February 2018

News from the
Office on the Status of Women

Do you know an #UnsungIowaShero?
Celebrating our sheroes throughout the
month of March

To celebrate Women's History Month in Iowa during the month of March, we are celebrating by featuring an "Unsung Iowa Shero" throughout the month on our Department's Facebook and Twitter pages. Do you know someone who should be featured? Send a picture to women@iowa.gov along with a paragraph (260 characters or less) of why she is an #unsungiowashero. We will honor our Iowa sheroes during Women's History Month by celebrating some of the women who make Iowa the great state that it is.

Share your story with us:
"Iowa Women at Work" Storytelling Project

Iowan women, do you have a story to share about your experience in the workplace? If so, we would like you to share that story. Please consider sharing if you answer "yes" to any of the following questions:

• Do you want your voice to be heard and have a story you want to share?
• If you are a mother, what have been your experiences while pregnant, breastfeeding, and/or adopting a child?
• Did you/do you have a story to share about caregiving and/or family leave?
• Did you/do you have a story to share about harassment in the workplace?
• Did you/do you have an employer you believe is supportive of women?

If you would like to submit a story to our project, click here. Stories will be reviewed and may be edited for clarity, however, submissions will be returned to the author for approval following any editing. After review, the stories will be released in a collection to the public in winter 2019. 

Nominations open: Iowa Women's Hall of Fame and
Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice

Iowa Women's Hall of Fame To highlight women's heritage and recognize their contributions, the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women (ICSW) established the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 1975. Each year the ICSW welcomes four women into the Hall of Fame, paying tribute to them and setting them forth as role models for others. Since 1975, 172 women have been inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame.  To nominate a woman for this award, fill out this form and send it with all required information to women@iowa.gov by April 1, 2018. Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice The Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice recognizes and honors the accomplishments of Cristine Wilson, first chair of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women. During her service as chair, major legislation was passed that reduced sex discrimination and enhanced women’s rights. Wilson’s efforts were unceasing and her commitment was exemplary.  The Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice is awarded selectively to an individual who has made significant contributions to the principles of equality and justice in the state of Iowa. This award is open to all genders. To nominate someone for this award, fill out this form and send it with all required information to women@iowa.gov by April 1, 2018.

Join us for our annual legislative day on the hill

In the News: Women and girls in Iowa, the nation & the world

Education and the Workplace

• Des Moines Register: Iowa takes steps to resolve gender concerns after federal review
• Urban Education: Black girls and school discipline: the complexities of being overrepresented and understudied
• CNN: Paid parental leave elusive 25 years after Family and Medical Leave Act
• Iowa Public Radio: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg reflects on the #MeToo movement: "It's about time"
• CNN: Fired for being pregnant: another kind of discrimination women face at work
• Des Moines Register: Women workers in Iowa state government still earn less than men, Register investigation shows

Health

• Iowa Public Radio: For women, problem drinking on the rise
• New York Times: Breast-feeding tied to reduced risk of diabetes
• The Gazette: All-male group promotes heart health for women in Cedar Rapids

Breaking Barriers and Leadership

• The Gazette: They did it! Eastern Iowa's Deb Carneol, Sarah Lacina run 7 marathons in 7 days
• Rutgers: Data Point: 2018, A Year of the Woman Like 1992?
• Rutgers: "Pink Wave": a note of caution

International News

• New York Times: Why Iranian women are taking off their headscarves
• Iowa Public Radio: A crowd is waiting for a cervical cancer clinic on wheels
• CNN: 100 years ago (some) British women got the vote
• New York Times: 100 Years on, posters offer window into struggles of U.K. suffragists 

Upcoming Events/Seminars

• February 15: Iowa Women Lead Change conference in Siouxland
• February 28-March 2: GEMS' Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Train the Trainer at Youth Emergency Services and Shelter in Des Moines (GEMS’ CSEC 101 is the nationally recognized Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Community Intervention Project (CCIP) Train-the-Trainer curriculum.)
• March 1: Women's History Month begins
• March 29: Iowa Women Lead Change conference in Quad Cities
• April 1: Nominations for the 2018 Iowa Women's Hall of Fame and the 2018 Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice are due
• April 4: 2nd Annual Inspiring Women of Iowa event in Des Moines
• April 26: Iowa Women Lead Change conference in Corridor

Note: If you have an event taking place for women in Iowa that you would like to see added, please send it to women@iowa.gov.

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Kristen Corey | Program Planner
Office on the Status of Women | Iowa Department of Human Rights
Lucas State Office Building 321 E 12th Street | Des Moines, IA 50319
women@iowa.gov