Yesterday, First Lady Michelle Obama visited Mary’s Center to learn about the work done by our organization for families and children in the nation’s capital. 

Since the presidential election all you see is change and more change. The nation has had an urgent need for change because of our new president, Barack Obama. You can really see change in people’s attitudes around the country and how they portray themselves as Americans. 

Well, while probably not in direct response to our requests of the new Obama Administration on behalf of women, the Administration has developed a Web resource covering their priorities and issues, and women are on the agenda–one of the 23 priority areas.

On the day after President Obama was sworn in just a few blocks from our office, the staff of The Women’s Foundation thought we’d offer our congratulations, along with (of course) a few items for our wish list of action on the part of the new President. 

On Friday, the House of Representatives passed two bills that would greatly improve the ability of women and other employees to bring claims of wage discrimination. President-Elect Obama has said that he would like to sign the bills — the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act — in his first days in office. So, if the Senate moves quickly to pass both bills we could take an important step towards pay equity in the next few weeks.

As my alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, I stirred sleepily and wondered what in the world I was thinking setting the alarm so early!  Then I remembered what day it was.  It was Election Day for my very first Presidential election as a U.S. citizen! 

Why should single mothers register and vote?

According to Women Work!, a national nonprofit organization that advances economic justice and equality for women through education, advocacy and organizing, just 65 percent of women voted in the 2004 presidential election, leaving the needs and concerns of more than 35 million women – the majority of whom are single mothers and unmarried women – out of the political discourse.

In a new report released last week by the D.C. Women’s Agenda, ninth grade girls residing in Hillcrest, Naylor Gardens and Woodland Terrace challenged DC Council candidates for Wards 7 and 8 and At-Large positions to answer questions about daily hardships they must confront.

In an election guide released this week by the DC Women’s Agenda, DC Council candidates were challenged to find solutions to staggering issues confronting women and girls in DC, including the facts that 12% of DC women lack health insurance; 25,000 individuals, primarily women, are on the DC Housing Authority wait list for affordable housing; and, 9% of babies born with HIV/AIDS nationwide come from DC.

For those of you who have been tracking the legislation around the paid sick and safe days bill at the DC Council, I wanted to provide an update of what happened Tuesday during the Council’s vote.