Should the tampon tax be used to help domestic violence victims? | Rose Georg... Rose George: A devious plan painting domestic violence as solely a women’s issue There it is, just behind my toilet, in a discreet washbag. The means for women who are being brutalised, raped, assaulted by men (in 2011-2012, according to the CPS, 94% of defendants in violence against women cases were men) to be protected, by a small piece of cotton that I stick up my vagina to deal with an unavoidable biological event. That a tampon should be taxed is baffling and infuriating enough. But that George Osborne has chosen to divert the £15m raised by the “tampon tax” (actually VAT on what is ridiculously called “feminine hygiene”) towards funding women’s shelters and refuges is even more so. It’s brilliant really, because how can I be against women’s services getting funding, when their money has been slashed, when the amazing Eaves and their Poppy project have had to close?
Refuge’s funding has dropped 80% in four years. So, Gideon, don’t stop at the tampon tax. Why only 14% of top execs are women - Mar. 24, 2015. Only 14.2% of the top five leadership positions at the companies in the S&P 500 are held by women, according to a CNNMoney analysis. It's even worse if you just consider the very top. Out of 500 companies, there are only 24 female CEOs. "It's kind of shocking really. With all of the attention the issue gets, you'd think companies would be doing better," said Rita McGrath, a professor at Columbia Business School. In recent years, there have been a number of high-profile female CEO hires, including Lockheed Martin (LMT) CEO Marillyn Hewson and General Motors (GM) CEO Mary Barra, the first woman to ever lead a major auto maker.
Related: Best and worst countries for women on corporate boards Progress likely to be slow: But don't expect more women to break through the ranks unless there is a strong pipeline of female talent behind the CEO. That's why CNNMoney analyzed the next four executive positions -- chief financial officers, chief operating officers and other key roles at major companies. Watch: Caitlyn Jenner’s inspiring speech on acceptance | Empowering Women. Caitlyn Jenner delivered an inspiring and emotional speech at last nights ESPY awards. Recieving the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Olympic gold medal winner spoke about acceptance. After joking about the pressure she felt in getting ready for the awards evening, and giving a shoutout to the US women’s football team, Jenner emphasised the need for further acceptance, not just of her, but of transgender people around the world.
“All across this country right now, all across the world, at this very moment, there are young people coming to terms with being transgender. They’re learning that they’re different, and they’re trying to figure out how to handle that, on top of every other problem that a teenager has,” she said. “They’re getting bullied, they’re getting beaten up, they’re getting murdered, and they’re committing suicide.” “Trans people deserve something vital. She continued: “It’s not just about me. Watch Caitlyn Jenner’s speech in full, below: Image: Youtube/ ESPYS 2015. Gender pay gap: women effectively working for free until end of year | Business. Britain’s gender pay gap will leave women effectively working for free from 9 November until the end of the year, according to equality campaigners.
This year, Equal Pay Day falls on this date, according to the Fawcett Society, which uses official statistics on hourly pay for full-time workers. With the gender pay gap at 14.2%, it falls just five days later than last year, and only two days later than in 2013. The fact that it repeatedly falls in early November reflects how little progress has been made in closing the gap in salaries for men and women. The figure of 14.2% reflects the pay gap for men and women working full time, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. The figures are for 2014 – the latest available data – and are measured by average gross hourly pay. Campaigners warn that, based on the tiny reduction in the pay gap last year, it would take 54 years to reach parity at current rates.
Contemporary artists come to terms with female power, and oppression, in the ... Two years in the making, 29 rooms, 400 works, 139 artists, one century of contemporary history, one half of the human race. Milan’s Palazzo Reale has pulled out all the stops with “La Grande Madre,” an ambitious exhibition tracking the evolution of how artists have depicted womanhood in 20th century. The exhibition is both a social history of female oppression and liberation as well as a collection of contemporary artworks about and by women, mixing photography and video as well as more traditional media. “It’s about the relationship of women and power in the 20th century,” said curator Massimigliano Gioni, who is also artistic director of the Trussardi Foundation, the show’s main backer.
“The conquest of power, power denied by repression, and procreative power.” The show is timed to coincide with the tail end of Expo Milano 2015, which is expected to bring as many as 7 million tourists to the city from now until it closes at the end of October. Charlize Theron and Rooney Mara take centre stage as strong female leads domi... This has been the year of the strong female lead, according to a poll of leading international film critics. Seven of the top 10 films of 2015, as selected by Sight & Sound magazine, boast striking lead female characters. Top of the list is Taiwanese martial arts film The Assassin, which stars Shu Qi as a female killer on a mission to slay corrupt government officials in 9th Century China.
The magazine’s panel of 168 UK and international film critics also gave high marks to Mad Max: Fury Road – starring Charlize Theron as action hero Imperator Furiosa – and Oscar-tipped lesbian drama Carol, starring Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett. The strong showing for female-led films comes at a time of renewed focus on gender equality in Hollywood. The Top 10 In October, Jennifer Lawrence spoke out about the pay gap after it emerged she had been paid much less than her male co-stars in American Hustle. The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2: Every look from the film's premieres. Women Fashion Power - Design Museum. Moving mind-sets on gender diversity: McKinsey Global Survey results. Female executives are ambitious and sure of their own abilities to become top managers, though they are much less confident that their companies’ cultures can support their rise. In our latest survey on gender and workplace diversity, the results indicate that collective, cultural factors at work are more than twice as likely as individual factors to link to women’s confidence that they can reach top management.
According to our previous surveys on the topic and our 2012 analysis of more than 230 European companies, many organizations are implementing measures to increase gender diversity within their management teams. Indeed, majorities of executives have said in earlier research that their companies had implemented at least one measure to recruit, retain, promote, and develop women—yet few companies have seen notable improvements as a result.
What women want At the individual level, female respondents report that their career ambitions are just as high as those of their male peers. How role models will improve gender diversity in entrepreneurship. Diversity drives innovation. With effective communication and better understanding of team members and customers, women should know that their empathetic and collaborative nature brings real business success. While these are still lessons being learned by our society, sponsorship from the top will help lift women to their deserved positions. This is a changing landscape for women in business. The benefits of gender diversity are being measured in real terms, and systemic factors are being challenged in the form of changes to paternity leave and childcare policies.
The female business plight is clearly well placed on the public agenda. But to truly enter a new era of gender equality in entrepreneurship, we need to support a change in mind set. Edwina Dunn is founder of The Female Lead, a campaign to celebrate a more diverse range of female role models. This is a guest blog and may not represent the views of Virgin.com.