Worcester Caucus for Women's Issues

The R**e Kit Backlog Shows Exactly How We Regard Women In This Country Mariska Hargitay’s new documentary “I Am Evidence” humanizes the r**e kit crisis.

Backpage servers seized The Department of Justice seized the servers of online s*x marketplace Backpage.com in part of an enforcement action involving the FBI, other federal agencies and attorneys general from Texas and California.The notorious website reads: “Backpage.com and affiliated websites have been seized.”The ...

The FBI Seizes and Shuts Down Backpage.com and Affiliate Websites It's part of an enforcement by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and IRS

A new study is showing how common it is for teen boys to coerce girls into sending n**e pictures. An analysis of 500 accounts from 12- to 18-year-old girls about negative experiences s*xting and found that two-thirds of them had been asked to provide explicit images -- and that the requests often progressed from promises of affection to "anger displays, harassment and threats." In an article about the study for the New York Times, psychologist and author Lisa Damour writes, "Teenagers are drafted into a s*xual culture that rests on a harmful premise: on the heteros*xual field, boys typically play offense and girls play defense… Most schools and many parents already tell teenagers not to send s*xualized selfies. But why don't we also tell adolescents to stop asking for n**e photos from one another?" After all, she observes, "In the wider culture, it appears we have suddenly come to the limit of our tolerance for the s*xualized abuse of power by adult men. A logical next step is to recalibrate some of the toxic norms that have taken hold among teenagers."

The study by Sara Thomas of Northwestern University found that less then 8% of girls shared explicit pictures because they wanted to; for the rest, they did so because of a desire to please, acquiesce to, or avoid conflict with a boy. Moreover, while researchers found that both girls and boys send n**e photos to one another, boys are nearly four time as likely to pressure girls to do so than the reverse. If teenagers are already in a relationship, the idea was often normalized with claims like "everyone else has a picture of their girlfriend," and if girls hesitated, some boys threatened consequences to the relationship.

In some cases, boys used existing pictures to pressure girls to send more by threatening to broadcast the previous ones. Boys not in relationships also asked girls for pictures, and almost 12% of the stories reported a barrage of requests from multiple people that left girls feeling that "requests for photographs are inevitable and unavoidable." But most notably, Thomas found that girls seemed to have no framework for what to do: "while many young women took on the responsibility of negotiating these pressures, they also reported expressing confusion… [because they] lack the tools to do so."

Damour says that parents and educators can make simple changes to help support young women in this situation, starting by focusing as much on the requesting as on the sending and requiring greater accountability from boys making such requests. "It is of course true that simply declaring a new behavioral code will not erase a problem," she writes. "But rules can make a difference." When an adult says "it's not O.K. to request naked pictures because then you are putting someone else in a terrible position," it sets what Damour calls a "behavioral speed bump" that both girls and boys can use to counter adolescent impulsiveness.

It also gives girls something they desperately need: clear guidance about what to do if someone harasses them about sending a n**e picture. "If parents and schools have made it clear that the requests are a violation," Damour points out, "girls would feel that they had the option of taking screen shots of them and seeking help from adults." By doing so, Damour argues that we are "laying out high and equitable expectations for young people as they begin their own romantic lives [which] can only be a step in the right direction."

To read more about this new study in The New York Times, visit http://nyti.ms/2CrD3Od

Lisa Damour is the author of an excellent book about parenting adolescent girls, "Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions Into Adulthood" at https://www.amightygirl.com/untangled

For a thoughtful parenting book that explores the hypers*xualization of society and how it affects today’s kids, we highly recommend “S*xploitation: Helping Kids Develop Healthy S*xuality in a Porn-Driven World" at https://www.amightygirl.com/s*xploitation

For two excellent books to help tweens and teens feel confident when standing up for themselves and others, check out “Stand Up For Yourself and Your Friends” for age 7 to 12 (https://www.amightygirl.com/stand-up-for-yourself-and-your-friends) and “Express Yourself: A Teen Girl’s Guide to Speaking Up and Being Who You Are” for age 13 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/express-yourself-guide).

And to start teaching children -- girls and boys alike -- from a young age about the need to respect others and their personal boundaries, we highly recommend "My Body! What I Say Goes!" for ages 3 to 6 (https://www.amightygirl.com/my-body) and "Your Body Belongs To You” for ages 3 to 5 (https://www.amightygirl.com/your-body-belongs-to-you)

Bill would make seeking out a pr******te a felony, in push against human trafficking To combat human trafficking, Idaho Republican Rep. Brent Crane proposes making a first-time offense of soliciting prostitution a felony.

So excited to announce the Emerge Massachusetts Class of 2018! Check them out here! https://emergema.ngpvanhost.com/content/welcome-class-2018

Worcester Caucus for Women's Issues updated their information in their About section.

New policy proposal!

Activists pitch anti-s*x traffic training proposal for hotel employees - Worcester Mag Human trafficking is an issue that rarely makes the news and can quickly fall out of sight and out of mind, especially when it takes place in locked hotel

Donation drive.

Veterans Inc - Serving Veterans & Their Families Across America Veterans Inc. is a national leader in ending homelessness among veterans.

MA Coalition to End Child Marriage - Lobby Day Sign Up Please join Representative Kay Khan and Senator Harriette Chandler for a lobby day in support of H.2310/S.785, An Act to end child marriage in Massachusetts. There will be a brief presentation of H.2310/S.785, a lobby day training, and then you will meet with your Representative and Senator to expla...

DOS TIP Office (@JTIP_State) posted a photo on Twitter Get the whole picture - and other photos from DOS TIP Office

Unsung Heroines of Massachusetts Celebration The Massachusetts Honorees are nominated by state legislators as a means of recognizing women for their previously unnoted yet valuable community contributions.

Please Join Us on Friday, May 12, 2017

for the

5th Annual Statewide Gathering on the Status Of Girls in Massachusetts

Passion and Persistence!

The First Five Years Working To Improve the Status of Girls

This year’s gathering will focus on our collective impact work in the following areas:
· Engaging women’s commissions
· Engaging men – panel of men involved in girl serving organizations: Fred H. Daniels II-President of the Fred Harris Daniels Foundation; Robert Jennings- Board Member with Girls Inc. of Worcester, Chris Mendoza- Board Member with Girl Scouts of Central and Western MA, Alex Morse-Mayor of Holyoke, MA

· Engaging the next generation of leaders
· New Study by the Girl Scouts Eastern Mass/Simmons College: Dreaming Big – What Confidence Has To Do With It
· How to accomplish this in today’s challenging environment


Sturbridge Host Hotel, Sturbridge, MA

Friday, May 12, 2017, Registration begins at 8:30am

Program begins at 9:00 am and ends at 3:00pm

This event is free and includes a continental breakfast and lunch.

Registration is required - Please RSVP by 5/5 to: [email protected]

Don't forget! Have you RSVPED yet?

THE MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
invites you to WOMEN’S ADVOCACY DAY 2017
May 17, 2017 10:00am-2:30pm
Massachusetts State House, Great Hall

Speak with legislators about issues that affect you, your family, and your community. Learn about our legislative progress and our legislative priorities including: insurance coverage of contraceptives, equality in disability insurance, paid family and medical leave, and more.

Hear from elected officials about the status of women’s access to equality and opportunities in Massachusetts. We encourage you to bring your colleagues, friends, and families!

Breakfast & Registration: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Speaking Program: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Legislative visits: 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Lunch & Conclusion: 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Report back & Lunch: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
For more information, please contact us at [email protected] or 617-626-652

RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScA17hEJ0Z5QP0OFoB-XQVpRssBvPzWQDRfDhnHaCYV7rdiNA/viewform?c=0&w=1

Latest report on U.S. Infant Mortality trends.

www.cdc.gov

EVENT: Equal Pay Coalition Panel, Tuesday 03/21/2017 4:00-6:00pm Survey Web survey powered by SurveyMonkey.com. Create your own online survey now with SurveyMonkey's expert certified FREE templates.

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY !!!

Ashton Kutcher Rescued 6000 S*x Trafficking Victims. Almost All Of Them Had Something In Common…   Actor, activist and businessman Ashton Kutcher visited “The Today Show” this week to speak with hosts Kathie Lee and Hoda about the new season of his Netflix original series, “The Ranch.” But what he was most interested in talking about was his organization's work to end human s*x trafficking and…

Human Trafficking update added to Congressional Record

Congressional Record The Congressional Record is the official daily record of the debates and proceedings of the U.S. Congress.

The National Action Network

Congratulations to Mary Pat Hector, NAN's 19 year old National Youth Director who is the youngest woman ever eligible to run for office in Georgia.

We want to make sure everyone knows — the minimum wage in Massachusetts goes up to $11/hour on January 1.

Employers, get your new minimum wage and workplace rights posters today. Posters are available in 14 languages.

http://www.mass.gov/ago/news-and-updates/press-releases/2016/minimum-wage-increase.html

Karen

WOMEN'S MARCH UPDATES

Updates from National Organizers:

1) There have been several news reports that the national organizers were denied a permit to march from the Lincoln Memorial to the White House. While this is true, there has been a unified march plan in place with the National Parks Service, DC Police, and Capitol Police since just before Thanksgiving. This means that the national organizers have been working with the appropriate officials in DC to secure a route for the Women's March on Washington. Please stay tuned and once we know more we will share info immediately!

2) NOW has officially endorsed the Women's March on Washington. To see the statement please go to: http://bit.ly/2ho9FgZ.

Updates from State Organizers:

1) We sent our 3rd email blast to over 4,000 subscribers yesterday. These weekly emails include national and state updates and other important March-related information. If you have not received an email blast from us, please be sure to complete our contact page on our website -- tiny.cc/womawama -- and check your spam folder.

2) We continue to see traffic picking up on our website and Twitter. Please be sure to check our website regularly for updates. Also, tell us why you are marching using and tag us .

4) We now have 8,000 people going to the March from Massachusetts. This brings us even closer to reaching our goal of getting 10,000 diverse women and allies to and from the March safely.

5) Please continue to reach out with questions, ideas, and offers of help -- [email protected].

9 Black Women Became Judges In Alabama On Tuesday Night But Nobodies Talking About It – The #1 Empowering Conscious Website In The World 9 Black Women Became Judges In Alabama On Tuesday Night But Nobodies Talking About It Indigenous KingNovember 13, 20160 viewsCurrent Events0 views 9 Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new windo...

Well done.

Problem Pregnancy poses a real problem with tactics - Worcester Mag From the outside, Problem Pregnancy in Worcester looks like a regular women’s health clinic. Their parking is “Reserved for Patients,” and their name eeril

What can we learn from this?

Poland's abortion ban proposal near collapse after mass protests Parliamentary committee urges MPs to vote proposal down as minister says wave of protests ‘taught us humility’

Here's an example of legislation which is assumed to be aimed at helping children. Because of vague and incorrect language, and a failure to properly conduct a SWOT analysis (in my humble opinion), we may find that this could worsen the situation. Read it for yourself and decide.

CA Gov. Brown signs law decriminalizing child prostitution Gov. Jerry Brown (D-Calif.) signed legislation this week that decriminalizes prostitution for minors – a law that seals a major shift in how law enforcement and the justice system handles s*x crimes in California.

https://www.facebook.com/events/189474494812483/

Outstanding event is morning at City Hall, organized by the Worcester Healthy Baby Collaborative...more details later! http://www.worcesterhealthybaby.org/

This is a serious issue that most people don't know about--needs to be shared and we need to vote for candidates who understand this issue. http://debtorsprison.jlc.org/documents/JLC-Debtors-Prison.pdf

debtorsprison.jlc.org

Worcester project - raising awareness about human trafficking. Please share!