May 2021 WPLN Newsletter

With Mother's Day on May 9, we want to celebrate all the women helping to teach girls to be strong and confident -- and thus simultaneously teaching boys that girls are their equals and just as capable as they are. Thank you for all that you do. If you're looking for materials about motherhood and public office, our latest WPLN blog post celebrates the women paving the way as mothers, leaders, and public servants, and our WPLN Facebook Live with our Massachusetts training partner the Pocketbook Project highlighted why representation matters by offering deep insight into the juggling act many mothers face in their political journeys.

ICYMI: WPLN recently launched its new curriculum and training platform -- and every course is free to access! “At WPLN, it’s our goal to remove barriers and provide support to women throughout the political process,” said Larissa Martinez, WPLN Co-Founder & President. “Specifically, we want to train public servants, not politicians. And that means we want to provide accessible and useful information in a way that works for a woman’s schedule — no matter their season of life. This curriculum provides women free, online access to the tools they need to run for office, build their campaigns, and fundraise.” Check it out here!

Leadership Institute interviewed WPLN's Director of Development (and LI grad!) Maureen McInerney. In this interview, Maureen discussed how she got started in politics and her best advice for women candidates, among other things. Read the interview here.

NEW YORK TIMES | "They believe in ambitious women. But they also see the cost": "This generation of teenagers was raised hearing that girls could be anything they wanted — maybe even president. Many of them say it’s important for leadership to be more inclusive than in the past. But they are also clear-eyed about the sexism female leaders face, as are their male peers, according to a new survey of 604 teenagers by Dynata for The New York Times." Read more.

CNN BUSINESS | "Women lost $800 billion in income last year. That's more than the combined GDP of 98 countries": "The fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic has been disastrous for women. Millions of women worldwide have been disproportionately affected by job losses, with many more left to bear the brunt of massive disruptions to childcare and education. Globally, women lost at least $800 billion in income last year, according to a new report from Oxfam International." Read more.

19TH NEWS | "The women’s recession isn’t over — especially for moms": "One year since the start of the women’s recession, hundreds of thousands of moms have been forced to leave their jobs — and grapple with the consequences." Read more.

THE ATLANTIC | "The professional women who are leaning out": "In part because of pressures like these, nearly 2.5 million women have left the workforce since the pandemic began. About a third of mothers are considering “downshifting” their careers or pulling out of the workforce, according to research from the consulting firm McKinsey. This is the first time in six years that the consultancy has found women expressing such a strong interest in working less. ... But some women have been so worn down by the competing stressors of the pandemic that they welcome the shift to fewer paid working hours." Read more.

19TH NEWS | "‘It’s really been a disaster’: How COVID-19 has endangered gender equity worldwide": "The 19th spoke with Natalia Kanem, who heads the United Nations Population Fund, about the pandemic's impacts on reproductive health access and the broader implications if the coronavirus surge is not stopped. ... For over a year, the global health community has been sounding the alarm about what the coronavirus crisis could mean for gender equity efforts worldwide. Early research paints a grim picture: increases in unintended pregnancies, higher rates of gender-based violence, more young girls dropping out of school and getting married. But it will take years for the full effects to become clear." Read more.

A Forbes essay this month asked an important question: "Women's History Month Is Long Over. How Do We Keep Empowering Women The Other 334 Days Of The Year?"

Women's History Month is important because women have often been overlooked throughout history, with their accomplishments overlooked, downplayed, or credited to others -- so the month provides a reminder to honor women and their achievements. Unfortunately, we may not always as intentional the rest of the year. So Kathy Bleier writes:

"Let’s make the choice to show up and support one another. Let’s be conscious that women are making history every day of the year. Let’s uplift all the women in our lives, at home, and in the workplace, because true equality and empowerment requires breaking the confines of a single month’s celebration."

She includes four actionable steps we can all take to ensure that we are empowering women the entire year, rather than just for 31 days in March.

Read more.

READING | Here We Are: American Dreams, American Nightmares (A Memoir), by Aarti Namdev Shahani: As part of honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May, we're reading this memoir by South Asian author and NPR correspondent Aarti Namdev Shahani, on her immigrant family's American Dream. Learn more.

WATCHING | The Me You Can't See on Apple TV+: This new documentary series by Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey premiered on May 21. This month is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the 5-part series portrays what it's like to struggle with mental health and tells different people's stories and experiences with their mental health. Learn more.

LISTENING TO | Jessica Rubie and Sarah Caliendo on impostor syndrome: WPLN Board Member Jessica Rubie joined Sarah Caliendo to discuss impostor syndrome, including why they believe it's misnamed and some helpful tips for managing it! Learn more.

EXCITED FOR | WPLN State Partner Retreat: For the first time ever, WPLN is joining our state partners for a small, in-person gathering! After a year of virtual meetings, we are excited to get some much-needed face time and to hear more about the work each of our state partners is doing in their respective states. We will post updates on social media after the event, so be sure to follow us!

• Doris Fisher, businesswoman who co-founded the Gap (May 2)
• Septima Poinsette Clark, educator, civil rights activist, and voting rights activist (May 3)
• Nellie Bly (the pen name of Elizabeth Cochrane Seama), journalist and investigator (May 5)
• Phebe Ann Coffin Hanaford, ordained minister who became the first woman to serve as chaplain to the Connecticut state legislature (May 6)
• Mary Lou Williams, jazz pianist (May 8)
• Jacqueline Cochran, pilot who set multiple records, including as the first woman to break the sound barrier (May 11)
• Mary Kay Ash, businesswoman who founded Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc. (May 12)
• Sophie Kurys, baseball player and the greatest base stealer in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League history (May 14)
• Madeleine Albright, diplomat who became the first female United States Secretary of State when she took office in 1997 (May 15)
• Nancy Grace Roman, astronomer who became the first female NASA executive, served as NASA's first Chief of Astronomy, created NASA's space astronomy program, and is known as "the Mother of Hubble" (May 16)
• Regina M. Anderson, playwright and member of the Harlem Renaissance (May 21)
• Helen Taussig, cardiologist and founder of pediatric cardiology who was the first woman to be elected head of the American Heart Association (May 24)
• Rachel Carson, marine biologist and conservationist who wrote Silent Spring (May 27)
• Amelia Bloomer, suffragist who was the first woman to own, edit, and publish a women's newspaper (May 27)
• Eliza Ann Gardner, abolitionist and women's rights activist (May 28)
• Lavone "Pepper" Paire Davis, baseball player in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (May 29)

JUNE 8 | She Holds the Key "Have a Seat at the Table - As an Appointee" webinar: Join our Michigan training partner She Holds the Key on June 8 to learn about opportunities to serve on a public board or commission. This webinar will be particularly useful if you're not ready to run for public office but still want to use your voice. Learn more.

JUNE 17 | Colorado Women's Alliance "Does Your Community Know Your Name?" training: If you're considering running for office, join our Colorado training partner Colorado Women's Alliance on June 17 for tips on first steps, engaging locally, and more. Learn more.

JUNE 26 | The Pocketbook Project webinar: Join our Massachusetts training partner the Pocketbook Project for their next webinar on June 26. Learn more.

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Women’s Public Leadership Network (WPLN) is a non-profit organization organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent provided by law.