Equal Pay for Equal Work: Lilly Ledbetter Has the Final Say

Today, President Barack Obama signed into law, a bill commonly known as "Equal Pay for Equal Work." The bill has been entitled the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act , and according to the Associated Press, it is the first piece of legislation which President Obama has signed.

Ledbetter sued her former employer after discovering that after more than a decade of work, she'd been paid significantly less than her male peers. Ledbetter was awarded a settlement, only to have it overturned by the Supreme Court, which cited a time limit on filing a complaint - as well as stating that back pay could be granted only for a limited amount of time.

Our Separate Ways Prologue & Introduction - Reading Guide #1

Prologue & Introduction:

• Provides context for why Edmondson Bell and Nkomo began the study that led to the book
• Outlines the structure of the book: Part I: "Flashbacks" - meet the womy in the study; Part II: "Flashpoints" - organizes the professional histories of the womyn; Part III: "The Self and The Other" - looks at the way womyn of color and white womyn views themselves and others
• Explains methodology of the project, including: recruitment and selection of interview participants, interview participant criteria, and interview process.
• Gives overview of startling statistics regarding womyn in the "C-Suite" - citing for instance that "32 percent [of ] the CEOs could not name one black woman in a leadership position in the United States." (Edmondson Bell and Nkomo, p. 3)
• On page 5 of the Prologue, Edmondson Bell and Nkomo outline the broad spectrum of possible readers for Our Separate Ways
• On page 15, the authors outline the theoretical framework - the principles and ideas they accept and that ground their work

To Consider:

• Edmondson Bell and Nkomo open Our Separate Ways with the poem "Word Problems," from Kate Rushin, how does this poem reflect the (dis)connection between womyn of color and white womyn in the workplace?
• How would you identify yourself as a reader, according to Edmondson Bell and Nkomo's list of possible readers on page 5?
• Are you represented on page 5? Whom else might you suggest could benefit from reading Our Separate Ways?
• Why are the acknowledgements which begin the book important to understanding the two chapters that follow?
• Review the 6 questions on page 19 - what questions resonate with you? What question might you add and why?
• "Colleagues wonder whether gender connects women across racial lines, or whether race determines commonality." As we prepare for our dialogue, what are your thoughts on this statement? (Edmondson Bell and Nkomo, p. 5)

Participating in The Learning Circle

Here's what you'll need to know as we begin The Learning Circle. So glad you're joining!

Beginning:

• Review the information on the blog about The Learning Circle
• Purchase your book by January 15th
• RSS, subscribe or book mark The Learning Circle page - beginning on January 26th, this page will be updated frequently with information on TLC
• Complete the contact information here by February 2, 2009.

As we read:

• Reading guides and questions will be posted starting January 26th
• Use the reading guides and posts to supplement your reading
• Share articles, blog postings, or information that you think would be helpful for us to see
• Post your own reflections, insights and experiences by posting to "Comments"

Dates:

• Please complete the book by February 28th
• Learning Circle members will meet on: February 28th, March 8th, March 21st, and an additional day chosen by the group.
• Ally pairs will begin meeting after our second group dialogue (after March 8th).
• Each ally pair will choose additional dates to meet

Particpating Off Site:

• Try using http://www.freeconference/ to organize your group for dialogue
• On Monday February 16th I'll host a conference call between 7 - 8 p.m. EST for participants not in the D.C. area. If you plan to participate, email me, and I'll send you the information for the call.
• The blog will help you follow along! Use the reading guides, guiding questions, and additional resources to gather your group - or participate through posting
  

The Connection Between Gender and Wall Street's Woes

The Washington Post ran an article written by Debora Spar entitled, "One Gender Crash." Spar reasons that the recent events on Wall Street, reveal a great deal about the gender gap in the finance industry. Spar says,

"One might argue, of course, that the preponderance of men behaving badly on Wall Street is just a mathematical corollary of the preponderance of men doing anything on Wall Street. But the truth is more complicated. Although the Y-chromosome is undeniably overrepresented along all tiers of finance, it is particularly overrepresented at the highest levels of power and in those sectors most deeply implicated in the current crisis. A Catalyst Research study last year found that women make up almost 60 percent of the workforce at Fortune 500 finance and insurance companies but account for only 17.9 percent of corporate officer positions and none of the chief executive positions. In the world of hedge funds, women are notable largely for their absence."

Read the entire article, which we'll use to inform our Learning Circle dialogues, here.