Sociologists for Women in Society network newsvol xxvii, issue 1 Update on CEDAW, The Women’s Treaty by Susan H. Lee, SWS Main Representative to the UN Economic and Social Council At the annual session of the UN’s Com- mission on the Status of Women (CSW) in March 2010, your SWS delegates heard updates about the women’s treaty, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, pronounced see-daw). Presi- Denise Segura welcomes attendees to the 2010 SWS Winter Meeting in Santa Barbara dent Carter signed this treaty in 1980 on behalf of the United States, but under PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE weather the storms and then enjoy what U.S. law, the Senate must ratify it before sunshine they could throughout the it comes into effect. In the thirty years Left Coast weekend. since, the Senate has never ratified the One of the highlights for me at this treaty. However, there is a national ef- Feminisms and SWS meeting was being presented with the fort led by June Zeitlin of the Leadership by Denise Segura, SWS President gavel of the presidency by Shirley Hill. Conference on Civil and Human Rights I would like to thank Shirley for her vi- to get the treaty ratified in 2010. Presi- This past February I was proud to wel- sionary presidency. Shirley’s leadership dent Obama, Vice-President Biden, and come SWSers and guests to lovely Santa in the area of health and health policy Senate Foreign Relations chair Senator Barbara for the SWS Winter Meeting. informed last year’s meetings and are John Kerry are all strongly in favor of The weather was changeable, with a now institutionalized within the fab- ratification of CEDAW. The treaty must mix of rain, marvelous cloud formations ric of SWS through the Health Wiki be voted out of the Senate Foreign Rela- hanging off the coast, and more than a and the mainstreaming team’s agenda. tions Committee and then ratified by a few rainbows! We in Santa Barbara knew Shirley guided SWS through a year of two-thirds vote in the Senate or 67 votes. that our intrepid members would first (continued on page 9) (continued on page 11) 1 President’s Message 4 Calls see you at our 1 Update on CEDAW 6 Chapter News next meeting! 2 What Does a Media Specialist 6 Editor’s Note Do? Meet SWS Consultant 8 Jobs august 13 to 16 Theta Pavis 7 Tweets in atlanta 3 Profile of SWS 13 SWS Fact Sheet 2010 President-Elect Tracy Ore 18 Member News S W S 1 What Does a Media public consciousness. Angeles Women’s Foundation (now the I’ve been working with SWS since California Women’s Foundation.) After Specialist Do? September of last year. In that short time graduate school in journalism at Colum- Meet SWS Consultant Theta Pavis I’ve been involved in numerous efforts. bia University (where my thesis was on In February I attended the Winter Meet- the plight of battered immigrant women) Much like a re- ing and helped put together a well re- I worked overseas on stories about re- porter, it’s hard ceived panel on “What to Say and When productive technology in Finland and to get bored to Say It: Making the Mass Media Work human rights in Russia. working as a for You.” I also held a breakfast session For many years I worked at newspa- Media Special- where members could drop by and ask pers, magazines and in radio, but I have ist for SWS. One me questions about their website (or also freelanced a great deal, especially day I’m monitor- getting one started.) on the topic of technology. I also went ing our very ac- Our biggest push has been to find back to my roots and have worked off tive listserv and a talented web designer and work with and on for more than a decade with the helping a mem- her to overhaul our website. We expect Women’s International League of Peace ber prepare for a television interview, to unveil the new site this summer in At- & Freedom, editing their national mem- the next I can be advising on an Op-Ed lanta. At the Winter Meeting members ber magazine, among other publications. about right-wing, radical anti-abortion also voted on three finalists for a new I continue to be very involved with the groups or drafting a press release. SWS logo, something I have worked on Internet, social networking and blogging. As a result of the Mainstreaming with Jessica. I have been impressed and pro- Feminist Sociology project that SWS has I’ve been working as a journalist for foundly inspired by the women I have been working on for the last three years, almost 20 years, but bring a unique back- met at SWS and look forward to meet- SWS created the positions of Director of ground to the role of Media Specialist. I ing many more of you. We have excit- Communications (Jessica Holden Sher- have a history of working on women’s is- ing plans to continue promoting SWS wood) and Media Specialist. Our goal is sues, including pro-choice causes. After and helping members get recognition for not only to help members handle press graduating from UCLA, where I had an their critical work. inquiries but to increase the profile of unofficial minor in Women’s Studies and the organization – and feminist sociol- edited the campus feminist newsmaga- ogy – in the mainstream press and in the zine, I worked for two years at the Los SWS: We’ve seen shareholders of several shareholders with a non-binding adviso- companies propose an addition to an- ry vote on executive compensation at its Making Change with nual meeting voting: a vote on executive Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May compensation. Although these votes are 7, 2010. Investment Dollars generally non-binding advisory votes, SWS applauds this step in the right by Jessica Holden Sherwood they give shareholders a voice about direction. And when we see boards rec- executive compensation. Shareholders ommending against “Say On Pay” pro- SWS is commit- have been clamoring for this especially posals, rest assured that we still cast our ted to Socially since the financial meltdown of 2008. It vote for them. Responsible In- shouldn’t surprise sociologists to learn vesting (SRI), that some boards recommend against and our advisors these proposals, preferring to continue and our portfo- to set compensation with no oversight. lio reflect that One of the companies we’re in- commitment. This space spotlights the vested in is Colgate-Palmolive. Colgate- good works of some of the companies in Palmolive just announced that its Board our investment portfolio. of Directors has approved providing 2 Profile of SWS President-Elect Tracy Ore by Shawna Arnold SWS has been a source of motivation and support for much of Tracy Ore’s career. Now, she is president-elect; something she could not have foreseen as a first- generation college student whose main objective was to get through undergrad. College was not something Ore’s family supported; in fact, her father dis- couraged her attendance. “When my father wasn’t telling me that going to college was pointless, he was telling me that women had no rea- son going to college unless they were looking for a husband.” College, as Ore puts it, was a goal she plans to continue to support new and her motivation comes from putting her had to achieve on her own volition. Her continuing ways for SWS to improve the sociological knowledge to use in a way father’s skepticism only pushed her hard- lives of women in society and to create that improves the quality of life of others. er to find purposive knowledge in college feminist social change. “I am happy each time I see excite- and produce positive social change. When Ore found out she was the ment in my students when they gain a Now, Ore has her PhD and is a pro- next president of SWS, she says she was new understanding of their life and their fessor at St. Cloud University in Minne- both honored and overwhelmed; SWS is place in the world…when they express a sota. She is also a published writer with an important part of her life. As presi- desire to work for positive social change.” her book in its fourth edition. Ore says dent, Ore plans to continue her commit- Ore not only strives to improve the she is happy she was able to publish ment to furthering the mission of SWS; quality of life of her students and col- something that is a useful tool for those she looks forward to continuing her ded- leagues, but also her community. For the who wish to teach and understand is- ication to the organization. past five years, she has been working in sues of social inequality. Providing such Ask anyone about Ore, and you’ll get the community garden movement in her a tool was her main source of motivation a true testament to her character and her area. She aided in establishing a com- in writing. Ore’s book, The Social Con- dedication to sociology and social justice. munity garden in partnership with her struction of Difference and Inequality: “[Ore’s] passion for social justice campus and the city of St. Cloud in 2005. Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality, also and commitment to enhancing opportu- She also consults with area agencies and includes many works by SWS members, nities for all people is evident in all that organizations in their efforts to establish something she said she is happy she she does,” says Sharon Bird, member of their own gardens.