Women's Leadership Workshop
Inspiring group of women as change agents. This program was operated through The Hunger Project, which is doing a fabulous job and well worth checking out more of.
Hmong Women Giving Circles
Inspiring group of women who firmed a strong Giving Circle as immigrant Americans. A reminder to give is also to receive.
Maya Angelou on Women in Leadership
Thanks to wonderful women like Maya Angelou, there is inspiration to spare. Here is a brief piece from the Women Leaders Global Summit.
The Girl Effect
The Girl Effect: The powerful social and economic change brought about when girls have the opportunity to participate in their society.
Stolen Identity via Email
We regret to inform you that 2BalanceU has been attacked by a joe job (someone spoofing our email address with sending offensive spam to discredit us). We ask for your help to cease this attack.
If you have received email from anyone other than Cassandra, Heidi or info@2BalanceU.com, it is NOT from 2BalanceU.
You may follow the link for this blog entry to find out more information on reporting the offense. We apologise for any inconvenience or problems that this may have caused you. We are currently increasing the security and filters in our system to avoid such future attacks.How to combat this Joe Job.
1. In your email program, enable viewing of Headers.
Example:
Return-Path:
Received: (qmail 13955 invoked from network); 5 Jul 2008 03:14:18 -0500
Received: from e179041040.adsl.alicedsl.de (85.179.41.40)
by 4star-chile-tours-and-travel.com with SMTP; 5 Jul 2008 03:14:18 -0500
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: multipart/alternative;
boundary="Boundary_(ID_pdhOrFXWUQKwe2wrXxYTWF)"
Message-id: <084DDA93-DBE5-4105-19D2-263E0125D98A@2balanceu.com>
From: Dorward
To: ascgplbtd@4starperu.com
Subject: Victoria Beckham spotted topless in Nice
Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2008 10:01:29 +0200
X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.924)
The only part of these headers that you CANNOT forge is the Received: lines.
Notice that this message was from 85.179.41.40, which is a AliceDSL.de address. (All IP addresses are assigned to companies/countries.)
I again emphasize: the sender's EMAIL ADDRESS is SPOOFED. This is where the attacker wants you to believe the mail is coming from 2BalanceU.com but it is NOT. The sender's email address is worthless.
Look up who owns the IP, and tell you who to send Abuse Reports to. On the next page, you will be able to send the correct party an Abuse Report. In your message, include the entire email you received, as well as a message, such as:
"I am receiving spoofed messages from the server addressed in the headers of this email. Please shut down this server immediately, or close the relays on the box. You are hosting a machine that is spamming and may be held liable if you refuse to correct this issue."
Please know that we are doing our best to increase security in the future. We are saddened to think that someone might be so malicious as to attack a well meaning site before we even have launched. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly by email
Thank you for your patience and support.
Sincerely,
Heidi Forbes Öste
CEO and Founder
2BalanceU Limited
Empowering Women Where Insight and Action Connect
ICRW tackles the complexities of the world's most pressing problems — poverty, hunger and disease — by demonstrating that a focus on women and gender is necessary for lasting social and economic change. Our work begins with research that uncovers the realities of women's lives and brings into sharper focus the issues and constraints they face.
Video for the Global Summit of Women in HaNoi, Vietnam
The Global Summit of Women is occuring in Vietnam this weekend. Please enjoy this video from the Ministry of Tourism in Vietnam to promote the 08 Summit.
UNITUS - Empowering Women
Empowering Women can change the world. Who empowers you? Celebrate her at www.unitus.com/empoweringwomen.
Side by Side: the 50/50 Group of Sierra Leone (Pt. I)
The story of women working together to change politics, and make a place for women in leadership, in the once war-torn nation of Sierra Leone.
Side by Side: the 50/50 Group of Sierra Leone Part II
Read more about us @ http://www.ndi.org/
Women in The News
Women are breaking records starting new businesses and giving the old boys a wake up call.
Fortune 50 Most Powerful Women in Business 2007
Statistics on Women Participating in Politics
State of Women in high Tech Industry Study by Anita Borg Institute
AFRAWE and Economic Empowerment for African Women
Simmons Women's Leadership Conference 2008 "Dialogue and Discovery"
World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report
Statistics on Women Participating in Politics
State of Women in high Tech Industry Study by Anita Borg Institute
AFRAWE and Economic Empowerment for African Women
Simmons Women's Leadership Conference 2008 "Dialogue and Discovery"
World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report
Comfort in your Skin and how to Dress it
What peer matching can do for you.
We think of our day broken down in modules. There are some basics that both are necessity and pleasure. Clothes on our back are a necessity, but can also be a way of expressing ourselves and of communicating. Understanding how to go about the basic movements of our day with a "spring in our step" versus the dragging of feet can make the difference between making or breaking a deal, a relationship or yourself. How we dress that self and how we act within that robe is important to understand as it changes in new surroundings. The cultures of changed communities, countries, life stages and more comes into play.
What does this have to do with 2BalanceU? This all sounds rather abstract, so look at it this way. When retiring we shed our suits and prepare for a "life of leisure". What do retired women wear in Paris and where to they go? When sent on assignment to Ghana, the climate and community is not suited for the black suit of Geneva. And where do I exercise while there? I'm off to Shanghai for meetings, what should I expect from my hosts, and what should I bring? And of course, what should I wear?
What matters most? The pleasure of feeling comfortable in your situation by being dressed appropriately but with your own twist. The warmth in your body that awakens your day while maintaining your fitness regime, regardless of where in the world you are. The pleasure in receiving a compliment for your consideration in understanding the customs of your hosts. The relief at being forewarned about some surprising customs that might have been misinterpreted.
We look forward to assisting in connecting women for shared personal shopping, cultural clues and exercise hints no matter where in the world you are.
Happy Holidays!
Wishing you all peace and joy in this holiday season.
Heidi and the 2BalanceU team
During this wonderful time of year, we are attempting 2Balance"us" by giving all our team a little break to enjoy their families and friends. We look forward to a very exciting New Year with all of you. As this is the season of giving, we are looking forward to giving you the best tool in 2008 for helping you achieve your new year's resolution of balance.
Namaste.
Heidi and the 2BalanceU team
UNIFEM campaign to stop violence against women
Nicole Kidman, UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador, helps launch campaign to stop Violence against women
Check out this new campaign and give your voice by signing the petition campaign to stop Violence against women Go the UNIFEM Saynotoviolence.org website
Check out this new campaign and give your voice by signing the petition campaign to stop Violence against women Go the UNIFEM Saynotoviolence.org website
Action is the change agent
Rome was not built in a day, nor was it built by one person
They say, if you build it they will come. But in today's world or overly scheduled lives, it takes more than just building bridges. To get the first to cross over and take a dip on the other side, it takes those adventurous few who are willing to take the time to try the unknown, to explore with an open mind and to share what they have learned on their return home. We hope you will do just that. While you are here, I challenge you to share some of your favourite sites your own destination. We welcome you and hope you will enjoy, share and come again soon.
Listing on 2BalanceU is free and can help you get access to the audience that you wish to connect with and is looking for you. Please take a moment to update your listings and add resources that you or your peers provide. We look forward to growing together. Cheers, Heidi
Global Gender Gap Report 2007
Here is a video on the Global Gender Gap Report from the World Economic Forum
Kick into Action
The framework is here, now go for it! Get sharing
They say, if you build it they will come. But in today's world or overly scheduled lives, it takes more than just building bridges. To get the first to cross over and take a dip on the other side, it takes those adventurous few who are willing to take the time to try the unknown, to explore with an open mind and to share what they have learned on their return home. We hope you will do just that. While you are here, I challenge you to share some of your favourite sites your own destination. We welcome you and hope you will enjoy, share and come again soon.
Change is Good
Some changes you may have noticed on the 2BalanceU site are resulting from listening and learning. We understand that we need to put in additional supports to our bridge for networks. We therefore have temporarily turned off the Q&A and are focusing on the global community calendar and the network directory. The Q&A will be back and can still be experienced in the Mentor Groups.
After much listening, asking and thought, we are making some major changes to how we grow 2BalanceU. The networks need support to grow and share their work. Many of them are doing wonderful research that should be shared and learned from. Much of it overlaps with other networks efforts and could be used in a more comprehensive work. Work on empowering young women to fuel their ambition, women on boards, supporting women entrepreneurs, mentoring, the list goes on. But each of these are clearly universal themes in women's networks around the world.
We have listened and are soon launching our global community calendar to share events. We are creating a comprehensive directory of women's networks and organizations. We are turning off the questions and answers until user numbers make this effective. Our Groups are still available for more specific inquiry and response. We are returning to our focus of the resources that are available. Networks, Events and Resources are online, global, regional and local.
This change in format feels right, and effective for supporting the women that are the leaders of today and tomorrow. I hope that those who have enjoyed the questions will not be too disappointed at their temporary disappearance. But I believe they will be happy with the end result.
Do your Research prior to Interview
There are lots of tips out there for nailing an interviews. But the best by far is...find out as MUCH as you can about your interviewer.
If possible, research what he/she likes or dislike. Find something in common to casually bring up. Where do they live, what are the attractions in that area? Be ready to praise those attractions. A true example of this 'interview' tip in action:
The week prior to my 'big chance' interview with a infamous advertising guru, I called a friend of a friend's friend who knew him to get acvice. "Whatever you do NOT dress conservatively, don't act normal or express bland interests. Be outrageously different, do something that will make him laugh." So, it was 1992 in Boston, when roller blading was taking off. The wheels were thicker than ice skates, so it had to be easy; or so I thought. I'll roller blade from my front door, right to his building...it pretty flat, how hard can that be; and it will CERTAINLY get his attention.
Well, the building's entrance and elevator ride up were the easy part; it was GETTING from my Apartment Door to his building's entrance that was outrageously harder and more humiliating than expeted. The commuters that morning had some laughs; just the site of a rollerblader in a businesssuite was enough, or so I was told. But then, tripping at a 4 way intersection launching the entire contents of my purse under two rows of cards. A few commuters cursed me, but only the ones I grabbed for brakes on the way down a hill.
I collapsed on the bench outside my interviewers' buidling and waited long enough for persperation to dry up. Then put on a fake air of confidence and skated timidly thru the swivel toors straight for the open elevator. His secretary directed me to h is office; and as my adrenaline picked up, so did my speed forcing me to either use my heal brake for first time or nose first into a wall. Then I saw his name plate on his door. HOW to enter? Grab the frame, swing around at warp speed and do a full body slap against the door? Or put pressure on your healing and pray that the rubber break 'nub' works, so I can make a talented and graceful impression.
A rubber burning screach coming from my right roller blade was the perfect icebreaker! He launched into telling me about something he plans to invent, rollerblades that go over grass. Then came the obligatory questions like, 'tell me about your last job and why you want to work here.?' etc. And about 5 minutes into the interview, he noticed the black skid marks on his floor. He took his glasses off, looked me straight in the eye and said; 'When can you start?' : )
Working From Home (with Toddlers lurking)
Stories and Tips from working from home with Toddlers
I've worked from home for the past 5 years. My days used to involve phone calls, emails and a lot of web development. So getting dressed was always optional. But with the onslaught of Webcasts, WebCam Phone meetings, I have to at least remember to put a nice shirt over my nightgown. Mistakes I've made, for you to learn from:
--Do NOT get up from your WebCam call, unless you are dressed top to bottom. "Nice nightgown, was one board members comment" webcasts and live web calls.
--Make sure you look at yourself in the mirror before webcam video starts. I heard people laughing on one webcast, only to realize they were looking at me, fountain pony tails, with pom poms. (My girls played hair dresser with me that morning)
--Make sure you know how to quickly use the mute button. While on a call a year or so ago, my toddler came screaming into my office. I hit the mute button (so I thought) and proceeded to SCREAM. "GO ask the babysitter. See these headphones? It means IM ON A CALL, NOT ALLOWED TO BARGE IN. ..ahh, I can't handle YOUR wining, I've got enough of it on this call from hell, so PLEAAAASE go find babysitter.
I hit the unmute button. The conference call is silent. "Hello are we all here, why is nobody talking?"....
