“Scandal.” That’s it? If these men are guilty, where are the headlines screaming about the possibility that these American officers/personnel are participants in the worldwide crime of sex trafficking? Where are the headlines drawing attention to the injustices that make up “sex tourism” and the fact that prostitution is legal in parts of Colombia?

“Wild Night.” These headlines continue to make prostitutes (or “sex workers” like the media likes to call them) look like it is all about fun. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite who works at the Center for American Progress and has spent years researching the sex trafficking world writes: “It’s not about fun. It’s not about individual prostitutes “sinning.” It’s not even really about sex. What’s deeply and profoundly wrong about the sex industry is that it is a system that grossly exploits human beings in their bodies, minds and spirits, and uses them to make money literally off of their backs. The sex industry in the U.S. and internationally is a widespread, and very profitable industry, and it is involved in the flagrant exploitation of women, children, and men all over the world. In all the years I have spent talking with those who have been prostituted, I have never met the “happy hooker.”

President Obama spoke today at a forum about women shortly after a released report from the White House titled “Keeping America’s Women Moving Forward”.

During his speech President Obama reminded us all that only 3% of Fortune 500 company CEOs are women and less than 20% of seats in Congress are occupied by women.

“Is it possible that Congress would get more done if there were more women in congress?  I think it’s fair to say, that is almost guaranteed,” said President Obama.

Why aren’t there more women in Congress?  Great organization’s like The White House Project and EMILY’s List work every day to help women run and get elected to public office.  While at a summer training institute during my undergraduate career, (NEW Leadership) I learned that the problem isn’t that women aren’t getting elected over men, it’s that women aren’t even running in the first place.

I sat in a room full of 30 other females ages 18-50, and we were all asked point blank, “If you were given the opportunity to run for public office, would you take it?”  There were some “yes’s”,  a lot of “ehhh mayyyybes” and a couple flat out “no ways”.  The maybe’s and the no’s were asked to explain their reasoning.  The top 3 responses:

1. Politics is dirty.

I don’t want my family or past being put through that kind of attention.

2. I have a family.  Being in politics would take precious time away from them.
3. He’ll beat me.  People don’t think women are as good in politics, and if I run against a man, he’ll win.

The first reason is completely understandable, and with today’s 24/7 media/blogosphere, is a major reason that both males and females often opt out from public office.

The second reason is one of the most common reasons women choose not to do a lot of things, most importantly a certain career path such as politics.

However, the third reason I think we CAN change.  WOMEN DO win (I’m not saying all the time) but women win ALOT when they run against men.  If we can work to increase women’s confidence in running for public office, and help provide them with the tools and means to do so…I think we’d see a big difference in our Congressional makeup…and maybe a big difference in how effective our government is.

I haven’t read the article yet, but a former colleague did send over a snippet for me:

“TIME cover, “The Richer $ex: Women are overtaking men as America’s breadwinners. Why that’s good for everyone,” by Liza Mundy (Adapted from the forthcoming book, “The Richer Sex: How the new majority of female breadwinners is transforming sex, love, and family,” by Liza Mundy, to be published Tuesday by Simon & Schuster; edited by Priscilla Painton): “[B]y the next generation, more families will be supported by women than by men. Not since women entered the workforce by the millions after World War II has America witnessed economic change on this scale. … In 2009, … nearly 4 in 10 working wives out-earned their husbands … The impact will be felt everywhere, from the classroom to the boardroom to the bedroom, in how men and women work, play, shop, vote, save and share and court …

“[S]ome academics and women’s-rights advocates talk about a stalled revolution and warn that a premature declaration of victory will reduce pressure on workplaces to improve pay and working conditions. … Married women … go to great lengths to praise their stay-at-home husbands … A wife talks about her husband’s blog as if it were a book project. Heavy meals and showy cooking are gratefully received and complimented, even as many women secretly long for a simple meal of steamed vegetables. Time with kids, the coaching, the homework help is exalted. The message: The ability to generate income is not the only measure of value.” 

First of all, can someone teach me to make an origami woman out of money?  Second of all, this is incredible.  I’m very excited to read the full article, and especially to read about the varying viewpoints.  With more women completing undergraduate, masters degrees and PhDs, I’m not too surprised that the “flip” in breadwinning is coming.  More and more in the city, I see men outside pushing strollers (ever so proudly might I add) during the day, and I sometimes wonder and ask myself whether they are stay-at-home dad’s, on paternity leave, taking a day off of work, or do they just work from home?  Who knows, but it makes me smile when I see that father pushing the stroller with his chest puffed out, smile on his face, and looking around to see how many people are watching him with his pride and joy.  I think the author is right, and if a couple can find a perfect balance between bread and baby, no matter the sex, then that’s better for everyone.

Our little B & B (Sugar Tree Inn) was tucked away in the midst of the gorgeous mountainside…and we were even lucky enough to witness 6-8″ of sparkly white snowfall while visiting!

The owners left everyone a binder in their room detailing the history of the B & B and other interesting tidbits about the surrounding area.  The creation of this cute little secluded Inn stemmed from this guy who wanted to create a destination where visitors could come and relax, kick off their shoes/stilettos, and take the time to discover themselves again.

The weekend proved to accomplish just that.  Rob and I witnessed the true beauty of nature, the respectfulness and helpfulness of genuine and really nice people, and the captivating  splendor of a fire burning on a cold, snowy night.

It was simple.  It was the perfect getaway.  I wore one pair of shoes the whole weekend (a pair of ratty leather boots.)

I came back to the office today, and as I sat down, I looked under my desk to find my 7 different pairs of “office” stilettos waiting for me.  (don’t judge! hahaha)  Still in “self reflection mode” from the weekend, I had some mixed feelings looking at those stilettos all lined up in a nice and straight row.  The shoes represent that it’s “back to work/reality time” and I’m know longer wearing my ratty boots while enjoying the sounds of birds and water rushing down the mountainside.  But on the other hand, those stilettos represent the hard work I’ve done to get where I am, and the hard work I will continue to do in my career in order to earn the money/vacation time to take those perfect getaways.

I don’t know if it was the vacation and the break from the stilettos, or the return to stilettos this morning…but all in all…the stilettos are always keeping me “on my toes” (too great of a pun not to put in quotes, hahaha) about life, love, and this crazy big world we live in.

What: Matching tees (and “genes!”)
Where: ANYWHERE in the world
When: Now until Feb 11 (one week away!)
Why: International Women’s Day 2012!
The design: the double-X chromosome that plays on the word “MOXIE,” which is all about the invigorating resilience so many of us see—and celebrate—every day in the females around us.  We have 2 options, (option 1 is fitted; option 2 is not).
100% of The Proceeds: Women for Women International (A lovely young lady I know, who is actually responsible for secretly capturing Rob proposing to me on the top of the Kennedy Center on film!, works here!)

“I think it’s time to “define” our own MOXIE & show the world what we’re made of, from our chromosomes to our core beings. What better day to declare our strength & solidarity than IWD 2012?” – Molly Dull

The story in the email talked about how the Girl Scouts have implemented 13 new financially savvy badges for girls to earn.  One badge encourages the girls to try and put together an outfit for $30 or less…others will encourage girls to manage their money during the annual cookie sale. (I LOVE SAMOAS!!!!!!!!!!)

The Girl Scouts just overhauled their entire badge system, implementing over 100 new badges focused on technology, science and finances…the first major overhaul since 1987!

The consultants brought in to to help the Girl Scouts re-do their badges said after doing case studies and focus groups, they believe that the new badges will help girls develop a life-long sense of money management…along with other critical life skills.

Women often get a bad rap when it comes to being good with our greens.  We’re pictured as crazy shoppers, buying those expensive Prada sunglasses, Coach purses and Michael Kors stilettos, and trying to marry “someone wealthy”…so starting at a young age and teaching girls about the value of a dollar sounds like a pretty great thing!

My fiance often comments on how he wishes he was as good at saving money as I am, but I have to give a hat tip to my mother and father for starting at young age when it came to teaching “financial savviness”.  Thanks to a little saving, I’m looking forward to handing over $4.00 (are they still $4 a box this year?) to a deserving young Cookie CEO-in-training so that she can learn the value of those four crisp green ones.  (And I get to enjoy SAMOAS!)

1. “The release of the new documentary ‘MissRepresentation’ makes everyone who thinks they’ve heard it before refocus on how badly the media depicts women — and how we can change that.”
2. “When the announcer called the name of the first nominee for Best Actress in a Comedy at the 2011 Emmy Awards, Amy Poehler, instead of smiling at the camera from her seat, charged onto the stage … and every other nominee did, too. Before the winner was even announced, Poehler, Melissa McCarthy (the ultimate winner), Tina Fey, Edie Falco, Laura Linney and Martha Plimpton held hands tightly in beauty pageant fashion, making even an award for best comedian into a spoof — and proving their extraordinary talent (yet again) in the process.”
   
3. “After years of objections from women’s rights advocates, the FBI advisory board recommends a broader definition of rape. Currently defined by the agency as “carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will” — wording composed in 1929 — the board votes to change the terminology to “penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim,” which notably doesn’t include the word “forcible.” It’s now up to FBI Director Robert Mueller to sign off on the decision.”
4. “The comedy women and bridal attendants everywhere have been waiting for: “Bridesmaids” pulls no punches in portraying all of the regrettable situations a single woman can get herself into. Wiig’s script has her and the rest of the stellar cast (Maya Rudolph as the bride, Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Ellie Kemper and Wendi McLendon-Covey as fellow bridesmaids) vomiting and discussing other bodily functions in a way not usually seen in comedies starring women, and the result is brilliant and hilarious — the ultimate antidote to schlock like “27 Dresses.” As several critics pointed out, female comedians have been capable of making a movie like this all along – it’s only now that someone let them.”
5. “After an Iowa town hall meeting in which Mitt Romney seemed not to understand a question about the Mississippi “personhood” amendment, which opponents feared could lead to a ban on oral contraceptives, Rachel Maddow spends a segment of her show explaining to Romney how the female reproductive system and birth control work — against a “man cave” background.”
   
6. “Per the Affordable Care Act, all health insurance policies issued after January 1, 2013 must cover birth control — with no copays. The same provisions will cover breast pumps for nursing mothers, domestic violence counseling and a number of other women’s health services. What took them so long?”
7. “In a Toys”R”Us store in Albany, N.Y., 4-year-old Riley Maida just can’t take it anymore and lets loose a frighteningly articulate rant about toy marketers targeting kids by gender. “Why do all the girls have to buy princesses? Some girls like superheroes, some girls like princesses,” she says, reasonably. “Some boys like superheroes, some boys like princesses. So why does all the girls have to buy pink stuff and all the boys have to buy different color stuff?”
   

1.) A woman should never have to compromise the fact that she is a woman in order to be treated equally.

2.) The stereotypical belief that true feminists should avoid pink, lipstick and manicures is BOGUS.

3.) Gender discrimination changing overnight is unimaginable…but tomorrow is indeed another day, and I do believe in miracles.