Women's Enews Updates

*The United States broke into the Global Gender Ranking's top 20 this year for the first time, up from No. 31 last year, the Christian Science Monitor reported Oct. 12. The report cites the country's strong record in education equality, particularly literacy and enrollment numbers, as well as a No. 6 ranking worldwide in economic opportunity. Political empowerment is a weakness and the lack of female representation in Congress and state government hinders policy that allows women more opportunity in the work force, an author of the report says.

*New legislation proposed in the New York City Council aims to force crisis pregnancy clinics to stop misleading advertising, reported Time Magazine Oct. 14. The advertisements, which read "Free Abortion Alternatives, Free Confidential Options Counseling," would need to explicitly state that their offices do not offer abortions, contraceptives or any type of abortion referral. Council members say these clinics deceive women into thinking they are politically neutral medical centers when they are actually anti-abortion counseling services. These centers also tend to offer misleading or incorrect information, according to the article.


*The world's three richest self-made women are from China and 11 out of 20 global female billionaires are Chinese, according to the Hurun List of Self-Made Women Billionaires, the Financial Times reported Oct. 13. The article attributed this to the communist society that made women and men equal in the workplace, China's economic growth and child care that is available through grandparents and child care centers.



*Nearly three-fourths of American voters (71 percent) believe insurers should be required to fully cover the birth control pill and other forms of prescription contraception under the new health care reform law, Planned Parenthood Action Fund said Oct. 12, citing a new study it commissioned.

*Citigroup was accused in a lawsuit of using companywide layoffs during the recent financial turmoil to purge its workforce of female employees to save the jobs of less-qualified men, reported the Associated Press Oct. 13. The lawsuit said the company practiced "pervasive discrimination and retaliation" against female employees during the November 2008 layoffs and that women are paid less than men and often lose out on promotions, raises and good assignments. Citigroup denies the accusations.
***I am glad I changed banks!**