also provides funding and a support system for women seeking judicial redress for sex discrimination in higher education.
This tax-deductible fund now includes:
Legal Advocacy Fund
Eleanor Roosevelt Fund
Funding for a variety of College Student Seminars
AAUW Greatest Neds Fund
And many other advocacy and support funds
Due to the Covid 19 virus and the new variant many of our restaurant visits may not occur. However, we will continue to do fundraising for takeout. This would occur about several times a year. We usually have a restaurant luncheon where we invite a speaker for our February meeting. Again, depending on the state mandate on the virus, we may or may not continue with the luncheon. In that regard, we may have a non-event.
Both Esther and I have appreciated your support last year, and hope that you will continue to help us with the AAUW Fund this year.
The La Palma-Cerritos branch of AAUW created our own memorial fund in July 2017, called the Alberta Brose Memorial Fund, to go to women who return to school just as she did. We currently have completed our goal. This was a short time, two year fund with a goal of $5000 for completion by June 30, 2019. The branch got CA State and National recognition for completion. Final donation has gone to AAUW Fund for Career Development Grants for graduate students returning to school after 5+ year absence.
Elsie Carbajal is the recipient of our own Alberta Brose Memorial Fund. We are proud!
Career Development Grants
Name: Elsie Carbajal
Award Year: 2018-19
Award: Career Development Grant
Institution: Brandman University
Location: Irvine, California
Discipline: Education
Degree and Specialization: M.A., Education leadership
Elsie Carbajal is a seasoned special education teacher who is passionate about meeting the diverse needs of public school students with special needs. Her goal is to strategically reform outdated practices that limit the growth and progress of the unique population she services. She plans to obtain her master’s in education leadership to collaborate with stakeholders and make informed decisions to enhance student outcomes in and out of school.
Sponsors:
4431 – Alberta Brose Memorial Fund
1262 – Laguna Beach (CA) Branch/Laguna Hills (CA) Branch
1285 – San Diego County (CA) Branch/Marilyn George Poluzzi
1298 – Los Angeles (CA) Branch/Dallas Shenk
1484 – San Clemente-Capistrano Bay (CA) Branch
4105 – Redlands (CA) Branch/Bernice Black Johndrew
1491 – Somerset Hills (NJ) Branch—Science and Technology
Public Policy, Sondra & Harriet
Equal Pay Day on March 15th, Wear RED!
Equal Pay Day (EPD) is the symbolic day when women’s earnings “catch up” to men’s earnings from the previous year. For the past several years, that day has always come in the second week of April. This year, EPD will fall on March 15th. This is a powerful occasion to raise awareness about and organize action around the gender pay gap in your community. Consider wearing RED to show that women are “in the red” in their paychecks until that day.
Legacy Project, Norma & Gail
Legacy Project girls are speaking at our monthly meeting March 31.
Academic Achievement Awards, Joan P
Applications will be coming in the first of the year and should close in February. Copies of their applications will be mailed to us to distribute to our committee. At this point in time I have not chosen them. We should be able to evaluate them in March and make a decision. The school usually notifies the students in May. Since we have no idea how long the covid restrictions will continue, we will have to see if it is even possible to hold a brunch. We will have to play it by ear. The school may even have to give the awards to the girls. We do have lots of time to make that decision.
If you have any questions or further input please feel free to call or email me.
Update: Haya Chehada
Haya is enrolled and attending her university of choice, USC. Her first Quarter has already begun.
Haya has been named a Transfer Merit Scholar and has been awarded a USC Transfer Merit Scholarship worth one quarter tuition. It is renewable each quarter as she progresses toward her degree.
Congratulations to this high achieving AAUW 2021 Academic Achievement Award recipient.
Help support other deserving women by donating to the La Palma-Cerritos AAUW Academic Achievement Awards fund.
International Issues, Jackie Shahzadi
…through its global focus and reach, empowers all women and girls to create a secure and just world built on education, advocacy, friendship and mutual respect.
WG-USA is an online organization based in the United States focusing on global issues *Support and Advocacy for Refugee and Migrant Women and Girls
*Safe Access to Education
*Human Trafficking Advocacy and Action
*Women, Peace and Security
Join WG-USA at www.wg-usa.org
In 2019, Graduate Women International celebrated its 100th anniversary with a Centennial Celebration in Geneva, July 25-28. GWI was founded in 1919, by representatives of AAUW, and other international women’s groups. It used to be known as the IFUW, International Federation of University Women. Currently, Women Graduates-USA is the organization representing American women at GWI.