The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have given female soldiers more opportunities than ever before.

A recent New York Times article goes in depth about the changing roles of women in the military:

“Before 2001, America’s military women had rarely seen ground combat. Their jobs kept them mostly away from enemy lines, as military policy dictates.

But the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, often fought in marketplaces and alleyways, have changed that. In both countries, women have repeatedly proved their mettle in combat. The number of high-ranking women and women who command all-male units has climbed considerably along with their status in the military.

‘Iraq has advanced the cause of full integration for women in the Army by leaps and bounds,’ said Peter R. Mansoor, a retired Army colonel who served as executive officer to Gen. David H. Petraeus while he was the top American commander in Iraq. ‘They have earned the confidence and respect of male colleagues.’”

For more information, see the full article here.

To listen to personal stories from female soldiers, see “Women At Arms: In Their Own Words.”

Thanks to Berta in Utah for this find!

Source:

“G.I. Jane Breaks the Combat Barrier” (Lizette Alvarez) The New York Times Online. August 15, 2009

“Women at Arms: In Their Own Words” (Catrin Einhorn and Cornelius Schmid) The New York Times Online. August 16, 2009

Colette Burson, co-creator of HBO’s new series, “Hung”, gave a recent interview to The New York Times Magazine. In it, she was praising actress Anne Heche, who stars in the show, while simultaneously insulting other women in the talent pool. “We auditioned a lot of people,” Burson said. “It is incredibly difficult to find beautiful, talented, funny women over 35.” [1]

Co-Creator of HBO's "Hung", Colette Burson

Burson, who is 40, would do well to note the many beautiful post-35 comediennes who have made a name for themselves. Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Jane Krakowski, Ellen DeGeneres, Sarah Silverman, Mary-Louise Parker, Christina Applegate, Sandra Bullock, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus all come to mind – a very abridged list, at that. The Office’s Jenna Fischer and Saturday Night Live’s Kristen Wiig both just turned 35 this year. They’re soon to be followed by Confessions of a Shopaholic’s Isla Fisher, 33, then Anna Faris and Jaime Pressley, both 32.

In response to Burson’s ageist mentality, Mother Jones magazine reminds us of the reality for actresses over 40: they account for only 9% of all movie roles. Actors over 40, on the other hand, account for 30%. [2]

When they do get roles, these women rarely act their age. Anna Faris has played a college student several times, even though it’s been 10 years since that was age-appropriate. Conversely, Hope Davis was recently offered a part as Johnny Depp’s mother in an undisclosed film. Offended, she turned down the role because Depp is, in fact, older than her. [3]

The Hollywood Reporter held a roundtable interview of some notable comediennes, who speak candidly about their experiences with ageism in Hollywood:

Categorizing women as unattractive, untalented or unfunny because of their age is discriminatory, but apparently commonplace in Hollywood. If everyone viewed women the way executives like Colette Burson seem to, then we’d be missing out on a lot of great entertainers. Then again, maybe we already are.

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Sources:

[1] “Anne Heche is Playing it Normal Now.” (Alex Witchel) The New York Times Magazine. July 31, 2009

[2] “HBO’s Self-Hating Ageism.” (Clara Jeffery) Mother Jones Magazine. August 2, 2009

[3] “In Hollywood, Men and Women Age at Different Speeds and Women Don’t Like It.” (Brooks Barnes) The Carpetbagger / The Hollywood Blog of The New York Times. March 26, 2009.

[4] “Amy Poehler, We Love You Too.” (Stephanie Volkoff Green) Mother Jones Magazine. July 23, 2009

For 8 years, the United States, a leading resource for aid and education in underdeveloped regions, refused to teach African women about abortion – even in nations like Zambia, where abortion is legal. Former President George W. Bush signed the Global Gag Rule in 2001, which denied all American aid workers the ability to educate foreign civilians about safe abortion procedures. Meanwhile, millions of young mothers self-administered abortions anyway, often dying shortly thereafter.

This short documentary, entitled “Access Denied”, informed millions of Americans about the situation, in hopes of appealing the ill-conceived Global Gag Rule. A few short months ago, the fight was finally over, and President Barack Obama lifted the ban.

“Access Denied” is a Population International production.
For more information go to: www.population.org

Sources:

“Doctors Campaign for Safe Abortion in Zambia” (Sally Chiwama) Women’s News Network Online. June 12, 2009

“HEALTH: Obama Lifts ‘Global Gag Rule’” (Jim Lobe)  IPS News. January 23, 2009