April 2015

Ventura County Women's

Forum Collaborative Presents:

Through a Gender Lens: Issues of Importance to Women

Rethinking Title IX: Addressing Sexual Violence Against Women on College

Campuses Monday, May 11, 2015

5:30 – 7:00pm Ventura County Community Foundation, 4001

Mission Oaks Blvd, Camarillo According to the Department of Justice approximately 1 in 5 women are the target of attempted or completed sexual assaults while they are college students. In 2011, the Department of Education sent guidance in the form of a "Dear Colleague" letter to college and universities that outlined the responsibilities of those institutions to address forms of gender discrimination (specifically harassment, discrimination, and violence) under Title IX of the Education Amendments. Colleges and universities have been called to action by the federal government, state governments and students to modify existing policies and practices.

Join us for a panel discussion with the working team at CSU Channel Islands that includes administration, campus police, students and the new Title IX Inclusion Officer to learn about sexual violence, the university’s role in addressing and responding to the issue, and the prevention efforts being developed to address this important issue.

DAYTIME BOOK

GROUP

Our March book selection Orange Is The New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison led to a fascinating discussion about the book and women’s prisons in general. April should be just as interesting! We are reading Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris – please join us on April 14th at 1:00pm. RSVP to April’s host, Jerrie Newman at 389-3064 or martjerrie@verizon.net.

Future meetings, locations and books are listed below.

May 12 Home of Anita Roll The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra by Helen Rappaport (available in paperback, hardcover, unabridged audio and Kindle)

June 9 Home of Eileen Rinde Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body by Neil Shubin (available in paperback, hardcover, unabridged audio and Kindle)

For More Information contact Barbara Hilburn 805-647-8970

http://www.vcwf.org/http://www.vcwf.org/mailto:martjerrie@verizon.net

April 2015

SAVING INNOCENCE

Our Branch Executive Board has voted to support a project to assist the organization called Saving Innocence. Saving Innocence works to prevent, rescue and restore young victims of commercial sex trafficking. We heard from this organization at the IBC luncheon in January, but if you missed it, you can read more about them on their website, www.savinginnocence.org. Our contribution will be in providing “Freedom Bags” which Saving Innocence takes to teenagers (in the LA area) when they are arrested for prostitution. The bags contain clothing and supplies to help transition these girls to a new life. The bags are based on a backpack, and they contain clothing (including underwear and pajamas), personal care items, a towel, a blanket and a toy. There will be an example at our April meeting, so be sure to come and check it out. At a later time in the year, we will have a workshop to assemble a number of these Freedom Bags. Meantime, you can be accumulating some of the needed items. Many come from the Dollar store. The backpack and clothing are the most expensive components, but they don’t have to be new, just nice. So keep your eyes open for good deals! Here are the Freedom Bag contents:

Sports bra Lotion Underwear Deodorant Lounge top/pants Tissue pack Socks Brush or comb Feminine hygiene products Flip flops Chapstick Toothpaste &Toothbrush Laundry soap Towel and Washcloth Journal and pen Shampoo & Conditioner Fleece blanket Soap or Gel Stuffed animal

$10 – $30 gift card for different food options Personal note of encouragement

http://www.savinginnocence.org/

April 2015

A TALENT AUCTION!

We are going to try something new as a fundraiser at our May 30th meeting. It will be an “auction” of talent or service that can be purchased by other AAUW members in attendance. For example: you may be willing to cook a dinner for 4, or make a special dessert/appetizer, or drive someone to an appointment, or care for plants or a pet for a few days. You could give some decorating or entertaining advice, or offer to hem a skirt. Can you help with typing or organizing? Do you have some computer skills or photography wizardry to share?

It doesn’t have to be a big, ambitious thing, just something that would be a “favor”. The more small favors we have to auction, the more fun it will be.

Here are the rules: 1. Only AAUW members can bid on and exercise these options. 2. “Favors” must be redeemed between June 1st and September 30th, 2015. 3. Be sure to understand the specifics and limits before buying – communicate clearly! Know what you’re buying! 4. Pay for “favors” with a check to AAUW-Camarillo, but be sure to take home a description/contract card, too.

For each item you wish to donate, please email the following to Ann Wasson, who will make up a description/contact card for the auction:

Donor’s name Contact information (phone and/or email) Description of talent donation (what you are donating – this should be detailed to avoid misunderstandings – include what you are willing to do, limits of time/date/location – for example, if you are cooking/sewing/scrapbooking, who will provide the materials?) Estimation of total value in dollars (we will set opening bid price from this)

If you’d like some input, please contact Vanessa Otto to discuss your donation, and for help in writing your description and determining the value.

Vanessa Otto votto@ootto.com Ann Wasson amwasson@gmail.com

mailto:votto@ootto.commailto:amwasson@gmail.com

April 2015

You are invited to a SUMMER’S FEAST! An intellectual one!

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at CSU Channel Islands Registration starts May 11th for Taste of OLLI! “Taste of OLLI: An Intellectual Buffet” is presented on Wednesdays at CSUCI from 1-3pm and in Thousand Oaks on Saturday from 10am-noon. Mini-courses provide superior intellectual enrichment in a variety of topics. The enrollment fee is $15.00 per single lecture, or $80.00 for the entire CSUCI series and $70 for the entire Thousand Oaks series if paid in advance. Call (805) 437-2748 to register. More information is available at OLLI's calendar page on the CSUCI website. Registration for the Summer Symposium also begins on May 11th – the May Beacon will have more information. OLLI's Peer Learning Activities (PLA) Join in the "play" with OLLI's Peer Learning Activities (PLA). PLA is a member-led OLLI program that extends learning opportunities for our community through activities and adventures beyond the classroom. We offer Road Trips, Day Tours and a Book Club. Everyone enrolled in an OLLI 4-, 6- or 8-week class is eligible to participate in all of the OLLI extracurricular events and activities. Those in the community who are not taking classes but would like to participate in these activities may become eligible by paying a $25 sponsoring membership per year. The OLLI year runs from June 30th through July 1st. For more information or to register for PLA events, please call (805) 437-8583. Clearly leave your name, phone number, and the activity in which you are interested. Or send an email to placi olli@yahoo.com. OLLI Day Trips OLLI Day Trips are Ventura County events. They are “drive yourself or carpool” opportunities to visit museums for docent lead tours or to other points of special interest. Join your fellow students and members who share your interests to discover the many treasures of our local area. May 28 (Thursday), Rose Story Farm - Carpinteria June 18 (Thursday), Nat'l Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - Oxnard July 23 (Thursday), Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology Bird Museum - Camarillo September, Limoneria - outside Santa Paula

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tel:(805) 437-2748tel:(805) 437-2748tel:(805) 437-2748http://ext.csuci.edu/community-ed/osher/event-calendar-list.htmmailto:placi olli@yahoo.com

April 2015

THE P. M. BOOK REVIEW

Our book selection for the month of April is The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. This is a truly engaging story about a bookstore owner on Alice Island, and how his life changes after trying to be an island unto himself. We will be meeting at the home of Helen Shields (1595 E. Hobart) on Monday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. Please let her know if you plan to attend call 805-482-6932 or email her at hcshields@roadrunner.com.

The month of May will be our last scheduled meeting before the summer break. Our book selection for May is What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman – another highly recommended read.

For information contact Diana Dingler - 987-8013

OLLI Road Tours Road Tours are one-day bus excursions to areas of interest, generally around Los Angeles. Sometimes the tour is linked to a current or recent class (you don’t have to be enrolled in the class) and includes an instructor. Others are trips to fascinating exhibits or locations with a guide on the bus. Regardless, all tours present wonderful opportunities to explore and have a lot of fun with fellow students and members. Come join us for a great day! June 10 (Wednesday), Annenberg Estate “Sunnylands” June 18 (Thursday), National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Oxnard June 22 (Monday), Vandenberg Air Force Base

OLLI Book Club The OLLI Book Club meets monthly to choose and discuss a non-fiction book. Sometimes an outing is planned to hear the author, listen to a lecture on the subject, or watch a related movie. Like reading books and lively discussions? This could be the group for you. OLLI at the Camarillo and Ventura Libraries OLLI at CSUCI partners with the Camarillo Public Library and the E.P. Foster Library in Ventura to bring a taste of the OLLI program to community members free of charge. The two-hour lectures feature OLLI instructors and other informative speakers. For those unfamiliar with OLLI, this is a great chance to sample an OLLI type program. Regular OLLI members can see their favorite instructors again or sample new ones, along with their friends and neighbors. No membership or registration is required.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Registration begins early August for OLLI/CI Fall courses starting Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015.

The month of May will be our last scheduled meeting before the summer break. Our by Ellen Marie Wiseman – another

mailto:hcshields@roadrunner.com

April 2015

PUBLIC POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING

Our Public Policy Committee met and discussed the Equal Pay Day campaign. Judith Pfeil, our National Public Policy Committee Chair, led us in a great discussion about what is being done in Washington, D.C. , California and locally. Many people still don’t understand that women continue to be paid less than men for doing identical jobs. Equal Pay Day is April 12th and in order to show our support for the Equal Pay Day campaign, the Public Policy Committee we will be presenting a cake to our chapter at the upcoming April General meeting. See you there! Our next Public Policy Meeting is planned for Saturday, May 9, 2015 at 10:30 am. Join us at Marie Calendar’s (185 E. Daily Dr., Camarillo).

Please Join Your Local Public Policy Committee! For More Information Please Contact:

Pamela Perkins-Dwyer 845-464-7515 (cell)

National News

AAUW National Elections

It’s April and time for AAUW National Elections! When voting opens on April 15th, members will select the AAUW president, vice president, and 10 directors.

Please make note of these dates and be sure to cast your ballot before the deadline!

April 1 Paper ballot request period begins April 15 Online voting begins May 8 Paper ballot request period ends May 19 Last date to join AAUW and be eligible to vote in the 2015 election May 26 Paper ballots must be postmarked by this date to be counted. June 18–19 Online voting available at AAUW National Convention, San Diego June 19, 9 p.m.(PT) End of online voting and voting at convention

The AAUW website includes this Voter Guide, which has detailed information about casting your ballot. For an up-close look at the candidates, check out the Candidates page. For other questions, there is a frequently-asked-questions page.

http://www.aauw.org/files/2015/01/2015-AAUW-National-Election-Voter-Guide-nsa.pdfhttp://www.aauw.org/resource/candidates-for-election-to-the-aauw-board-of-directors/http://www.aauw.org/resource/faq-national-election/http://www.aauw.org/resource/faq-national-election/http://www.aauw.org/resource/faq-national-election/http://www.aauw.org/resource/faq-national-election/http://www.aauw.org/resource/faq-national-election/

April 2015

FROM Lisa M. Maatz

Vice President of Government Relations

In addition to warmer weather and blooming flowers, spring also brings an exciting set of opportunities for AAUW members like you to influence public policy at the federal, state and local levels. From Equal Pay Day in April to the final days of state legislative sessions across the country, spring is a busy and productive time.

That's why I want to make sure you're aware of the resources from our AAUW policy shop to help you spring into spring and make the most of these policy opportunities! Here are some of the key resources and tools available to you:

- Position papers and "Quick Facts" one-pagers that provide a solid primer on AAUW priority issues (hint: these are great items to give to lawmakers during your legislative advocacy days and in-district meetings!) - State-specific fact sheets on the gender pay gap by congressional district - Official AAUW letters sent to Congress and the administration, which can provide guidance for your own state or branch letters to state or local officials - How-to guides for advocacy activities such as cake deliveries, rallies, letters to the editor, tabling, petitions, house meetings, voter registration, and more! - Sample proclamations to mark key days of action in your state and community - "Leadership Essentials" for public policy chairs to help orient new state and branch public policy chairs (and give prospective public policy chairs a sense of what the role entails!) - Printable sign-up sheets for AAUW Action Network that you can use at branch meetings and events to help grow our e-advocacy network of Two-Minute Activists (the sign-up sheets also contain an option for people to sign up for Washington Update!) - Free stickers, posters, and other "AAUW swag" available for order through the upcoming policy events form

Questions about any of these resources? Got an idea for a new resource? Want to let us know about your latest and greatest public policy idea? Please don't hesitate to reach out to the fab public policy team by e-mailing us at advocacy@aauw.org or calling (202)785-7793.

Thanks for all you do – we look forward to springing into action with you and helping you advance AAUW policy priorities!

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April 2015

From Curious Little Girl to Household Breadwinner

Stephanie became an engineer, in part, because she broke a toaster. “I remember being a kid and just wondering how things worked, like the toaster. I remember being fascinated by the toaster and trying to figure out how it knew when to pop up the toast. So I got in trouble for tearing the toaster apart to see how it worked.” Luckily, Stephanie’s mom supported her curiosity and encouraged her to develop her interest in science and engineering. Throughout middle and high school Stephanie took part in opportunities like Science Olympiad and various Michigan university summer engineering programs. Now, as an African American woman in the technology field, Stephanie volunteers at similar programs to show students the opportunities available to them in engineering and computing. She illustrates possible careers with things they use every day, like toasters and cell phones. “When I’m speaking to students, I try to meet them where they are and get them to see that there is more to life than what you can see for yourself. Sometimes you just need one person who looks like you so you know that it’s an option for you as well,” Stephanie says. Engineering brought Stephanie work she enjoys and a stable foundation for her family. But as her story and the new AAUW research report, Solving the Equation: The Variables for Women’s Success in Engineering and Computing, illustrate, women who pursue the benefits of engineering and computing jobs still often face gender bias and tough environments. In college Stephanie and the other eight female electrical engineering majors supported each other through the difficult program. Together they dealt with professors who weren’t used to having women in the program, were flirtatious, or didn’t like to choose women to participate in class. The nine women still keep in touch today. It was different in the workplace. “It’s still a very male-dominated industry,” says Stephanie. “Very often I’m the only woman in the room. Very early on in my career, I was highly intimidated by men. I would rarely say something in a meeting, even if I knew it was a valid contribution.” Stephanie says she has grown and adjusted to the challenges, but it can still be an isolating environment. Today she is the only African American woman on her 60-person team. Only one of the five leads on the project is a woman. And while she isn’t as intimated any more, she still has to deal with bias from others.

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http://www.aauw.org/2014/02/20/engineers-on-girls-in-stem/http://www.aauw.org/research/solving-the-equation/http://www.aauw.org/research/solving-the-equation/

April 2015

“As a woman in a technology field I find that no matter who I’m working for or what team I’m supporting or how many woman are there or not, I’m constantly starting over. As a consultant I have various clients. Each time I start a new project I have to set a precedent, show my value, and prove that I have credibility. It doesn’t matter how many years I’ve been in the field or how many clients I’ve had; I find that that is a recurring process. I don’t know if it’s the same for men, but very often I find I have to prove myself all over again.” Stephanie entered the field of engineering because she liked gadgets and wanted to build robots, but now as a divorced single mother, engineering is most important to her as a source of stability and financial security. She views her current job in cybersecurity consulting as what her family needs at this point in their lives. “In my transition back to engineering, a former director said to me, if you really want stability in the industry you should go into security. Security is the next big thing, everyone will have to have it, and it will give you some longevity and stability. So I migrated onto other security tasks and went from there.” It isn’t easy being a single parent. Stephanie says that single parents are rare in her field, and most of her male co-workers are either single or have spouses at home to cover child care. “I’m a very hands-on parent,” she says. “I constantly weigh the two as priorities and often will take the hit in my career to support my family.” One of those hits involved turning down a promotion because the additional demands would mean more time away from her kids, and because moving up the corporate ladder would mean less of the hands-on, technical aspects that she enjoys. Her current employer does offer benefits like flextime and backup dependent care services that allow her to be present in both her career and her family.

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http://www.aauw.org/2015/02/12/introduce-girls-to-cybersecurity/

April 2015

2015 AAUW National Convention

Now’s the time to plan your trip to the convention, June

18–21! Slots are filling up for the pre-convention tours. Don’t miss out on a tequila tasting, a sunset sail, or a tour

of Coronado Island. Get details about hotel accommodations, travel information and more at http://convention.aauw.org/plan-trip/.

Achievement Gap Narrowing for

Minority Students

The Department of Education announced this week that between 2011 and 2013, high school graduation rates for black and Hispanic students increased by almost 4%, while the gap between the number of white students and black and Hispanic students receiving high school diplomas decreased. This good news builds on the data released in February showing that a record 81% of U.S. students graduated high school in the 2012-2013 school year.

DID YOU KNOW THAT……

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) signed a bill that would make voting easier by automatically registering adult citizens in the state who have interacted with the Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Division but have not yet registered to vote. This bill makes Oregon the first state to implement automatic voter registration, 17 years after it became the first state to conduct all elections via mail-in ballots.

Most important is having leadership who “gets it.” But Stephanie says some workers still expect that family life will be sacrificed for work, which isn’t an option she has as a single mother.

What’s next? Stephanie doesn’t think she will be in consulting or cybersecurity forever. Eventually she sees herself moving on to other interests and opportunities. For one thing, she still wants to build robots.

But meanwhile, she counsels girls to have confidence in their ability to build a career in engineering or technology. “You can do it!” she says. “You’re no different than anyone else. You can build an app, build a game, build the next toaster, or design the next super-duper flat iron. There are so many tools that we use as women that are designed by men that we may have been better off designing ourselves.”

“I often say it’s cool to be a girl geek. And if that’s your heart’s desire just keep pushing for it, seek out those opportunities, meet those people, and try.”

http://convention.aauw.org/plan-trip/http://convention.aauw.org/plan-trip/http://convention.aauw.org/plan-trip/http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/achievement-gap-narrows-high-school-graduation-rates-minority-students-improve-faster-rest-nationhttp://salsa4.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=V3QEooAtyOosl1CsBT1yR1V5HmuCSsYL