Women in the C-suite are getting some serious face time in the national media. For instance, Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook, recently released her book called, Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead. In one interview promoting the book, Sheryl discussed being a "pompom girl...

As we approach the end of Women's History Month, I wanted to make sure I mentioned the impact that Chicago women have had on Chicago Foundation for Women and our society. We live in a city where we are privileged to have a long legacy of female pioneers and champions...

It might surprise some of you to learn this, but long before I spent my days advocating for the rights of women and girls, my work hours were regularly filled puzzling over problems relating to ceramics, metals and cement. I was once a metallurgist. A field not widely pursued by...

A new year, a new presidential term, and a new Congress should mean a fresh agenda, but in 2013, that is far from our reality. What started out as "high hopes" for the 113th Congress has transformed into disapproval and disappointment, and we are only into the second week of...

The first time I made a monetary donation, I was in the third grade. The nuns at my primary school were collecting money for the "Poor Children's Fund." I listened to the stories the nuns told about the less fortunate children and how they couldn't afford education and the supplies...

This election season has been about women and yet, not about women. But, women have shown their collective voices through their votes. According to the Reuters Center for American Women and Politics, every presidential election since 1980 has seen the number of female voters surpass that of males...

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Often times, people think of the immediate needs for domestic violence survivors such as emergency shelter, legal assistance, and hot-lines, but not enough consideration is given to permanently ending domestic violence. The urgent care is important, but if we truly want to end violence...

According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are over 55,000 registered nonprofits in the state of Illinois. With the countless organizations having to shut their doors, every nonprofit leader must ask themselves: does my innovation truly require its own infrastructure?

As the Chicago Tribune reported recently,...

If you flip on the television this month, you will experience an overwhelming feeling of pride, patriotism and passion: The Summer Olympics are here.

But for women and girls, the London 2012 Summer Olympics represents something larger, something more victorious than just bringing home the gold. For the first time...

Every day in my work at Chicago Foundation for Women, I interact with a diverse group of women. From the staff, to our donors and volunteers, each woman represents a unique and motivating set of beliefs and ideas about the future of women. Although they differ in race and ethnicity,...

Certain women are expendable, at least according to some legislators.

An important piece of legislation, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), is stirring up controversy in its reauthorization. The Senate and House both recently passed versions reauthorizing VAWA with new provisions but, the House's bill significantly abandons the long-standing protections...

We are all fast-approaching that very special day in May when we take time to honor the women who have brought us into this life. As we prepare for Mother's Day this year, busy with our brunch reservations and floral orders, I'd like to take a moment to discuss what...

A month of sexual assault awareness is good, but what women really need is year-round action.

If you are reading this, chances are you know that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. You are probably also mindful of the startling statistics: rape harms one in...

This is 2012. Without a doubt, the women's movement has already come a long way. One hundred years ago, women were not permitted to vote, were largely excluded from higher education, and had very limited access to reproductive health care. Since that time, the Supreme Court has established a woman's...

Illinois Governor Quinn's proposed 2013 budget plan, what he calls his "most difficult" budget yet, focuses on the big-dollar-sign issues of Medicaid, state pensions and corporate tax loopholes.

While I applaud the governor's proposed increases to MAP grants for low-income students, early childhood education and veterans programs, all...

Even though football season is officially over, women's health is still being kicked around like a political football.

A much discussed and debated item in the news last week was that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation would deny grants to hundreds of high-quality women's health programs. Komen...

Happy New Year! That means it's time to consider your resolutions for 2012. In that tradition, I have suggestions to enhance common resolutions and make them more woman-positive.

1. Lose weight. Health and fitness top the list of common resolutions, but for women that's often combined with...

The winter holidays are the high season of charitable giving -- as is evident by all the requests you're probably receiving from your alma mater, your place of worship and the causes you care most about. Today I ask you to give thought to the following question: Why do women...

The days are getting shorter, but the future looks bright for women and girls. This year Chicago-area organizations have made impressive breakthroughs on seemingly intractable issues. As Thanksgiving nears, let's take time to be thankful for the progress we've made in 2011.

I'm thankful for young women's health and dignity....

The World Bank's latest World Development Report on Gender Equity and Development argues strongly that investing in women and girls is smart economics. I agree. The report says that women make up half the population and 40 percent of the world's workforce but hold just one...