Women, workplace, Dark Ages

A study concludes that modern business is stuck in the Dark Ages when it comes to accommodating women in the work force, and it makes several suggestions on how businesses can treat women more fairly.

When an organization has a nebulous name like the National Center for Policy Analysis, you can't help but wonder about its political perspective. But this nonprofit emphasizes its impartiality while espousing free enterprise and self-reliance.

If those sound like Republican code words to you, you might be surprised by a Web site that the NCPA has set up at
http://www.womenintheeconomy.org. The linchpin of the site is a study concluding that modern business is stuck in the Dark Ages when it comes to accommodating women in the work force, and it makes several suggestions on how businesses can treat women more fairly. You can also read articles from other sources or participate in polls about how different economic issues affect women. As for any hints of political bias: While some of the poll questions are phrased with a pro-White House slant, respondents seem more intrigued by presidential candidate John Kerry's ideas, reflecting the gender divide shown in many political polls.

Appealing to entrepreneurs

Watch out, President Bush: Women entrepreneurs may be your undoing in the White House. So says Fortune Small Business (July/August). "Women entrepreneurs are becoming prized swing voters in the 2004 election (whose views) are sharply divided from those of their male counterparts." A Fortune/Zogby survey found that female entrepreneurs favor Democrat John Kerry (50 percent) over President Bush (44 percent), while male entrepreneurs prefer Bush (60 percent to 33 percent). And some female entrepreneurs don't like Bush or Kerry. The message, says the magazine, is that "the candidate that appeals directly to this target group could gain a substantial edge.''

— Cox Newspapers (original posting St. Paul Pioneer Press, 7/18/04, http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/business/9174268.htm?1c)