Florence Mubichi

I am posting information here about Florence Mubichi (shown here with her daughter, Fridah). This is a quick, easy way for the thousands and thousands of people across the globe who loved and admired her to learn about Florence's passing. Come back as I will be posting more in the days ahead.

To share this post with others, just send them the following URL:
http://oklahomawomen.blogspot.com/2010/03/florence-mubichi.html

Click on the following links below to view:

3-19-2101 Florence Mubichi Funeral Announcement

Sign the Forence Mubichi Condolence Guestbook
Order of Service for Florence Mubichi's Funeral Service in Meru, Kenya held on 3-23-2010

Cover - Order of Service for Florence Mubici's Funeral Service in Meru, Kenya on 3-23-2010

Eulogy for Florence Mubich from 3-23-2010 Funeral Service in Meru, Kenya

Email 3-24-2010 from Fridah Mubichi reporting on Florence Mubichi's funeral

Make a donation to the MKM Foundation (Kenya) via Seeds of Grace Foundation (USA) 

View the Miriam Kanana Mubichi Foundation website

Miriam Kanana Mubichi Foundation on Facebook

Fridah Mubichi on Facebook

Ravena Mubichi on Facebook

Florence Mubichi on Facebook (This will be converted to a Memorial Page soon)

I will add to the above following Florence's Memorial Service March 25, 2010 at Nichls Hills United Methodist Church and as we hear more from Steven, Fridah, Ravena and Alexia and others.

Toshiba Prize Goes to Oklahoma Girl Geeks @ John Ross Elmentary School

There is a lovely article in The Oklahoman today about Toshiba honoring four girls at Edmond's John Ross Elementary School. They each won a digital cameras, a plaque and a laptop for their school for their idea to save lives. Congratulations Rachel Blitz, Allie Karnig, Grace Plant and Reia Storch. Read the full article here.

Tulsa Women Share Personal Stories of Terror and Triumph in New Film

Wilma Lively, Director of DaySpring Villa Women's and Children's Shelter in Tulsa reports her facility is featured in a new documentary film that spotlights Tulsa-area domestic violence. Here is her press release of March 16, 2010.

DaySpring Villa, one of two domestic violence shelters in the Tulsa metro area, and Oklahoma’s only certified faith-based shelter for battered women and their children, announced today the release of Into the Light, a 40-minute documentary film produced by Comm-Arts that takes a sobering look at domestic violence through the eyes of three Tulsa women and the women of DaySpring Villa who work with victims of abuse.

Wilma Lively, executive director of DaySpring Villa, hopes the film and its message will gain broader attention through screenings at churches, businesses, schools, colleges and other organizations throughout the state.

“I believe people will be quite surprised by what they see and hear in this film,” Lively said. “The three women featured are very candid about their personal experiences and some of what they say is tough to hear, but it was important that we show the reality of domestic violence right here in our own backyard.”

Into the Light follows the stories of Christy, Emily and Amy as they come to terms with their abusive situations and work toward the freedoms they were once forbidden to even consider. Watching these women wrest free of their abuser’s strangleholds and dare to reach for their independence is both heartbreaking and triumphant, and not all three of the women succeed. This, said Lively, underscores the harsh reality of domestic violence as the average number of times a woman returns to her abuser before permanently ending the relationship is an astonishing 13.

“These women demonstrated amazing courage by not only agreeing to appear in the film but by dispelling the myth that a victim of domestic violence looks a certain way,” said Vickie Dawkins-Kersey, director of Into the Light. “Our goal was to capture their experiences honestly and with integrity, but also to show audiences how lives can be literally transformed as a result of organizations like DaySpring Villa.”

Businesses, churches, organizations and cinematic venues are encouraged to reserve a copy of Into the Light by calling Wilma Lively at 918-245-4075. To learn more about DaySpring Villa, visit www.dayspringvilla.com.

Oklahoma Authors M.E. Cooper & Merline Lovelace

Check out this nice article in the Oklahoman March 11, 2010 on Oklahoma author M.E. (Mary Ellen) Cooper.You can also read about her here. The Journal Record recently ran a nice article about Merline Lovelace who lives in Oklahoma and has written numerous romances - like 86! Her latest is Baby, Its Cold Out There.

Terry Neese Meeting with Laura Bush, Obama Administration Official During Women’s History Month

Oklahoma City non-profit founder and CEO Terry Neese will participate on Friday in a special meeting and symposium on educating and empowering women in Afghanistan.

As a member of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council, Neese will be attending the event in Dallas to participate with other Council members and representatives from Afghanistan, as well as leaders from the U.S. government. The group will join Bush and U.S. Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer in a discussion about the progress made by and the challenges still facing Afghan women and girls. President Obama appointed Verveer to this position at the U.S. State Department about a year ago.

“One of our PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS graduates, Andeisha Farid, will be speaking to the Council, detailing her experience as a business owner and as someone who is making a real difference in her country,” Neese said. “Andeisha is the founder of several orphanages in Afghanistan and last August, Andeisha mentored with Freda Deskin, founder and CEO of ASTEC Charter School. Andeisha and Freda continue to mentor and find ways to help more Afghan people. I am very proud of Oklahoma women business owners who give their and energy to our PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS students.”

The Council meeting and education conference will be held at the George W. Bush Institute on the campus of Southern Methodist University from 10:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.

The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women, a 501(c)3 organization, created the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program, which provides long-term business training to female entrepreneurs from Afghanistan and Rwanda. Education is provided in both countries, as well as in the United States. Since the program’s inception in 2006, 150 women have been directly trained and educated.

Many Oklahoma women business owners have served as mentors, including Deskin, Nancy Hyde of Hyde & Company CPAs, Mary Melon of the Journal Record, and Angie Hendricks of Bentley Hedges Travel.

--------

About The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women: The IEEW is a 501(c)3 non-profit empowering women to grow their businesses, pursue greater entrepreneurial ventures and become more active public policy advocates. The Institute accomplishes this mission by focusing on education, mentorship and coaching women in the United States and abroad who are seeking to acquire entrepreneurial skills to help start and grow a business.

Fort Sill Graduates First Gender-Integrated Basic Combat Class

Fort Sill graduated its first gender-integrated Basic Combat Training class at Fort Sill last Friday. It was the first class at Ft. Sill to include both men and women in over 10 years. Guest speaker Lt. Col. Todd Wasmund, commander of 1st Battalion, 17th Field Artillery, said,

"Many expected that gender-integrated training, as the Army calls it, would present new challenges." But he cited a recent news article in which a drill sergeant said, "The fact that female privates are here hasn't changed anything, because they're soldiers just like the males.  By all accounts, all of you have proven it's really no big deal." He added, "It's not about men and women. It's about soldiers. All of you have completed the same tough and realistic Basic Combat Training that is designed to prepare you for the challenges and opportunities that await you."

Read the full newspaper article here.

OKC Advertising Exec Rhonda Hooper Featured

The Oklahoman had a nice profile March 7th on advertising executive Rhonda Hooper. She is CEO of Jordan Associates in Oklahoma City. You can read the article at http://newsok.com/oklahoma-advertising-executive-seeks-results/article/3444531?custom_click=pod_headline_executive-qa

Willa Johnson seeks re-election, OCU wins women's wrestling national title

Here's more interesting Oklahoma women news:

Oklahoma District 1 County Commissioner Willa Johnson has announced that she is seeking re-election. Here is a City Sentinel article about it.

OCU has won the women's wrestling national title! Read about it here.

Ali Harter, Maya Stewart, Ann Way, Dana Orwig, Lazelle Benefield

Ali Harter is a 25-year old singer-song writer from Choctow, Oklahoma. She recently had two of her songs featured on the television show "Grey's Anatomy." Read article here.

Maya Stewart is a 30-year old from the small town of Washington in McClain County, Oklahoma. A member of the Chickasaw, Muscogee and Choctow tribes, she has a line of women's handbags that bring attention to the beautiful side on American Indian designs.  Read article here.

Ann Way is now director of the Mary Abbott Children's House in Norman

Dana Orwig has announced that she is running for the Oklahoma House District 87 seat in northwest Oklahoma City. Orwig is a deacon in the Episcopal Church and an assistant chaplain for St. John's Episcopal Church. Here is a City Sentinel article about her announcement.

And Lazelle Benefield has been named dean of the OU College of Nursing.  I am going to miss Dean Carole Kenner, who has gone to be Dean of a nursing school in Boston. Read article about Benefield here.

Women's Clubs: Get Your Mayor to Declare March "Women's History Month"

Stillwater Mayor Nathan Bates recently proclaimed March as Women's History Month and March 21 as Outstanding Women of the Year Day. You can watch Carey Warner with the Cimarron Chapter of Oklahoma Business Women, Inc. receive the proclamation at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fqStbCQcqk

Here is the wording of the proclamation:

PROCLAMATION by the Mayor and the City Council of Stillwater, Oklahoma recognizing the month of March as “Women’s History Month” and naming March 21, 2010 as “Outstanding Women of the Year” day.

WHEREAS, Women of every race, class, and ethnic background have made historic contributions to the growth and strength of our community in countless recorded and unrecorded ways.

WHEREAS, Women have played and continue to play a critical economic, cultural, and social role in every sphere of the life of our community by constituting a significant portion of the labor force working inside and outside the home.

WHEREAS, Women have played a unique role throughout history by providing the majority of the volunteer labor force. Women were particularly important in the establishment of early charitable, philanthropic, and cultural institutions.

WHEREAS, Women of every race, class, and ethnic background have served as early leaders in the forefront of every major progressive social change movement in our city, state and nation.

WHEREAS, Women have been leaders, not only in securing their own rights of suffrage and equal opportunity, but also in the abolitionist movement, the emancipation movement, the industrial labor movement, the civil rights movement, and other movements, especially the peace movement, which creates a more fair and just society for all; and

WHEREAS, the Stillwater City Council and the Mayor of Stillwater join with the Cimarron Business Women in recognizing the roles and contributions of women in the community of Stillwater.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Stillwater City Council and the Mayor of Stillwater hereby officially recognize March as “Women’s History Month” and March 21, 2010 as “Outstanding Women of the Year” day.

Well done, ladies. Other Oklahoma women's clubs -- how about using the above as a guide and asking YOUR city to do a similar proclamation?!

Here is the Oklahoma Women's Coalition's 2010 Legislative Platform (March 2, 2010)

The Links, Incorporated Join INTEGRIS Health and the Israel Idonije Foundation Nigerian Mission Team

The Oklahoma City Chapter of the Links, Inc. will join forces with INTEGRIS Health and The Israel Idonije Foundation to build on its commitment to support and refurbish schools in Africa to make a direct difference in the lives of African families. Chicago Bears defensive tackle, Israel Idonije and members of his Foundation, will be in Oklahoma City on March 3 and 4 to officially meet and welcome the Links partnership.

The Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-profit corporation, established in 1946. The membership consists of 12,000 professional women of color in 270 chapters located in 42 states, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. It is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations of extraordinary women who are committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry. The members of The Links, Incorporated are influential decision makers and opinion leaders. Links members contribute more than 500,000 documented hours of community service annually. The outstanding programming of the Links, has four facets which include National Trends and Services, The Arts, Services to Youth, and International Trends and Services. Through their partnership with INTEGRIS Health and the Idonije Foundation, they will assist with support to families and youth in Nigeria.

On a mission trip scheduled for March 19-29, 2010 INTEGRIS Health physicians and nurses, will expand on its 2009 efforts to provide medical screening and treatment to underserved citizens in Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria. INTEGRIS Health has more than quadrupled the amount of medication and supplies to be used in this 2010 mission.

The Israel Idonije Foundation (IIF) is entering its third year of service in Nigeria. Through IIF’s C.A.R.E. Africa program (Caring, Advancing, Restoring, Educating Africa) more than 1200 pairs of shoes will be donated to families and youth. C.A.R.E. will donate sports equipment and uniforms, soccer balls, and conduct sports and health education camps during this year’s mission.

In addition to the Israel Idonije Foundation, NTEGRIS Health, and The Links, Incorporated, other mission trip partners include, TCYFL (The Chicagoland Youth Football League), We Play to Win Foundation, GoalPower and Share Your Soles.

Source. Zora Brown-Rowland, INTEGRIS Health, (405) 951-8252

March 8 is International Women's Day

The first National Women's Day was celebrated in the United States on February 28, 1909. In 1910, 100 years ago, the Socialist International honored women's rights and women's suffrage by establishing a Women's Day -- but without a date. The next year, Women's Day was celebrated in several European countries with rallies.

Source. About.com: Women's History

Oklahoma Women's Coalition Day at the Capitol a Great Success

T
The Oklahoma Women's Coalition's second annual Advocacy Day at the Capitol was great! Oklahoma Secretary of State Susan Savage and State Representative Lee Denney (see image left) got us off to a wonderful start. Then YWCA-OKC CEO Jan Peery explained that the OWC has elected to support two legislative matters so far this year. Click on images on left to enlarge.

The issues are passage of SB2998 and maintaining the current funding level for Oklahoma's domestic violence and sexual assault programs. Then we fanned out all over the State Capitol Building. We were back at the Oklahoma History Center by noon for a delicious lunch and a chance to hear from the four major candidates for Governor of Oklahoma this year: US Congresswoman Mary Fallin, Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins, Attorney General Drew Edmondson, and  Senator Randy Brogdon.

We were adjourned by 1 sharp but people stayed and visited as much useful networking took place!  We celebrated 28 organizational members including our two newest organizations: the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy and the Tulsa's Domestic Violence Intervention Services, Inc. Thanks to all who came and everyone who made this event a success. Special kudos to our Communications Chair, Quin Tran who had us all over the TV stations in both Tulsa and Oklahoma City leading up to today!

How Will You Honor Women's History Month (About.Com: Women's History)

Below is from the newsletter prepared by Jone Johnson Lewis (About.com: Women's History), entitled Your Guide to Women's History.

March 1 begins Women's History Month (in the U.S., anyway). I've featured in this week's newsletter an article about the origin of Women's History Month.

It's still Black History Month until March begins, so I've also highlighted a few more of the African American women you may know and some you probably don't.

I'd still love to include your Women's History Month story, so do think about sharing your experience in how to honor the month so that others can learn from it.

Don't miss the "Must Reads" to the right of the main articles in this newsletter, and the headlines of a few additional articles below.

Women's History Month
How did March come to be Women's History Month? Read about the history of this time set aside to pay particular attention to the distaff side of history: Women's History Month

Pioneers: Black Women in Congress
Two black women were pioneers in their service in the U.S. Congress: Shirley Chisholm was elected in 1968, winning a seat from Brooklyn, and was the first black woman in the House. Barbara Jordan joined her in 1972, becoming the first black woman from the South elected to Congress, and one of the first two African Americans since Reconstruction elected to Congress.

Adding Sex Discrimination to the Civil Rights Act
Women were added to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a joke and to defeat the bill, right? Another myth of women's history bites the dust: read more

How Have You Honored Women's History Month?
Contribute your story to help others learn from your experience.

How Can We Increase the Number of Single Mothers Completing College?

The Oklahoma Women's Coalition is looking into ways to increase the number of single mothers in Oklahoma who complete college. I was surprised to learn how few single mothers even complete high school. Did you know that nationally one-third of teen mothers do not even earn a high school diploma or a GED? Here is a report from Child Trends on the subject.

New Child Trends research finds that one in three (34 percent) young women who had been teen mothers did not earn a high school diploma or a GED, compared with only 6 percent of young women who had not had a teen birth. Among the other findings presented in a fact sheet entitled Diploma Attainment Among Teen Mothers:
• Slightly more than one-half (51%) of teen mothers received a high school diploma by the age of 22, compared with 89 percent of young women who had not given birth during their teen years.
• A higher proportion of teen mothers earned a GED (15 percent) than did their counterparts who had not experienced a teen birth (5 percent).
• Younger teen mothers are less likely than older teen mothers to earn a diploma. Among young women who had a child before the age of 18, only 38 percent earned a high school diploma by the age of 22, compared with 60 percent of those who were 18 or 19 at the time that they had their first child.
• Black teen mothers are more likely than Hispanic or white teen mothers to earn a diploma or GED by age 22. More than two-thirds (67 percent) of black women who had a child before the age of 18 earned either a high school diploma or GED, compared with 55 percent of white women and 46 percent of Hispanic women in this category.
"Earning a high school diploma or GED reduces the risk of subsequent teen pregnancy, which has been linked to even poorer outcomes," said Kate Perper, M.P.P., lead author of the study. "Higher parental education is also linked to improved outcomes among children that may reduce their risk of early sexual activity and teen pregnancy, thus reducing intergenerational cycles of disadvantage."

Data used in this study were drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1997 Cohort.

The original of this article can be found at http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs008/1101701160827/archive/1102959142424.html

Sheryl Lovelady to Direct Women's Leadership Initiatives at OU

Sheryl Lovelady, a professional with two decades of success working to recruit leaders, helping them win elected positions and serving with them, has been named the director of Women’s Leadership Initiatives at the University of Oklahoma’s Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center.

“Oklahoma currently ranks 49th in the nation for the proportion of women in the state Legislature,” said Cindy Simon Rosenthal, director and curator of the center. “Our goal is to inspire women of all political parties to consider public service as a career. We are pleased to have Sheryl leading our efforts.”

Lovelady will direct several initiatives designed to encourage women to pursue careers in public service. The annual N.E.W. (National Education for Women’s) Leadership undergraduate program is in partnership with the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University. The program involves training and presentations by some of the most successful women leaders in the state of Oklahoma. The Pipeline to Politics program works with women beyond college who are interested in political and other leadership opportunities. The Oklahoma Girls’ Voices Project works in partnership with youth-serving organizations focused on helping girls use their voices to make positive changes in their schools, neighborhoods and communities.

Lovelady will also contribute to the center’s civic education initiatives, such as Capitol and Community Scholars Programs for OU undergraduate students. Capitol Scholars get first-hand experience working in and around the Oklahoma Legislature to develop a greater appreciation of the public policy-making process. Community Scholars engage in hands-on service learning opportunities with nonprofit organizations and local government entities. Both groups of scholars earn academic credit during their internships.

“Oklahoma will move forward if women are at the table. Their voices redefine the dialogue, and they lead in a way that can transform the future of our state,” said Lovelady. “Our initiatives at OU motivate women to move from ideas to action.”

A native of Seminole, Lovelady began her career as a professional photographer before entering the political and government sectors. She served on the executive staffs of the Oklahoma Senate Appropriations Committee and the Senate President Pro Tempore. She also served as executive director of a statewide legislative caucus organization. In this capacity she provided oversight of fundraising, campaign and policy strategies for caucus members. She has worked with clientele throughout the United States as a strategic consultant, with a Washington, D.C., and a Florida-based public opinion research firm.

Most recently, Lovelady served as director of communications for the City of Tulsa. She is a graduate of Leadership Tulsa and the U.S. Department of Defense JCOC leadership program. She serves as president of the Gordon Cooper Technical Center Foundation and on the Board of Directors of the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation.

OU’s Carl Albert Center is a unique resource for scholarship and research related to the U.S. Congress. The center promotes original scholarship by faculty and students into various aspects of politics and the Congress; serves as an important resource on the history of Congress, primarily through the Carl Albert Center Congressional Archives; fosters a wider understanding and appreciation of the Congress through a public outreach program, which includes lecture series, exhibits and publications; and develops academic programs in congressional studies at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, which are sponsored in cooperation with the Department of Political Science in the OU College of Arts and Sciences. For more information, visit the Carl Albert Center’s Web site at www.ou.edu/carlalbertcenter.

Source. LaDonna Sullivan, Carl Albert Center/OU,(405) 325-5406

US Senate Passes Dating Violence Resolution

On January 25, the U.S. Senate passed, by unanimous consent, a resolution (S. Res. 373) to designate February as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.

Sponsored by Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), the resolution contains a number of findings, including:

* approximately one in three adolescent girls in the United States is a victim of physical, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds victimization rates for other types of violence affecting youth;

* twenty percent of teen girls exposed to physical dating violence did not attend school because the teen girls felt unsafe either at school, or on the way to or from school, on one or more occasions in a 30-day period;

* being physically and sexually abused leaves teen girls up to six times more likely to become pregnant and more than two times as likely to report a sexually transmitted disease;
* teen dating abuse most often takes place in the home of one of the partners;

* a majority of parents surveyed believe they have had a conversation with their teen about what it means to be in a healthy relationship, but the majority of teens surveyed said that they have not had a conversation about dating abuse with a parent in the past year; and

* digital abuse and “sexting” is becoming a new frontier for teen dating abuse.

The resolution “calls upon the people of the United States, including youth and parents, schools, law enforcement, state and local officials, and interested groups to observe National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month with appropriate programs and activities that promote awareness and prevention of the crime of teen dating violence in their communities.”

Source: Women's Policy, Inc.

US Senate Supports Cervical Cancer Awareness

On January 26, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution (H. Res. 1011) to recognize the importance of cervical health and early cancer detection and to support Cervical Health Awareness Month. Sponsored by Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-IL), the resolution contains a number of findings, including:

* approximately 11,270 women were diagnosed with, and approximately 4,070 women died from, cervical cancer in the United States in 2009;

* cervical cancer occurs most often in Hispanic women, at a rate that is more than twice what is seen in non-Hispanic white women;

* African American women develop cervical cancer about 50 percent more often than non-Hispanic white women;

* cervical cancer is usually a slow-growing cancer that may not have symptoms, and is primarily caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), but can be detected by Papanicolaou tests (Pap tests) or other early detection tests; and

* the earlier cervical cancer is detected the better chance a woman has of surviving cervical cancer.

The resolution “urges health care advocates to continue to raise public awareness about cervical cancer and the importance of early detection; urges the people of the United States to learn about cervical cancer and its causes…and the importance of early detection; and recognizes the patients and survivors of cervical cancer and their families for their tremendous courage and determination.”

Source: Women's Policy, Inc

Leadership Conference March 12 for Oklahoma Women in Public Service

Entitled "Women Inc: Innovate, Navigate, Create", this conference is on Friday, March 12, 2010 at the Reed Conference Center in Midwest City (5750 Will Rogers Road). It is sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, University of Oklahoma Center for Public Management, and the Oklahoma Office of Personnel Management.

Through keynote addresses, panel Q & A, breakout sessions, small group discussions, and high levels of interaction, participants will learn ways to:

Innovate – respond to contemporary challenges, rapidly changing systems, and workforce demographics.
Navigate – an approach to career decision making that allows each of us to navigate our own unique path to personal and professional leadership.
Create – tap into fresh value-creating ideas that inspire, promote, and push the boundaries.

Speakers includ Angela Monson, June Elkins-Baker, Paula Hearn, Kim Holland, Sarolyn Stager, Oklahoma's First Lady Kim Henry,  Mrs. Oklahoma Heather Rouba, Connie Schlittler, and more.


Who Should Attend? Current public service employees and students interested in developing their leadership skills or moving into positions of greater responsibility. This conference is for women in public service who have a strong interest in achievement, the drive to advance their careers, and an interest in partnering with others to promote women's leadership.

The conference prefers the participation of a diverse group of professional women, including those who are:

~ new to their organization;
~ actively seeking to develop their careers in public service; and
~ in senior level positions in their organizations continuing to serve, fully engaged in the future leadership challenges in state government.

There is also an opportunity for students to attend the conference. Full-time students who are not yet gainfully employed in a public service field and seeking a career in government are encouraged to attend.

Read all about the program and register to attend at the following website:
http://wlc.oucpm.org/

Oklahoma S.I.S. website: Reducing incarceration rate of women in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women, the Oklahoma Women's Coalition and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections are partnering on an initiative seeking solutions to the high rate of incarceration of women in Oklahoma. We call it Oklahoma S.I.S. for short. you can read more about this effort at the new Oklahoma S.I.S. website: http://oklahomasis.com/

Ice Boating on Geneva Lake, Wisconsin is Soooo Much Fun

My brother Jim and his wife Natalie have been  ice boating on Geneva Lake in southern Wisconsin.
His yacht got named "Willow Bender," my brother Pete tells me, after Jim crashed into a willow tree near the shoreline. Jim owns and operates Undercover Canvas in Walworth, WI., a fabricator of custom canvas boat covers, roll-up porch curtains, etc. Jim's club is the Boe-Craft Skeeter Association.

Below is a video of ice boaters in action that was taken in front of Gordy's Boathouse Restaurant in Fontana, WI. I am surprised the shots are so smooth because "back in my day" the ride across the ice at close to 100 miles an hour madefor a pretty bouncy ride! I suspect it is because the surface of the lake is incredibly smooth on this occasion. Watch and enjoy!

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC0I5PEhkJo)

Remembering Bessie Coleman

Bessie Coleman's birthday was January 26. We like to claim her as an Oklahoman because she attended Langston Industrial College, Oklahoma for one semester in 1910. She was brave and adventuresome and made quite a mark for herself in her short 33 years. The following is from the website About.com  Women's History:

Bessie Coleman
January 26, 1892 (some say  1893) - April 30, 1926
The first African American woman to fly a plane, Bessie Coleman was an aviation pioneer who made her living as a stunt pilot. She intended to start a pilot training school for African Americans, since she had found it so difficult to get admitted to such training, herself.

Oklahoma Women's Coalition is reading bills, planning Day at the Capitol March 2

Hang on to your hat! The second session of the 52nd Oklahoma Legislature gets under way Monday, February 1st. The deadline for introducing bills was yesterday with over 2,200 bills introduced. In the Senate, 1082 new bills and 28 new resolutions were filed plus there were 860 Senate bills and 38 Senate resolutions that carried over from last year. In the House of Representatives, 1,153 bills and 31 resolutions were introduced and 901 House bills plus 48 House resolutions carried over from last year. Now the Oklahoma Women's Coalition is busy reading these bills and resolution to identify those that impact women and girls. We'll be tracking bills on aging, education, girls, health, incarceration, violence against women, and work & family.  We'll host a Day at the Capitol on March 2nd to visit legislators and let them know we are available as a resource on women's issues. Visit our website at http:/www.oklahomawomenscoalition.org/to learn more and join online. Now the question is -- (how) will we use social media to keep our members and others informed during the Legislative Session? Got a thought? suggestion? Tweet me @jeanwarner or leave a note on Facebook /jeanwarner.

Posted via email from Social Media Musings

Caregiving in the US 2009 (from wanda deBruler)

Wanda DeBruler notes on her blog:

Caregiving is still mostly a woman’s job and many women are putting their career and financial futures on hold as they juggle part-time caregiving and full-time job requirements. This is the reality reported in Caregiving in the U.S. 2009, the most comprehensive examination to date of caregiving in America. The first national profile of caregivers, [...]

Read more of this post

Remembering our female US war veterans

Statistics show that female service members have much higher rates of divorce and are more likely to be a single parent. When they do seek help at VA medical centers, they are screening positive at a higher rate for military sexual trauma, meaning they indicated experiencing sexual harassment, assault or rape. Some studies have shown that female veterans are at greater risk for homelessness. The VA estimates that about 10 percent of homeless veterans are women.  Read full story by clicking here...

Rep. Anastasia Pittman Addresses Sexting Craze

OKLAHOMA CITY – Over 50 percent of 14-24 year olds have experienced some form of digital abuse, and 3 in 10 have sent or received nude pictures through text messages, said state Rep. Anastasia A. Pittman, who plans to file legislation next session to address Oklahoma’s problem with sexting.

Sexting is the sharing of sexually explicit photos, videos and chat by cell phone. More than a quarter of young people have been involved in sexting in some form, an Associated Press-MTV poll found.

Pittman said the problem has hit home and has now become a serious problem in our own state and parents need to be aware. Currently, Oklahoma has no laws specific to “sexting”; however the act of sexting breaks numerous other laws.

“Sexting is becoming surprisingly common among Oklahoma teens. We need to educate not only the kids about the risks and liabilities involved but the parents. Parents, don’t be afraid to ask your kids about this – this is a crucial issue on the rise in our state,” said Pittman, D-Oklahoma City. “Sexting seems to be the newest craze for teenagers, and it is a very dangerous craze that could lead to numerous consequences.”

The practice has led to child pornography charges against teens in several states. Earlier this year, three Pennsylvania high school girls who sent semi-nude photos and four male students who received them were all hit with child pornography charges.

Currently in Oklahoma it is unlawful when a person facilitates, encourages or solicits sexual conduct with a minor by the use of technology, which includes any cell phone or computer. The crime is a felony charge that can result in up to 10 years in prison.  The law also states that every person who willfully and knowingly photographs, prepares, publishes, distributes, gives or exhibits any obscene material or child pornography is guilty of a felony punishable by 30 days to 10 years in jail.

“These teenagers see their behavior as free of consequences if they get caught and assume it’ll just be a slap on the hand. They are unaware of all the legal consequences involved,” said Pittman. “Not only is the sender of the obscene material breaking the law, but if the recipient forwards that picture or video to someone else, they too are breaking the law.”

The study conducted by MTV further showed that 12 percent of those who have “sexted” have contemplated suicide, which is four times more likely than those who haven’t, and targets of digital abuse are almost three times as likely to contemplate suicide as those who haven’t encountered it, and nearly three times more likely to have considered dropping out of school.

“Not only are there legal consequences involved but also there are so many emotional consequences,” said Pittman. “These teens don’t realize when one picture meant for one person gets shared with multiple people, it can destroy their sense of self-worth. We need to stop them from ever getting to that point.”

The Oklahoma City Democrat said she plans to file legislation clarifying the applications of the current law, and also hopes to launch a statewide campaign to deter teens from sexting. When it comes to online behavior, only half think their actions could come back to haunt them, and 1 in 4 believe that their digital actions could have legal consequences.

Pittman noted that MTV recently unveiled “A THIN LINE,” a new multi-year initiative to empower America’s youth to identify, respond to and stop the spread of digital abuse.  Digital abuse is an emerging issue that includes behaviors like “sexting,” cyberbullying and digital dating abuse.   

MTV’s “A THIN LINE” will address digital abuse issues through a series of on-air, online and real world initiatives, including integration in MTV’s top-rated programming, an MTV News special focused on Sexting, True Life: I have Digital Drama, thought-provoking PSAs, innovative online and mobile tools and the “Redraw the Line Challenge” -- which calls on young people to submit innovative digital antidotes to digital abuse. Today, MTV also launched www.ATHINLINE.org where young people can access information, resources and support on issues related to digital abuse.

“I applaud this effort. This is a serious issue that is finally getting national attention. It’s about time we start the discussions of what we can do locally to protect the innocence of our children,” said Pittman.

Source. Oklahoma House of Represenatives Media Division, Dec 4, 2009

Oklahoman MJ Alexander Photographs Gloria Steinem and Alice Walker for Ms Magazine Cover

Oklahoma photographer and writer M.J. Alexander recently got to photograph women's rights activist and Ms. Magazine founder Gloria Steinem and author Alice Walker for the cover of Ms. Magazine. Other of her photographs are featured inside the Fall 2009  issue which is for sale on news stands now.

Alexander took photos of 144 Oklahoma centennarians for her wonderful book Salt of the Red Earth: A Century of Wit and Wisdom from Oklahoma's Elders - which, by the way, would make an excellent Christmas present!

You can watch a brief interview of Alexander on the YouTube piece below:

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation's Joan Merrill Honored for Lupus Research

Kuddos to Dr. Joan T. Merrill with the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF). She recently received the Lupus Foundation of American (Oklahoma Chapter) "Outstanding Achievement Award" for her many years of research on lupus. Merrill heads OMRF's Clinical Pharmacology Research Program and also teaches at the OU Health Science Center. Read more here.

Oklahoman Phyllis Hudecki to Chair NAEP Business Task Force

Phyllis Hudecki is Executive Director of the Oklahoma City-based Oklahoma Business and Education Coalition. She has been tapped by the National Assessment of Education Progress program (aka The Nation's Report Card) to chair NAEP's new Business Policy Task Force. This group will look for ways to make NAEP results more meaningful to the business community.  Read more by clicking here.