The Garden Statement VOLUME 79, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2010 AAUW Of New Jersey, Inc. AAUW-NJ President’s Message Ms. Virginia Lyttle CALENDAR OF EVENTS I would like to dedicate this issue of JAN. 8 – FEB. 10, 2010 the Garden Statement to Kathleen SUBMIT ART DESIGN Barra. She was our new AAUW State FEB. 12 – MARCH 11, 2010 Treasurer. She loved AAUW and VOTE FOR ART DESIGN firmly supported our Mission. She was MARCH 31, 2010 a member of the Northern Ocean TEENTECH County branch. Going to the National APRIL 17, 2010 Convention in St Louis reinforced her AAUW-NJ ANNUAL MEETING belief in the importance of our organi- APRIL 30, 2010 zation. We will be auctioning the WOMEN’S CONFERENCE signed picture of Lilly Ledbetter for Educational Foundation at the annual Virginia Lyttle INSIDE THIS ISSUE AAUW-NJ President meeting that she had framed. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 1 2010 ART CONTEST 2 Spread the word. Tell everyone how AAUW’s friend, Lilly Ledbetter was AAUW-NJ 3 wonderful AAUW is and why it is im- ANNUAL MEETING chosen by AARP as one of ten who in- portant to continue our mission of SHE WAS FIRST TO… 3 spire in the latest issue of their maga- supporting women and girls. We are ST zine. Lilly Ledbetter and AAUW were AAUW RELEASES 1 -YEAR 4 more than a social club; we are more REPORT ON OBAMA in the forefront of the fight for equal than a local women’s club; we are a GOOD NEWS ABOUT 5 pay for equal work. In 2009 the Lilly WOMEN PHILANTHROPISTS united voice for the promotion of an Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was passed and agenda that has for over 100 years AAUW EQUITY ISSUES 6 signed into law. “The young people pushed to acquire equality for women THE TWITTER SHORTY 6 getting out of school think discrimina- AWARDS and girls. tion is a thing of the past,” says Ms FALL FOCUS IN REVIEW 7 Reading the papers over the last Ledbetter. But when they hear my RENT PATSY MINK DVD 8 weeks has reinforced my belief that story, they know we’ve got a long way WOMEN AS AGENTS OF 8 CHANGE AWARDS what we do is still relevant. On De- to go.” AAUW is supporting the pas- 2010 TECS/TEENTECH 9 cember 16, 2009, the Star Ledger ran sage of the Paycheck Fairness Act CONFERENCE the headline “Bullies beware: Report which is stalled in Congress. NOMINEES FOR OFFICE 9 urges N.J. schools to fight back.” The Parade Magazine (11/22/09) and the 2010-2011 TERM report states that at least one in ten PUBLIC POLICY 10 Costco Connection (7/09) featured an kids is “having the worst day of their LAF EXPRESS 11 AAUW member who is making a huge lives every day….” This is one of our difference in the world by fighting ter- MEMBERSHIP 12 signature issues. We have been fight- rorism with the building of schools. FELLOWSHIPS, GRANTS, 12 ing to eliminate bullies since the land- AND AWARDS Greg Mortensen, writer of Three Cups mark report Hostile Hallways in 1993. WOMEN’S CONFERENCE 13 of Tea, has built more than 91 school- Another issue of ours is Shortchanging LET’S READ MATH 14 houses serving 19,000 students, Girls, Shortchanging America (1991) OUTREACH three-quarters of them girls, in Af- which started our look at girls in AAUW-NJ ANNUAL 15 ghanistan and Pakistan. He has a new MEETING REGISTRATION FORM school. PAGE 2 THE GARDEN STATEMENT AAUW-NJ President’s Message Ms. Virginia Lyttle came out December 1. It is called Stones into I could go on and on but you get the picture. I Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not love AAUW as did Kathy. We know we need Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This might members – not just for dues or to keep be a good read for our many book groups. branches going – to promote our mission. Our AAUW’s position on Title IX is of great impor- Mission Statement is worth repeating: tance now. With money for schools being cut, AAUW advances equity for women and there is a tendency to lose sight of the goals of girls through advocacy, education, philan- Title IX and to make sure funding is distributed thropy, and research. fairly for all programs. Check out the AAUW pro- Be proud, spread the word. Lilly Ledbetter and gram in a box, Title IX Compliance: know Greg Mortensen had a vision but they needed the score, on our NEW website. It is a branch help. We are the help on women’s issues. program and it suggests ways to help school There is strength in numbers. Do this so we districts reach the goal of Title IX without ex- can all break through barriers. pensive litigation. REMEMBER TO BOOKMARK THE NEW AAUW-NJ WEBSITE: WWW.AAUWNJ.ORG AAUW 2010 Art Contest Calling All AAUW Artists Important Dates AAUW announces the 2010 AAUW art contest, a January 8–February 10: Submit your designs showcase of the artistic talents of AAUW mem- through the art contest website. bers. The contest is open exclusively to AAUW February 11–March 11: Visit the website once a members, who may submit their original art- week to vote for your favorite designs. work beginning January 8, 2010. The winning entries will be displayed in the 2010–11 AAUW The calendar as well as note cards featuring calendar, with a unique work of art presented the winning designs will also be available for each month. purchase at ShopAAUW AAUW members will select the designs that ap- pear in the calendar by voting online once a week for their favorites. All members will re- ceive the new AAUW 2010–11 calendar featur- ing the winning entries.* Enter soon and encourage your friends to do so too. Then make sure to visit the AAUW design gallery to see all the terrific submissions and to vote for your favorites. Help us ensure that the calendars we mail to AAUW members this year are uniquely AAUW! PAGE 3 THE GARDEN STATEMENT AAUW-NJ Annual Meeting: April 17, 2010 Keynote Speaker - AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund Plaintiff On April 17, 2010, AAUW-NJ's Annual Meeting AAUW contributed significant funds to offset will be held at the Forsgate Country Club, 375 Chichilnisky’s latest round of legal expenses. Forsgate Drive, Monroe Township. Registration Members of New York City area AAUW branches will begin at 8:30; the meeting will begin at attended her recent trial to show their support. 9:00. A continental breakfast and a buffet lunch are included with your $25.00 registration fee. The case is Chichilnisky’s second suit against The AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund has awarded the University for Pay Discrimination. In 1991, AAUW New Jersey a Case Support Travel Grant she alleged that the university had violated the for AAUW-NJ's Annual Meeting. Dr. Graciela Equal Pay Act and Title VII, after she found out Chichilnisky, a past LAF-supported plaintiff, will that her salary was roughly 30 percent lower be the Keynote Speaker. than the median salary of her male colleagues in her department. She won a $500,000 settle- In Chichilnisky v. Columbia University, Graciela ment in 1995. Chichilnisky, one of Columbia’s most distin- guished international economists and mathema- In 2000, Chichilnisky went back to court, con- ticians, sued the University for Pay Discrimina- tending that the university retaliated against her tion under the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the and reneged on the settlement terms. She also Civil Rights Act. Columbia did not admit to any claimed that her pay once again lagged dramati- cally behind that of her male counterparts. Co- wrongdoing. lumbia later filed counterclaims against Chichil- “I was awarded a substantive monetary settle- nisky, charging that she had violated the univer- ment,” Chichilnisky said. “I am pleased and sity’s rules by not reporting that she had a sec- ready to move forward.” Chichilnisky has been a ond job and that she had breached settlement tenured, full professor at Columbia since 1979. terms. She studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and at the University of California, Berkeley. She has two doctoral degrees, one in mathematics and one in economics. “Despite being internationally recognized for her research and publications, Professor Chichilnisky was still confronted by pay discrimination,” said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE. “Her case illustrates the inequities women continue to face. AAUW is committed to break- ing through educational and economic barriers so that all women have a fair chance.” She Was First To... Practice law before the Earn a medical degree: U.S. Supreme Court: Elizabeth Blackwell, 1849 Belva Ann Lockwood, 1879 PAGE 4 THE GARDEN STATEMENT AAUW Releases First-Year Report on Obama, Highlights Key Accomplishments - 2009 Saw the Passage of Critical Legislation AAUW today announces the release of a com- · The Congressional Voting Record pro- prehensive analysis of President Barack vides AAUW members and the public with criti- Obama’s first year in office and the AAUW Ac- cal information on how their members of Con- tion Fund scorecard of congressional votes. gress voted on issues affecting women and These materials demonstrate that real progress girls in 2009. New this year, AAUW also scores is being made on the issues that matter most to legislators on their co-sponsorship of key legis- women and their families. lation. When a member co-sponsors a bill, it The Obama Administration’s First Year: A Pro- demonstrates initiative on and commitment to gress Report on AAUW Priority Issues, available the issue and gives the bill momentum.