News Round Up: August 13, 2009

Interesting take on women and Afghanistan elections below that is the opposite of what Christian Science Monitor reported yesterday:

Women’s Leadership

Washington Post looks at Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's tenure as U.S. Secretary of State Clinton arrives on Africa tour

Electoral experts say increase in women’s voter registration points to possible fraud in upcoming Afghan elections (AP)

Female candidates in upcoming Afghan elections say they are not being heard by voters (BBC)

An opinion in the Chronicle Herald (Halifax, N.S., Canada) urges all women to support women’s rights in Afghanistan

Entertainment

An article in The Nation takes a critical look at Tyler Perry’s portrayal of African-American women

The New York Times reviews portrayals of women and conspicuous consumption in ‘chick lit’

Health

The director of Planned Parenthood of Western New York urges lawmakers to consider women’s reproductive rights when creating health proposals (Buffalo News)

An opinion in The Wall Street Journal discusses how abortion is being framed by lawmakers working on health care reform

Violence

An editorial in the Los Angeles Times demands urgent action on sexual violence as a weapon of war

An article in the Ventura County Reporter (California) outlines how cuts have devastated domestic violence shelters

Economy

An AARP study shows women are more likely to face crisis and economic hardship (Financial Planning)

Almost one quarter of U.S. homeowners were underwater in their mortgage in the last quarter (Financial Planning)

A Stamford childcare center is under fire for firing five employees after they dropped out of school because of their duties as working mothers (The Advocate)

A radio station in northern New York looks at how the economic meltdown is affecting women and links today’s recession with how the Great Depression affected women

None of the Above

A cultural critique in the New York Times links the women’s rights movement to the recent surge of men sporting potbellies

__________________________________________________________________________________

Did I leave anything out? Let me know!