Prior to this class I was aware that violence against women was an issue, but I had no idea how severe of an issue it actually is. Through the group project I was able to take a closer look at the Violence Against Women Act that was passed in 1994. The statistics and numbers of women who have been abused or violated are truly astonishing and definitely eye opening. Every 9 seconds a woman is assaulted. 9 seconds! That is shocking to the point that it is almost unbelievable and that is where the problem arises.
When it comes to violence against women, we have come a long way, but it is still not enough. It is obvious that this is not a public issue, and you have to wonder why this is the case? If everyone was aware of what is happening you would think that more action would be taken. Why did it take until 1994 to pass legislature to protect women and their children from abuse? It seems to me that when issues like this arise everyone turns their head or closes their eyes.
Yes, the Violence Against Women Act continues to grow and protect more and more with each reauthorization, and it can only be assumed that this trend will continue, especially with Obama and Biden in office. After all, Biden was the creator of the Act and knows the issue more than most anyone. I believe that the future for this issue is bright and this brightness will continue to open eyes instead of closing them.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
So many choices, so little time
I was very surprised by today’s welfare simulation. I never once thought that being on welfare was easy, yet I never thought it would be so hard. This is in part because I am not yet aware of how much child support costs or what is takes to buy a car and a house. Those costs all add up very quickly and those are not even half of what a women needs to pay; not to mention if she has children. These women all have different situations and all need different types of help.
That is where their choices come into play. The numbers of choices are one thing that is definitely not lacking when it comes to the welfare system. Generally speaking it is a good thing to have choices, most often a great thing, but this often turns into a problem when welfare is concerned. Women and their families are offered so many choices that it is hard for them to know which choice is best for their individual families. These choices often overlap, thus making it tough to make a decision.
Another problem with these choices is that they most often take time. TANF for example, takes two weeks before any cash assistance is seen and sometimes that is two weeks too long. When something goes wrong (whether it be the loss of a job or a sick child) actions needs to be taken immediately and many of the choices to not recognize the point of time.
If women were better informed about their choices and they understood what each choice met then they would be more knowledgeable and would be able to do what is best for themselves and their families.
That is where their choices come into play. The numbers of choices are one thing that is definitely not lacking when it comes to the welfare system. Generally speaking it is a good thing to have choices, most often a great thing, but this often turns into a problem when welfare is concerned. Women and their families are offered so many choices that it is hard for them to know which choice is best for their individual families. These choices often overlap, thus making it tough to make a decision.
Another problem with these choices is that they most often take time. TANF for example, takes two weeks before any cash assistance is seen and sometimes that is two weeks too long. When something goes wrong (whether it be the loss of a job or a sick child) actions needs to be taken immediately and many of the choices to not recognize the point of time.
If women were better informed about their choices and they understood what each choice met then they would be more knowledgeable and would be able to do what is best for themselves and their families.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Superwoman
This past week I have been examining volunteerism for a paper I am writing for another class. In particular, I have been examining who volunteers based on gender, race, age, location, etc.
After reading what feels like every scholarly article ever written, I have a pretty good handle on the topic. Who volunteers, you ask? Well, first it came as no surprise that women volunteer more often than men. This could be credited to many different reasons, all explained by men, of course. The way I see it however, is simple. Women are better at multitasking. Study after study examines women in the volunteer force, taking all aspects into affect… occupation, children, location, blah, blah blah. The result is constantly still the same. At the end of the day, women are better at scheduling their time and as a result, are able to accomplish more, and thus have time to volunteer. Of course, this is never straight out said because it would offend men, and we could neeeever do that!
Chapter 8 briefly touched upon this idea when talking about household labor. When it comes to such work, women seem to be better at multitasking. I’m just going to go out on a limb here, but I do not think women are so good at multitasking because they want to be. I think women are good at multitasking because they have had years and years of practice.
Whether it is in the home, at the office, or out volunteering in the community, women can truly do it all! On one hand I think this is something to be proud of, but at the same time I have to wonder if it is bad that women have perfected multitasking. Once you get good at something it is usually hard to stop.
After reading what feels like every scholarly article ever written, I have a pretty good handle on the topic. Who volunteers, you ask? Well, first it came as no surprise that women volunteer more often than men. This could be credited to many different reasons, all explained by men, of course. The way I see it however, is simple. Women are better at multitasking. Study after study examines women in the volunteer force, taking all aspects into affect… occupation, children, location, blah, blah blah. The result is constantly still the same. At the end of the day, women are better at scheduling their time and as a result, are able to accomplish more, and thus have time to volunteer. Of course, this is never straight out said because it would offend men, and we could neeeever do that!
Chapter 8 briefly touched upon this idea when talking about household labor. When it comes to such work, women seem to be better at multitasking. I’m just going to go out on a limb here, but I do not think women are so good at multitasking because they want to be. I think women are good at multitasking because they have had years and years of practice.
Whether it is in the home, at the office, or out volunteering in the community, women can truly do it all! On one hand I think this is something to be proud of, but at the same time I have to wonder if it is bad that women have perfected multitasking. Once you get good at something it is usually hard to stop.
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