Click HERE for Women, The Election & The Body Politic

New Rochelle's Zonta Women's Community Radio Show aired the day after Senator Obama wins the American Presidential Election. We take a non-partisan look at the American political scene when we ask what part did womens & progressive movements play in this historic event?

How will women make sure that the issues that face us are front and center? What must we take away from this historic moment, and how much of these political outcomes can be seen as a result of the twinned hard work of progressive women's & African American movements from the early abolitionists to suffragettes; and from the civil rights workers to the feminist ideologists?

Should we ensure that women's issues are seen as not merely women's issues but as part of a human rights agenda? Ratification of CEDAW (convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women), Health care, Child care, eradication of poverty, and the eradication of gender violence are big jobs that still require us to organize and work collaboratively in a non-partisan manner.

Our guest, Dr. Roblyn Rawlins, Associate Professor of Sociology, Director of Women Studies Program at College of New Rochelle will help guide our discussion. Dr. Rawlins holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Sociology from Stony Brook University and a Bachelors’ degree in Urban Studies from Georgia State University. Her research interests revolve around issues of modernity and modern self-identity; motherhood; and women's studies, feminist studies, and sociology of gender and childhood generally.

She has published and presented research on a number of women's issues. Her recent work focuses on how considerations of national identity and gender shape the experiences of women college students travelling and studying abroad.

Our international news features include a story on Rodi Alvarado's case which highlights immigrant domestic violence and women seeking asylum from abuse in their native homes. Our local news focuses on Lily Ledbetter and her equal pay for equal work suit against Goodyear, and much more...

ZONTA WOMEN'S COMMUNITY RADIO: CLICK HERE FOR WOMEN AND THE FALL OF WALL STREET

Our feature this episode is Wall Street. Almost forgotton amid the wreakage of the $700+ US billion dollar legislation to bail out Wall Street was the failure days earlier of a relatively small $61 US billion dollar bill that would have helped low-income people weather the stormy economy. Today, many of the 68 million wage-earning women in the US have suffered more job losses than men, and women who comprise a large percentage of retirees will suffer signifigant losses going forward.

While we watch the spectacle of the government channeling untold billions of taxpayer dollars into failing Wall Street giants the three pillars of economic support for women- social service safety net, marriage and wages - continue to crumble.

This episode is dedicated to the first professional woman astronomer in America, Maria Mitchell. Our Zonta Club News feature is all about the District 15 Great Lakes Club of Leelanu County in Michigan. This Zonta club offers a research sailing experience for the winner of their innovative Young Woman in Science scholarship program. Our international news covers highlights from Kashmiri's northwestern region where post-traumatic stress syndrome and suicide among women is on the rise. Our health feature shares important news to help raise awareness about gynecologic cancers. We review documentary filmmkers Meg McLagan and Darian Sommers film Lioness that tells the story of female Army support soldiers, and much more...