Women’s Independent Press

2nd Annual Women ROCK!
October 21, 2010 - 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Women ROCK! celebrates the city’s talented artists and the amazing Dress for Success women who have succeeded against the odds.
This year’s event features performances by Pittsburgh Opera and Attack Theatre, amongst many others!
 
In this second annual event, we are also celebrating Dress for Success’ 5th Anniversary! During the evening, we will honor supporters who have
 given exceptional support to Dress for Success in the last five years.
 
check out our website: www.dfswomenrock.org
Tickets: VIP $125, General Admission $75
Groups of 10 Discount: VIP $100 / General Admission $65
 
Purchase tickets at Pro Arts Tickets or call (412) 394-3353..Women ROCK
October 21, 2010 - 5:30pm - 10:00pm
The best event in October! Women ROCK is on October 21st! The Pittsburgh Opera, Attack Theatre, Phat Man Dee,
Kenia, Gena, DINKS, Christina Springer, and lots of good food and drinks. And  a chance to win a dinner for four with Franco Harris?
What more can you ask for in a rockin’ evening? GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!
..Dress for Success Pittsburgh
 
Allegheny County
Headquarters
Warner Centre
332 Fifth Avenue, Fifth Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: 412-201-4204
Fax: 412-201-1329
Hours: M-F 10-4 and by appointment
Pittsburgh@dressforsuccesspittsburgh.orgMary Grace Honored by Dress for Success
 

The Musuneggi Financial Group and Single Steps Strategies are pleased to announce that our President & Executive Director, Mary Grace Musuneggi, has been chosen by Dress for Success Pittsburgh, to be honored at their upcoming Women Rock event.  This event will celebrate the 5th anniversary of Dress for Success Pittsburgh as they also celebrate Pittsburgh’s talented women artists and the amazing Dress for Success women who have
succeeded against all odds.  Mary Grace Musuneggi as well as BNY Mellon, and the Heinz Corporation will be honored for their exceptional contributionsto Dress for Success.
 
Entertainment for the evening will feature performances by Poet Christina Springer, Jazz Vocalists Phat Man Dee, Kenia and Gena, and DINKS,
a play by Tammy Ryan, directed by Marci Woodruff.
 
The host committee for this VIP Event will include Newlin Archinal, Linda Dickerson, CEO of Pittsburgh’s National Aviary, Bill Flanagan,
Host of “Our Region’s Business” on WPXI-TV, Franco Harris, Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Steeler and Rebecca Harris, Director of
Women’s Entrepreneurship, Chatham University.
 
To learn more about Dress for Success Pittsburgh visit their website at www.dressforsuccesspgh.org.
 
To learn more about the Women Rock event or to order tickets visit our website at www.singlestepsstrategies.com.

YWCA Greater Pittsburgh 2010 Week Without Violence

Presented by The Center for Race and Gender Equity October 17-23, 2010

The YWCA Greater Pittsburgh and collaborating organizations will host the 15th annual Week Without Violence as part of an international
campaign that has spread to all 50 states and more than 40 countries.  The Week Without Violence campaign highlights practical, sustainable alternatives
to violence in our homes, schools, places of work and communities. 

Each day of the week will focus on a different violence-related theme.  For more information, call 412-255-1466.

Sunday:  Day of Remembrance (October 17, 2010)
Family and friends are invited to join the YWCA in creating a Memorial Mural.  Individuals have the opportunity to create memorial cards and
remember loved ones lost to violence.  Email advocacy@ywcapgh.org you would like to participate.
Location:  Memorials displayed in YWCA Greater Pittsburgh lobbies throughout the week.
Cards are due October 13 and will become part of the YWCA archives.

 Monday: Protecting Our Children (October 18, 2010)
Join the YWCA as we promote safety activities for young students. This activity will feature fire safety, gun safety, and promoting dignity, diversity,
and respect.  Visit with state and city agencies and other non-profits as they provide resources and information to parents, teachers, and caregivers.
Time:  3:00-6:00 PM
Location: YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, Homewood Brushton
      6907 Frankstown Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15208

 Tuesday:  Making Our Schools Safer (October 19, 2010)
Local students will partner to present youth perspectives on violence and violence prevention in schools.  This afternoon event will feature musical
performance and a panel of teen leaders who make recommendations for creating safer schools and communities.

Location:  Career Connections Charter High School/Boys and Girls Club

Wednesday:  Confronting Violence Against Women (October 20, 2010)
CCAC hosts a workshop and panel discussion highlighting ways women and men can work to prevent violence against women.  Panelists will include
 educators, students, and leaders and emphasize strategies for reducing violence in our communities.

Location:  CCAC, Allegheny Campus
      808 Ridge Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Thursday:  Facing Violence Among Men (October 21, 2010)
The YWCA presents a diverse panel of local leaders and activists to offer perspectives on capital punishment and its role in addressing violence
among men.  This event will include discussion and audience interaction in order to examine the death penalty and its impact upon society and crime
 prevention.

Time: 5:30-7:30 PM
Location:  YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, Downtown
      305 Wood Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
      This event is open to the public at no charge.

Friday:  Eliminating Racism & Hate Crime (October 22, 2010)
Learn more about ethnic intimidation and hate crimes from law enforcement and government.  Pennsylvania State Police and Pittsburgh and state
 and regional Commissions on Human Relations will share the signs and steps of identifying hate crimes and the importance of reporting incidents of
ethnic intimidation within the community.

Time:  9:30 AM-12:00 PM
Location:  YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, Downtown
      305 Wood Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
     This event is open to the public at no charge.

Saturday:  Replacing Violence with Recreation, and Fun (October 23, 2010)
“On Reading” presents 104 photographs that examine the power of reading as a universal pleasure, made by André Kertész in Hungary, France, Asia,
and the United States over the course of his career.  Collectively, these images reveal Kertész’s penchant for the poetry and choreography of life in
public and in private moments at home, and evoke the love affair people have with the written word.
Time: October 23-February 13, 2011
Location: Carnegie Museum of Art
     4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4080
Visit Carnegie Museum of Art for $1 per person (up to 4 people) with your ACCESS/EBT card to celebrate art during The Week Without Violence
and throughout the year.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS
2nd Annual Women ROCK!
October 21, 2010 - 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Women ROCK! celebrates the city’s talented artists and the amazing Dress for Success women who have succeeded against the odds.
This year’s event features performances by Pittsburgh Opera and Attack Theatre, amongst many others!
 In this second annual event, we are also celebrating Dress for Success’ 5th Anniversary!
During the evening, we will honor supporters who have given exceptional support to Dress for Success in the last five years.
 check out our website: www.dfswomenrock.org

 Purchase tickets at Pro Arts Tickets or call (412) 394-3353..Women ROCK
October 21, 2010 - 5:30pm - 10:00pm
 The best event in October! Women ROCK is on October 21st!
The Pittsburgh Opera, Attack Theatre, Phat Man Dee, Kenia, Gena, DINKS, Christina Springer, and lots of good food and drinks.
AND a chance to win a dinner for four with FRANCO HARRIS? What more can you ask for in a rockin’ evening? GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!
..Dress for Success Pittsburgh
 

Mary Grace Museneggi Honored by Dress for Success
 
The Musuneggi Financial Group and Single Steps Strategies are pleased to announce that our President & Executive Director, Mary Grace Musuneggi,
has been chosen by Dress for Success Pittsburgh, to be honored at their upcoming Women Rock event.  This event will celebrate the 5th anniversary
of Dress for Success Pittsburgh as they also celebrate Pittsburgh’s talented women artists and the amazing Dress for Success women who have succeeded
 against all odds.  Mary Grace Musuneggi as well as BNY Mellon, and the Heinz Corporation will be honored for their exceptional contributions to Dress for Success.

Where are the women? Women comprise more than half of the United States workforce and almost half of the Pennsylvania workforce, so why are they so under represented in elected office?  In 2010, women hold only 16.8% of the seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 17% of the seats in the U.S. Senate.

With election day approaching, the Girls Coalition of SWPA wants to make sure people are thinking and talking about these statistics and what they mean to us now and in the future.  You’re invited to learn more and join the discussion by attending the Girls Coalition event, “An Afternoon at the Movies.”

An Afternoon at the Movies

When: October 27, 2010; 2:30-5:30pm

  doors open at 2pm

Where: Kelly-Strayhorn Theater

  5491 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206

What: Network with other girl and young-women serving organizations, screen what’s your point honey?, and

hear about women and politics in our region from a great group of panelists

Cost: $20; register online at www.girlcoalitionswpa.org (cash or checks made payable to Gwen’s Girls or pay at the door)

The event will include fun snacks and beverages

what’s your point, honey? This 90-minute documentary puts a new face on political leadership by introducing seven possible contenders coming down the pipeline, while revealing inequalities that still exist today.  A panel and discussion will follow the film.

Panelists:

Dana Brown, Pennsylvania Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy at Chatham University;

Celeste Taylor, Regional Equity Monitor Project program of the Black Political Empowerment Project;

Kathy Wilson, Pennsylvania NOW;

Representatives from the Women and Girls Foundation and Girl Gov

Moderator:

Misti McKeehen, Coro Center for Civic Leadership

Domestic Violence Awareness Month  evolved from the “Day of Unity” in October 1981 and was conceived by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The purpose was to connect advocates across the country who were working to end violence against women and their children. The Day of Unity soon became an entire week devoted to a range of activities conducted at the local, state, and national levels.

The activities conducted were as varied and diverse as the program sponsors but had common themes: mourning those who have died because of domestic violence, celebrating those who have survived, and connecting those who work to end violence.

In October 1987, the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed. That same year marks the initiation of the first national domestic violence toll-free hotline. In 1989 the U.S. Congress passed Public Law 101-112 designating October of that year as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Such legislation has passed every year since with NCADV providing key leadership in this effort. Each year, the Day of Unity is celebrated the first Monday of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

– Adapted from the 1996 Domestic Violence Awareness Month Resource Manual of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

The Status of Elected Women in Pennsylvania

Currently, Pennsylvania is ranked 46th in the nation in terms of women’s representation in the state legislature, down from 44th after the 2006 election.  Out of the 253 seats available in the General Assembly, women hold 10 seats in the Senate and 27 seats in the house, only 14.6 percent.  If female representation in the PA legislature matched female representation in the state’s adult population, Pennsylvania women would hold 133 seats.   Pennsylvania currently does not have a woman holding a statewide office and has never elected a woman to Governor. 

Why should women run for office? 

Women elected officials, both liberal and conservative, show greater support for equal rights for women and the protection of reproductive rights than their male counterparts.  Research has shown that women officeholders not only introduce and shape policy, they make sure that their policies are advanced in the legislature.  Women bring a broader viewpoint to the debate and are more apt to engage their legislative colleagues on the other side of the aisle.  Increasing the range of issues that are being discussed and diversifying the people who are discussing them, helps develop new solutions to the issues that are affecting women.

Know the Facts: Breast Cancer
Information obtained from  Magee

The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates for breast cancer in the United States are for 2010:

• About 207,090 new cases of invasive breast cancer in women
• About 54,010 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS) will be found (CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer).
• About 39,840 deaths from breast cancer (women)

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, other than skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer.

The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer some time during her life is a little less 1 in 8. The chance of dying from breast cancer is about 1 in 35. Breast cancer death rates have been going down. This is probably the result of finding the cancer earlier and better treatment. Right now there are more than 2½ million breast cancer survivors in the United States.

Who is at Risk for Breast Cancer?

All women are at risk, but there are a number of risk factors which increase your chances of developing breast cancer:

• age
  The number one risk factor for developing breast cancer is age. The older you are, the greater the risk of developing the disease. Four out of five breast cancers are diagnosed in women over fifty.
• family history of cancer - genetic inheritance
  Having a family history of cancer means having first degree relatives (mother, sister, daughter) who had breast cancer, particularly before menopause. Two or more other close relatives such as aunts or cousins with a history of breast cancer, especially if the cancer was detected at a young age, may also increase your risk.
• Ashkenazi Jewish descent
  Some individuals of Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jewish heritage have been found to have an inherited characteristic that may lead to breast or ovarian cancer.
• certain breast changes
  Having a diagnosis of atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) or having had two or more breast biopsies for other benign conditions may increase a woman’s risk.
• beginning your menstrual periods at an early age
• going through menopause at a late age

Screening Tests

The program uses tests to screen for early-stage disease in people who show no symptoms. Breast cancer screening tests conducted may include:

• screening mammogram
  A screening mammogram is the best tool available for finding breast cancer early, before symptoms appear. Mammograms can often detect breast cancer before it can be felt. Also, a mammogram can show small deposits of calcium in the breast. Although most calcium deposits are benign, a cluster of very tiny specks of calcium (called microcalcifications) may be an early sign of cancer.
• clinical breast exam
  A thorough physical examination of the breasts done by a breast cancer specialist, either a doctor or nurse practitioner.
• GAIL model risk assessment
  Scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), have developed a breast cancer risk assessment tool that allows a health professional to project a woman’s individualized estimate of risk for invasive breast cancer over a five-year period, and over her lifetime to age 90. This calculated score can then be used as a guide for breast cancer prevention and surveillance options.
• fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy
  Fluid and/or tissue cells are drawn (aspirated) from a lump, through a thin needle and into a syringe. The specimen is sent to the pathology lab for analysis.