Though we lovely Kenyon ladies may be indulging in a little rest and relaxation this weekend thanks to our Fall Break, it’s important to remember the women around the world who are keeping busy and working hard to make a difference.
This month, women have been dominating the headlines in news sources around the world for their accomplishments, ranging from notable political achievements to progressive new banking strategies. Meet this month’s cast of inspiring women!
- On Capitol Hill:
Ten female candidates looking to gain congressional seats in 2014 have been backed by EMILY’s list, a group dedicated to electing Democratic women into office. Polling has revealed that voters believe women will be more likely than men to “cut through the partisan bickering and put families ahead of politics.” Maybe a woman’s touch is just what Congress needs in order to stop acting like “spoiled children in this fiscal fight”.
- At a new kind of bank:
The Konoklota Women Urban Cooperative Bank is an Indian bank “run by women for women” that aims to empower marginalized women by educating them about banking and encouraging them to open accounts and save their money towards becoming more financially independent. Currently, 25,000 of the bank’s 28,000 account holders are female.
- On the front line:
Earlier this year, new rules required the U.S. military services to expand all positions—including combat roles– to women. This is a huge step forward, showing that, as a nation, we are moving beyond the image of women as physically and mentally weaker than their male counterparts and as being a “sexual temptation” to male soldiers. Let’s be real, if men aren’t mentally strong enough to resist temptation in the barracks then maybe we should reevaluate which sex is mentally superior. While this progress may seem groundbreaking, but it’s important to remember that Canada has allowed its female population to serve on the front lines for more than 20 years now. Eh, Canada?
- In the Federal Reserve:
President Obama has just announced that he plans to nominate Janet Yellen as chairman of the Federal Reserve. That’s right, the most powerful central bank in the world will rest in a woman’s hands for the first time in its 100-year history. Yellen has been vice chairman of the Federal Reserve since 2010, and “has a depth of experience that is second to none.” You go, girl.
So, the next time someone tells you that either the world of finance, politics, or the army are “not a place for women,” prove them wrong. Tell them to pull out their latest copy of their favorite news source and read away.
[Sources: Bloomberg News, Telegraph UK, CNN, Huffington Post, Aljazeera]
[Photo Sources: Good HQ, TucsonCitizen; The BS Report]