– Amanda Hess at TBD.com takes a look at how sexual assault and domestic violence services will be affected by a budget shortfall in D.C.  Hess quotes executive directors from Women Empowered Against Violence and My Sister’s Place, two Women’s Foundation Grantee Partners.

– “Fair pay is a bread-and-butter issue,” writes AAUW’s Lisa Maatz in The Hill. Maatz writes about how passing the Paycheck Fairness Act would go a long way in ensuring pay equity.

– In honor of Passover, the Citrus County Chronicle’s Judi Siegal takes a look at five women associated with the Passover story.

Tags: women empowered against violence, my sister's place, washington, dc, domestic, violence, assault, budget, passover, lisa maatz, paycheck, fairness, act, equal, pay

– Tune in to the Kojo Nnamdi Show this afternoon to hear Capital Area Asset Builders’ (a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner) Savings Program Director discuss economic security during the “Great Recession.”  Emily Appel will be on WAMU 88.5 at around 1 p.m.

– Deans from local private high schools will get together in October to discuss a crackdown on relationship violence after one former prep school student was allegedly killed by another.  The meeting is in response to the May beating death of 22-year-old University of Virginia student Yeardley Love.  Her former boyfriend has been charged with her murder.

– 40 billionaires have committed to the Giving Pledge, promising to donate at least half of their money to charitable causes.  Can those of us who aren’t billionaires follow their examples?  Philanthropic Capital Advisors’ Stephanie Risa Stein says “charitable giving is a basic value for everyone, not only for the wealthy….”

Tags: recession, capital, area, asset, builders, philanthropy, domestic, violence, yeardley, love

The report was about the role that the online classified site Craigslist plays in sex trafficking, and it featured The Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner FAIR Fund.  In fact, the entire report took place in the D.C. area because, according to the show, D.C. is one of the busiest cities for online prostitution in the country.

Among the other disturbing revelations:

• “Craigslist is like the Wal-Mart of online sex trafficking right now in this country,” according to FAIR Fund’s Andrea Powell.

• Police say the internet is now the preferred method when it comes to selling women for sex.

• Craigslist is one of the most popular websites that offers an “adult services” section.

• Last year, Craiglist announced that ads were being manually screen and that suspected underage girls would be reported to law enforcement. But according to D.C. police, they’ve never been contacted by Craigslist regarding “adult services” ads that appeared to be from or about underage girls, even though CNN found a number of ads online with words that suggested youth.

A Powerful Silence

Craigslist founder Craig Newmark was confronted during CNN’s story, but he had very little to say and was literally speechless when asked what his company was doing to help the underage girls who were being prostituted on the website he created.

In a commentary posted on CNN.com, Malika Saada Saar, founder of another Women’s Foundation grantee, The Rebecca Project, writes that “an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 children are sold for sex every year in the United States. Most are from 11 and 14 years old.”  Saada Saar also tells the story of a girl who was forced into prostitution at the age of 11.  The men who had sex with her answered a Craigslist ad.  When the girl wrote a letter to Craig Newmark about her experience, she received no answer.

Newmark’s silence speaks volumes.  While it’s admirable that Craigslist has said in online commentaries like this one they’re committed to screening all of their ads, it means nothing because it’s not being done effectively.  One would think that Craigslist’s methods are broken, that they need a fix.  But the problem is that the “adult services” section works for Craigslist.  It’s projected that this year Craigslist will make $36 million from adult ads – 30 percent of their 2010 profit coming from that one section of the site.  Fiscally speaking, “adult services” ain’t broke, which may be why the company is hesitant to mess with it.

Time for Change

It’s time, though, for Craig to separate himself from Craigslist.  And by that I mean stop thinking like a company, and start thinking like a person – a person who is responsible for himself, his fellow human beings and who shouldn’t allow what is a pretty great invention to be abused by people who seek to harm and exploit others.

It’s time for the police to track down and arrest more men who are going online to find underage girls, as well as the men who are exploiting these girls on the internet.  It’s time for all of us to become better educated about what’s going on in our communities, both online and off.

I’ve been a part of the Craiglist community for years.  I’ve gotten jobs and freelance opportunities from the site.  I’ve used it to find apartments and roommates.  I’ve made money by selling off some of my furniture every time I move (which is often).  I’ve hired people I’ve found through Craigslist.  But I won’t be spending my money on the site again until Craigslist cracks down on that “adult services” section and shows us that those nice blog posts they write are more than just lip service.  That morals talk just as loud as money.

Tags: girls, craigslist, washington, dc, fair fund, rebecca project

– Later this week, organizers will host D.C.’s first-ever large-scale free clinic.  The August 4th clinic, which will be held at the Washington Convention Center is still short about 200 volunteers.  1,200 uninsured patients from D.C., Maryland and Virginia are expected at Wednesday’s clinic.  Click here for more details.

– Doorways for Women and Families, a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner, is featured in this article about a joint project with the American Humane Society to ensure that women who are leaving a domestic violence situation have a safe place to keep their pets.  The Pets and Women’s Shelters (PAWS) program is the only one of its kind in Northern Virginia.

– Affordable housing advocates in D.C. are calling on the city to create a dedicated, local source of funding to help low-income tenants purchase and stay in their homes.  Click here to hear about their efforts.

Tags: washington, dc, free, clinic, affordable, housing, low, income, maryland, virginia, domestic, violence, doorways for women and families

– A growing number of American women control the finances of their households, but many are not confident in their fiscal management abilities, according to a new study out this week. But as Jezebel.com points out, we’re not the only ones confused by finances.

– The news of a vaginal gel to prevent the transmission of HIV was hailed as a breakthrough when it was announced at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna last week.  But some argue that creating a medical solution to the spread of the virus isn’t enough.  They say it’s just as critical to find solutions to the social issues that surround HIV.  Click here for details.

– ESPN sportscaster Erin Andrews was in D.C. this week to support the Simplifying the Ambiguous Law, Keeping Everyone Reliably Safe (STALKERS) Act of 2010.  The purpose of the bill is to strengthen current federal anti-stalking laws.  Andrews was stalked by a man who followed her across three states and filmed her through the peephole of her hotel room doors.  Click here to read more about the proposed legislation.

Tags: women, money, educate, vaginal, gel, hiv, aids, stalking, law, erin andrews

Calvary Women’s Services was notified Monday, September 28, by The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness (TCP) that contract funding for Calvary would be cut by nearly $75,000 beginning October 1st.  These funds support safe housing and other services for 150 homeless women each year.  TCP is an independent, non-profit corporation that coordinates DC’s Continuum of Care homeless services.

Calvary is one of many social service providers notified of cuts to their existing contracts. Emergency, transitional and supported permanent housing programs were all targeted as the city attempted to close an ever-widening budget gap.  The impact of these cuts on the overall homeless services system is going to be severe, with some housing programs reducing their services and others likely closing programs. 

Although these cuts may provide some immediate relief to the city’s budget problems, the real impact of the cuts will be felt by those in need of safe housing and support services.  Women who have already lost their jobs in this economic crisis will have fewer services and housing options available to them. These cuts will make women who are already at-risk much more likely to end up living on the streets or in unsafe situations.

The women who come to programs like Calvary are survivors of violence, women struggling with mental illness, and women working to overcome addictions.  At Calvary we make sure they have access to all of the services they need to address these challenges – in addition to providing a safe place to live.

We know that programs like ours work.  Every five days a woman moves out of Calvary and into her own home.

We have always relied on the support of both public funding and private donations to make our programs possible.  In the past, supporters have helped us close gaps like this one, and I am hopeful that the community will step up once again.  But I am also concerned that this gap may be too wide for our generous donors to close.

The coming months will be challenging ones for organizations like Calvary, as we try to find ways to continue to provide women in this community with critical, life changing services.  More so, they will be challenging months for women who need services like ours, as they face closed doors and reduced services at programs across the city.

 You can make a difference.  Support Calvary – or another agency facing these cuts – today. 

 Volunteer, donate or learn more at www.calvaryservices.org.

Kris Thompson is the Executive Director of Calvary Women’s Services, recognized as a 2009 Leadership Awardee by The Women’s Foundation.  Learn more about them on their Web site or on Facebook.

Tags: calvary women's services, homeless, women, budget, cuts

The following are excerpts of the research update.  For the full update, including summarized key findings, click here.

Financial Education and Wealth Creation News
The median household income in the District of Columbia rose from $56,400 in 2007 to $57,900 in 2008, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey; however, DC residents with the lowest levels of education saw their incomes fall significantly from 2007 to 2008. (Full text)

Jobs and Business Ownership News
One fifth of all families with children are headed by working single mothers. The families of single mothers have a high poverty rate – 28.3 percent. The persistent gender wage gap continues: in 2007, women who worked full-time, year-round earned only 78 cents for every dollar earned by full-time, year-round male workers. These findings suggest that a number of changes in policy and practice are needed to improve women’s earnings. You can read the details about these findings by clicking here.

Child Care and Early Education News
A new Child Trends research brief explores the issues that judges consider when making decisions about termination of parental rights (TPR) and adoption of foster children. Several judges reported that the absence of TPR limits the adoption recruitment efforts of the child welfare agency. Some judges report a need for more discussions with older children to explore and address their concerns about adoption. (Full text)

Health and Safety News
Today, there are about 1.1 million people with HIV/AIDS living in the U.S., including nearly 280,000 women. Women of color, particularly black women, are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. The impact of HIV on younger women is particularly notable – more than 6 in 10 new HIV infections among women were among those ages 13-39 in 2006. 76% of women with HIV/AIDS who were receiving medical care had children under 18 in their homes, which may complicate their ability to manage their illness. (Full text)

Other News and Research
The Urban Institute surveyed District permanent supportive housing (PSH) agencies and specific PSH projects. The research includes a look at how the District might move forward toward fulfilling its commitment to create 2,500 new units of PSH and eliminate chronic homelessness. (Full text)

Tags: Stepping Stones, Urban Institute

Spotlight is the go-to site for news and ideas about fighting poverty.

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.”  It’s a new section of our site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty.

Along with these daily updates, continue to visit TheWomensFoundation.org for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every week.

Here’s this week’s news:

• The Washington Post tells the story of how Lawanda Madden and her children became homeless. Her family joins an influx of recently homeless single-mother families now relying on relatives for shelter and food.
• The Times-Picayune profiles Looking Good, a nonprofit founded by Hope Encalada that provides low-income women with professional clothing, makeovers and a self-confidence boost in preparation for job interviews.
• Many low-income mothers will be left without affordable childcare if day care centers close due to budget cuts, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• The Boston Globe features a piece on a movement in Providence to close down “spas,” or thinly veiled brothels.  Rhode Island is the only state in the U.S. that permits indoor prostitution.
• The Times Picayune reports on a teen panel on poverty and drugs, which included suggestions from several young women living in impoverished neighborhoods.

To learn more about Spotlight, visit www.spotlightonpoverty.org.  To sign up for our weekly updates with the latest news, opinion and research from around the country, click here.

The Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity Team

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that our political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States. We bring together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to engage in an ongoing dialogue focused on finding genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.

Tags: Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, women and poverty

Below are excerpts of the research update.  For the full research update, including summarized key findings, click here.

Financial Education and Wealth Creation News

The National Council of Negro Women conducts a study to identify potential lending disparities in gender and race among African-American, Hispanic, and Caucasian borrowers, particularly as the foreclosure crisis spreads.  (Full text) 

Jobs and Business Ownership News

The Brookings Institution publishes research on the extent to which the recession has affected urban and suburban communities across the country and looks looks within the nation’s 100 largest metro areas to examine recent unemployment trends in their cities and suburbs. (Abstract) (Full text)

Child Care and Early Education News

A new Child Trends study commissioned by the Council of Chief State School Officers finds disparities between poor, at-risk children and more advantaged children as early as 9 months of age–extending prior research that primarily focuses on disparities at kindergarten entry and beyond. (Abstract) (Full text)

Health and Safety News

The Urban Institute identifies ways to reduce obesity using many of the same strategies used in the war against tobacco.  (Introduction) (Full text)

Other News and Research

The Economic Mobility Project investigates neighborhoods and the black-white mobility gap, including whether neighborhood poverty in childhood impacts the ability of both black and white adults to move up or down the income ladder relative to the position their parents held and whether changes in neighborhood poverty rates experienced by black children affected their adult incomes, earnings, and wealth. (Abstract) (Full text)

Tags: Stepping Stones, Urban Institute

Like many others, Rosa* was struggling to find employment.  While at the mall, Rosa was handed a business card and told about the opportunity to become a waitress. Rosa called the number and set up an interview.  When she arrived, she was pulled into a vehicle and taken to a brothel.  Rosa was forced into prostitution and suffered horrific abuse and threats. Thankfully, she found a moment to escape, ran outside, and flagged down a moving bus.  The driver called 9-1-1. Once the police arrived and identified Rosa as a trafficking victim, they immediately contacted our on-call staff to provide emergency assistance.

We provided Rosa with her first meal in three days and clothing and accompanied her to the hospital for treatment.  Rosa is steadily recovering.  She secured safe housing and hopes to reconnect with her family members living outside of the United States.

The Women’s Foundation has been really ahead of the curve in recognizing human trafficking as a grave danger to women and girls in our community and across the country. 

I wish that the story I provided was a rare case, but we help people in similar situations on a regular basis.  With the support of The Women’s Foundation, Polaris Project has helped 50 trafficking victims locally in 2009 and provided more than 850 nights of shelter through our transitional housing program in D.C.

The support The Women’s Foundation has provided has been really important to our local efforts.

*Name was changed to protect the identity of the client.

Tayler Wilhelm is the Senior Development Officer with Polaris Project, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation and winner of the 2009 Leadership Awards online vote.

Tags: Polaris Project, human trafficking, sex trafficking, Tayler Wilhelm